shutterbug68's Full Review: Konica Minolta DiMAGE S414 Digital Camera
I’ve got this camera for almost two years and took thousands of photos. Reading other comments, I realize that early batches must have been faulty, since I treated this camera as any other photo camera, neither banged it all round nor overprotected it. It's rock solid so planning to get a newer, better camera means I have to pass it on to a friend of mine. In fact I lost hope that it would break on its own.
True, it's rather fussy about energy levels so it asks for top-notch rechargeable batteries. Two sets of NI-Mh rechargeable and one charger will take care of any greedy piece of equipment anyway.
Although not ergonomically perfect (supersensitive on-switch, bizarre tripod mount location), I'm quite pleased with its build and features. I could find some minor flaws, such as bulk, weight and lack of external flash hot shoe, but within its price range it works very well for me.
In my opinion the main thing about a camera is photo quality and here the Minolta scores high. I can't say s414 is flawless and I wouldn't recommend it for shooting sports events or fast moving subjects. Its auto focus system would have surely benefited from an AF assist lamp and quicker electronics. But:
- The photo quality it delivers is very good. Good lenses and fine exposure algorithms make sure it hits the eye most of the time.
- There's enough sharpness and colors are true to life if there is reasonable light around.
-The flash is powerful enough for such a camera but indoors shooting can give yellowish photos. Manual white balance can help. Red-eye effect is not a major problem with this camera.
-Excellent macro capabilities, no visible optical flaws.
-The LCD monitor gains up in low light, enabling you to find your subject even in the shadows.
-It can use a Minolta RC-3 remote control unit (sold separately)
I can say that non- SLR digital cameras have only recently become better at a decent price. Yes, there are quicker cameras with better resolution and better optics and better low-light focusing. Check out the Panasonic FZ20 for instance, but be ready to dig deeper into your pockets.
As a conclusion, it's a very pleasant camera, both simple and effective on automatic exposure mode, even better on manual if you’re patient enough to learn how to use it.
It's obviously not everyone's cup of tea, those looking for stylish, idiot-proof tiny cameras would rather look elsewhere.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 290 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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