Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 Review
Review based on a production Konica Minolta Dimage Z2
Announced in February 2004 at the PMA exhibition in Las Vegas, the Dimage Z2 is a direct replacement for the popular Z1, and retains that camera's 'interesting' looks and basic features, adding an all-new APO GT lens, upping the pixel count from 3 to 4 million pixels and improving focus and movie performance. The Dimage Z2 currently sits in the middle of Konica Minolta's 'super zoom' range, above the entry-level Dimage Z10 and below the image-stabilized, 12x zoom Dimage Z3. In an increasingly crowded big-zoom compact market the Z2 takes on similarly specified models from Canon, Olympus and Panasonic, and though it has bags of features and is keenly-priced, it does lack the must-have feature du jour; image stabilization. Here's just a few of the key features:
- 4 million effective pixels
- 10x Optical Zoom
- Full photographic control
- Flash hot shoe for Dynax/Maxxum flash units
- Class-leading 800x600 pixel maximum movie size
- Unique Switch Finder
- Fast AF with predictive focus
- 3cm Super Macro mode
- Powerful pop-up flash
- USB 2.0 connectivity
Konica Minolta Dimage Z1 vs Z2 (differences)
 Konica Minolta Z2 |
 Minolta Z1 |
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|---|---|---|
| Sensor Size | 1/2.5" | 1/2.7" |
| Effective Resolution | 4.0 million pixels | 3.3 million pixels |
| Lens Max Aperture | F2.8-3.7 | F2.8-3.5 |
| Maximum Image Size | 2272 x 1704 |
2048 x 1536 |
| Maximum Movie Size/Frame Rate | • 800 x 600 @ 15fps • 640 x 480 @ 30fps |
• 640 x 480 @ 30fps |
| Focus | • Single shot AF • Continuous AF • Manual |
• Single shot AF • Manual |
| Lens | • 6.3 - 63mm (38-380mm equiv) • GT APO |
• 5.8 - 58mm (38-380mm equiv) |
| Other new features | • Optical zoom can now be used in movie mode • Konica Minolta branding |
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Key specifications
| Street price | • US: $380 • UK: £240 |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Plastic |
| Sensor | • 1/2.5" CCD, 4.2 million total pixels • 4.0 million effective pixels |
| Image sizes | • 2,272 x 1,704 • 1,600 x 1,200 • 1,280 x 960 • 640 x 480 |
| Movie clips | • 800 x 600 pixels @ 15fps • 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 240 x 160 pixels @ 30fps • Duration only limited by card capacity (streaming) • Motion JPEG (.mov) • With sound |
| Lens | • 38 - 380mm equiv. (10x optical zoom) |
| Focus | • Rapid AF using Passive AF and Video AF • 3-area multi point AF (automatic or user selectable focus points) • Single shot or Continuous AF (with Predictive Focus) • Full Time AF • 7cm macro mode (Wide), 120cm (Tele) • 3cm 'Super Macro' mode (zoom disabled) • Manual focus (6 presets) |
| Shooting mode | • Auto |
| Sensitivity | • Auto • ISO50,100,200,400 |
| White Balance | • Auto • 5 presets • Custom WB (manual) |
| Image parameters | • Color mode (Natural, Vivid, Black & White, Sepia) • Contrast (3 levels) • Sharpness (3 levels) |
| Continuous | 1.5 fps, up to 5 frames |
| Flash | • Built-in • Auto, Manual on/off, Red-eye reduction: on/off, Slow sync: on/off • Range (ISO auto): W 0.23 - 6.1m (0.75 - 20 ft), T 1.27 - 4.6 m (4.2 - 15 ft) • Compensation (-2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps) • Hot Shoe for external flash (Minolta Dynax/Maxxum style fitting) |
| Storage | • SD/MMC • 16 MB SD supplied |
| Viewfinder | • EVF (hybrid with LCD) |
| LCD monitor | • 1.5" TFT, 113,000 pixels |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 High Speed (12Mbps) • A/V out (via multi connector or dock) • DC-IN |
| Power | • 4 x AA Alkaline or NiMH batteries, NiMH recommended • (Optional AC adapter) |
| In the box | • DiMAGE Z2 digital camera |
| Other features | • Spot, Center-weighted & Multi-pattern metering |
| Weight (inc batt) | 305 g (10.8 oz) |
| Dimensions | 110 x 78 x 80mm (4.3 x 3 x 3.2in) |
* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2004 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
