Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Review: 6. Operation & Controls: Digital Photography Review

Lens barrel controls

On the left side of the camera (on the "lens barrel") are a variety of controls, these cover the majority of camera settings and features thanks to two innovative (if initially awkward) function and effect dials. These are used by turning the dial to the required setting, holding the central button and then turning the control dial (beside the shutter release) at the same time to change that setting's value.

Zoom ring

The DiMAGE 7Hi has a very usable and wide zoom range. The lens goes from a wide 28 mm equiv. (perfect for architecture / real estate / landscapes / group shots) all the way up to an impressive 200 mm equiv. telephoto. The other nice thing about this particular lens is that the zoom ring is mechanically linked to the zoom mechanism, this means you can change focal length quickly and more precisely. It also has the added effect of making the camera feel more 'SLR like', the speed and accuracy advantages of this kind of mechanically linked zoom shouldn't be underestimated.

Buttons / Switches

Button

Description

MACRO

Macro focus mode

This lever enables the cameras macro focus mode. The DiMAGE 7Hi has two different macro focus positions, one at full wide angle and one at telephoto. You can only engage the macro lever when the arrow on the barrel is aligned with the arrow on the zoom ring. Note that at the telephoto end there is a small amount of movement available.

	Wide angle macro	Telephoto macro
Macro zoom (equiv.)	28 mm	approx. 175 to 200 mm
Focus distance	0.3 - 0.6 m (1.0 - 2.0 ft)	0.25 - 0.6 m (0.8 - 2.0 ft)

AF/MF

Auto Focus / Manual Focus

Switches between the camera's auto focus system and manual focus mode. In manual focus mode you change the focus distance by turning the fly-by-wire focus ring at the back of the lens (ribbed ring nearest to the camera body). As you focus the focus distance is displayed on the LCD / EVF.

Function Dial

Position
MEM	User Memory Select a user memory / store current settings: • Memory 1 • Memory 2 • Memory 3 • Store Memory (1 / 2 / 3)
	Metering mode Select metering mode: • Multi-segment (300 segments combined with distance info) • Center weighted average • Spot
PASM	Exposure mode Select exposure mode (detailed below): • Programme (Flexible) • Aperture Priority • Shutter Priority • Manual (Full)
DRIVE	Drive mode Select drive mode: • Single frame • High Continuous (approx. 3 fps, max 9 frames @ 2560 x 1920 FINE) • Continuous (approx. 2 fps, max 9 frames @ 2560 x 1920 FINE) • Self Timer • Bracketing (either exposure, contrast, saturation or filter) • Interval (time-lapse, 1 - 60 min intervals, max 99 frames)* • UHS Continuous (approx. 7 fps @ 1280 x 960)* * These modes can alternatively be set to produce a single movie file (Interval: image size, UHS: 640 x 480) instead of individual JPEG files.
WB	White balance Select white balance setting: • Auto • Sunny • Incandescent • Fluorescent 1 • Fluorescent 2 • Cloudy • Manual Preset (1, 2 or 3 - use up / down arrows to select) • Set Manual Preset (next exposure records manual WB)
ISO	Sensitivity (ISO equiv.) Select ISO sensitivity equivalence: • Auto (ISO 100 - 200) • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800

Exposure Modes (Settings Dial in PASM position)

The DiMAGE 7Hi extends the longest timed exposure compared to the DiMAGE 7i, you can now achieve timed long exposures of up to 15 seconds in P, A, S or M exposure modes at ISO 100. Oddly (and I'm not sure why this is the case) the camera limits the maximum timed exposure at higher sensitivities (see table below), this doesn't affect Bulb exposures which can be up to 30 seconds in Manual Exposure mode.

Mode	Description
P	Program Auto Exposure (with Program Shift) Normal, fully automatic exposure. The 7Hi has a program shift mode which simply allows you to select equivalent exposures (changing both the shutter speed and aperture) by rolling the command dial: • 1/180 sec, F3.5 (wheel rotated one click anticlockwise) • 1/125 sec, F4.0 (normal) • 1/90 sec, F4.5 (wheel rotated one click clockwise)
A	Aperture Priority Auto Exposure In this mode you select the aperture and the camera will attempt to select the best shutter speed for a proper exposure. Selected aperture is shown on the top information LCD and rear LCD (or EVF). Calculated shutter speed is shown on a half-press of the shutter release button. Rotate the command dial select different apertures. If the exposure is outside of the cameras exposure range the shutter speed will appear in red on the LCD/EVF. Available apertures: • Wide: F2.8, F3.5, F4, F4.5, F5.6, F6.7, F8 • Tele: F3.5, F4, F4.5, F5.6, F6.7, F8, F9.5
S	Shutter Priority Auto Exposure In this mode you select the shutter speed and the camera will attempt to select the best aperture for a proper exposure. Selected shutter speed is shown on the top information LCD and rear LCD (or EVF). Calculated aperture is shown on a half-press of the shutter release button. Rotate the command dial select different shutter speeds. If the exposure is outside of the cameras exposure range the aperture will appear in red on the LCD/EVF. Available shutter speeds: • 15, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.5, 1, 0.7, 0.5, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/15, 1/20, 1/30, 1/45, 1/60, 1/90, 1/125, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000 sec
M	Full Manual Exposure In this mode you select the aperture and the shutter speed from any combination of the above. In addition you also have Bulb exposure (up to 30 seconds). Rotate the command dial to select shutter speed, hold the exposure compensation button (+/-) and rotate the command dial to select aperture.

Longest Timed exposure at different sensitivities

Exposure mode	Auto ISO	ISO 100	ISO 200	ISO 400	ISO 800
Program	8 (10) sec	15 sec	8 (10) sec	2 (6) sec	2 (3) sec
Aperture priority	15 sec	15 sec	15 sec	8 (10) sec	4 (6) sec
Shutter priority	15 sec	15 sec	15 sec	8 (10) sec	4 (6) sec
Manual	15 sec	15 sec	15 sec	8 (10) sec	4 (6) sec

Numbers in parentheses () indicated longest timed shutter speed at the 200 mm zoom position.

Effect Dial

Position
FIL	Colour filter Select a colour filter between -3 (cool; blue) and +3 (warm; red). If the camera is in B&W mode there are 11 filter modes which apply a different colour after-effect to the B&W image. This after effect ranges through - red, green, magenta, blue and normal B&W.
COL	Colour saturation Set colour saturation level between -3 (less saturation) and +3 (more saturation). Indicated setting remains on the LCD / EVF display.
	Contrast Set output image contrast between -3 (less contrast) and +3 (more contrast). Indicated setting remains on the LCD / EVF display.
	Exposure compensation Set exposure compensation between -2 EV and +2 EV in 0.3 EV steps. Indicated exposure compensation remains on the LCD / EVF display.

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