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Minolta Dimage 5 The "little brother" to the Dimage 7 - same great features, but 3.3 megapixels and a (much) lower price... Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Dimage 5 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on Dimage 5 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & Interface Review First Posted: 9/14/2001

Image Storage and Interface
The Dimage 5 uses CompactFlash Type I or Type II memory cards for image storage; a 16MB card comes standard with the camera. Third-party upgrades are available separately to memory capacities as high as 512MB using Flash Memory, and as large as 1GB (1,000 MB) with the IBM MicroDrive. (Check Minolta's website for compatibility info, it's likely that only the second-generation, 512MB and 1GB MicroDrives are supported.) The CompactFlash slot is on the right side of the camera, covered by a hinged plastic door that opens easily and latches securely. The card inserts with the electrodes going in first, and the front of the card (indicated by an arrow) facing the front of the camera. A small button beside the slot ejects the card by popping it up slightly, allowing you to pull the card the rest of the way out (put the eject button into a vertical position first by pulling up on the bottom edge).

Although individual CompactFlash cards cannot be write-protected or locked against erasure or manipulation, the Dimage 5 allows you to lock individual images or groups of images through the Playback menu. Once protected, images cannot be erased or manipulated in any way, except through card formatting. The Playback menu also allows you to delete images in the LCD display, format the number of images in the Index display, create a custom slide show, set images up for printing on DPOF compliant printers, and copy images to camera memory or a new CF card.

Four image resolution settings are available: 2,048 x 1,536, 1,600 x 1,200, 1,280 x 960, and 640 x 480 pixels. Files may be saved in any one of three JPEG compression levels, as well as uncompressed TIFF (indicated on the camera LCD as "SuperFine"), and a compact RAW format. Both settings are changed via the left-side Function dial and the Selection Wheel next to the Shutter button. The number of remaining images that can be stored on the memory card is reported on the lower right corner of the Data Panel, in addition to the selected Resolution and Compression settings.

The table below summarizes the compression ratios and number of images that can be stored on the included 8MB memory card with each Resolution / Quality (JPEG Compression) combination.

 

Image Capacity vs Resolution/Quality 16MB Memory Card		Raw	Uncompressed Super Fine	Fine	Standard	Economy
Full Resolution 2048x1536	Images (avg size)	2 6.3 MB	1 9.4 MB	9 1.7 MB	16 1.0 MB	27 0.6 MB
	Approx. Compression	1.4:1	1:1	5:1	10:1	16:1
UXGA Resolution 1600x1200	Images (avg size)	N/A	2 5.7 MB	15 1.1 MB	26 0.6 MB	41 0.4 MB
	Approx. Compression	N/A	1:1	5:1	10:1	14:1
SXGA Resolution 1280x960	Images (avg size)	N/A	4 3.7 MB	23 0.7 MB	38 0.4 MB	54 0.3 MB
	Approx. Compression	N/A	1:1	5:1	9:1	12:1
VGA Resolution 640x480	Images (avg size)	N/A	16 0.9 MB	57 0.3 MB	81 0.2 MB	104 0.15 MB
	Approx. Compression	N/A	1:1	3:1	5:1	6:1

 

A USB cable and interface software accompany the Dimage 5 for quick connection and image downloading to a PC or Macintosh computer. We clocked the Dimage 5's download time at 34.6 seconds for a 9,475K file, a speed of 273 KBytes/second. This isn't terribly fast, most USB-equipped digicams manage about 300K/second, with some going as high as 600K. If you purchase a really large memory card for the Dimage 5 (something we expect a lot of owners will do), you'll probably want to get a USB card reader, which should be able to move the data about twice as fast.

One of the first things any new digicam owner will need is a larger memory card for their camera: The cards shipped with the units by the manufacturers should really be considered only "starter" cards, you'll definitely want a higher capacity card immediately. - Probably at least a 32 megabyte card for a 1.3 or 2 megapixel camera, 64 megabytes or more for a 3, 4, or 5 megapixel one. (The nice thing about memory cards is you'll be able to use whatever you buy now with your next camera too, whenever you upgrade.) To help you shop for a good deal on memory cards that fit the Dimage 5, we've put together a little memory locater, with links to our price-comparison engine: Just click on the "Memory Wizard" button above to go to the Minolta memory finder, select your camera model , and click the shopping cart icon next to the card size you're interested in. You'll see a list of matching entries from the price-comparison database. Pick a vendor & order away! (Pretty cool, huh?)