That 70-210/4 is lovingly called the Beercan and has a cult status. It is good lens.
That 50/1.7 is a prime, and a good one. The 35-70/3.5-4.5 isn't considered to be that good. If you want more information on these and other A-mount lenses, take a look over at
dyxum.com, especially the lensdatabase. If you want information about bodies, look at
mhohner.de.
The 700si uses cards, the 800si basically is a 700si with the cards build in. These are nice cameras and some tweaks. It might be the best bang in old Minolta AF cameras.
The 600si was the testbed for the user interface of the 7 and 9 cameras. It is considered slow, it used to have cult status but that seems to have worn off. It wouldn't be on my shortlist.
My shortlist:
9000: first pro autofocus camera and only AF camera with manual advance. Old, slow AF, but built like a tank and with its own website:
9000.org
9xi: maybe not for someone starting with Minolta as the interface is weird. But great build! I long graved for one, but I recently picked up a 7xi with the same weird interface.
700si/800si: good semipro bodies, with the edge to the 800si because you have everything you need in camera and it has the best build-in flash of any SLR/DSLR ever build.
7: great camera, but a bit gimmicky. Good AF, SSM support, supports modern flashes, it is the one to go for if you want to move to digital at some point.
9: it is the best SLR ever built. Period. Well, IMHO and YMMV. But it is a great intuitive camera and it is better then the Canon 1v. The only downside I can think of is that most of them don't support SSM lenses. If you want something metal, modern and indestructible this is the one!
5: if you want something small with all the whistles this is the one. It does SSM and supports modern flashes. It is plasticky though!
4: like the 5, but beside being plasticky it has a plastic mount
😱 but it does everything and it costs next to nothing.
I don't know what you're willing to spend, but the 9 or 7 seem the best choices to me. If you want something small and light, the 5 (or a 60/70) are the best choices. If you want a great bang, the 700si/800si are the ones. And if you want to go old skool, get the 9000!
Edit: i should learn to read! You stated $100,-..... Pick up a 700si/800si if you want semipro or a 5 (or 60/70) if want something with SSM capability!
