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Digital Camera Reviews and Ratings By manufacturer:
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The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 is an 8 Megapixel, 7x Optical Zoom camera that has been based upon the popular Minolta DiMAGE A1.
European Readers buy the Minolta Dimage A2 Digital here
The Minolta DiMage A2 has a 3D Auto Focus system which is faster than the A1 a higher frames per second rate in video mode and a new high resolution new viewfinder. It also has an improved anti shake system.
Digital Camera Resource writes - 'If you like manual controls then you'll love the A2. It goes way beyond the "basics" like shutter speed and white balance. You can fine-tune white balance, bracket for color saturation, and store up to 5 sets of camera settings on the mode dial. Along with all those controls comes complexity -- this isn't an easy camera to use, so expect to read the manual.'
DPhoto reviews the Minolta DiMage A2 and writes - 'The ergonomics are very good, and the controls and dials feel as though they are where they should be. Everything is laid out in a very logical manner. Although I had never before shot a Minolta camera before in my life, I was able to configure and operate the camera without even opening the manual. The electronic menu system was very easy to navigate, no need to go pages deep.'
Byte Sector write about the Minolta DiMage A2 - 'It is a fantastic camera for a professional because it gives absolute manual control. It has a very high capture resolution and colour depth, there are no distortions or colour issues that have appeared in previous models. '
Megapixel writes about the Minolta Dimage A2 saying - 'Indeed, the DiMAGE A2 uses the body design of the A1 entirely, but brings to it an 8 megapixel resolution — instead of the A1's 5.3 megapixel — and adds some improvements.
The A2 is a relatively large camera, comfortable to to hold and with a large number of external controls and buttons that might appear a bit intimidating at first.'
CNET gives the MInolta Dimage A2 a rating of 8.2 - Very Good.
Topic Point reviews the Minolta Dimage A2 writing - 'The Minolta A2 is one of the best 8 megapixel digicams around. It has a great feature set, is capable of producing high quality images, and has a great user interface. The zoom range of 28-200mm (35mm equivalent) makes it a great camera for a wide range of situations, making it an almost ideal travel camera. The Anti-Shake feature works well, and helps stabilize the camera. On the negative side, by default, images come out a bit soft directly from the camera (but can easily be fixed in post-processing, or alternatively, improved using in-camera settings). Like any camera, it has its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and, it is up to you to decide if this camera is right for you.'
Hardware Zone gives the A2 a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and wrote - 'Problems and nitpicks aside, we were quite happy with this digital camera. Its retail price of S$1999 may be quite steep for some, but considering all the features (especially anti-shake) and the overall good image quality, we feel that it is still worth the money.'
Photoxels reviews the Minolta Dimage A2 writing - 'Smaller than a dSLR but engineered like one, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 wins our OriGenial™ Seal of Approval for the most original and ingenious set of professional features to be seen in a prosumer digital camera. With its combination of practical and usable features, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 has redefined the feature set of a prosumer digital camera.'
Imaging Resource reviewed the Mionolta Dimage A2 and wrote - 'Now, Konica Minolta improves on an already great camera model with the DiMAGE A2, which boasts the same 7x lens, tilting LCD, and grip sensor, exposure control, and tracking AF as its predecessor. In addition to all of the great features from the A1 model, there are quite a few important updates. The DiMAGE A2 offers a higher-resolution eight megapixel sensor yielding images up to 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. There's also a new electronic viewfinder which can either provide a whopping 640 x 480 pixels of resolution, or trade half of that resolution off for an impressive 60 frames per second refresh rate at 640 x 240 pixels. Autofocusing on the A2 also gets another update, with a faster 3D autofocusing algorithm that offer dramatically improved focusing speeds and better focus tracking. Given the larger maximum image size, an update to high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity is another welcome addition. Other changes include an improved 544 x 408 pixel movie mode at 30 frames per second up to the memory card's capacity, a new 3:2 aspect ratio setting that gives 35mm film proportions, and a new depth-of-field preview function. All in all, the A2 amounts to a pretty robust update on an already great camera. Read on for more details.'
DC Mag has a review of the Konica Minolta Dimage A2 and write: "From the outside, the A2 looks exactly like the A1, except for a couple of new labels reminding us about the company’s merger with Konica. The design is the same jagged, dated affair, but there are curves where they’re needed, notably around the handgrip. This means that handling’s really rather good: the camera balances expertly in one hand or two, and the flip-up viewfinder eyepiece fits snugly to the left eye with plenty of room to rest the longest of noses alongside the LCD – which makes a pleasant change."
Photographic Magazine reviews the Minolta DiMage A2 and writes - 'We raved about the earlier DiMAGE A1, and we liked the significantly upgraded A2 even better. With a street price of $999, it offers a wide variety of advanced features, great optics, the unique Anti-Shake System, and yes, that 8-megapixel CCD that (at least for today) is tops in the prosumer digicam category.'
