Minolta Dimage Z1 Digital Camera - DISCONTINUED
DISCONTINUED. The Minolta Dimage Z1 is a 3.3 mp 'SLR-type' digital camera with 10x optical and 4x digital zoom (40x all up). It has TV quality 30fps VGA movies and many advanced features.
The Minolta Dimage Z1 comes with Neck Strap NS-DG5000, Lens Cap LF-242, Accessory Hot Shoe Cap SC-1000, AV Cable AVC-200, 16MB SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card, USB Cable USB-500, DiMAGE Viewer, ArcSoft VideoImpression CD-ROM, Four AA Alkaline batteries.
For a guide to the Minolta Dimage Z1 see the dpreview (USA) website. Note, there may be minor regional variations to the products described.
This camera comes with 12 month standard warranty with Minolta Australia. Click to Extend your standard warranty and PROTECT your INVESTMENT.
Highly Recommended Accessories for the Minolta Dimage Z1:
Extra memory - camera comes with very minimum of memory - 16MB
Rechargeable AA batteries - order charger and rechargeable batteries with your camera and save $11.
Tripods
Features of The Minolta Dimage Z1:
40X Mega-Zoom (10X Optical, 4X Digital) Lens
The DiMAGE Z1 is the first Minolta digital camera to be equipped with the new 10X Mega-zoom lens. With a focal range of 5.8mm to 58mm, this lens is equivalent to a 38 – 380mm lens in the 35mm format. The 10X Mega-zoom is a fast f2.8 – f3.5 lens allowing fast shutter speeds for sports or natural-light photography. The ten-element seven-group lens design contains two aspheric lenses to minimize aberrations and produce beautifully crisp images.
When combined with the seamless 4X Digital Zoom function, the Mega-zoom lens has an outstanding 40X zoom range, equivalent to a 38 – 1520mm lens.
Rapid Autofocus of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
Powerful optics combined with a high-resolution 3.3 megapixel 1/2.7 interline primary-color CCD require a powerful autofocus system. The Minolta DiMAGE Z1 features Rapid AF to ensure sharp images with minimum delay. The Rapid AF system uses high-speed drive to focus the lens quickly and smoothly – a 0.3 second focusing time at a focal length of 5.8mm and 0.4 seconds at 58mm -- giving the DiMAGE Z1 the world’s fastest AF among digital cameras with a built-in 10X or greater optical zoom.
TV Quality Movie Recording of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
High-quality VGA (640 x 480) movies at 30fps can be recorded, with quality comparable to S-VHS video. Image size and frame rate can be selected to balance image quality with file size. Three image sizes are available: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120. Because of the high frame rate of the CCD, movies may be shot at 30fps to create natural flicker-free images, or 15fps to maximize recording time. The length of the movie is only limited by the memory card capacity, image size, and frame rate.
Because the DiMAGE Z1 can capture large, high-quality VGA movies, image sharpness and brightness is critical. During recording the Z1 will continue to autofocus to provide the sharpest possible image. Additionally, a night-movie mode can make color recordings under extreme low-light conditions.
CxProcess II Processing Technology of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
CxProcess II, Minolta’s new image-processing technology, is used to bring out the best in the 3.3 megapixel CCD. CxProcess II controls the essential image qualities of color, contrast, and sharpness while minimizing noise. Brilliant, saturated color remains vibrant without becoming unnatural. Subtle contrast is rendered to retain the richness and depth of the subject while preserving details in the highlights and shadows. Sharpness is controlled by balancing resolution with acutance to show fine detail while minimizing hard, unnatural edges.
Progressive Capture Mode
Minolta’s new Progressive Capture drive mode makes sure you never miss the action. When the shutter-release button is pressed and held, Progressive Capture begins saving images in the buffer memory. Simply watch the action on the monitor and when it’s over, release the shutter button and the images in the buffer memory will be saved to the memory card. Six frames are saved with standard continuous advance and 10 frames with UHS continuous advance.
Fast Startup/Response Time of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
Every aspect of the DiMAGE Z1’s performance is pushed to the limit. Startup time is a mere 2 seconds and shutdown time is 2.4 seconds. After focus has been locked, the shutter-release time lag is 0.06 second -- comparable to a 35mm SLR camera. The Z1 is ready to capture another image in just 1.2 seconds after the previous exposure.
Super Macro Mode
Capturing the intricate details in close-up photography has never been easier. The DiMAGE Z1’s Super Macro mode lets you focus as close as 1.6 in. (4cm) from the front of the lens.
