Best combinations of features and price in this class
Written: Jan 01 '04 (Updated Jan 03 '04)
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Pros: Stylish, solid, pocket portability, rapid turn-on, quick delete, decent still image and video quality.
Cons: Fingers can easy obscure aperture, relatively small LCD, bluish cast on some photos.
The Bottom Line: This camera has the best combination of price and features among the pocket sized digital cameras with 3.2MegaPixels and 3X optical zoom. Buy it - you will not be disappointed!
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| nrr2000's Full Review: Konica Minolta DiMAGE Xt Digital Camera |
This camera delivers comparable quality and features to the Canon Powershot SD400 and the Pentax Optio S (the one that fits in the Altoid tin) at considerably less cost. The construction is excellent, and the basic design makes this very versatile and easy to use either as a digital camera or a medium-quality digital camcorder. It is truly pocket-sized. The clever internal 3X optical zoom mechanism makes possible exceptionally rapid start up and turn off times. I particularly like the ability to rapidly change ASA settings (AUTO-50-100-200-400), quickly review and delete photos on the fly, record Quicktime compatible video limited only by available SD card space and the surprisingly good battery life. Battery recharge time is a reasonable 1 to 1.5 hours in the included charger cradle.
On the downside, the flash strength is less than adequate for scenes greater than 6 feet away. I have not found that to be a major limitation under most circumstances, since I can switch to higher ASA settings to compensate. It has taken some time to get used to positioning my finger so as not to obscure the aperture. There is a bluish cast to some of the photos, but generally the picture quality is excellent. Only digital zoom is available during movies - the optical zoom can only be used for stills.
Although one could use the camera as supplied, I found the following accessories enhanced my experience:
I found a 256MB SD card ($70) gave me more than adequate space for an average day's shooting, especially if I delete the duds as I go (this will of course vary depending on the individual user's needs.)
A second battery is helful for heavy use days. The Power2000 ACD-210 rechargeable lithium batteries selling in the $10-20 have so far performed as well as the Minolta NP200 battery that came with the model.
There are pricey leather cases available, but I purchased a nice, inexpensive ($9) and sporty case that also holds SD memory cards/ extra batteries - The Lowepro D-res-4 memory wallet - this case is not advertised for this purpose but fits the Dimage XT (rather snugly.) "http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/dres/dres4.html"
I also picked up a standard mini-tripod ($10) that's pocket sized and useful for long exposure, low-light shots.
Having paid $220 for the camera kit, I now have a very classy 3MP pocket digital camera with all the necessary accessories for about $320 all told. Do the math (don't just look at the list price) and you'll see that's about $100-$200 less than the comparable setup with the SD400 or Optio S.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 220
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
nrr2000
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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