Amazon.com Product Description

Konica Minolta updates it's Dimage A1 with the 8-megapixel SLR-type Dimage A2, featuring a fast, innovative new 3D autofocusing (AF) system, anti-shake function for still images and VGA-quality videos, and a continuous advance of 7 frames per second. The Dimage A2 also offers a 7x optical zoom, high-quality, 30 fps video, high resolution electronic viewfinder, and a wide range of professional photographic features--from RAW image recording to live histogram readout and in-camera color management.

The A2's 1.8-inch high-contrast color LCD monitor cantilt between20 and +90 degrees.

Optics and Resolution
Designed for maximum image quality, the Dimage A2 is built around a high-precision electro-optical system starting with an 8 megapixel, 2/3-type interlace scan CCD that can capture even individual hairs or the stitches of a suit in sharp detail. It features a maximum 3264 x 2448 pixel resolution as well as the following lower resolution modes: 2560 x 1920, 2080 x 1560, 1600 x 1200, and 640 x 480.

The f/2.8 -- 3.5, 7X optical zoom is an apochromatic (APO) lens employing anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to minimize chromatic aberration at all focal lengths and produce sharp, high-contrast images. With a focal range of 7.2 -- 50.8mm, it is equivalent to a 28 -- 200mm zoom lens in the 35mm format.

Video and Audio
The Dimage A2 can record video with audio at 544 x 408 pixels at 30 frames per second--providing a smooth, seamless picture when viewed on your TV. A Night Movie function makes subjects highly visible even in dark settings. Additionally, the Dimage A2 comes bundled with fun-to-use video software, Video Studio 7 SE by ULEAD, for video editing from analog and digital image import, outright editing, and output to video CD.

You can record up to 15 seconds of sound with the Voice Memo feature immediately after a shot has been taken. The Audio Caption feature records simultaneously during playback and you can record up to 180 minutes of audio (depending on your memory card size).

The Dimage A2 features a CCD-shift mechanism, outlined above in green, to stabilize images by offsetting the shaking pattern of the user's hand. Below, a photo with Anti-Shake off (right) and the same subject with Anti-Shake on (left).

More Features
The Anti-Shake feature provides a highly effective way to deal with camera shake--a major cause of substandard images, especially with telephoto shots and when shooting in dim lighting. The Dimage A2 features a CCD-shift mechanism to stabilize images by offsetting the shaking pattern of the user's hand, providing stability at up to 3 shutter speeds slower than on digital cameras without an Anti-Shake function.

The high-density display developed for the Dimage A2 uses four times as many pixels as the previous EVF of earlier models. The A2's 922,000-pixel TFT LCD delivers clear images and sharp, contoured information. Additionally, it can be viewed at up to a 32-degree angle, so one glance gives you all the information you need to take the perfect picture. This new VGA EVF provides numerous benefits including subject visibility in dark places, the ability to check exposure and other settings before shooting, the ability to check various data points when composing your picture, and tilting for low-angle photography.

With continuous autofocusing, the Dimage A2 uses 3-D Predictive Focus Control to track the subject right up to the moment the exposure is made, ensuring optimum focus. This predictive focus control continuously follows the subject through three-dimensional space, regardless of direction, not only to give the sharpest images possible but also to reduce focusing time to catch the perfect moment.

The Flex Focus Point single crosshair sensor can be placed anywhere within the field-of-view. With the camera on a tripod, simply use the controller's four-way key to position the flex focus point on the subject; the AF system will use that point for each exposure. The spot metering area can also be switched between a center spot and the flex focus point.

Other features include:

• RAW and JPEG image capture
• Flash modes: Fill-flash, Red-eye reduction, Rear flash sync, Wireless/Remote flash
• Two Adobe RGB options are available for color management applications so that the image can be captured with or without the Adobe RGB profile embedded
• Ultra-High Speed (UHS) Continuous Advance mode to set the camera to capture images at approximately 7 frames per second
• 12-bit A/D conversion can distinguish up to 4,096 levels in each color channel
• Real-time histogram shows the luminance distribution of the image before it is captured
• Output photos directly to a PictBridge-compliant printer without having to go through a personal computer

CxProcess II Image Processor
Konica Minolta's newest image processing technology, CxProcess II, is used to bring out the best in the 8 megapixel CCD. CxProcess II controls the essential image qualities of color, contrast, and sharpness while minimizing noise. Brilliant, saturated color remains vibrant without becoming unnatural. Subtle contrast is rendered to retain the richness and depth of the subject while preserving details in the highlights and shadows. Sharpness is controlled to show fine detail while minimizing hard, unnatural edges.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on CompactFlash cards (Type I/II), and it supports Microdrives. The Dimage A2 does not come with a memory card. It connects to Macs and Windows-based PCs via USB 2.0 connectivity.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-400), which has 11.1 Wh of energy and can shoot approximately 280 images on a single charge. The Dimage A2 measures 4.6 x 3.4 x 4.4 inches and weighs 19.9 ounces without battery or recording media.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Dimage A2 digital camera, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-400), battery charger, neck strap, lens cap, lens hood, accessory shoe cap, USB and A/V cables, and a CD-ROM with Dimage Viewer software. ... Read more

Features

• 8-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 16-by-22-inch enlargements
• Konica Minolta 7X optical zoom GT lens combines with a 2x digital for a 14x total zoom
• Tilting 1.8-inch LCD monitor; 11-point autofocus; anti-shake function minimizes blurring
• Store images on type I or II Compact Flash memory cards or Microdrive; connects to PC via USB 2.0
• Powered by 1 NP-400 lithium-ion battery

Reviews (7)

Use ISO 64 Setting
Having a Konica Minolta DiMage X with which I am very happy, I decided to get this camera when I wanted an 8MP camera with better zoom capability. At first I was unpleasantly surprised with the amount of noise (color specks) showing in the pictures. Later I discovered that by putting the ISO setting on 64 instead of Auto, the noise is greatly reduced. Now I'm basically happy with the camera, but it seems that they should mention this in the documentation. Pictures at the highest ISO settings (400 and 800) are really bad - I guess these settings are there only for extreme low-light situations.

The electronic viewfinder is amazing. I'm nearsighted and have trouble with the LCD display, but I can easily see everything in the viewfinder (including menus and playback of pictures). I just keep the LCD off all the time.

gets the shake out &much more!
I HAVE PARKINSON'S DESEASE, THIS CAMERA GETS THE SHAKE OUT, AND THE QUAILITY IS GREAT. THE PHOTOS ARE CRISP AND CLEAR. OPERATION IS SIMPLE. WAIT TIL YOU TRY THE VIDEO, THE SOUND AND FILMING IS SIMPLE. LOVE THIS CAMERA!.

Ideal for serious photographer
If you are interested in taking black-and-white photographs for creative photography, A2 is the perfect choice! As compared to other competitors at the similar price and resolution (8 MP), A2 has the following good features. 1. It has a black-and-white mode. 2. The file can be saved as TIFF for artistic editing without losing resolution after repeated saving. 3. The battery function is satisfied. 4. A2 has a rapid focusing and antishake device.

Great ergonomics, but it's the resolution that counts...
There is so much to like about the Minolta A2. Despite the large plethora of features, the learning curve is surprisingly easy, and before long using the camera feels very intuitive to use. Once the camera is set up you rarely have to use the menus as nearly all functions can be changed with buttons. The layout of these buttons falls so nicely that you can change many of them while looking through the viewfinder. Focus is fast and once I had set the camera to 'flex point focusing' I rarely encountered any focus issues. I did find that the flash default setting produced underexposed pictures so I had to compensate with 0.7+ flash exposure compensation. I also found that the auto white balance with flash did not work correctly and resulted in green or yellow pictures, but seemed to be easily corrected by setting the white balance to flash. The anti-shake feature really works and extends the usefulness of the camera. I was able to take reasonably sharp pictures even at 1/8 shutter speeds. To summarize, the ergonomics of the camera are superb and it really is a joy to use.

But..and it's a big but...the problem for me is that the resolution is just too poor. My previous camera was a Canon G2 so I was expecting (naively perhaps) similar resolution on images 2X as big. That was not the case. The A2's pictures are noticeably softer. Even when changing some internal settings such as contrast and in-camera sharpening the results were not much better. I also tried taking some pictures using Raw but could not match the sharpness of the G2. I tried some side by side tests of taking pictures with the G2 and A2. I was rather alarmed when I printed the pictures (at 8x10) only to discover that the unprocessed G2 was considerably sharper than the A2. There was detail in the G2 picture that just simply vanished in the A2. It was obvious too even with 4x6 pictures. There's always the possibility of doing post-processing of course but I feel that with a camera in this class that shouldn't be necessary on *every* picture.

So, relunctantly I'm returning my A2 for a refund which makes me feel very sad because it fulfills so many of my needs in a camera. But in the end it felt like driving a very nice and well-equipped car with every possible convenience but where the car couldn't drive faster than 50 mph! It is of course quite possible that I have a lemon. Judging by other people's experiences on various forums there do seem to be some quality issues with the A2. All this makes me even more reluctant to return this for a replacement.

LOVE THIS CAMERA!!!!
Bought this camera before going to Europe. Left my Nikon SLR at home. I have no regrets. Excellent viewfinder, no digital lag when taking photos, compact, lightweight, excellent zoom lens, long battery life. We are done with film at our house. Great for point and shoot, but also lots of bells and whistles for tweaking photos depending on conditions. Well thought out. Kudos to Minolta on an excellent product. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The first consumer-oriented 5-megapixel camera to hit the market, Minolta's DiMAGE 7 leapfrogged the competition by coming out at a time when other camera manufacturers were just introducing their 4-megapixel models. The DiMAGE 7 offers an ultrahigh resolution 5.24-megapixel CCD sensor that delivers excellent images for prints as large as 13 by 19 inches. A high-performance, all-glass, 7x zoom lens (equivalent to 28-200mm on a 35mm camera), with a 2x digital zoom, ensures maximum flexibility when composing your shots. Add to this a host of creative controls stacked into a unit with the size and feel of an SLR, and you have a digital camera with the type of functionality typically found only in professional models.

Three controls provide access to the camera's primary adjustable features. Digital subject-program selection allows you to set aperture and shutter speed for superior results in five popular formats: portrait, sports action, sunsets, night portraits, or text. A function dial allows adjustment between four modes of pixel resolution, five modes of data compression, four modes of exposure control, five modes of drive options, seven modes of white balance, and five levels of ISO. The digital-effects controller allows image manipulation by compensating for exposure, contrast, and color saturation before the image is saved. As insurance, Minolta provides a fourth control that instantly restores the camera's automatic settings. Changing most settings is a two-handed operation: one hand selects the feature you're adjusting, while spinning a second dial actually changes the setting. The system is reasonably intuitive, but don't plan to make any adjustments with one hand.

To preview and review images, the DiMAGE 7 features a digital viewfinder that pivots for comfortable close-ups or tripod shooting. An eye-sensing switch (triggered when you put your eye up to the camera) automatically turns off the TFT LCD viewscreen to conserve battery power.

In manual-focus mode, the camera also has an electronic magnification feature. At the push of a button, the center of the image is blown up to 4x original size in the viewfinder so you can check the fine details and ensure the image is in focus before snapping the shutter. In autofocus mode, a flex-focusing option allows the focal point to be moved to any part of the image for off-center shooting.

The DiMAGE 7 is so packed with features that it would be impossible to list them all, but here are some highlights:

Features

• 3.1 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 10-by-13-inch enlargements
• 3x zoom lens
• Super Compact, only 0.6 inches deep
• Store images on expandable SD/MMC memory slot
• Powered by 3.7V 780mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery

Reviews (1)

Very Modern, Very Fast
Speed is a big theme of the marketing, and sure enough you can get off a burst of shots at a startling speed. With a Lexar 32x card, I can shoot 640x480 30fps until the card fills - at 2MB/sec, this doesn't take long, but you get stunningly good output for such a small device. (320x240 is still nice, and only 500k/s, or almost 10 minutes on a 256M card.)