Switch Finder
The DiMAGE Z1 is equipped with Minolta’s exclusive Switch Finder. This unique system allows the camera’s LCD monitor to be viewed either directly or through the viewfinder. Since a single monitor is used, you need not worry about the color, contrast, and resolution difference between separate rear and viewfinder monitors. With the viewfinder’s large apparent angle-of-view, the monitor image is big and clear.
Real Motion LCD Monitor
The Real Motion LCD monitor uses a 60fps frame rate. This Real Motion frame rate brings the live image to life -- showing action smoothly compared to the slower 30fps rate of conventional monitors.
Powerful Built-In Flash
The DiMAGE Z1 packs the most powerful flash ever built into a Minolta digital camera. With a guide number of 39 feet (12 meters), the flash can illuminate a subject up to approximately 20 ft. (6m) away when used at the wide-angle position with autoexposure and auto camera sensitivity.
Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection
In the past, photographers always had to make time-consuming manual adjustments as the subject and shooting environment changed. The DiMAGE Z1’s Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection analyzes the shooting conditions and selects the optimum exposure, white-balance, and image-processing program. Additionally, five subject programs: portrait, sports action, landscape, sunset, and night portrait, cover common and specialized shooting conditions and can be selected manually.
Automatic Monitor Amplification
When working in less than ideal lighting conditions, precisely framing an image on the monitor can be difficult. The DiMAGE Z1’s automatic monitor amplification brightens the monitor under low light so the live image is always visible.
Custom Settings of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
The Z1’s operations can be tailored to meet the photographer’s needs. The function set using the flash-mode button can be customized to control the flash mode, white balance, drive mode, focusing mode, or color mode. Images can be rotated to orient them correctly so you don’t need to twist your head to the left or right when playing back vertically framed shots.
Dark Noise Reduction
Dark noise, an ever-present problem in electronic systems, manifests itself by giving a grainy or sandy appearance to images taken with long exposures. The DiMAGE Z1 combats this with a selectable noise-reduction function, which automatically activates for exposures of one second or longer.
P/A/S/M Exposure Modes
Like a fine 35mm SLR camera, the Z1 provides four exposure-control modes: programmed AE, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual. Additionally, 30-second bulb exposures can be made in manual exposure mode.
Three Metering Modes
Another similarity to a high-quality 35mm SLR is the Z1’s three selectable metering modes: multi-segment, center-weighted, and spot. Multi-segment metering uses 256 segments to determine exposure.
Creative Color Modes
As well as natural color and black & white, the DiMAGE Z1 has two color modes for creative control: vivid color and sepia. Vivid color increases the saturation to produce vibrant color images. Sepia creates the feel of antique photographs with its warm tone.
Preset or Custom White Balance
White balance controls how the camera interprets the color of the ambient lighting. Auto white balance compensates for changes in lighting automatically. Five preset white-balance settings: daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, and flash, can be selected for specific light sources. For critical control over color, the custom setting allows the camera to be calibrated to the lighting conditions at the scene.
Fluid Playback
Part of the excitement of digital photography is being able to immediately see the pictures you have taken. With the flick of a switch, you can access the recorded images; playback is fluid from frame to frame.
Easy Operation of the Minolta DiMAGE Z1
The controls and dials are laid out for clear, intuitive operation. The large exposure mode dial and zoom lever are located on top of the grip for quick changes to camera settings. The controller on the back of the camera is a straightforward, five-way array used to control many of the camera’s advanced features and menus. The large grip gives the DiMAGE Z1 secure, comfortable handling -- when handholding the camera in low-light conditions or when using long focal lengths, nothing is more important than a well-balanced grip to keep the camera steady.
Uses AA Batteries
Easy-to-find AA batteries power the DiMAGE Z1. Alkaline or rechargeable Ni-MH can be used. No matter where you are in the world, you will never have to worry about finding extra batteries.
Optional High-Power Flash Units
The DiMAGE Z1 is compatible with Minolta’s Program/Maxxum Flash 3600HS (D) or 5600HS (D) units as well as the latest addition to the line, the Program/Maxxum Flash 2500 (D). These powerful flash units can be used directly on the camera. The 3600HS (D) and 5600HS (D) have a zoom head that automatically adjusts as the camera’s lens is zoomed in and out, and the head can be tilted for bounce illumination. The 5600HS (D) head also swivels, and the flash output can be controlled with power ratios. The new 2500 (D) is a compact, automatic flash unit with a tilting head and an affordable price tag.
Optional 0.75X Wide Converter
To extend the versatility of the powerful 10X Mega-zoom, an optional 0.75X wide-converter is available. This lens attachment increases the lens’ angle-of-view, giving it a maximum coverage approximately equal to a 28mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera. The adapter ring supplied with the wide-converter allows 52mm filters to be used.
