Differences between Minolta Hi-Matic 7sii and 9

[ryan_d]

I am still on the hunt for my first film rangefinder. Last night while prowling eBay I was looking up prices for the Minolta Hi-Matics. I noticed that there is a large price difference between the 7sii and the 9. It seems that the prices for the 7sii has gone up significantly; the prices ranging anyway from $100-175 and above. The Hi-Matic 9, on the other hand, seems to go for around $50-80 and are usually in pretty good condition. Since I am new to photography in general and still haven't gotten my feet wet with film photography, is there really a ~$100 difference between the two for a shooter like myself?

[nparsons13]

The 7sII (introduced in 1977) is an eleven-year-newer design than both the 7s and the 9 (both 1966). It is somewhat smaller and lighter than the 9, but whether that justifies the difference in price is a question only to be answered by the buyer.

[rover]

Both have very good Rokkors. I actually liked the lens on the 9 better than tHat on the 7sii. The 7sii is much smaller, has a more modern metering system.

[stompyq]

I owned both of these a while back. The 7II is smaller and a more refined camera than the 9. The difference in size and weight was significant and not small (at least for me). I can't comment on the images since i owned the 9 for a very short period and sold it while i used the 7sII for quite a while. If your thinking about the 7sII then also look at the Canon QL17III and Konica auto s3. I owned all three and still own the Canon since it agreed the best ergonomically with me.