NewsMarch 2003

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Minolta DiMAGE E223

PMA 2003: Minolta has today announced the new DiMAGE E223, a new entry level digital camera is the direct successor to the E203, with a two megapixel sensor and three times optical zoom lens. "Perfect for home and small business use, and the ideal tool for sharing images via e-mail, the DiMAGE E223's 2.1-megapixel CCD and versatile zoom lens provide high-resolution, clear and crisp images," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing, Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group.

Press Release:

MINOLTA INTRODUCES THE NEW DiMAGE E223 DIGITAL CAMERA

Easy-to-use 2-megapixel digital camera is the perfect entry into digital photography

Las Vegas, NV (March 1, 2003) - Minolta Corporation announces the new DiMAGE E223 - a 2 megapixel easy-to-use, entry-level digital camera. The affordable new Minolta DiMAGE E223 offers high-quality images, carefree operation, and value-added features such as digital video with audio, making this the perfect digital camera for amateur digital photographers.

"Perfect for home and small business use, and the ideal tool for sharing images via e-mail, the DiMAGE E223's 2.1-megapixel CCD and versatile zoom lens provide high-resolution, clear and crisp images," said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing, Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group. "The Minolta DiMAGE E223 packs a high zoom magnification, with other great features, in a small, compact size to make it a fun and affordable way to enter the world of digital photography."

The DiMAGE E223's precision electro-optical system is built around a 2.1 megapixel 1/2.7-type interline primary-color CCD with 2.0 million effective pixels for high-resolution images. This pixel resolution will produce letter size 150dpi prints or postcard size photo-quality prints.

3x Optical Zoom and 3x Digital Zoom

The resolution of the nine-element, six-group lens design of the camera's 3x optical zoom lens ensures the best quality results from the camera's 2.1 megapixel CCD. The maximum aperture of ƒ/2.9 - 3.0 allows the DiMAGE E223 to be used in low light situations without the need of the camera's built-in flash. With a focal length range of 6.2mm to 18.6mm, the 3x optical zoom is equivalent to a 38 - 114mm lens on a 35mm camera. It can range from wide angle for landscapes to telephoto for intimate portraits

The Minolta DiMAGE E223's 3x digital zoom capability extends the optical zoom's performance in 0.2x increments giving the E223 an equivalent a 342mm lens on a 35mm camera. The combined optical and digital zooms give this compact digital camera an amazing 9x zoom range.

Close-Up Capability

The camera's macro mode allows small objects and details to be captured. The lens can focus down to 3.1inches for close-up photography.

Fully Automatic Features

This new digital camera provides fully automatic features for focusing, exposure metering, flash, and white balance and has a USB connection for quick and easy downloading of image files. Simply turn on the camera and it's ready to use.

Built-in Flash

Flash photography adds precision and versatility by using various flash modes: Autoflash, Autoflash with red-eye reduction, Fill-flash, and Flash Cancel. The red-eye reduction function gives the subject a more natural look by reducing the unpleasant red-eye effect.

Versatile Memory Options

Images can be saved to a tiny, removable Secure Digital (SD) Memory card or MultiMediaCard, or to the camera's built-in 8MB memory. Images can also be copied between the memory card and camera memory. To transfer the data from the camera, simply connect the USB cable, and drag and drop the images into a computer.

The DiMAGE E223 is also capable of recording movie clips up to 60 seconds in length with audio. The 320 x 240 size (QVGA) images can be played back with the camera's color monitor and built-in speaker.

Minolta DiMAGE E223 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.7" CCD • RGB Color Filter Array • 2.1 million pixels total
Effective pixel count	2.0 million
Image sizes	• 2048 x 1536 • 1600 x 1200 • 800 x 600
Movie clips *	• 320 x 240, up to 23 secs
File formats	• Still: JPEG EXIF 2.2 (Super, Fine, Normal) • Movie: AVI (Motion JPEG + audio)
Lens	• 3x optical zoom • 38 - 114 mm • F2.9 - F3.0
Digital zoom	Up to 3.0x
Focus range	• Normal: 60 cm (2 ft) - Infinity • Macro: 8/40 - 60 cm (3.1/15.7 - 23.6 in)
Metering	Center-weighted average
Exposure compen.	+/-2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
Sensitivity	ISO 100 equiv.
Shutter	• 1 - 1/1000 sec • Mechanical and electronic shutter
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent
Viewfinder	Optical
LCD monitor	• 1.5" TFT LCD • 62,000 pixels
Flash	• Built-In • Modes: Auto, Auto red-eye reduction, Fill-Flash, Flash cancel • Range 0.6 - 2.5 m (2 - 8.2 ft)
Program modes	• Macro • Portrait • Landscape • Night portrait • Self-timer
Drive modes	• Single • Self-timer
Print compliance	• Print Image Matching II • Exif Print (EXIF 2.2)
Connectivity	• USB 1.1 • A/V out
Storage	SD / MMC slot
Power	• 2 x AA batteries (NiMH recommended) or • CR-V3 Lithium battery
Dimensions	107 x 67 x 38 mm (4.2 x 2.6 x 1.5 in)
Weight (no batt)	200 g (7.1 g)
Included accessories	Hand strap HS-DG223, AV cable AVC-300, USB cable USB-700, Two AA batteries, DiMAGE Viewer CD-ROM