Pros: 4x zoom, picture quality, ease of use, multitude of modes and settings.
Cons: Crappy, crappy quality and durability, would rather have a black shell.
The Bottom Line: After having different things go wrong with two examples of the same camera, I couldn't recommend this one in good faith. Steer clear, digicam-philes.
smithster's Full Review: Konica Minolta DiMAGE S414 Digital Camera
After careful consideration, I bought my S414 in June of '03 from an online camera store for $300 plus $40 for shipping. Absolutely no gripes about the ease of use or picture quality; in fact, if you're taking family pictures that will be printed no larger than 4"x6", you could definitely save some money and buy a 2MP camera.
It uses regular AA NiMH batteries and relatively cheap Compact Flash cards, and the menus in automatic, manual and setup modes were clear and concise. Love the 4x zoom; not many cameras in this price range have it, and it's invaluable in more situations than you might imagine. I wouldn't have minded a black shell instead of the brushed-silver one, but that's a quibble.
This camera is a battery-eater; I quickly learned to have at least three sets of charged batteries on hand, especially if I was doing a lot of flash work. I never had any problem with the on-off wheel on top of the camera.
Now for the dark side. I treated this camera like I've been treating my 35mm cameras for the last 30 years; not banging it around, but not like a newborn baby either. So you can imagine my surprise when, in May of '04, the flash just stopped working. In any of the flash modes, when I pressed the shutter, the orange light would flash on and off and then... nothing. Minolta's (by this time they were Konica Minolta's) help line could advise nothing but to send my camera in for warranty repairs to Mahwah, New Jersey. The camera came back a week later, with a note to the effect that there was internal damage, that the lens barrel (!?) was damaged and the camera needed too many parts to be repaired economically. I wasn't happy, but it could still be used to take indoor tripod or outside shots that didn't require a flash.
Then, over the next two months, the center button on the rear controller gradually died, even though the up/down/left/right/keys continued to work. I could access the menus and scroll up and down, but changing the settings? Impossible.
My next S414, after I saved up enough money, was bought in August from a bricks-and-mortar camera store for $249 plus 8.75% sales tax (ouch!) plus $78 for the store's no-questions-asked warranty that would replace this camera if anything goes wrong. The store's additional warranty was expensive, but I'm glad I had it, as you shall see.
I treated the old S414 like a camera. This one, I treated like an egg. An egg laid by a bald eagle that had been swilling DDT. I babied it. I missed photo opportunities removing it g-e-n-t-l-y from its padded case and g-e-n-t-l-y putting it back in, always fussing and worrying that the slightest bump would give its innards a concussion. It was all for nought.
December 7, its rear LCD screen stopped working. I could have gotten along using the auxiliary viewfinder, but the only way I could access the menus or to see what I had taken was to hook it up to my TV using the cord Konica Minolta so thoughtfully provides.
I brought it back to the store I bought it from, their warranty confidently in hand. Guess what? Before they give me another camera, they send this one to Mahwah, NJ. I'm going to be without this camera for a month (possibly longer), while Konica Minolta decides whether it can be repaired. If they decide it's beyond repair, then and only then do I get another camera. At this point, I'm not sure I can rely on the S414, Konica-Minolta, or digital cameras in general.
Meanwhile, I'll be taking pictures at Christmas dinner and New Year's with an Olympus Stylus 80 35mm that has never given me a moment's trouble in the 4 years that I've had it.
There's probably a trouble-free digital camera with the S414's features and price out there someplace, but I'm not paying any more money to find out.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 249.00 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Solid Enough for a Professional
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