Specifications:
|
Number of
effective pixels |
3.2 million |
|
CCD |
1/2.7-type interline primary-color CCD
|
|
Camera sensitivity |
Auto and 50,100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents |
|
Focal length |
5.8 - 58mm (35mm equivalent: 38 – 380mm) |
|
Lens
construction |
10 elements in 7 groups (includes two elements with three aspheric surfaces) |
|
Maximum
aperture |
f/2.8 – f/3.5 |
|
Minimum focus
distance |
From Front of the Lens:
Wide: 1.6ft. (0.5m) from front of lens
Telephoto: 6.6ft. (2m) from front of lens
From Front the CCD:
Wide: 1.9ft. (0.57m) from CCD
Telephoto: 6.8ft. (2.07m) from CCD |
|
Minimum macro distance |
| |
Super Macro |
Standard macro |
| Focal length |
9.7mm* |
Wide |
Telephoto |
| From front of lens |
1.6 in.
(4 cm) |
3.9 in.
(10cm) |
47.2 in.
(120cm) |
| From CCD |
4.3 in.
(11cm) |
6.7in.
(17cm) |
50 in.
(127cm) | * at 9.7mm only |
|
Maximum
magnification |
0.12x (1: 8.33)
Equivalent to 0.79x (1: 1.27) in 35mm format |
|
Area covered
at maximum magnification |
1.3 x 1.73 inches (33 x 44mm) |
|
LCD monitor |
1.5 inch (3.8cm) low-temperature polysilicon TFT color with anti-reflection coating
Total number of pixels: 113,000
Automatic monitor amplification |
|
Field of view |
Viewfinder: Approximately 98%
LCD monitor: Approximately 100 % |
|
Display-mode
switch |
Viewfinder display, LCD-monitor display
Switch Finder system allows the monitor to be viewed directly or through the viewfinder. |
|
Diopter control |
–3 ~ +1m-1 |
|
Eye relief |
18.8mm |
|
Shutter |
CCD electronic shutter and mechanical shutter |
|
Shutter speed
range |
4 - 1/1000 second in programmed-AE and aperture-priority modes.
15 - 1/1000 second in shutter-priority and manual exposure modes.
2 - 1/1000 second in auto-recording and Digital Subject Programs
Bulb (maximum 30 seconds) |
|
Autofocus system |
Rapid AF: a combination of a passive AF sensor with the video AF system |
|
Autofocus areas |
Wide focus area
Spot focus areas with Focus Area Selection |
|
Focus modes |
Single-shot AF, Full-time AF, Manual focus. |
|
Focus lock |
By pressing shutter-release button partway down. |
|
Metering |
Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
|
Multi-segment
metering |
256 segments |
|
Exposure modes |
Programmed AE, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual |
|
Digital Subject
Programs |
Portrait, Sports action, Landscape, Sunset, Night portrait.
Automatic and manual selection. |
|
Exposure
compensation |
±2 EV in 1/3 increments |
|
AE lock |
By pressing shutter-release button partway down |
|
Flash metering |
Pre-flash TTL |
|
Flash range |
Wide: Approximately 0.8 – 20 ft. (0.23 – 6.1 m) from CCD
Telephoto: Approximately 3.9 – 15.7 ft. (1.2 – 4.8 m) from CCD (Camera sensitivity: auto) |
|
Flash modes |
Autoflash, Autoflash with red-eye reduction, Fill flash, Slow-shutter sync. Autoflash not available with aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual exposure modes.
Flash cancel by pushing the built-in flash down. |
|
Flash recycling
time |
Approximately 7 seconds |
|
Flash
compensation |
± 2 EV in 1/3 increments |
|
Flash-sync
speeds |
All shutter speeds |
|
External flashes |
Auto-flash metering with Program/Maxxum Flash 2500 (D), Program/Maxxum 3600HS (D), Program/Maxxum Flash 5600HS (D) |
|
Continuous
advance |
UHS (Ultra High Speed) continuous advance:
Approximately ten 1280x960 frames in one second
Standard continuous advance:
Approximately 1.5 frames per second
* Actual speed may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings.
