Unfortunatly, this is a fairly common problem with 300 & 400 series Maxxum cameras. For a while Minolta was fixing it for free--in or out of warranty. but not for a year or so. It's a circuitry problem and it's cheaper to replace the camera than to have it fixed. The tip-off is whether the lens aperture is closed to its smallest opening. Look into the lens while its on the camera. If all you see is aperture blades, thats the bad sign. Look for a replacement body on Ebay or...? you can get another 300 body or, better yet, a Maxxum 3 or 4 for a pittance, plus they are very reliable,& have much faster focusing. Sorry for the bad news, but keep shootin' Stan