Digital astrophotography with Maxxum 7D

[Jonathan Wienke]

Get any Canon body, they'll happily shoot without a lens or with any third-party lens + adapter.

[frankster5525]

Sure enough, that's the answer...thanks!!!. The feature (if you can call it that) is indeed called "shutter lock" and it can be turned off in the Number 3 custom-setup menu interface in the Maxxum 7D firmware. I have verified with my own Maxxum 7D that this fix works and it IS possible to shoot with a T-mount adapter on the body through a telescope or microscope. So the firmware designers at Minolta knew what they were doing after all...at least, they gave photographers a way to disable the shutter lock.

I thought I had reviewed the manual thoroughly. But I missed that key paragraph on page 97. (If I'd had a PDF version, I could have searched the text under "telescope" or "microscope" and I would have found it.) Anyway, thanks again for the tip.

[frankster5525]

When I tried mounting my new Maxxum 7D digital camera body on a telescope I discovered an apparent firmware flaw. Unfortunately, while the Maxxum 7D designers thought of almost everything when they designed this camera, they seem to have failed on one important point: The camera will not take an exposure if no lens is attached! When a telescope T-ring adapter is mounted on the body instead of a lens, the camera simply flashes a "no lens attached" error message to the user when an exposure is attempted. Does anyone know of any way to solve this problem? Is there some way to turn off the error sensing, or else is there some way to fool the camera into thinking that a lens is attached? Otherwise, this $1600, top-of-the-line prosumer DSLR camera is going to be useless on telescopes and microscopes.  

[francofit]

I am not experienced neither a fortunate owner of the 7D, so may be the following two suggestions are naive...
anyway I try.

1- page 97 of the "Instruction Manual" reads:
    << SHUTTER LOCK .... when no lens is mounted on the camera. Turn the shutter lock off when attaching the camera to a telescope or a microscope...>>

2- if the above doesn't help, try asking < Minolta Interactive Q&A >

Good luck!

[francofit]

... (If I'd had a PDF version, I could have searched the text under "telescope" or "microscope" and I would have found it.) Anyway, thanks again for the tip.

You are very welcome!

If you still want to have the manuals in PDF, you can download them from the Konica Minolta Support site, making your selection (DigitalCameras + Maxxum) < here >