Approximate number of frames that can be captured at one time with the continuous-advance drive modes:
|
UHS continuous advance (1280 x 960) |
| Fine |
10 frames |
| Standard |
10 frames |
| Economy |
10 frames |
|
Standard continuous advance |
| |
2048 x
1536 |
1600 x
1200 |
1280 x
960 |
640 x
480 |
| Fine |
5
frames |
8
frames |
13
frames |
42
frames |
| Standard |
10
frames |
16
frames |
24
frames |
67
frames |
| Economy |
19
frames |
30
frames |
42
frames |
94
frames |
* Actual number of images may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings. |
|
Progressive
Capture |
Maximum number of images that can be recorded with the Progressive Capture mode:
UHS: 10 frames
Standard: 6 frames |
|
Exposure
bracketing |
Three frame bracket in 1.0, 0.5, 0.3 EV increments |
|
Self-timer |
Approximately 10 seconds |
|
Movie |
Recording time dependent on memory card capacity, image size, and frame rate.
Frame rate: 15 frames per second, 30 frames per second
Fast forward and rewind control.
With and without monaural audio with playback volume control.
Jogging
Movie frame capture
Night movie (automatic selection or disabled) |
|
White balance
control |
Automatic, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash), Custom |
|
Digital Effects
control |
Contrast compensation, Sharpness |
|
Contrast
compensation |
Three levels (Low, Normal, High) |
|
Sharpness
settings |
Three levels (Soft, Normal, Hard) |
|
Color modes |
Natural Color, Vivid Color, Black and White, Sepia |
|
Noise reduction |
User selectable dark noise reduction |
|
Digital zoom |
Maximum 4x in 0.1x increments |
|
Copy function |
To copy single or multiple images to the same or another memory card. |
|
E-mail Copy
function |
Creates a compressed 640x480 or 160x120 JPEG image for transmission. |
|
Date imprinting |
Year/month/day (Format can be changed.)
Imprinting can be disabled |
|
Key customization |
The function activated by the flash-mode button can be changed. |
|
Image-quality
modes |
Fine, Standard, Economy |
|
Number of recorded pixels (Still images) |
2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480
1280 x 960 in UHS continuous-advance mode |
|
Number of recorded pixels (Movie clips) |
640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120 |
|
Storage capacity |
Approximate storage capacity of a 16MB SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card:
|
Still Images |
| |
2048 x
1536 |
1600 x
1200 |
1280 x
960 |
640 x
480 |
| Fine |
9
frames |
14
frames |
22
frames |
69
frames |
| Standard |
17
frames |
27
frames |
39
frames |
100
frames |
| Economy |
32
frames |
47
frames |
69
frames |
150
frames |
|
Movie Clips |
| |
640x480 |
320x240 |
160x120 |
| 30 fps |
13 sec. |
21 sec. |
1 min. 22 sec. |
| 15 fps |
26 sec. |
41 sec. |
2 min. 30 sec. |
* Movie clips recorded with audio.
* Actual number of images may vary depending upon the subject and memory card used. |
|
File formats |
JPEG, Motion JPEG (MOV)
DCF 1.0-compliant
DPOF-compliant (Supported by printing functions in version 1.1) Exif 2.2 |
|
Folder name
formats |
Standard, Date |
|
Printing output
control |
Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching II |
|
Recording media |
SD (Secure Digital) Memory Cards, MultiMediaCards |
|
Computer interface |
Full-speed 12Mbps USB |
|
Direct print |
USB DIRECT-PRINT |
|
AV output |
NTSC, PAL (selected on the camera) |
|
Batteries |
Four AA batteries: Alkaline, Ni-MH |
|
Battery
performance
(Playback) |
Approximate continuous playback time: 300 min. with alkaline batteries. |
|
Battery
performance (Recording) |
Approximate number of recorded images: 250 frames with alkaline batteries, LCD monitor on, Full-size images (2048x1536), Standard image quality, No instant playback, No full-time AF, Flash used with 50% of the frames. |
|
External
power source |
6V DC with specified AC adapter (sold separately) |
|
Dimensions
(WxHxD) |
4.31 x 3.05 x 3.15 inches (109.5 x 77.5 x 80mm) |
|
Weight |
Approximately 10.8oz. (305g) without batteries or recording media |
|
Operating
temperature |
32-104°F (0-40ºC) |
|
Standard
accessories |
Neck Strap NS-DG5000, Lens Cap LF-242, Accessory Shoe Cap SC-1000, AV Cable AVC-200, 16MB SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card, USB Cable USB-500, DiMAGE Viewer, ArcSoft VideoImpression CD-ROM, Four AA Alkaline batteries |
|
Optional
accessories |
AC Adapter AC-1L, Leather Neck Strap NS-DG1000, External High Power Battery Pack Kit EBP-100, Wide Converter Kit ZCW-100 |
For further details and as a general guide to specifications of Minolta cameras, visit the Minolta Europe website.