Note also that although it doesn't have a tripod mount, you can make it very stable by shooting with it folded flat - I've gotten some excellent driving shots simply by setting it leather-side-down on my dashboard. Being able to mount real 28mm filters (with the included, unfortunately plastic, ring adaptor) is nice, and I've used that with lenses too (with some care - the manual recommends against it, the adaptor isn't really meant to support the weight of the camera or a large lens.)

It also really is shirt-pocketable, a key to taking shots Right Now. Also it doesn't skimp on buttons, there's not nearly as much "menu/mode walking" as on some other cameras.

Finally, the rotation feels *very* solid, with a click at +90/0/-90 degrees (though you can go past that in both directions, good for both overhead and low-angle shots.) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Early Adopters Pick: November 2002. The world’s smallest, lightest 3.2-megapixel camera, with a revolutionary folded 3x optical zoom lens.

By incorporating a clever internal zoom lens, developing a slim new rechargeable battery, and using diminutive SD memory cards, Minolta's Dimage Xi is truly pocket-sized. The Dimage Xi features a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor--an improvement over the 2-megapixel Dimage X--and a 3x optical zoom. Besides increased resolution, the Dimage Xi has several other enhancements, including selectable ISO settings, optional date imprinting, spot autofocus (AF), an improved antireflection LCD, and automatic e-mail file copy creation.

Optics and Resolution
The Dimage Xi has a 3-megapixel sensor with a maximum resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, enough detail for photos from 4 by 6 inches to 11 by 14 inches. It also features a 3x optical zoom (equivalent to a 37-111mm on a 35mm camera) and a 4x digital zoom for a total 12x zoom.

This lens employs five aspheric elements (including two double-sided) to ensure sharp, contrast-rich images at all focal lengths. In spite of its compact dimensions, the optical zoom has a fast, maximum aperture of f2.8-f3.6 (wide to telephoto), which allows images to be captured in low light with little noise.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on stamp-size Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMediaCard memory cards. The Dimage Xi comes with a 16 MB SD card. Images can be transferred to your Mac or PC via USB, and the included audio-visual cable lets you view images and film clips on your home TV.

Movie Mode
In movie mode, the Dimage Xi captures 320 x 240 pixel video (with audio) for up to 35 seconds at 15 frames per second. The QuickTime Motion JPEG format offers a limited resolution, which is great for capturing a short movie that can be e-mailed to friends and family.

More Features
The Dimage Xi's most unusual feature is its internal zoom lens. While most digital cameras are built like their film counterparts--with a telescoping zoom lens protruding from the front--the lens assembly in the Dimage Xi is arranged vertically inside the camera, with the sensor at the very bottom, like a periscope in a submarine. This layout allows for a slim camera with a full 3x optical zoom. In addition, startup times are faster, since you don't have to wait for the lens to extend before shooting.

Other features include:

• Audio caption recording of up to 15 seconds
• 1.5-inch TFT LCD screen
• Flash modes: auto, red-eye reduction, night portrait

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery NP-200 (included). It measures 3.3 by 2.8 by 0.8 inches and weighs 4.6 ounces. This package includes the Dimage Xi digital camera, battery and battery charger, USB and AV cables, hand strap, and Dimage software and viewer CD-ROM and USB drivers for Windows and Mac. ... Read more

Features

• 3.2 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 8 x 10 prints and medium-quality prints up to 11 x 14
• 3x optical plus 4x digital (12x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB Secure Digital (SD) card
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery included

Reviews (37)

Portable, easy to use, small, lots of functionalities
I've been using this camera for a while and it's just wonder.
Pros:
Small - I can put it in my Minolta leather camera holder and wear it on a belt. Very portable, good for traveling.
Movie - 35 seconds movie in QuickTime format. Pretty good quality WITH SOUND!! Can zoom while shooting movie.
Functionalities - You can choose TIFF or JPEG format. 35 sec. audio memos for each picture and 30 mins audio recording. Different ISO settings, night time photo exposure compensation, can zoom-in when viewing pictures on the LCD, e-mail format, EXIF photo printer format
Zoom - 3x optical zoom using built-in prism. No protruding lens during zoom. Awesome!
Memories - comes with 16MB but not enough. So, I got the 128Mb which is more than enough for my use. About 130 high quality 4x6" type of photo (not the largest size and highest quality yet).
Battery - small and last for a whole day at least. I used the Olympus before and its AAA battery runs out so quickly. This Lithium battery in the Minolta is so much better.

Cons:
Software - Slow to load up pics and kinda useless. But I used Photoshop for editing and ACDSee for viewing anyway.
Moive - on 35sec Max even if you have a 128M memory card.

Conclusions:
Cons is minimal. It's definitely worth it. Very eye-catching, easy to use, easy to upload pics. Definitely need a 128Mb memory card, an extra battery.

Worth the money
This camera is amazing. It's so light and compact, it's hard to believe you've got a 3.2 megapixel camera with 12x combined zoom in your hands!

The camera uploaded/connected to Windows 2000 via USB with absolutely NO problems, and I had no trouble AT ALL at removing either the memory card OR the battery. Wish it could take standard AA or AAA batteries, but that's the tradeoff you make for a tiny package.

Also, I'm astounded with the extra features this camera offers: record short movies WITH sound, record voice messages/memos to yourself, tiny moving lens cover, internal zoom parts, FAST startup and shutdown, just to name a few. Wow.

Even the manual is easy to follow and written in plain english. I didn't try any of the enclosed photo software because Paint Shop Pro 7 is the best and easiest photo and paint software I've ever found. .

The camera also has several levels of quality. With my 128mb memory card, it can store 13 pictures on highest quality and picture size, and 1958 pictures on the lowest quality and smallest picture size. On medium settings, you'd get at least 391 pictures at a time. Not too shabby!

I'd recommend buying an extra battery pack so you won't worry about running out of power, although the batteries do last a long time if you aren't using the LCD display much.

All in all, this camera is worth the money you pay for it.

Minolta has made the best little point and shoot ever!
I was looking for a small camera that I could shove in a pocket and take wherever I went so that if a photo oportunity came about, I would have a camera ready. I was low on money, and found this camera refurbished. I read lots of reviews and compared this camera to other cameras with the same features. Buying this camera is definitely not a mistake! I have the basic case and an extra battery, and since the batteries only take about an hour and a half to charge I always have one ready when the battery in the camera dies (Which is usually after a full day of continuous photography).
The camera is incredible rugged, I have dropped it on more than one occasion, and it still works. Whether I am in school, at home, or pretty much anywhere, this I know that I am sure to get a good picture.
Now to adress some of the problems that people say this camera has:
1. anemic flash - Although the flash is a little wimpy, when you use it within about 12 feet of your subject it is fine.
2. picture quality - the picture quality is as good as any 3.2 megapixel camera. It just depends what setting you have it on. I always keep mine of the largest picture and fine quality(next level below tiff). If you are complaining about image quality, get a film camera, and wait until digital cameras get better. Film is the equivalent of about 15-20 megapixels.
3. 16 megabyte card - duh, you can't get many pictures on here that are even somewhat decent in quality. No matter what camera you buy, you will still have to buy a larger card if you want a good amount of pictures. I have a 256 megabyte card that holds 160 pictures on fine and about 38 in tiff mode.
4. Finger in the picture - yeah, I agree that if you have big hands this can become a problem. The best way to hold this camera, is to use the controls and take the picture with your right hand and hold the bottom left hand corner of the camera with your left hand to steady it.
5. this camera is not for professionals - I agree. If you want all the controls of a manually controlled camera, keep looking, however, the autofocus does do a nice job, and I don't understand why a camera with more things to adjust would be better for snapshots and and active lifestyle.
All in all, this camera is truly one of the most handy electronic gadgets that I can think of and I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CAMERA TO ANYONE.

Best Daytime pictures
Overall this camera takes very good pictures and it is very compact. The only downside if any is when taking pictures in low light. Using flash the image is slightly underexposed and clor balance slightly off(can be easily corrected digitally later). In low light there is some noise at max resolution. If the image size is reduced to 2MP this noise is not seen but it reduces the resolution.
Overall very satisfied with the camera. I have also used a1000mA AC adapter at 4.5V to power it and it works fine.

So reliable.. works even after a wash cycle !!!
Believe it or not.. I left the camera in the pocket of my shorts (it is soooo compact), and sent it through the complete wash cycle int he washer. To my complete amazement, the camera (including the battery and memory card) worked perfectly (after I let it dry for a day). ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Tiny, yet full of digital photography power, the Minolta Dimage X20 is so small and light it can be slipped into a pocket or bag as easily as a wallet. It's the world's smallest and lightest 2-megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom (as of June, 2003). It also features an ultra-fast start-up time, movie mode with sound, and a built-in flash.

Optics and Resolution
The Dimage X20 features a 2-megapixel resolution that produces images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels for prints up to 8 x 10 inches. Other resolution modes include 1280 x 960 and 640 x 480. Thanks to the unique folded optics design, the Dimage X20's distinctive, non-protruding 3x zoom lens technology keeps the X20 ultra-compact and thin. It also has a 4x digital zoom.

Movie and Audio Modes
The XR (extended recording) movie mode enables you to capture as much video as will fit on your memory card. Video is captured with sound at 15 frames per second at resolutions of 320 x 240 and 160 x 120. You can also capture up to 15-second voice memos, or append a 15-second note to images.

More Features
Capture images quickly and quietly with the X20's 1-second activation, 0.1-second shutter release time lag, and 0.2-second playback interval.

Minolta’s new multi-frame drive mode allows you to capture nine action-stopping frames of a single event in one picture. The nine images are laid out in a 3 X 3 grid in a single frame.

The DiMAGE X20’s e-mail copy function makes a 640 X 480 or 160 X 120 JPEG copy of an image on the memory card so that it can be easily transferred over the Internet.

Other features include:

• 1.6-inch LCD screen with anti-reflection coating
• Built-in flash with Autoflash, Autoflash with red-eye reduction, Fill-flash, Flash cancel, Night portrait modes
• Shutter speed: 4 seconds to 1/1000 second
• 10-second self timer

Power and Size
The camera is powered by two AA batteries (alkalines included, rechargeable NiMH batteries recommended). It measures 3.39 x 2.64 x 0.93 inches and weighs 4.1 ounces (excluding battery).

What's In The Box
This package includes the Dimage X20 digital camera, 8 MB Secure Digital memory card, two AA alkaline batteries, USB and AV cables, neck strap, and CD-ROM with Dimage Viewer software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac. ... Read more

Features

• World’s smallest and lightest 2 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens (June 2003)
• 2.1-megapixel sensor captures 1,600 x 1,200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• Uses Minolta's unobtrusive non-extending zoom lens; 3x optical and 4x digital zoom for 12x total
• Included 8 MB Secure Digital memory card can store 12 standard images
• Powered by 2 AA batteries; connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

Reviews (19)

A nice first-time digicam
I bought and then lost this little camera on a trip to Tokyo, Japan. It is quite a lovely little digicam that looks cool and works well. The positives are that it is lightweight, easy to use, easy to transfer photos, simple to handle and the quality of the photos is great for a 2 MP camera. If you are looking for a camera that will take large-print pictures, this is not your camera because come on! don't spend money on a 2 MP camera if you want 5 MP quality. The options for taking the pictures are very fun to play with. With a large memory card, you can store a large amount of snapshots.

The drawbacks include short battery life. The camera just drains the two AA batteries too quickly. The setting have to be reset everytime the camera is turned off. The shutter release time is bit slow.

Buy this camera if you only wish to spend under $200 on a digicam that takes nice, but not exceptional, quality pictures. Definitely shop around and if you can afford the extra hundred, look into getting a higher MP camera. This probably would make a nice gift for a teenager or child. Minolta has the sleekest designs around.

