C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Minolta Maxxum 9 (1998, sold as **Dynax 9** in Europe and **Alpha-9 / α-9** in Japan) is the professional flagship of the Minolta A-mount system — the single best film SLR Minolta ever built. Magnesium alloy body, comprehensive weather sealing (gaskets at all controls and doors), **1/12000s** top shutter speed (highest of any production film SLR alongside the Contax AX), **1/300s** flash sync (exceptional for the era), and a 100% / 0.85× pentaprism viewfinder.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Minolta's pro 35mm AF SLR. Weather-sealed magnesium body, 1/12000s top shutter, 1/300s flash sync, 100% viewfinder, AA batteries. The highest Minolta A-mount film body ever made.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Minolta A-mount (Sony α compatible) |
| Years | 1998–2006 |
| Shutter | 30s – 1/12000s + B, electronic vertical metal curtain |
| Flash sync | 1/300s (highest among major-brand 35mm SLRs) |
| Meter | TTL 14-segment honeycomb |
| AF | Wide-area with multiple AF modes |
| Modes | P, A, S, M |
| Viewfinder | 100% coverage, 0.85× magnification |
| Weight | 790 g |
| Battery | 4× AA |
| Sealing | Weather-sealed |
Minolta launched the Maxxum (Dynax) series in 1985 with the Maxxum 7000 — the first integrated AF SLR to catch on commercially, setting the template that Nikon and Canon followed. The Maxxum 9 arrived in 1998 as the culmination of that line: pro build, pro speed, 100% finder, flash sync no other brand matched. It competed directly against the Nikon F100 (launched the same year) and Canon EOS-3 (1998), and was generally regarded as superior in shutter performance and viewfinder coverage. Sony discontinued the A-mount film body line when it absorbed Konica Minolta's camera assets in 2006.
The Maxxum 9 is the forgotten pro body. Canon EOS-1V and Nikon F5/F100 dominate the conversation; the Dynax 9 matches or exceeds both on specific specs (top shutter speed, flash sync). For photographers who own Minolta A-mount glass or Sony Alpha lenses (via adapter), the Maxxum 9 is the only film body worth considering. At $400–900, it is significantly cheaper than an EOS-1V or F5 while offering overlapping capability.
The 1/300s flash sync is genuinely useful for outdoor fill-flash and high-speed sync scenarios.
Full Minolta A-mount (Sony α compatible). All Minolta G-series, Sony G and Zeiss lenses in A-mount work. Horizontal battery pack (VC-9) adds vertical grip controls. External vertical grip also available.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Minolta Maxxum 9
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