Integrated anti-shake system
greatly extends usefulness of long zoom lens in lower light.
*
Vari-angle LCD monitor swivels
270 degrees to face almost any shooting angle.
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Introduction - The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200
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The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 is the latest in a family
of DiMAGE electronic SLR-style models that stretches back to the original DiMAGE
7, the first five-megapixel prosumer camera, introduced over three years ago
(early 2001). The newest addition to the line is the Konica Minolta A200, which
offers many of the same excellent features and exposure options that I enjoyed
on the previous DiMAGE A1 and A2 models, though the Konica Minolta A200 is slightly
pared down in some respects. Main differences lie in the non-movable EVF (the
A2 had a tilting EVF), a new swivel LCD monitor, a 4x interpolated digital zoom
option, and a larger maximum movie resolution (800 x 600 pixels), among a long
list of other minor changes. The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 does feature a high-resolution,
8.0-megapixel (effective) CCD, the same great 7x optical zoom lens, and a compact
body style that's comfortable and familiar to 35mm styling, all features that
distinguished the A1 and A2 models. The Konica Minolta A200 also offers fine-grained
exposure and creative controls (as did the A1 and A2), which really add to the
camera's flexibility, making it an interesting option for novices and more experienced
users alike. One of the most important features of the Konica Minolta DiMAGE
A200 though, is its anti-shake system, which greatly increases the usefulness
of its long-ratio zoom lens when faced with dimmer lighting. We're seeing more
and more anti-shake technology integrated into long-zoom digital cameras, and
the system used on the Konica Minolta A200 has been well-proven in the marketplace
for over a year now. Read on for the full details.
With the price of digital SLRs finally within reach, should you stick
with the All-in-one digicam or move up to an SLR? Why buy a high-end
digicam when digital SLRs are so close in price? Do digicams still have
a purpose? What are the pros and cons? An avid photographer, I spent
some time thinking about that myself. Come see what I discovered about
digital SLRs versus all-in-one digicams.
True 8.0-megapixel CCD delivering resolutions as high as 3,264 x 2,448 pixels.
12-Bit A/D conversion.
Digital electronic viewfinder with 0.44-inch, high-resolution, internal
QVGA display.
1.8-inch TFT color LCD monitor that swivels 270 degrees.
7.2-50.8mm lens (equivalent to a 28-200mm lens on a 35mm camera) with a
maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/3.5, depending on the zoom setting, and a manual
zoom ring.
Included lens hood.
2x digital zoom or 4x interpolated digital zoom options.
Auto and Manual focus with focus magnification, and 11-point AF.
Macro option at either telephoto or maximum wide angle zoom settings.
Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and four
Digital Subject Program shooting modes.
Shutter speeds from 1/3,200 to 30 seconds (1/1,600 to 30 in Shutter and
Manual Modes), with Bulb setting for manual control of long exposures (up
to 30 seconds).
256-segment Multi-Segment, Center-Weighted, and Spot metering options, with
AE Lock function and Auto Exposure Bracketing.
Adjustable ISO with five settings (Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800).
Built-in, pop-up flash with five operating modes and manually adjustable
intensity.
External flash hot-shoe for Konica Minolta accessory flash units.
Standard, High Speed, and Ultra High Speed Continuous Advance modes, plus
Movie and Night Movie shooting modes.
Two- and 10-second Self-Timer modes.
Color Saturation, Contrast Compensation, and Hue (color
filter) adjustments.
Adjustable White Balance with nine modes, including a manual setting and
bracketing option.
Sharpness and Color control via menu options. Color
modes include Natural (sRGB), Vivid Color (sRGB), Black & White, Adobe
RGB with embedded color profile, and Portrait (sRGB).
RAW and JPEG file formats.
Images saved on CompactFlash Type I or II memory cards, Microdrive compatible.
SD/MMC cards can also be used with the CF1 adapter.
USB cable and interface software for connecting to a computer and downloading
images.
NTSC or PAL selectable video output signal, with cable included.
Power supplied by a single high-capacity lithium-ion battery pack or separate
AC adapter (available as an accessory).
Included wireless remote control.
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge compliant.