AA++
I bought:the camera ,a 128mb card and the $9 travel case and i couldnt be happier ! I love my new camera .Literally ,after just opening it and turning it on i was taking pictures .And the same for saving them on my computer.
This camera has everything: A zoom that doesnt show, lens cover, size: Super SMALL even with the carry case, fast start up, Video w Audio,webcam,etc. You can read all the great features above but overall its the best buy i have done in a long time because it is very well built ,SMALL!, and also very stylist so everyone will notice this great gadget.
That little mirror on the front is excellent for pics w friends.
The shutter lag is the only thing i have against it(about a sec tops).But not in a bad way because i still LOVE my new mini cam.And Minolta is a very good company.
The delivery was EXC and the camera 10x more !!
Great Buy !
I researched for about 6 days for the best ,Cheapest and smallest cameras with lens cover and video and etc ...And i really think i found it !
Must have:Rechargable batteries and charger .(also 128mb card and a case!)

Not impressed
I have several regrets with this purchase. From the fact that I listened to the sales person who was unknowledgeable about megapixels to the very unpridictable prints from this camera.Some come out ok but for the most part they are pretty bad. Very grainy. Even when printing 4 X 6. And if I can help with the Megapixel confusion, I've done alot of research on the matter since I bought this camera, and have found out a few things. The best place to start is http://electronics.howstu ffworks.com/digital- camera.htm Hope this helps in your digital camera purchase

Minolta Dimage X20
I received this for my birthday. My friends and family can't believe that the great pictures came from this camera. I have printed all of the pictures on my printer a (deskjet 842) and they turned out awesome. This is my first digital. The zoom works fantastic. I have taken some awesome pictures at the Denver Zoo where I used the zoom and they are cool! I am in my mid 40's and if I can take great pictures with this than any one can.The downfall is the batteries.... It eats them like there is no tomorrow. (no matter what kind)

I like it!
I have had this camera for 8 months and I like it. I wanted a camera that was small and not expensive and this one was the best for me. I gave it only 4 stars because I have to modify the flash settings too often in order to get the best quality pictures. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Dimage F200 is a stylish 4.0 megapixel camera that can go anywhere you do. While the sophisticated automatic functions make photography simple, The Dimage F200 is also packed with functions that allow total control over image making. Features include a 4-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, and digital video that's limited only by your memory card.

Optics and Resolution
Employing the technology from the top-of-the-line Dimage 7Hi, the F200's high-precision electro-optical system is designed to maximize image quality. The system is built around a 4.1 megapixel interline primary-color CCD with 4.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images and print enlargements up to 11 x 14 inches.

The sophisticated eight-element, seven-group 3x optical zoom lens design is only 24mm long--less than an inch when retracted. With a focal range of 7.8-23.4mm, it is equivalent to a 38mm-114mm on a 35mm camera. It can range from wide angle for landscapes and interiors to telephoto for intimate portraits and details of distant landmarks. The zoom lens also employs three aspheric elements to ensure sharp, contrasty images at all focal lengths.

The Dimage F200's digital zoom seamlessly takes over from the maximum focal length of the optical zoom without interrupting the monitor image. The digital zoom can extend the optical zoom's performance by four times in 0.1x increments giving the F200 an equivalent a 456mm lens on a 35mm camera. The combined optical and digital zooms give this compact camera an amazing 12x zoom range.

Storage and Transfer
Images can be stored on either Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards; a 16 MB SD card is included. Download image files to either a Mac or PC via USB connectivity, including any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Movie and Audio Modes
The Dimage F200 is not limited to recording still images. Video with audio can be captured at either 160 x 120 or 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The length of movie clips is only limited by the memory card capacity. The new Direct Video function allows the camera to be connected directly to a VHS or DVD recording deck.

The audio recording mode records up to 180 minutes of audio. Voice memo allows up to 15 seconds of audio to be attached to an image when it is captured. The audio-caption function can attach an audio track to any recorded still-image. The audio tracks can be played back in the camera.

More Features
Two copy functions allow image files to be duplicated in camera. An improved e-mail copy function allows a still image to be copied and resized to 640 x 480 or 160 x 120 pixels so that it may be attached to an e-mail message or posted on the Internet. The standard copy function makes a direct copy of a file onto the same or another memory card.

White balance controls how the camera interprets the color of the ambient lighting. Auto white balance compensates for changes in lighting automatically. Four preset white-balance settings, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, and fluorescent, can be selected for specific light sources. And for critical control over color, the custom setting allows the camera to be calibrated to the lighting conditions at the scene. All the camera's white balance controls are available for movie recording.

• 1.5-inch LCD monitor.
• Built-in flash with auto, red-eye reduction, and fill flash modes.
• Three metering modes: multi-segment, center-weighted, and spot.
• Four exposure modes are available: program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual.
• Camera sensitivity can be set to auto or to one of four ISO equivalent levels: 100, 200, 400, or 800.

Features

• 4.0 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality prints up to 11 x 14 and beyond
• 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom (for 12x total)
• Capture up to 3 minutes of 320 x 240 video with audio; voice recording capability
• Includes 16 MB Secure Digital card; also compatible with MMC cards
• Powered by 2 rechargeable NiMH batteries (included with charger); connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

Reviews (2)

This is the best camara I have tested.
I have been testing diferent digital camera like Kodak, Fujifilm, etc. and the Dimage F200 is the best I have tested.
I have not tried completely the camera, but this camera has many options that don't have other conventional digital cameras. I dont finish to read the manual.
It has unlimited movie time (limited only by the memory)
Slideshow is very useful if you plug it onto the TV, and you can record a 15 seconds commentary for a picture.
It is a very great choice if you are finding more that a symple digital camera. It is a highly recommended camera.

Hidden gem, the REAL Best Buy!
I had to make a choice between the F300 and the F200.
I chose the F200 for the following reasons:
- Unlimited movie mode
- Separate zoom lever
- Redefined button-layout
- Anti-reflective coating on LCD
- ISO800
Before I bought the F200 I got a Canon S400 (IXUS 400). I changed to the F200 for the following reasons:
- Full manual controls in an ultra-compact metal body
- Clean and VERY SHARP! pictures in all situations
- Outstanding macro pictures, SUPER macro mode!
- Nimh battery support
- Faster and smaller SD-Cards
(- and the unlimited movie mode of course.....)
- Information display on top of camera with battery meter!

Of course, there are some netagive issues, as with every photocam:
- No AF Assist lamp
- Higher than average noise from ISO400.
- LCD gets grainy on low-light situations
- A bit slow start-up time and zoom

Despite of the lack of an AF-assist lamp, the flash is quite strong! I don't really need that lamp. On my S400 the camera took the same quality photos without the lamp as with the lamp.

The photos are REAL sharp! I made comparisons between F200 and S400 photo qualities:
- F200 is much sharper and detailed
- The colours on F200 are more natural then the ones on the S400
- However, S400 took a bit better pictures in low-light. But the F200 is still better than average. Much better than the Sony P-series.

I was afraid from the slowness of the lens. Doesn't really a matter, believe me! It is acceptable, don't let you fooled by some negative reviews about how slow the F200 is. This is NOT THAT BIG PROBLEM, believe me.

Reviewing images is fast and a pleasure.
Slideshow has many settings, it is very useful if you plug it onto the TV.
I can record about 15-20 mins at the 320 res. and 40-45 mins at the 160 res. movies on my 256 Mbyte SD-Card. A REAL PLEASURE!

One of the big problems was that the F100 get turned on accidentally. This is not with the F200. It's build quality is strong as it can be!

All in all: a great camera, I just simply cannot give it a lower mark than a five.
It's not only good for point & shooters, it is a super choice for serious amateurs also since it has aperture, shutter priorities, manual white balance and EVERYTHING.

A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CAMERA!
The price is low, I think this is the BEST BUY compact camera of 2003! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With an amazingly fast start-up time of just 0.7 seconds, the Minolta Dimage G400 is ready when you are to capture life's most precious memories. The compact and stylish G400 also features an all-metal case, a 4.2-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom lens, movie mode with audio, and compatibility with both SD memory cards and Memory Sticks.

Optics and Resolution
With the Dimage G400's 4 megapixel resolution, you can capture 2272 x 1704 pixel images for photo-quality 11 x 17-inch enlargements. It also offers 1600 x 1200 (2 MP) and 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution modes.

The 3X optical GT Hexanon zoom lens is comprised of seven elements in six groups to provide sharp, high-contrast images. With a focal range of 5.6–16.8mm, the lens is equivalent to a 34–101mm zoom on a 35mm camera and it covers everything from scenic landscapes to interiors and group shots to portraits and detailed close-ups. It also has a 2x digital zoom.

More Features
The Dimage G400 has a newly designed signal-processing engine with a 0.7 second startup time. You can turn the camera on, focus, set the exposure, capture an image, and turn the camera off in 1.5 seconds. The camera can also focus and determine the exposure in approximately 0.2 second, and the shutter-release time lag is approximately 0.03 second. The Dimage G400 employs Rapid AF to ensure sharp images with minimum delay. Rapid AF uses a passive AF sensor to instantly estimate the distance to the subject and the camera's CCD to determine the precise focus point.

The e-mail copy function creates a 640 x 480 or 160 x 120 JPEG copy of an image on the memory card so that it can be easily transferred over the Internet.

The Dimage G400's versatile flash modes let you shoot in a variety of lighting situations with confidence. In automatic mode, the flash fires whenever it's needed. If the main subject is backlit, you can select fill-flash for additional subject illumination.

Other features include:

• 1.5-inch LCD with optical real-image viewfinder
• Continuous mode of 2.5 frames per second for up to 3 frames
• Six scene modes: Portrait, Scenery, Night, Snapshot, Sports, and Angel
• White balance controls: Automatic, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, and Fluorescent
• Color modes: Standard, Cold, Warm, Black and White, Sepia

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (BP-600). It measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.2 inches and weighs 5.1 ounces excluding the batteries or 6.3 ounces when loaded with the battery.

What's In The Box
This package contains the Dimage G400 digital camera, 16 MB SD memory card, lithium-ion battery (BP-600), battery charger (BP-600U), USB cable (USB-810), neck strap (NS-DG130), Dimage Viewer CD-ROM, instruction manual CD-ROM, and quick-start guide. ... Read more

Features

• 3x optical zoom GT Hexanon zoom lens; 2x digital zoom; macro mode
• .7-second start-up time and .2-second response time; Movie mode with audio; Super Continuous Advance mode
• Dual memory card slots support both SD and MemoryStick cards; 16 MB SD card included
• Powered by an NP-600 lithium-ion battery (charger included)
• 4.0-megapixel resolution for photo-quality 11 x 14-inch enlargements

Reviews (13)

Admirable P&S camera but poor low-light AF performance
Pros:
Recognized as a generic mass storage device under Windows XP - No drivers from device vendor required
Small size. Easy to take with you
Manual controls
34mm equivalent wide angle (most P&S cameras are in the 35-39mm range)
SD and Memory Stick slots
Decent battery life
LCD can still be seen reasonably well in bright sun
Good picture quality
Low shutter lag
Decent flash
Many features for the price

Cons:
Big:
Poor AF performance in low light despite Minolta hype to the contrary
Nit picky:
No diopter setting for the viewfinder (Not need by me, yet)
Blue LED on front that does nothing
Unintuitive menuing system takes some getting used to
Zoom not continuous
No date stamp feature
Speaker placement on top left corner is easily blocked by left index finger so the "click" sound cannot be heard
Typos in menus and documentation
Depression on back right of camera angled wrong making the camera more difficult to grip
Non-existent technical support (no reply to my email regarding poor low-light AF performance)
No TV-out option

Very Nice!
I was trying to decide between this camera and the Canon S400. I chose the Minolta G400 and don't regret it at all.

The main reason to choose this camera is its speed, weight, AND price. This camera is MUCH faster than the canon. The startup time is practically zero, there is virtually no shutter lag, and the shot to shot time is fast as well. I found the canon S400 to be much slower.
The autofocus routine is good.
It is also much lighter (in weight) than the canon which is nice.
The Minolta also has much more in the way of manual control.
The one thing that I wish this camera had is the panoramic option where you can stitch several pictures together using the LCD viewfinder (the canon has this feature). But I can do this with my computer later so this is not a bid deal.
Some people have said that the menu system is not organized well - I agree, but it is really not that bad.
I like that the battery charger (which comes with the camera) is external to the camera so I can charge a battery while still using the camera (I have 2 batteries).