For reviews and more specs on the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 check out:
- DP Review - DiMAGE A2
- Product pictures of the DiMAGE A2
- Imaging Resource - Minolta DiMAGE A2
- Konica Minolta DiMAGE Sample Images
- Steve's Digicams - Minolta DiMAGE A2 First look
- Compare the DiMAGE A1 with the A2
- Luminous Landscape - Review of Minolta DiMage A2
- Outback Photo - Minolta Dimage A2 Experience Report
Luminous Landscape - Minolta DiMage A2 On Location
Read more about the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 in the follwoing press release from Konica Minolta.
Press Release
Las Vegas, NV (February 12, 2004) - Konica Minolta introduces the DiMAGE A2 SLR-type digital camera, a camera that inherits the excellent image quality and performance of the original DiMAGE A1 while being able to provide photographers with quality digital photographs comparable to an SLR camera. The DiMAGE A2 incorporates a high-quality 8-megapixel CCD and Super Fine Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) outperforming the previous model's resolution by 4 times to achieve extremely clear VGA-level images when both shooting and viewing.
Featuring a fast, innovative new 3D autofocusing (AF) system (1.5 times faster than the DiMAGE A1) with 3D Predicative Focus Control and Movement tracking, a fast built-in f/2.8 - 3.5 7x optical zoom lens, Anti-shake function for still images and VGA quality movies, CxProcess II Image Processing technology, the world's first VGA-resolution Viewfinder (approximately 922,000 pixels), UHS Continuous Advance rate of 7 frames per second, high-speed USB 2.0 support and compatibility with portable and studio flash systems, the DiMAGE A2 provides the tools digital photographers need to express their creativity and solve visual problems. In addition, Konica Minolta has also introduced new remote imaging software for use with the DiMAGE A2, the new DiMAGE Capture software, for enhanced creative capabilities.
"The new DiMAGE A2 digital camera represents a new generation of high-end digital camera quality and performance from Konica Minolta," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing, Konica Minolta's Camera Division. "The DiMAGE A2 provides creative digital photographers with excellent image quality in virtually any photographic situation. And multiple professional-type functions which fully utilize the camera's optical and image-processing technologies will please even the most demanding photographer."
The DiMAGE A2 comes equipped with an 8-megapixel 2/3-inch progressive primary-color CCD with 8.0 million effective pixels for super-high-resolution, making even individual hairs or the threads of a suit stand out in sharp detail. The 7x optical Konica Minolta GT APO lens ensures that light reaches the CCD sensor with maximum fidelity. Plus, Konica Minolta's CxProcess™ II image-processing technology ensures that the colors reproduce just the way the photographer sees them.
The DiMAGE A2's Super Fine electronic viewfinder (EVF) is sharp and clear thanks to a high-density display composed of 922,000-pixels, 4 times as many as the previous model. The EVF has also evolved to make digital photography even more of a pleasure. Precise focusing is amazingly easy, allowing the photographer to see the tiniest details in the most realistic colors. Switching into Smooth Mode provides 60 frames per second, making it a easy to focus on fast moving subjects.
As in the DiMAGE A1, the new DiMAGE A2 is equipped with an Anti-Shake function. The camera incorporates CCD shifting technology to minimize the effect of camera shake up to 800%. Konica Minolta's proprietary Anti-Shake function delivers a highly effective way to take high-quality images with hand-held shooting under telephoto and low lighting situations, even when a relative novice is handling the DiMAGE A2.
The DiMAGE A2's fast f2.8 - f3.5 7x optical zoom lens features an advanced apochromatic (APO) lens design employing anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to minimize chromatic aberration at all focal lengths and produce sharp, contrasty images. With a focal range of 7.2mm to 50.8mm, it is equivalent to a 28mm to 200mm zoom lens in 35mm format.
Konica Minolta's 3D AF provides seamless subject tracking as it focuses on moving subjects to capture sharp, high-quality images, even when they are coming straight toward the camera along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of the picture frame. Pressing the shutter release button launches the 3D Predictive Focus Control, which calculates exactly where the subject will be and accurately focuses on that point at the time of exposure. The AF speed outstrips anything in its class for any SLR-type digital camera with non-interchangeable lens 5x or greater optical zoom.* The 3D AF and the focus speed combine to give hassle-free focusing.
*As of December 1st, 2003
The DiMAGE A2 also features high-quality movie recording at 544 x 408 pixels with audio at 30 frames per second, a resolution that looks great even when viewed on a TV screen. And the bundled video editing software turns users into movie makers.
Posted by Darren in our Minolta category on February 02, 2004