Shooting with the DiMAGE X is very straightforward and intuitive. The only controls atop the camera are the on/off switch and the shutter release button. The back of the camera features a very clean layout with a zoom lever, a button that activates the shooting and playback menus, left and right keys that control the cursor and change menu settings, and an enter button that selects menu options and sets various adjustments. There's also a button for selecting flash modes and another for activating the color LCD. Shooting Options
Focusing is fast and precise, and is confirmed with indicators in the viewfinder eyepiece and on the color LCD monitor. The camera features focus-lock capability, which enables you to pre-focus on an off-center subject by partially depressing the shutter release, before recomposing and taking the picture. The DiMAGE X also features the standard array of flash options, including full auto, auto with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, and flash default. There's also a night portrait setting in which the flash illuminates foreground subjects, while the background is exposed via ambient light with a long exposure (tripod use is important for best results). Flash range is 0.8-9.5 feet with the lens in the wide position, and 0.8-7.5 feet when shooting in the telephoto setting.
We used the camera's default automatic white balance setting, and received great results in varied lighting situations, but you can also choose one of four manually set white balance modes; Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, or Fluorescent. The camera's 256 multi-segment metering system proved very accurate under a variety of shooting conditions, with shutter speeds from 2 seconds to 1/1000. For added exposure control, the DiMAGE X provides EV compensation of ± 2EV in 1/3-stop increments.
Multimedia Capabilities
In addition to its still-image capabilities, the DiMAGE X features a movie mode which enables you to capture up to 35 seconds of video with audio. Video clips are captured at a resolution of 320x240, which pretty much limits their use to email. You can also annotate still images with up to 15 seconds of audio per image, or record sound clips of up to 90 seconds of audio without an image.
The new DiMAGE X is compatible with PC computers running Windows XP, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 Professional. Users of Windows 98 or Windows 98 SE must install the dedicated driver software that's included with the camera. The DiMAGE X is also compatible with Apple Macintosh computers running Mac OS 8.6-9.2.1 or Mac OS 10.1. Users of Mac OS 8.6 must download and install a free driver from Apple's website.
Bottom Line
With a street price of $399, the DiMAGE X is a unique digital camera that's both fun and easy to use. Best yet, the combination of its small size and almost instantaneous start-up time means that you'll never again have to be unprepared for an spontaneous photo opportunity. For more information contact Minolta Corp., 101 Williams Dr., Ramsey, NJ 07446. You can also access Minolta's PHOTOFAX at 800/528-4767 or visit their Website at www.minoltausa.com.
The tiny DiMAGE X delivers big results, with a very sharp 3X zoom lens equivalent to 37-111mm in the 35mm format. The camera also features 2X digital zoom capability for for a total 6X zoom range.
The DiMAGE X is very easy to use, and the layout of controls on the back is straightforward and intuitive. The camera is powered by a tiny lithium-ion battery which has enough capacity for about two hours of continuous playback time. It's a good idea to purchase one or two extra batteries for use while traveling.
We received a very high percentage of perfectly exposed images, thanks to the camera's advanced metering system. The new DiMAGE X also features easy-to-use EV compensation of ±2EV in 1/3-stop increments for controlling backlighting or other difficult metering situations. You can also choose from one of four user-selectable manual white balance settings.