So with the exception of the panoramic feature of the canon S400, I could not find a reason to spend the extra $ to buy it over this Minolta G400. And now that I have it, I am glad I got the Minolta.

My feeling is that the reason the canon S400 is so popular on Amazon is that people see that other people have bought it, so they buy it.
P.S. the Minolta G500 is actually an OLDER model than the G400 even though it is a 5M pixel.

Great camera to carry around in your shirt pocket
I've had this camera (Konica Minolta Dimage G400) now for over two months and I'm very happy with it. The camera was actually developed mainly by Koncia before Konica and Minolta merged. It's basically a rebranded Konica Revio KD-410Z.

I've  compared with three coworkers who bought the Sony DSC-T1: The Sony is about as fast, smaller and sleeker, but performs much worse in low light conditions.  I've seen quite a few pictures that were shot indoors and the flash didn't manage to properly light the scene. I don't think that should be happening with a camera that sells for $150 more than my camera.

To nail this problem we took photos with both cameras under identical conditions. The G400 picture is slightly underexposed, but not bad considering it was almost dark in the room when I pressed the shutter. The T1 on auto setting on the other hand was underexposed by about two f-stops. Setting the T1 to ISO400 helped somewhat, but made the picture very noisy :(

What tipped the scale for me is the overall quality of pictures and the absolutely amazing speed of the camera. In general I found that people talk too much about megapixels.What matters much more than actual megapixels (once you've moved past two megapixels) are the optical properties of the camera like lens, autofocus system, etc. The pictures I've taken so far were almost all very crisp with radiant colors. The colors were usually a bit too warm and could sometimes benefit from a bit of adjustment in Photoshop, but were excellent otherwise.

Overall I'd say the camera has some flaws but is a very nice little point and shoot camera that offers lots of manual adjustments when you're ready for them. And given the current market prices for this camera this is one of the best buys out there. That's why I'm giving it five stars despite having some flaws.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: Don't fall for this camera's big brothers the G500 and the G600! As I understand it, they don't have the fast passive autofocus system the G400 has and the G600 even has a crippled movie mode.

And while we're speaking about the movie mode: 320x240 at 15 frames per second is not quite state of the art anymore and shouldn't be a factor in your buying decision of any digital still camera. If you insist on a decent movie mode, go and buy a digital camcorder. You'll have a lot more fun that way with ample storage space and a working optical and digital zoom.

How strong is the flash?
Sorry for using this as a question board, but how strong is the flash for this camera? The specs say 6.2 feet, which is about 2/3rd that of the minolta xt, and 1/2 of the canon s400.

I want to get this one, but the flash is the one thing that is totally putting me off.

p.s. I promise to edit this review once I get this camera.

Mine Broke
This is a nice camera but mine broke after 2 weeks of ownership. The lens failed to deploy and the lcd saie error moooc ???????? Target gladly refunded my money. When the camera was working it took good pictures but did have a bit of a focus problem. I foundthat it took the best pictures on night mode with the flash on all the time. The color was good and the camera is verry conveinent to use and cary. It aquires the image fast and recovers quickly.I will get another from target as soon as one arrives. Vince ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Minolta's Dimage X raises the stakes in the world of itty-bitty digital cameras. By incorporating a clever internal zoom lens, developing a slim new rechargeable battery, and using diminutive SD memory cards, Minolta has created a pocket-sized picture taker that's just 0.8 inches thick and has an overall volume 10 percent smaller than Canon's S110 Digital Elph.

The camera's most unusual feature is its internal zoom lens. While most digital cameras are built like their film counterparts--with a telescoping zoom lens protruding from the front--the lens assembly in the Dimage X is arranged vertically inside the camera, with the sensor at the very bottom, like a periscope in a submarine. This layout allows for a slim camera with a full 3x optical zoom. In addition, startup times are faster, since you don't have to wait for the lens to extend before shooting.

Designed primarily as a point-and-shoot, the Dimage X nevertheless has several features to satisfy more advanced users, including an uncompressed TIFF storage mode and slow-sync flash. A movie-mode feature records up to 35 seconds of video with sound.

Images are stored on stamp-size SD or MMC memory cards. Though relatively uncommon in digital cameras, this type of card is a popular choice for MP3 players, PDAs, and numerous other handheld devices, ensuring continued support for the format in the future.

Images can be transferred to your Mac or PC via USB, and the included audio-visual cable lets you view images and film clips on your home TV. A proprietary lithium-ion battery provides power--battery and charger are included. ... Read more

Features

• 2.1 megapixel sensor captures 1600 x 1200 images for clear 8-by-10-inch prints
• 3x optical plus 2x digital (6x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 8 MB Secure Digital (SD) card holds 13 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery included

Reviews (59)

Good snapshot/party camera, and wow size does matter.
Let me start by saying I use to teach photography at college and an a critic as far as picture quality goes. A college of mind bought this camera and I was so impressed with the size and features I figured what the heck I'll give it a shot because my Cannon G1 is just to big to carry with me all the time.

One of the most important feature to me was size, I wanted something I could carry around. This covered it, it is small, wow is it small and light. It's slender body fits into my pocket and I forget it is there. As a result I shoot more pics. The other nice feature is the quick worm up time of about a sec. Cameras I have had in the past I missed shots because they were booting up. This camera has a exceptional exposure control in low light, it is hard to take a bad picture.

Now for the down side. The picture quality is OK. I find it a bit smooth and not crisp enough for my taste, but nothing photoshop can't fix. I miss a volume control on the shutter it is either on or off and there are no shortcuts to the menu items to quickly toggle features or delete frames. The view window on the back is fixed and a bit small and dark sometimes, mostly in low light. Also when shooting movies the mic is on the top of the camera rather than the front so if you are in a busy room it pics up everything else as loud as the people you trying to shoot.

Over all for the size it is awesome. I would call it a excellent party, snapshot type camera. If I lost it I would go out and buy another one without hesitastion.

Incredibly small... and stylish!
The new DiMage X is just an incredible camera! First of all it's small, perhaps the smallest 2-megapixel digicam on the American market today. I still have my Canon S100 but this one is not only thinner but also lighter -- and the battery life is longer, too!

The second most amazing thing is even though the camera lens does not move, it *is* capable of 3X true *optical* zoom!! This is accomplished through an internal movable prism. Simply an ingenious piece of work! This means two things: fast zoom, and less distortion.

The camera is quite fast in saving images (max resolution is 1600x1200, just like the Canon S100) to the SD card. It takes about 1-1.5 seconds between pictures when flash is used and around 1 sec when flash is off.

Picture quality is *excellent*! One gripe I have about the S100 is the image quality is so so, especially in low-light conditions. The DiMage X easily ranks among the high-quality digital pictures. Images are sharp and color-rich. You can also make exposure compensation if you feel the picture is slightly over or under exposed.

This is one awesome camera! Its unique shape, extraordinary compactness and awesome picture quality make it simply the best consumer digital camera.

Great size, only one annoying feature
I love the compactness of this camera. We bought it as our other digital camera tended to get left at home because of its size. Other features are fun, like making movies up to 35 seconds (though we've found the sound doesn't sync with the motion) and doing continuous shots (one every half-second, good for capturing actions like blowing out candles on a cake).

There are some niggles that make this camera less than perfect. The one that bothers me the most is the fact that image labels start from 1 whenever you move the previous photos out of memory. So you take a bunch of pictures, pic00001.jpg, pic00002.jpg, etc., you move these to your computer and delete from your camera, and when you take more images they start again, labelling them pic00001.jpg, etc. It's not a big deal to store sets of images in different directories, but it is a headache if you are trying to make a calendar or otherwise bring in images from different directories together.

All in all I'm happy with this camera, but wish they had thought through a few more aspects of their design.

view finder out of alignment
After 2 years the view finder became distorted and out of alignment. Hopefully it can be repaired but there seems to be a lot of used cameras of this model advertised. I wonder why?

My first digital camera
This camera is the best. This is my first digital camera. I had two cameras before this one. I had a 110 and cheap 35mm. The thing I hate most about bringing a camera is having to carry it. This camera is smaller than my wallet. I take it everywhere.
I will tell you about the "bad" things first. When I give the camera to other people to take pictures, sometimes they put their finger over the lens. Since the camera is small some people's fat fingers get in the way. If you have small hands like me you will be ok. I have had trouble taking action shots at a distance. I think this is mostly because I don't know how to use the camera. I read the manual again and hope to correct this problem. The battery has a very short life if you take many picture. You will need a second battery and a bigger memory card. If you don't take more than 50 picture at an event you should be okay. The optical zoom could be better too.

Now for the "great" stuff about the camera. The only reason you should look at this camera is if you want a small, point and click camera. If you want a camera with many buttons and settings to adjust to get the perfect shot, this is not your camera. The menus are easy to follow. Don't use the usb cable to send the pictures to your PC. Buy a card reader. I went to a camera store and they said there is a possibility of the camera getting fried. For the money it is worth it. I don't use the video feature. If I want videos I will buy a video camera. I bought a 128 meg SD card. I took about 500 picture at Disney and they all fit on the same card. I used the second resolution setting. With a 128 MB card I could have taken 999 pictures. I used to be conservative taking pictures. I didn't want to waste film. With this camera I take pictures of everything. If I don't like it, I delete it. I got a good deal on the price of this camera. For the money, this camera is worth it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

How do you make a good camera even better? With more pixels and more power. Think of Minolta's DiMAGE S404 as a "souped up" S304--there's a new 4-megapixel sensor, plus a faster processor for improved performance, but otherwise, it's virtually the same as their nicely designed 3-megapixel point-and-shoot.

An all-glass 7.15-28mm lens (35-140mm in 35mm equivalents) with 4x optical zoom offers more power than the 3x lenses found in most digital cameras. An anomalous dispersion element and twin double-sided aspheric elements work together to minimize chromatic aberrations and reduce curvilinear distortion, giving you crisp, accurate, edge-to-edge imaging. In addition to the optical zoom, the camera includes an additional 2.2x digital zoom. This feature merely crops the edges off your picture and blows up the remaining image, enlarging your picture at the expense of image quality. Most photo-editing software will let you do the same thing to your picture once you've transferred it to your home computer, so it's a camera feature that's not often used. To compose images, watch the 1.8-inch, 122,000-pixel color LCD monitor, or use the optical viewfinder for traditional image composition.

For professional results with the point-and-shoot operation of the S404, you can choose from five preset modes: macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, and text. For more creative shooting, use a wide variety of adjustable features, including manual focus, selectable ISO, custom white-balance controls, exposure compensation and bracketing, and a digital-effects control that allows adjustment of color saturation, contrast, and sharpening. There's also a histogram function, a feature still found primarily on high-end digital cameras. A histogram is a graph displayed on the screen indicating the relative proportions of different levels of brightness in a shot you've taken, instantly letting you know if you've captured your shot with the correct exposure. A movable focus point allows for off-center compositions. Multisegment metering technology helps to provide accurate exposures. Four resolution modes cover the range from film-quality photographs to images for e-mail. Movie mode allows 60 seconds of live action and a voice-memo feature helps identify your work.

Four AA batteries power the camera (an optional AC adapter is also available if you're planning to do lots of studio photography). The benefit to using standard AA batteries instead of a custom proprietary battery is that AA batteries are widely available, so missing a once-in-a-lifetime shot due to dead batteries won't be an issue. The downside is that a digital camera will kill a set of alkaline batteries extremely quickly, especially if you're using the camera's LCD display. If you're an occasional photographer, you can get by with high-power disposables, but if you plan to take more than a handful of photos a month, a set of rechargeable batteries (scroll up to the Accessories section) is a virtual necessity.

For improved performance, the S404 has a 32 MB internal buffer for temporary storage of images. This improves shot-to-shot speeds and performance in continuous shooting mode.

The DiMAGE S404 comes complete with 16 MB CompactFlash card, A/V cable, USB cable, Minolta Image Viewer Utility CD-ROM, four AA alkaline batteries, lens cap, and neck strap.

