[Spotly]

I've read that this camera is due out late fall but can't find any speculation on the price anywhere - although friends say that they've heard somewhere around $800. Has anyone else heard anything about pricing? Also, where will I see the biggest benefit of anti-shake? Thanks.

[Andrew]

I haven't heard much about the Digital Maxxum 7, but the anti-shake will be most effective at shutter speeds where you would normally administer the use of a tripod. I'm not sure exactly sure how well Konica Minolta's anti-shake system will work, but Canon's Image Stabilization let's you shoot 2-3 stops slower handheld. The minimum shutter speed "most" people (you may be more stable/shaky then "most") can shoot at with sharp results is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length in use. If you're using a 200mm lens, then the slowest "most" people will be able to shoot to achieve sharp results will be 1/250th. With anti-shake, you may be able to shoot as low as 1/60th or 1/30th.

[Tom]

I haven't seen any price figures, but I would guess above $1K. Minolta is several years behind Canon and Nikon in producing DSLRs so they probably won't be able to price too aggressively. They'll probably bank on people with Minolta glass or wanting anti-shake willing to pay a premium. How well the anti-shake will work in a DSLR is yet to be seen but there's no reason to believe it won't work just as well, particularly at the telephoto end where lenses with image stabilization can get pricey.

[Spotly]

I wonder if I could convince my wife to get a second job