DYNAX Generation III

Generation III : AF Advancements and Enhanced Automation

A significant addition to the AF system was the Eye-Start system. Introduced in the xi-series of DYNAX cameras, it helped complete the automation of AF. This series also triggered a discussion on the design philosophy of camera automation.

DYNAX 7xi (1991)

With this camera, all a user had to do before shooting was to look through the viewfinder--which was a key design goal of the 7xi's development.

The moment the user puts the camera to his eye, an eyepiece sensor adjacent to the viewfinder instantly triggers the AF mechanism, auto-exposure and auto-zoom functions. With this function (virtually no time lost in shooting, after aiming at the subject) the DYNAX 7xi represented a new generation of AF SLR cameras.

DYNAX 9xi (1992)

Introduced with the slogan "Let's show the world which can only be seen in a photograph," the DYNAX 9xi incorporated a focal plane shutter that boasted the world's fastest speed of 1/12000 second--a record that continues to be the fastest today.

The focal-plane shutter technology also enabled high-speed flash synchronization as fast as 1/300 second and a continuous-AF drive mode of up to 4.5 frames per second. As a result, the photographic range of the AF SLR camera was greatly extended.