Pros:

• 4-megapixel sensor captures filmlike detail in your photos
• Advanced features like shutter- and aperture-priority, plus histograms for more advanced photographers

Cons:

• No connection for external flash
• Included alkaline batteries are only a short-term solution

Features

• 4-megapixel sensor captures 2,272 x 1,704 images for prints at 11 x 14 inches and beyond
• 4x optical/2.2x digital (8.8x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash card stores 12 images at default resolution
• Automatically connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses 4 AA batteries (alkalines included)

Reviews (43)

Not to go over the top, but this is a great camera!
This camera is an upgrade for me and I'm embarrassed by how much I paid for so little camera last time around. So, I chose carefully and have not been disappointed.

Best shooting so far has been at the Tidal Basin last Friday just past the peak of the cherry blossoms. The camera took some amazing shots of the Washington and Jefferson monuments surrounded by the pink splendor. I displayed the shots on my big screen TV to the whole family without any problems. Color was perfect and the automation in this camera really frames the shots well. I'm a so, so photographer so this is a big plus.

Next I tried it out at the Dolphin show up at the National Acquarium in Baltimore. The results were excellent, especially the zoom. I caught the dolphins in the midst of almost every trick including the huge leap to the top of the auditorium to touch the ball. I also took some incredible photos through the glass of the seahorses. The exposure took some tweaking but I was able to figure it out with less than 10 shots. The family oohed and ahhed when they saw them.

For those of you who own Minolta and have grown used to the interface and quality of features, this is a no-brainer. For the price, I expected a bit less and have been consistently amazed by the quality of pictures it takes, especially in automatic mode. My SLR has been sent to the cabinet until I really need it for more complicated shots.

Be sure to have at least 2 sets of batteries and keep them in your bag. Each trip I exhausted the batteries and had to change them. Also, for the $$$, I recommend a 256MB card so you can take 100+ high quality images. That's what 4.0MP is all about.

A Wonderful 4 Megapixel Camera
I have used this camera for two weeks now and I feel compelled to write about my experiences. I find that the pictures that this camera takes are superb! I have printed them on both glossy and matte finish photo paper and the prints look beautiful. This camera has wonderful detail in the high-resolution setting. But, the 16 MB CompactFlash card that comes with it is woefully small. You MUST buy at least 128 MB CompactFlash card to make it really useful. With the 128MB card, you can get 61 full-sized high-resolution photos. Also, don't even bother trying to use standard AA batteries. Buy some high-quality rechargable Ni-Mh batteries because this camera, like all other digital cameras, chews through batteries very quickly. I have, and would continue to recommend this camera to anyone I know (or in this case, to anyone reading this!)

I Love This Camera!
This camera takes wonderful pictures! I took it to the zoo on an overcast day. The auto controls did a great job of bringing out the color. I was able to shoot through glass, with the flash on, with no glare showing up in the photo. I got some great aquarium shots this way. The macro mode is amazing! The 4 megapixels allow for a lot of cropping to get terrific close-ups, especially when combined with the 4X optical zoom. I am still learning how to use the manual focus controls, but can see that this camera has a lot to offer for both the experienced and novice photographer. I will warn you to use NiMh batteries and take a couple of extra sets with you if you plan to do a lot of shooting. This is true of any digital camera though.

Good Good and Better
First off I am not a camera expert, go to www.steves-digicams.com, www.dcresource.com or www.dpreview.com if you really need all the techie details.

I love it. Its point and shoot (for novices like me). USB image transfer is straightfoward. It uses regular AA batteries (no proprietary stuff). Images are very good (as long as I take the picture at the right time, as I said I am not such a great photographer... beautiful picutres of people with their eyes closed or looking away...

In any case... its snappy (no real awful delays) its not too expensive, its easy to use, does mini-movies w/sound and just works. Not too small, has a nice grip. Doesn't weigh too much (I caried it around Renisiance Festival all day no trouble). I know it has a lot more features but I don't use them (I will tweak digitally on the computer a bit but not on the camera). Preview is a great but that is true of all good digicams. Resolution is great, color is great, and in general contrast is very good (a bit dark but I keep messing with the flash settings and I can fix it on the PC), when I leave it alone it seems to be much better).

The zoom is easy to use but it can REALLY zoom (both optical and digital) so be careful. The multi-shot is great, the flash seem good and seems to reduce red-eye.

Things to think about:
1. Get a large CFRam card (I have a 128) and get a few hundred shots.
2. My CFRAM card is a little slow (check the speed when you buy).
3. Get good rechargable AA batteries (2 or 3 sets). Spend a few more bucks on good ones, you won't regret it (and make sure to get a car charger for trips).
4. In "automatic" mode make sure you focus on what you want your picture focused on (its very easy but I miss the target once in a while and focus is out).
5. Watch the zoom (optical is great) but you can't see for sure through viewfinder with digital zoom (of course) so keep it in mind you need to look at LCD display when digital zooming.
6. You might want a stand (tripod) for family pictures and such.

Overall 5 stars!

Great All Around Camera!
I'd previously purchased a lower-end digital camera/MP3 player, and although I was happy with it, I wanted something that was going to take good pictures that I could make prints with. After a little research I ran across this camera and liked all of the features I was seeing. I bought it and have been using it for almost two years now.

The 4 MPs and optical zoom were both very important in my decision. The quality is absolutely great. You can use it right out of the box as a point and shoot with the automatic setting and most of the picture come out excellent. The best thing though is that the camera also allows the a wide range of manual settings. As I learned more and more about photography the camera grew with me and allowed me to tweak my pictures more and more. For me, that's where the camera is the strongest: It can take quick and easy automatic shots when you want them, but it is very flexible and customizable when you are trying to take more professional or tricky shots.

The battery life is decent. I use two sets of rechargable batteries, and if I bring both sets, I've never needed more. And I take a lot of pictures on an outting. If you use the highest quality setting, the save time can get a bit long, as it creates large 5 or more megabyte .tiff files, but if you're worried about that, you can step down a quality setting to jpegs, which are still excellent quality.

All in all, this camera has grown up with me, and has served for everything I need, from quick shots at group functionings to closeup shots for professional nature websites I've worked on. I would highly recommend it to anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

For advanced digital photographers, Minolta's large and powerful Dimage 7i offers a broad range of features and tools for any type of still photography. With a 5-megapixel resolution, images can be outputted at poster sizes. And the excellent 7x optical zoom gets you extremely close to your subjects.

It's definitely not a camera that you're going to be slipping into a pocket. The Dimage 7i is professional class in terms of both performance and size, weighing in at over a pound without batteries. That said, its heft is comfortable and can actually be handled with one hand.

The color electronic viewfinder knows when you put your eye up to it, turning itself on and turning off the bright 1.8-inch LCD, which saves on battery life and makes for a nifty party trick. It even has a diopter lens so glasses-wearing users can adjust it to their eyesight.

Captured images were downright impressive--with bright, lifelike colors, and very sharp details. The Dimage 7i sports a long list of advanced features, including a variety of movie capture modes (including low-light), a real-time histogram that lets you adjust your aperture and other settings before snapping a photo, and continuous auto-focus on moving subjects.

You might think that a camera of this level would be a bit imposing to use, but Minolta has laid out the buttons and wheels appropriately, letting you adjust between modes easily and including an LCD panel on top of the camera that keeps you informed of the settings.

It's not the kind of camera you'd want to buy your teenager for a birthday, but if you're looking for a digital camera that can hold its own against top film cameras, the Minolta Dimage 7i definitely deserves a look. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• 5-megapixel resolution produces impressive images
• Huge optical zoom: 7x
• Advanced tools and features, but easy to use

Cons:

• Professional photography is not inexpensive
• Not exactly compact

Features

• 5.24 megapixel (4.95 effective megapixels) sensor creates 2560 x 1950 images for prints at 13 by 17 inches and beyond
• 7x optical plus 2x digital (14x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash card holds 5 images at default resolution
• Movie mode captures up to 60 seconds of video with audio
• Powered by 4 AA NiMH rechargeable batteries (charger included); connects with Macs and PCs via USB connector

Reviews (30)

Minolta Dimage 7i personal review
I researched many cameras in stores and on line. I wanted high pixel, lots of zoom and movie with sound. Nikon 5700 with 8x zoom is more expensive and was not available. Nikon 5000 does not compare in the zoom.
I was sold on the Minolta. I am still experimenting with all the amazing features. Automatic does a great job. I recommend reading the manual several times,,,, actually I study the manual and then practice on the actual camera. I bought an AC adapter and run an extension cord and practice on that and not use up the batteries,plus walk around the rooms taking pictures connected to the AC adapter...

This camera is like buying a small computer. I love it. It is the best buy out there for a 5+ pixel with the 60 second movie with sound. I love the macro switch for close up work! There is even a menu to shoot black and white if you need to do some art work. You can change so many variables and even label your files that will come up on the PC when you download. In the LDC screen there is a small keyboard that shows up so you type in your own name to a photo file. I also bought a compact flash reader that connects to your USB and I don't even have to download from the camera. Plus with my printer I can just put in the card and print directly. I also bought a compact flash card with more MB. It comes with Sanyo rechargeable batteries and the recharger. I can't say enough about how please I was to find this camera. And actually a review like this about a Dimage 7 helped me realize the Dimage 7i is the newer model with sound for the movie! The investment of $1000 is worth it. This camera's technology will be around for a long time. Have fun !!!

Superior Digital Camera
This is my 5th digital camera in approximately the last 4 years. The Dimage 7i a serious upgrade compared to the Nikon 990(3.34 megapixel) I was using. The Nikon is a nice camera, but the Minolta 7i has more functions and greater resolution.

Battery life was my primary concern prior to purchasing the Dimage 7i. That turned out not to be an issue using good NiMH rechargable batteries (1600mAh or above). I was able to get over 70 photos on one set of batteries. I would recommend using the electronic view finder vs the LCD monitor to conserve battery life.

Because the camera is 5 megapixel, have several memory cards at least 128MB, preferably 256MB or above. They fill up fast when using at the higher resolutions.

Take a few minutes to read the manual to learn the tricks of the camera, it is well worth it.

Dimage 7i
I have just had the camera a few days now. As for all the gadgets, its gonna take a while to pick up on all those. Right now I am using it mostly on automatic and casually venturing from that to different settings and comparing to my other digital cameras.

First, I love the 5 mp setting, the camera was very easy to pick up and start right out using .. (like most guys do)

I am impressed with the quality of the pictures. I like the fact that everything is pretty much straight forward. The camera fires up quickly. I tested it with a romote flash sorta like a fill in and it worked flawlessly. The compact flash memory cards are fairly inexpensive and small so you can have a few backups for those multi picture extravaganzas.

The one thing I would love to see addressed on the camera is the batteries... it would be nice to see minolta come with a battery, rechargable, rather than tring to keep up with two or three sets of AA s ... The instruction book... (guess I will have to read or at least review sooner or later ) looks like it covers pretty much anything you can run accross.

Would I recommend this camera? Yes I would but not for the inexperienced guy... when you first look at this camera... there seems to be a lot to digest... but all in all... Love it!

5 stars doesn't say enough...
I have heard bad reviews that this particular camera eats batteries, but I have not had any problems with batteries being used up fast. My last camera, which was only 2.2 Megapixels ate batteries much faster than the Dimage 7i. The picture quality is excellent. When the camera is taking pictures in it's best quality, you can see those minute blemishes that you don't usually notice in pictures. This camera is by far the best that I have ever tried. Highly reccommended to buy if you are in the market for a 5.0+ megapixel camera.

A Mixed Performer
The good:
Great zoom range. It's the only ZLR that goes as wide as 28mm (35mm equivalent).

The bad:
Very poor focusing, especially in low light.

The ugly:
More noise than you'd expect. A better alogarithm is need. A digital camera is only as good as its programming.
The electronic viewfinder is virtually useless. The low pixel count and distorted viewfinder optics do it in. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The 2.3-megapixel CCD of the Minolta Dimage 2300 captures images at amaximum resolution of 1,792 x 1,200, letting you create photo-quality prints atsizes up to 8 by 10 inches. For e-mail and Internet use, it can also capture ata resolution of 800 x 600. If you're considering making the switch from film todigital photography, The Dimage 2300's similarity to film-based point-and-shootcameras will help ease the transition.

