26 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
Extraordinary! But returned within 15 day!!
Date of Review: Sep 23, 2003
The Bottom Line: Feature rich, smart looks, excellent picture quality, ZOOM! and very user friendly But check for the reliability aspects particularly the LCD/EVF switching mechanism.
Sounds like a great Buy but...
This is my first foray into digital photography. I was looking for a perfect digital camera within $400 price range, I definitely wanted at least 3MP with as much optical zoom as I could get, and also desired the video/audio features for short video clips. I also wanted complete manual controls so that the camera can grow along with my increasing interests and skills in photography. I researched a lot, reading reviews and trying out every possible camera on display. I tried SONY P72, Fuji 3800, Toshiba M700, Panasonic FZ1, Minolta S414, Canon A70, Olympus C4000Z and many more. Although I could not lay my lands on a demo unit of Dimage Z1, I just ordered it blindly, because of its impressive features and looks, the Minolta name and my experience with S414.
Dimage Z1 looks and feels like a real SLR camera, a fairly compact, very user-friendly package indeed! As far as style and looks are concerned, this is the best camera out there right now. I received it just a day before (22 Sep 03) and I am fallen in love with it.
The camera is ergonomically designed with a very good hand -grip but the body is in plastic so the robust and sturdy feel is not there.
All controls are available at the figure tips and strategically located, with a very good feel and tactile feedback.
Zoom is superb and unmatched. Lens movement is soft and noiseless. I heard a lot of noise in other cameras I tried.
I particularly like the movie mode, which records at 15fps or 30 fps clips w/audio, thus combining limited features of a digital video camera.
The 1.5-inch LCD is quite bright and well protected. Both LCD and EVF cover almost the entire frame. Camera uses the same LCD screen for both LCD and EVF and switching is done through an internal mirror/shutter mechanism. This is something different I saw in Dimage Z1 as compared to others.
Flash although weak provides a pretty standard set of lighting options .A flash sync socket allows users to connect an external flash (Minolta only!) to the camera for more powerful flash lighting
The battery life appears to be good.
I just started playing with this camera but all the pictures came out perfectly sharp, crisp, and detailed. I am impressed with the quality, which is at par with 35mm.
However as usual the lens cap is something where Minolta has to pay some attention.
Printed manual needs to be more descriptive. (Like Olympus)
This is my first impression; I will post a more detailed review at a later date.
Hope this helps - - have a great day!
My first update: 03 Oct 2003 San Diego , CA USA
I observed two problems(?)
1> The lens assembly jiggles a little bit, making kind of rattling noise! I contacted Minolta but no clarifications from them yet.
2> During Movie recording the camera is in all time AF mode (and you can not disable it) which causes the lens mechanism to make clicking and whirling sound which gets recorded, while playback it is irritating. This too I conveyed to Minolta (forwarded a short movie clip) but as on today no reply from them.
Apart form this over all the Camera sounds fine. Very good performance. Good long battery life.
My second update: Date 07 Oct 2003
Here is a quick list of my observations regarding the other cameras I tried.
1> SONY P72: Compact, very good finish and build quality but limited zoom, attachments are expensive. And the picture colors sound artificial! All fabricated. Memory stick- only 128 MB at a time (the 256 MB duo is 128 MB at a time not continuous 256 MB)
2> A70: Perfect except the 'E18' error!!! A lot of people had this problem.
3> C4000Z: Bulky, dull, uninspiring, complicated menus, some how I did not like it. Movie recording without sound.
4> Minolta S414: Very good build quality, superb optics. Had some problems with the buttons. Power hungry. Battery compartment getting hot even after 15-20 minute's use. Picture quality is very sharp and detailed.
5> FUJI 3800: Very good package but no sound during movie recording. Menus complicated. Poor low light focusing.
6> Panasonic FZ1: One of the best lens! But only 2 MP, no manual control. Expensive prop Li Ion battery. Cost v/s features.
7> Toshiba PDR M700: Very dull, picture quality is so and so. Costly. Toshiba is not known for Digicam.
8> FUJI S5000: Best available package at par with Dimage Z1. Very good construction comes with Lens adapter ring, Auto focus assist lamp. Shutter speed up to 2 sec, no white balance during AUTO, Colors artificial.
My last update 28 Oct 2003
Returned the camera. Reasons:
1> LCD / EVF mechanism failed twice in just 15 days! Not sure this will last for a long.
2> Battery compartment door is poorly designed. I had hard time every time I replaced batteries. Hinges on the door won't last long.
3> Lens shake and rattle is too much. Again a long term reliability issue.
4> No solution to AF noise during movie recording and Audio-video syn issues.
5> Too much of CA (see the purple city picture , now very famaous!)
6> Lens cap.
Although Z1 produces very sharp pictures, has good AF system all sounds good but what about long term reliability? So decided to return it.
Hope this helps.
Suhas Gokhale
San Diego, CA, USA
