The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR. It offers optical image stabilization with any lens. It has a unique Anti-Shake system that works with all lenses and also has an proficient control layout.

The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is finished in a businesslike matte black - similar to most standard DSLRs. Its angular styling, although conventional, looks good. The body, a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic, is sturdy and well crafted. The grip is nicely contoured and feels secure, and without a lens, the camera weighs about 30 ounces, which is an ounce or two heavier than average for this class.

The Maxxum 7D omits the separate status LCD and instead relies on the camera's main LCD to display shooting settings, which is an appealing design convention. On this particular Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to show more settings than the usual status LCD. These settings include ISO, color mode, and image parameters, to name a few.

The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has clearly been carefully thought out to make it possible to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 6.1 megapixel resolution and an Anti-Shake device.

The Anti-Shake device averts picture blur caused by camera movement. This mechanism is in the Maxxum 7D's body, working by shifting the CCD, so it operates well with all Konica Minolta autofocus (AF) lenses.

Plus, nine focus points are incorporated into the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D's advanced AF system. You can allocate the active point yourself or leave all of them active and let the camera settle on which to use from shot to shot. You can also set the camera to switch to continuous or tracking AF operation automatically if it detects subject movement.

Many exposure features are to be had on the Maxxum 7D. These include all four customary exposure modes; three light-metering modes (14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, and spot); ambient exposure compensation either in half-EV increments to plus or minus 3EV or in one-third-EV increments to plus or minus 2EV. The sensor's sensitivity can be set to auto or from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 in 1EV increments.

The user controls of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D are where they should be for the advanced photographer's camera. The most significant features are controlled by means of dedicated external buttons, rather than being in the menu system itself.

Thumb and forefinger command wheels control exposure adjustments along with other shooter settings. The white-balance control consisting of a rotating switch surrounding a button that smartly accesses multiple menu choices is the fastest and most flexible to date.

Flash setting or ambient exposure compensation can be controlled with a dial on the camera's top left side, but can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which I found to be more proficient. Overall, control placement and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best I've seen on any DSLR.

The Konica Minolta 7D's noted battery life is more or less adequate for a full day's shooting. If you are reliant on a long battery life, you can always take along some extras that can be purchased at your neighborhood camera store.

The Minolta 7D stores your photos in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards. You can also use a MicroDrive should you choose. Pictures are transferred easily from the camera to the PC with the USB 2.0 interface.

Of course there are some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and of course you want to know what they are. One such peeve is that the camera is slow to start-up. You are also restricted to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.

I do hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been of help to you. If you're looking for a decent professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash. Happy shopping!