The camera lacks an optical zoom, butdoes include a digital zoom, which brings subjects closer at the expense ofimage quality. Other features include a multimode flash, a self-timer, a video- out feature, and a USB connection for quick file transfers. Included with theDimage 2300 are batteries, a camera bag, 8 MB CompactFlash card, video and USBcables, and software. ... Read more

Features

• 2.3 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 8 x 10 prints
• 2x digital zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 8 MB CompactFlash card holds 18 images at default resolution
• Connects to Macs and PCs via USB port
• 4 AA batteries included

Reviews (17)

Minolta Dimage 2300 a Keeper
The Minolta Dimage 2300 finally appeared, and at a lower price than expected. It includes rechargeable batteries and recharger, which is a nice touch. The case and cables make a complete digital camera package with no extras needed. It easily fits in pants pocket or briefcase. The primary selection controls are convenient on a single knob - more so than Olympus D460; its other controls are reasonably easy to learn too. The manual is excellent. The Dimage 2300 has twice the pixels (2 Megapixels) at about the same price as the D460. Unfortunately Minolta put no optical zoom on this camera, so you lose pixels when you use the electronic zoom; compare with D460, in which you get optical plus electronic zoom for total of 6x, more than 2300 offers. The Minolta offers a wide range of image sizes and qualities (4) to fit your needs, but if you want the best quality, the 8 Mb CompactFlash only holds one; with other qualities it holds 9, 24, or 47 full size pictures. The performance of the Dimage 2300 has been very good, and the built in USB to PC or Mac using the Adobe PhotoShop provided make this a keeper, being moderately priced for a good quality product. If you want supoer high quality professional ditigal cameras or ones using a wide range of interchangeable lenses, looks elsewhere and take a fat wallet.

Looks like a great value, but....
I've had the Dimage 2300 a few months now and up until the present moment it's been a solid camera. Pretty decent image quality and good performance, considering the price.

All of a sudden it started bugging out. Specifically, it would blink the low battery signal after just having bought batteries. I'd try putting the camera in PC mode so I could upload all the pictures to my PC and I'd get an error on my computer saying that "The camera could not be located properly." Not only that but the camera would blink low battery again. Very frustrating; at this point I'm thinking I just threw 400 bucks out the window.

I don't know if the internal processor is cheaply designed or what, but I can say that there certainly is a reason for this camera being as cheap a price as it is. Take heed.

The Best Camera! I even got one for my mom!
This is a terrific digital camera. It's very easy to use and handle (not big and clunky) The pictures are great! The camera is an overall value, I would recommed to anyone as a starter camera.

Great camera if you take the time to learn to use it!
Look, if you don't know anything about electronics, photography, cameras in general, or computers, then NOTHING you get will be "simple to use." But, if you take the time to read the manual once or twice to try to use the instrument correctly, then you can find value in uncommon places. For instance, the Dimage 2300, a mere 2.3 megapixel camera, which takes great photos for the resolution and the money (I've seen worse, less reliable quality from the FinePix at much higher resolutions, and at nearly 3x the price). Read the manual, learn about white-balance - which can be manipulated to take STUNNING photos if you know what you're doing - learn about the variety of exposure settings, understand the machine, and you will have great photos. As for some of the issues raised in these reviews: 1) install the software with a careful attention to the instructions, reboot, connect the cable to the computer and camera, turn the camera on to PC mode, launch the software. If you wait too long doing something else, it will auto-power-off -- close the software, turn the camera back on, and try again. Simplicity. 2) DON'T USE THE LCD ALL THE TIME AND THE BATTERY LIFE WILL BE FINE. And remember to drain the included NiMH rechargeable batteries COMPLETELY, or they won't hold a complete charge the next time around and battery life will plummet. Drain them completely every time and you'll be fine. 3) Any camera will take dark pictures if you don't know what your doing. Learn about exposure, and what the Dimage does to regulate it. Does the machines need to do all of our thinking for us? If you learn about situations that create dark or over-bright photos, then you'll recognize them before they ruin your shots and you can compensate. You be intelligent: don't rely on the camera to be intelligent for you. 4) Buy a bigger memory card: even at the standard resolution the 2300 takes good quality photos, and you can take about 35 of them on the included 8 MB card; but a bigger one gives you more options for more photos - better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Practice common sense, try to learn the instrument and learn what to expect from it, and will be VERY pleased with yourself and with it. The Dimage 2300 is a great value and capable of great amateur quality photos that some of the big-boy high-end cameras envy.

Decent Camera
I've read a lot of reviews about this particular product and ive read that many people have problems transfering pictures into their computer. Although i found that aspect to be quite simple the real weakness of this camera is the flash. This camera is virtually useless at night. Unless the place is well lit at night you can forget about taking pictures. During the day it takes pictures pretty well. The macto feature of this camera is also pretty good. ... Read more

Features

• 35mm compact single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with quartz date imprint function
• Compatible with Minolta A-mount lenses
• Integrated flash with red-eye reduction; includes hot shoe for external flash
• One of the smallest and lightest full-featured SLRs ever produced
• Improved autofocus drive motor and high-speed microcomputer for quicker and more precise control

Reviews (31)

I Love This Camera
This is a terrific camera. I have been toying around with 35mm point and shoots for the past several years. I have never been satisfied with the results. I finally decided to get rid of them and buy an SLR. I did research for about three months and could not find another camera to match this one in terms of cost and amenities. It can do just about everything the amature photographer wants to do. I have used Minolta SLRs years ago and found the cameras to be totally dependable. Minolta still makes a great product. This camera is easy to use and not intimidating. Read the manual after you shoot a few rolls of film to get used to all of the bells and whistles to use this camera to its fullest potential. The metering is fabulous. The eye-start mechanism is totally awesome for focusing. This is the best feature of the camera. You should buy this camera

Thanks, Minolta!!!!!

A fine camera with excellent features
It has the best features in it's class - Nikon N65/N80, Canon EOS Rebel etc - you can compare side-by-side.
It can produce excellent results.
It's the lightest around which is important and really nice.
If you know your SLR a bit, having a zoom 75-300mm will be a very rewarding experience. You might find yourself using only the zoom afterwards.
Suprisingly Minolta does little publicity compared to Canon,Nikon though their products are so good.
My 2 cents advice for SLR beginners-
1.Read the manual for some length at least before starting to shoot.
2.Try not to use the All-auto(default) mode as soon as you can.Use S(125 speed is a safe choice) or A mode.
3.Specially for portraits use ISO-100 film for best clarity.
4.All cameras of this type have a small built-in flash which may disappoint you indoors. Use ISO400 film indoors.

Pro photographer
This is a very good camera is you do not want to gett a cheap slr w/ every thing thing you need but if you ever think of going digatl go with canon becuse they have better bodys and lenses and both work with all the lens they have now so i would say if u r not going to go diatl get this but if you r look at a canon flim SLR

Great features, poor reliability
This camera has great features for the price, and I was extremely happy with the quality of the photos I took in the 3 days I had the camera. Then it started eating whole rolls of film. After contacting the manufacturer they would repair it and I would pay all shipping costs. I returned it to amazon instead.

Recent buyer
Photos taken from my Minolta 5, which I recently purchased, have been by and large disappointing. Whether using manual or automatic mode for focus, lighting, subject type, etc. the resulting photos do not exceed the quality one would obtain with a normal point-and-shoot camera. So far, the "extra performance" of this SLR with multiple menus has failed to materialise. I would very much like to trade it in for another brand. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take your digital photography to a new level with the feature-packed and easy-to-use DiMAGE S304, which features a high-image-quality 3.34-megapixel 1.125-inch CCD. An all-glass lens, 7.15-28mm (35-140mm in 35mm equivalents), with 4X optical zoom, sets this camera apart from the competition with a combination rarely found in compact digital formats. An anomalous dispersion element and twin double-sided aspheric elements work together to minimize chromatic aberrations and reduce curvilinear distortion, giving you crisp, accurate, edge-to-edge imaging. Compose these images with the 1.8-inch, 122,000-pixel color LCD monitor or use the optical viewfinder for SLR-style shooting.

For professional results with the point-and-shoot style operation of the S304, you can choose from five pre-set modes: macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, and text. For more creative shooting, use a wide variety of adjustable features, including manual focus, selectable ISO, custom white-balance controls, exposure compensation and bracketing, and a digital-effects control that allows adjustment of color saturation, contrast, and sharpening. A movable focus point allows for off-center compositions. Multisegment metering technology provides accurate exposures. Four resolution modes cover the range from film quality photographs to images for e-mail. Movie mode allows 60 seconds of live action and a voice-memo feature helps identify your work.

The DiMAGE S304 comes complete with 16 MB CompactFlash card, A/V cable, USB cable, Minolta Image Viewer Utility CD-ROM, four AA alkaline batteries, lens cap, and neck strap. ... Read more

Features

• 3.2-megapixel sensor captures 2,048 x 1,536 images for prints at sizes up to 11 x 14 inches
• 4x optical/2x digital (8x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash card stores 15 images at default resolution
• Automatically connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses 4 AA batteries (alkalines included)

Reviews (26)

a mediocre product for such a price. excellent if cheap.
The Minolta s304 is a fine camera if you can get it for significantly less than it's current retail price. The 3.3 megapixel resolution makes for some excellent daylight shots, and the 60 second movie recorder renders superb quality avi files. However, the camera suffers excessively from camera shake in low-light conditions. In addition, the manual setting for taking shots is difficult to manipulate...even for the intermediate level photographer. Night-time shots suffer from imbalance in color levels

Rechargeable Ni-MH batteries are an absolute must for this camera. My unit came with 4 AA alkaline batteries which expired after roughly 45 minutes of usage. I've owned my current set of 1850 mAH Kodak Photolifes for roughly a year now and they've consistently given the camera an operational battery life 2-3 days with regular on/off usage.

While the s304 has a workable zoom it fails to give adequate focus (in both automatic and manual modess), rendering blurred images - especially to subjects taken with the digital zoom.

I won't recommend this camera to a first-time buyer.

Dimage S304
Ths is a great camera. I have waited for many years to get a quality digital camera with 3 Meg Pixels for under $500.00. The only disappointment is that Minolta lists that you can use alkaline batteries, which is not correct. They recommend Ni-MH, which is the only batteries I have found to work properly. Using alkaline batteries result in a low battery indication after only a few shots. Getting the Ni-MH and charger are worth the extra money. I only wish that Amazon carried the batteries and charger. On standard photo setting the supplied 16Meg memory will only store 20 pictures. I recommend getting a 64Meg memory and the USB memory reader attachment for the PC. Download to a PC is easy directly from the camera. A 6V DC adapter is also available for powering the camera, but I haven't found that this is necessary.

Good Camera (if/when it works!)
Had this camera for a little over a year and it's a piece of junk. From day one it has never worked right. At least 90% of the time it locks up when I turn it on; the red LED light stays on and I have to open the battery door for thirty seconds to reset the camera. Sometimes when I change modes it locks up. I have no confidence that it will work when I turn it on. When it does "boot up" correctly I jump for joy (is this how it's suppose to be?). This thing also uses a lot of power, my 1800ma NiMh batteries (4 AA) only lasts about 25 pics at medium resolution and small image size. It's a shame because this camera is constructed well (metal case), takes terrific pictures (when it works), zoom is great, LCD screen is very clear for it's size, uses easy to get CompactFlash cards and batteries. It's out of warranty right now and I don't think it's worth trying to repair so it'll get tossed into the rubbish can; what a waste! Maybe I just got a lemon when I bought it but I will never buy another Minolta digital camera again, this S304 really tarnished Minolta's reputation in my books. I won't tell everyone "don't buy it"......it's up to you, maybe you won't get a lemon like I did.

I would buy it again.
I looked at many many digital cameras before buying this one. I finally decided to buy it because it looked like it had everything I needed and it was cheaper than others. Well, I am really happy with my purchase. I bought this camera in 11/01 so I have had it for a long time. I have taken it to Hawaii and Florida and just around town and it has not failed me yet.

