Most SLRs require you to look though the view viewfinder. What you see is what you photograph. Some have a "live view" by use of the screen on the back.

I don't know if you have a manual but if not I think I may have found the one you need here

Try the other lens. Small tip. Hold the camera downwards when you change lenses so any dirt /dust can't drop in which from experience, can be a problem. I'm a Nikon man my self so I'm not familiar with the Minolta. I bet some-one else is though.

Proof of your new expertise will be pics of sheep!

  g<l

Davie  8)

Thanks Davie - I'll keep at it. How the bloody hell do you make the sheep say "cheese"?

They don't have to, Graham.
Get them to say "Baa", it works just as well.
Just don't let them say "Bah humbug", as that triggers the wrong facial muscles..

Originally, I heard, photographers used to say "Stay still please" before making an exposure. This distorted over time to "say cheese" 😉

When I last did some research, all SLR cameras require you to look through the optical viewfinder - for complicated reasons involving mirrors and the like. It feels like a step backwards compared to the usual digital cameras, but you'll probably find the image quality of the Dynax is very good.

The 18-70 rating on your lens means it takes wide-angle shots (the 18 figure) all the way through to a moderate zoom (the 70 figure). By way of comparison your naked eye normally sees things at about the 50 mark on this scale. The second lens has much more of a zoom - by the time you twist or pull it to the full 300 figure it will be like looking through a small telescope. People normally look better when taken with a zoom lens from further away - hope you have fun experimenting!

Thanks for the help all. I'm making progress - I've found that the ON/OFF switch is not the one with the shaking hand next to it. I'm reading the manual from cover to cover and, surprisingly, there's nothing about taking the lense cap off. I've taken a few pics but nothing I could show you experts yet.
Now trying to figure out what "ISO" is or should I just leave everything on "Auto"?

ISO is the sensitivity. You use a higher ISO when its low light, but the pictures may be more grainy. Use auto for now but don't be afraid to experiment.

We're all waiting now for for cheesy sheep pics  sb: sr: ss:

Davie  8)

I think leave it on Auto for now! The ISO function tells you how sensitive the camera will be to low-light conditions - basically it allows you to take pictures in gloomy conditions without a long exposure, and the subsequent blurring caused by camera shake.

With high ISO numbers (say 400 or above) the more sensitive it is in low light. But there's a trade-off, because the images start to get increasingly grainy. The Auto function will pick the best compromise.

Perhaps the best advanced function, for naturist photography, is the ability to darken or lighten the picture the camera is taking. This is mainly because a nude body is often quite a bit lighter than the background (eg in front of green foliage) or darker (eg on a bright sandy beach). That's the only bit I'd experiment with for now: it is usually shown with a +/- symbol. Plus makes the pic brighter.

I'd suggest taking some shots in various conditions, making notes of your settings for each one. That way if SLRs are new to you, or with a new camera too, you can work out what went right or wrong - eg the results are too dark, the shutter speed was too fast for the available light etc. Be brave and go for it. I've certainly learned from my mistakes over the years when using new equipment. As already stated, maybe start with 'AUTO' on, but after a while go to Manual everything, or that defeats the point of a SLR, you have complete control over how you shoot a photograph.

I can't really help you on the model you have, as I use Canons, but at the nuts and bolts level they're much the same, its just working out whats what and where it is that's different.

Here's a link to a Dynax 5D manual. http://thesybersite.com/minolta/documents/5D_Manual.pdf

Its 148 pages long, so you might need to find somewhere to print it out. Konica Minolta sold their camera business to Sony in about 2006. The first Sony DSLR, the Alpha 100, was basically a minimum redesign of the 5D. Sony lenses remain compatible with the Konica digital SLRs, the 5D and 7D were the only models of that type of camera they produced

NW, thanks for that - I've just downloaded it. I'm sorry that I had to ask all you clever people what I had to do. If ever you need info on sheep kicking, just ask.  🙂

We're all looking forward now to loads of sheep pics - aren't we?

Davie  8)