Minolta DiMageX Digital Camera Review

Purchased online 4/2002

Outline Specs: 2.0 megapixel 3X optical zoom compact digital camera with video and audio recording capability, stored on removable SD (or MMC) card. 3.7v Lithium Ion battery.

Criteria for purchasing this camera: I wanted a digital camera that I could (and more importantly would) take with me everywhere, to record all those impromptu shots I missed because I didn't want to lug my big manual camera around. To that end, mid-range resolution was sufficient, while compact size, portability, and durability held higher sway. In this brief review, I tried not to duplicate technical information that is readily available elsewhere online (see dpreview.com for an extensive review), but instead give my own impressions and experiences as an 'average consumer'.

Ease of Use: Because the camera is so compact, great thought had to be given to how someone actually holds and uses buttons on the device. I found this camera very intuitive to use because of this, as essential functions are placed at your fingers where you expect them to be.

Menus: Navigating the on-screen menu is a task that requires some practice. Menus are intuitive, but navigation and selection requires the use of both direction-arrow buttons and zoom toggle on the top right-hand side of the camera, as well as the buttons underneath the LCD display. The split location of these controls is also a little cumbersome since operation is not easily done with both hands - the right hand naturally tends to try to operate all buttons while the camera is being held in the left.

Handling: The Dimage X takes a short adjustment to get used to it's handling, as it is designed to be held with the right hand only. Touching the small camera with the left hand almost guarantees that your fingers will cover the lens to some extent. It's a minor task of training to overcome this, though.

Software: Software is very easy to install (exp. w/ Win2000, NT). The camera appears as a removable storage device, and images are quickly and easily copied off the computer.

Image quality: I have been very impressed with the image quality. As mentioned earlier, the flash washes out the images a little, but in average to bright light the image quality and color rendition is excellent. The extent of recorded images doesn't align exactly with the image seen through the viewfinder - the LCD screen is more accurate in this regard.

Miscellaneous Observations: The flash is surprisingly powerful for such a small camera, a good feature considering this camera will most likely see a lot of action at dinners and parties. It does wash out images a bit though. LCD display switches off briefly while images are being recorded. LCD brightness can be adjusted to compensate for bright light and battery savings. Camera has a solid feel - buttons and covers feel durable (except for lens cover, which fortunately is recessed); buttons require intentional effort to depress or operate which is a good thing. The metal lens cover operates automatically, which is a thoughtful protective feature. Another subtle design feature is the consistent raised alignment of the buttons on the back of the camera - so the camera rests evenly on all buttons if it is laid on it's back, eliminating uneven pressure on one button or part of the camera. Audio quality is mediocre, but I don't see it as a major selling point in a compact camera of this type anyway. All camera functions are disabled when the device is plugged into the USB interface. Battery recharging is listed in the manual to take 80 minutes, but my experience has shown that it takes only around an hour. The same cover exposes both the battery and the memory card slots, a clean functional feature. I also appreciate that the camera design defers to function (smooth exposed areas, flat profile, durable materials and geometry) over precedent - it doesn't look like the standard 35mm point-and-shoot, which many digitals for some reason feel compelled to do. One of the features that enables this is the internal optical zoom, a space-saving innovation I suspect will be copied by other manufacturers.

Conclusions: I am very pleased with this camera so far. It is tailored to certain types of use, and for those it should function well, especially in comparison to other cameras on the market. It's not the ideal camera for people who desire very high resolution or a high degree of flexibility for manual operation. But, as I've learned over time, it doesn't matter how good something is; if you don't have it around you can't use it. The Minolta Dimage X it is a great camera for those who desire compact portability and simple usability in their electronic devices.

AGB 11/2003