Indoor pictures are not great with this camera but they are not horrible. I have taken some professional looking pictures with this camera and look at them on the computer daily. I would not even think about using regular batteries with it though, that would be a joke. This camera does suck battery juice like crazzzy.

I enjoy taking pictures and this camera really has been great. I use webshots on my computer and I have my pictures of Hawaii cycle through on the desktop everyday, actually every 15 minutes. People are always commenting on them asking if they are professional pictures. I even printed some of them out and they looked great.

If you do not have a lot of money to spend and want a pretty good camera I would go with this one. It really has just about everything. ...

easy, simple and great features
This is my second digital camera. My first being Sony Maciva. This camera is great and very easy to use. I was at first worried about battery life but I am very please with performance of batteries. I would recommend a charger and only high quality batteries. I also bought a 64 & 128 memory card. I never run out of space.
Highly recommend. ... Read more

Product Description

The DiMAGE X60 is a digital camera with the fastest-in-class startup time, non-protruding 3.0X optical zoom, and 5-megapixel CCD. It also has a 2.5-inch LCD - even larger than the previous model and big enough for family or friends to gather around and enjoy viewing images together. The DiMAGE X60 - high-quality images in a fun-filled, easy-to-share package.Thin, stylish body - the camera is just 22-mm thick. Even faster operation with an approximate 0.5-second startup time, the fastest in its class*.(* As of April 2005, for 3.0X optical zoom cameras.) Easy operation and easy menu navigation with a large 2.5-inch LCD monitor. Konica Minoltaâs proprietary CxProcessâs proprietary non-protruding zoom lens, the DiMAGE X60 keeps its sleek appearance even when the zoom is activated. The slim 22-mm-thick body houses a 3.0X optical zoom and weighs just 115 g. And, the convenient sliding cover adds a practical feature to this stylish design, safeguarding the lens while you store the DiMAGE X60 inside your pocket or purse. Worldâs Fastest* Startup TimeThe DiMAGE X60 boasts an amazingly fast and fluid startup: switch the camera on and youâre ready to start taking great pictures in about 0.5 seconds. This and the approximately 0.08-second shutter-release time lag mean youâll never miss capturing those unexpected yet special moments. (* As of April 2005, for 3.0X optical zoom cameras.) Large 2.5-Inch LCDThe DiMAGE X60â ... Read more

Features

• Stores images on SD memory cards; includes 15MB of internal memory; powered by rechargeable Li-ion battery (battery and charger included)
• 5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; folded optics technology provides a full-flat, non-protruding zoom lens
• 2.5-inch anti-reflective LCD display
• Fast 0.5-second startup time; 0.08-second shutter-release time lag

Features

• Stores images on SD memory cards; powered by AA-size batteries
• 5.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 2.0-inch LCD; 3x optical zoom
• 12MB of internal memory
• 5 Digital Subject Program modes; records movies in QVGA format

Reviews (5)

Good for the average user
This is a light weight camera that is easy to carry on hikes and other outings. The picture quality has been good and the controls easy to use. This camera has several draw backs: it will not focus in low light, very bright, or low contrast conditions. It is also impossible to manually focus in these conditions using the LCD screen. I also don't like the red-eye flash being the default. You can change the flash to another mode but when you turn the camera off the next time you turn it on it defaults back to the red-eye flash mode. This is my first digital camera and through this experience I have learned what to look for in my next one.

Not bad but not best
This is a compact camera, handles well, spunky looking, but a few drawbacks. I like natural-light photography and this is the wrong digital camera for that. First, it has trouble focusing and the manual (LCD) focusing is pretty hopeless in dim light - can't see anything on the screen anyway! Second, the sensitivity is not good - certain other digital cameras have ISO/ASA ranges 100-400, but the Minolta's are just 100. I guess if I was just taking pictures of the Grand Canyon in daylight these wouldn't bother me. I'll be more careful of natural light capabilities in my next purchase. If you take many high-resolution pictures without downloading you'll want to invest in at least 1 16 or 32 mb flashcard ($50 or so.)

good camera, could be better
I was looking for a durable and high-quality camera to take some pictures that I could quickly access. For the money I paid, I was a little disappointed in the Minolta Dimage. The quality of the pictures is pretty good, and the 3x zoom lens is nice when you want to get closer (which a lot of other cameras don't have).

Pros: *1.8" LCD display on back (you can see pictures you take!) *lightweight (for the mobile photographer) *usb connectivity (faster photo d/l to your pc)

Cons:

*the camera is expensive for the quality of images it produces.. you can find 3 megapixel cameras around the same price range *the LCD display is kind of small

Great Pictures, but not perfect.
This unit has lots of great features for the price. The red-eye reduction and zoom among them. Both help you take great pictures. The colors are vivid and the picture quality is amazing. The menu options are easy to use. Battery life is average, but this unit comes with 4 rechargeable batteries and a charger for them, a definite plus! One drawback I have noticed is focusing. Sometimes in low light situations, the unit has trouble finding a focal point. You can do a manual focus, but you have to change menu options. I believe this is a great camera for an amature looking to make the next step. Overall a good camera for a very good price.

Excellent Camera!
I thought this was such a great camera. It is very small and compact which let me be able to take it every where I go. The picture quality has been The best I have seen from a digital camera. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone! ... Read more

Features

• 5.24 megapixel (5.0 effective megapixels) sensor creates 2560 x 1950 images for prints at 13 by 17 inches and beyond
• 7x optical plus 2x digital (14x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash card holds 5 images at default resolution
• 60 second movie mode records at 15 fps; built-in flash synchronization terminal
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB connector; powered by four NiMH rechargeable batteries

Reviews (26)

Finest I've ever owned or Used
I've been a serious amateur photographer for at least 50 years. This is my 3rd digital camera. It was difficult deciding between the Nikon 5700 and the Minolta 7Hi. The 28mm capability of the zoom lens plus all the other features made me go for the Minolta.

I've not been disappointed. The lens is absolutely pin sharp. The Auto focus (a problem with all the Nikon coolpix cameras) is right on for 99.9% of my exposures. And it focuses quickly.

If this camera has a weak point....it is the hot shoe which is a propriatory one which can be used only with Minolta external flash units. It is a dirty trick that Minolta played and their flash units cost a fortune. Hopefully Vivitar will come along with a compatible flash unit for the 7Hi.

I've never been able to observe the so-called noise that some reviewers have objected to in the images. Low light level images turn out beautifully.

I've tried all the color profile settings while playing around with the various profiles with my HP printer. I've finally returned to the Normal sRGB setting even though it has a smaller gamut than the Adobe RGB profile. I seem to realize better compatibility with my printer when I use the sRGB setting.

Images made with the camera then blown up to 8 X 10 on matte surface paper have an almost 3 dimensional quality. Beautiful, rich colors, so sharp it's almost too good to be true.

This is the sharpest lens and best camera I've ever owned in my life and I'm 67 years old. AND, guess what? The local Micro Center store had a 20% off sale on all digital cameras so I was able to get my 7Hi at a reasonable price from a local dealer without having to fight with high pressure salesmen on the phone.

This one is a real keeper.

Good, solid pre-professional digicam
I'll say this right up front: I love this camera. It's the third Dimage I've had - previously, I owned the 7 and the 7i, and I *may* go for the A1 soon.

It's a fine camera, but it's not a *great* camera.

Pros:
- solid construction
- wonderful manual features, esp. the rotating focus ring
- lots of controls to customize shots
- excellent zoom lens, that happens to be manual (a plus!)
- variety of colorspaces to choose from
- uses standard AA batteries

Cons:
- some noise, mostly on 800 ISO shots
- complex to learn
- hard to carry around - it's not that heavy, but it's awkward
- eats batteries (though this has not been a problem for me, as I just carry a spare set of rechargeables)
- rubber ring around zoom lens requires occasional removal and re-taping (as on all of the Dimage 7's)

This camera has so many features that it opens a lot of doors for experimentation. The ones I particularly use:
- manual zoom
- manual focus
- 30 sec bulb exposure
- external flash port
- good "sunset" mode
- good video w/ audio
- digital viewfinder that switches to B/W in low light
- high speed shot mode
- excellent digital zoom doubler (2x)

For $600 new, the current price, it would be hard to find a camera even close to this quality for $200 more.

Not bad, but not great
I've you've never used a high-end camera in your life, you would think this is a pretty good camera. But I have, and I'm pretty disappointed.

What disappointed me:
- Wrong subject focused. If you let the camera's artificial intelligence pick the subject to focus for you, you're likely to have to refocus a lot, unless you fix the focusing point.
- Impossible action focusing. If the subject is moving, you can forget about getting it in focus in the continuous focus mode. You'd have to prefocus.
- Slow focusing. Even slower than some compacts.
- Power hungry. Make sure you get spare batteries. I have a feeling that most of the power goes to heating the CF card, since the card gets pretty hot when reading/writing.

What kept me from trashing it:
- Picture quality is pretty good.
- Adobe RGB colorspace can be useful (if you use it).
- Good lens range (28mm-200mm equiv.), with decent quality throughout.
- Pretty good macro performance.
- Manual zoom, but this is subjective.
- Comfortable to handle, though slightly small.
- Useful view modes, like grid or crosshair.
- Useful manually controlled focusing point.
- Allows screw-on filters.

So should you buy one? I'd say that if you do any form of action photography, be it sports or just cute kids running around, look elsewhere. But if you like landscapes, architecture, still life, portraits, etc. where the subject doesn't move around, this might be for you.

Poor workmanship and terrible customer service
I would warn anyone of buying any minolta digital camera if they are at all concerned about manufacturing quality and customer service. I bought a Dimage 7hi nine months ago and had several rubber pieces fall off within the 1st two months. One of these was the surface for the manual zoom function on the lens. When this came off and allowed dust into the underlying plastic mechanism (yes plastic!), the plastic piece broke rendering the zoom lens useless.

When I sent this to Minolta, they told me they would not honor the warranty because the camera had been "used a lot." In fact, they wouldn't even acknowledge poor workmanship for the rubber piece and charged me repair cost for the whole thing minus 30%. Please let your readers know what they are getting into if they buy a minolta product...as for me, I will never buy one again!

some important "cons" to be noted
After reading so many "pros" I must add some "cons":
1 - Service - I bought my brand new camera on July 2003 used it fo 3 months and then it stoped functining - showing the "error" sign.
I droped it to the Minolta representative in Israel 3.5 months ago, and have not received it back yet.
Minolta Japan did not reply my e-mail.
2 - You have to carry atleast 2 sets of extra batarries, because it "eats" them more than any other camera I have used.
3 - When you compare the size in megabites of this camera's photos with similar pixle photo made by another make - you may find that this camera use almost double amount of m.b. to create the same photo. ... Read more

Features

• 3-megapixel sensor captures 2,048 x 1,536 images for prints at sizes up to 11 x 14 inches
• 7x optical plus 2x digital (14x total) autofocus zoom lens
• Included 8 MB CompactFlash card stores 8 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses 4 AA batteries (alkalines included)

Reviews (21)

Best Camera for its price... Power consumption remedies
I have had this camera for about 2 months now and love every bit of it. It takes amazing photos, the optical zoom lens is spectacular and the camera has all the manual options so that I can have complet control of the photos. The manual settings are NOT on a menu driven system so it is quicker to make changes (and uses less batteries by not having the screen on all the time).

POWER SAVING TECHNIQUES:
I bought PowerEx Rechargables and I get about 600 pictures per set... More than enough... A couple tips for longer battery life. Do not use the Large screen unless completly nessesary. Use the EVF on auto on. The View finder will turn on when you place your eye up to it. Also, do not use the continues focus option... It will kill the batteries in no time.

The best camera I've ever owned... Long exposure night shots... simply amazing.

Definitely worth considering.
This itineration of the Dimage series brings excellent quality and useful features to the buyer in the 'upper middle' segment of the digicam market. The Dimage 5 is almost identical to the Dimage 7, though it sells for roughly 1/2 the price, with the only difference being the 3.3 megapixel resolution of the Dimage 5 vs the 5 megapixel resolution of the Dimage 7. If you are not planning on shooting pictures ultimately intended to be blown up to poster size, 5 megapixels is not going to be worth the money.
This camera is well made, well balanced (though slightly large for my preferences) and features an excellent electronic viewfinder, great optics and a very powerful and accurate 7x optical zoom (bumped by a 2x digital zoom if needed). Its controls offer a lot of options for creativity, while the fully auto setting makes life simple for those who like it so. It does require the purchase of a much larger (128) memory card and a second set of batteries, but otherwise is ready to go as is. The main competitor, in my opinion, would be the Olympus 2100, which has a more powerful zoom (10x) and the highly desireable image stabilization.

Nice little camera,for a little while.........
Had my Dimage 5 for about a year,and mostly was impressed.It took
good pictures in bright light,but was difficult to use in low light.Took it to Mexico on vacation and got caught in a rainstorm.The camera got wet,and stopped working.I assumed it would start again as soon as I got it dried out,but it did not.Sent it to Minolta for repair,and was told it was economically not repairable.Paid 600.00 for it,got it wet once,goodbye camera.Now its useless.Not even heavy enough for a boat anchor!If you have one,keep it dry!

Buyer Beware
I bought my Dimage-5 last Spring and it had a defective battery compartment. The defect was obvious... The first battery powered images I got are summertime of 2002.

If it had worked "out of the box" I would rate this a four star camera...

FINEST DIGITAL CAMERA I'VE OWNED (it's my 6th in 4 years)
I've owned and used a wide range of digital cameras over the last 4 years in my work as a web/graphic designer, and none (at this price) come close to the versatility and quality of the Minolta Dimage 5. I've tried Olympus, HP, and other brands and models, but none pack the punch of this beautiful camera.

WHAT'S TO LIKE: It's light and sports a nice 35-mm-like feel (unlike many of the more 'oddly' designed digital cameras). The photo quality is superb and extremely customizable, allowing you to snap shots at four different sizes and four different levels of quality. The lens is heads above similarly priced digital cameras. It has in and about it's body enough bells, whistles, and settings to keep a pro happy about the level of manual control, yet is easy enough for a beginner to take it out of the box and start shooting. Everything seems to be easy with this camera, from setting up and snapping shots, to downloading them to your machine. All around a fabulous piece of technology, and the reason I am now a Minolta fan.

WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE: Like any digital camera, this baby is a battery hog. Luckily it comes with a nice set of rechargables. But I still suggest picking up a set that recharges faster. One other small complaint is the fragile feel of some of the knobs and dials. For such an expensive piece of equipment, I'd prefer a more solid feel to some of the settings. It's more important to me than the weight. It also comes with a 16 mb flash card, which if you're taking photos at the higher resolutions, does not hold very many shots. I quickly bought a 128 mb Viking card (through Amazon) and can now shoot well over 100 pictures on one storage device. Well worth the extra money.

BOTTOM LINE: If this camera is in your price range, it is worth every penny. The Pros well outweigh the few minor Cons listed above. Beginners and pros will both marvel at how far digital technology has come, and will find a new love for photography. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Considering how excellent Konica's KD-310Z and KD-400Z are, the KD-210Z is slightly disappointing considering its price. A control stick on the back of the camera makes it easy to navigate menus presented on the LCD, although there aren't many manual control options. This is designed to be a point-and-shoot device, and that's where it works best. While you can set some basic options like the white balance and exposure, don't expect to get decent night-time skyline shots or incredibly detailed close-ups of flowers.

The camera weighs only six ounces and is incredibly easy to control and configure. It's decent for taking snapshots, but the pictures we took lacked the clarity, detail, and color reproduction of the best 2-megapixel cameras in this price range. While the automatic mode worked fine for both indoor and outdoor shots by selecting flash modes appropriately, we had a tough time getting good close-up macro shots as the flash is automatically turned off when the macro focus mode is selected. If you're looking for a camera to take close-up shots (say, for instance, of auction items), there are much better choices.

If you rely solely on the LCD to frame and review shots, the camera can really suck the juice out of its two AA batteries, so consider investing in another set of rechargeable batteries. There is no lens cover, so a carrying case is a must. The camera comes with an 8 MB Secure Digital card that is fine for snapping shots at 640 x 480 pixels, but runs out of room fast when captures are made at the camera's native resolution of 1,600 x 1,200.--T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Can capture short movies, but with no audio
• Lightweight and fairly compact

Cons:

• Images lack detail, even for a 2-megapixel camera
• No lens cover
• Macro zoom feature takes poor close-ups

Features

• 2.0 megapixel sensor creates 1,600 x 1,200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• 3x optical plus 2x digital zoom lens (for 6x total) with autofocus
• Compatible with MMC and Secure Digital cards
• Connects to PCs via USB port
• Uses 2 AA batteries (included)

Reviews (1)

The camera is value for money
The camera is a good buy. Do not expect much out of it but I must say that it gives you value for money. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Judging from the diminutive size of Konica's KD-400Z, most people assume it's little more than a digital toy. In reality, a whopping 4.13-megapixel CCD lurks within the camera's sleek stainless steel and silver plastic frame, capable of capturing images with outstanding detail. Currently, 4.13-megapixel cameras don't come much smaller than this.

The KD-400Z and its 3.2-megapixel cousin the KD-310Z are also the first two digital camera to incorporate both MMC/SD and Memory Stick slots, and it can use both types of memory simultaneously.

The camera has fewer buttons on the back than most digital cameras in this price range, but that's only because it is designed to be so easy to use. Most menus that appear on the crisp, color LCD screen are navigated using a small four-way switch, and a button next to that switch is used to activate highlighted menu items. Other buttons allow for the easy viewing and deleting of images and also to control the camera's 3x optical zoom. A digital zoom is also available, but we recommend against using it as it substantially reduces image quality.

Powering up the device is as easy as sliding back the protective lens cover on the front. The camera springs into action almost instantly, and zooming also works very quickly compared to most digital cameras. Pressing the shutter button down halfway activates the autofocus, and also causes a blue light on the front of the camera to illuminate so subjects know a picture is about to be taken.

Although there are no manual controls for things like shutter speed and f-stop settings, the camera does offer enough control to take it one step beyond a basic point-and-shoot camera. The four-way switch can be pressed right or left to turn the flash on or off, change to macro or landscape shooting mode, set the self-timer, apply red-eye reduction, or set up a combination of these things.

Image quality is excellent. The CCD captures details that lesser cameras simply can't resolve, and exhibits exceptionally accurate color reproduction. Outdoor shots look terrific with the exception of low-light and night shots, where the automatic-only shutter comes into play. Skin tones are accurate, and the camera takes good portraits, but red-eye is a big problem even with reduction enabled. We can only presume it is caused because the camera's flash is so close to the lens.

Regardless, this is an excellent automatic digital camera for those who don't want to fuss with manual controls at all, but who also want to capture more detail than point-and-shoot 2-megapixel cameras can handle. The included 16 MB SD memory card is skimpy for a camera that generates images at a native resolution of 2,307 x 1,704 pixels, and you'll probably want another set of rechargeable batteries, but otherwise the KD-400Z's price and performance offer very little to complain about. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Smallest 4.13-megapixel camera on the block
• Dual memory card expansion--SD/MMC and Memory Stick slots
• Also records short videos and captures pictures with sounds using the integrated microphone
• Case is rugged but still looks very slick

Cons:

• Needs a bigger memory card
• Some more manual controls would be nice considering the detail this camera can render
• Red-eye is nearly impossible to eliminate

Features

• 4.13 megapixel sensor captures 2,288 x 1,712 images for prints at 11 x 14 inches and beyond
• 3x optical plus 2x digital zoom lens (for 6x total) with autofocus
• Included 16 MB MMC card holds 16 images at default resolution; camera features MMC/SD slot and Memory Stick slot
• Connects to Macs and PCs via USB port
• Comes with rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack

Reviews (22)

Well built and great pictures
I head an Engineering department, and we have been through a fair few cameras. The KD-400Z is very well-built, great value for money and produces excellent pictures. The sharpness and details of the images are amongst the best I've seen from a sub-$... camera.

Its diminutive size and tank-like build, makes it ideally suited for travelling and every-day use.

On the down side:- plastic tripod fixing, very few manual override settings and limited range of accessories, are some of the things that may bug you.

Overall though, the positives far outweighs the negatives. For the price, I don't think there's a better point-and-shoot camera.

Update:

After nearly two months of use, the camera is performing very well. Our heavy-handed engineers tend to throw it into their brief cases and tool-boxes (despite the fact that we bought it for its ability to fit into pockets!) but the KD-400Z does its job and produces consistently good results.

I would like to comment on some of the "problems" stated in a couple of previous reviews:

"Focus problem" - The KD-400Z, like all compact digital cameras, does not have an active infra-red focus like some larger cameras. Instead, it relies on image processing of real-time images. This means that the focus can be fooled, especially in low light conditions and low-contrast scenes. In these cases, you should focus on a high-contrast object of equal distance away, and lock the focus before taking the picture. Given these limitations, the focus on the KD-400Z is as good as it gets.

Aother thing that is often mistaken for mis-focus, is camera shake. We found that one of our engineers always seem to take more out-of-focus pictures than others (with all our cameras!). We actually found that this was due to him moving the camera as he pressed on the shutter button.

"Cannot review pictures without opening lens cover" - With cover closed, just press and hold the play the button, it's in the manual!

"Cover knocks the lens when closing" - On our KD-400Z, this simply is not possible. No matter how hard you close the cover, it always stop just before the lens. Once the lens have retracted, then the cover can be closed fully.

"Picture quality" - We can not fault the excellent pictures. Colours are vibrant and spot-on. At maximum resolution, the sharpness from the Hexanon lens, coupled with the 4M CCD, is good enough for a full page picture in one of our brochures! Beware thought, the CCD does not have high gain for low-light scenes. The flash however, is suprisingly powerful for its size.

In conclusion, it's well-built, easy to use, and produces excellent pictures. We are very satisfied and have bought another two KD-400Zs.

Beautiful but disappointing
I was one of the first purchasers of this camera. I was excited by the small size and prospect of 4mp resolution. I also liked the slide=away lens cover which I felt would be highly protective and the metal body.

It is a lovely camera but has had one flaw that makes it less than ideal for me.

The problem is the focus, indoors in low light. It's fine for outdoor snaps but most of the pictures I take are indoors. Often the light is low because I am in a meeting room.

In this case, the camera cannot autofocus well and, as there is no manual focus to override it, the problem is impossible to fix.

I returned the camera for service, thinking perhaps it was a manufacturing defect but, sadly, it did not improve.

I am now looking for another camera to replace it.

It's a pity because it is a sweet, compact thing that's easy to carry. It would be a great choice for someone who is mostly interested in outdoor pictures.

Loses its shine after a while
I originally loved this camera.... small, light, good battery life, hi-res photos to work with. However, after using it for the last year, and taking over 2,100 photos with it (the camera keeps track) I have to say I'm extremely disappointed with it.

Unless you're outdoors in VERY bright sunlight, or using the flash, forget about taking decent photos. I've held the camera solidly against a wall to take indoor photos without flash and all you get is a streaky mess. You can't control the apeture setting, and hence EVERY photo comes out blurry unless you are in bright, direct light.

I spend a good 3-4 minutes with EVERY photo that DOES come out O.K. (not blurry) touching it up in photoshop. For whatever reason, the CCD is just not getting enough photons to take good, crisp, bright photos.

Too bad, too, because in most other ways its a great camera.

Its okay
It is light, compact, and generally takes great photos. Inclusion of Adobe Photoshop means you can also dither to black and white, and touch up images.

The negatives are red eye with every flash shot, and blurring in low light conditions (w/out flash) where there is little contrast (ie exposure problem). Use of flash in low light can take away colour quality.

In summary, and awesome OUTDOOR camera. Not the best for indoors.

Black and White photos?
Can somebody please tell me if this camera takes black and white photos or does it just take sepia (in addition to color, obviously)? I am very interested in getting this camera but just wanted to know if i can use it for black/white photos because i like them but i just don't like sepia. Thank you! ... Read more