Digital Photography Review
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 review
Page 5. Operation & Controls

 Digital Photography Review


Top of camera controls

On the top of the camera are the data panel LCD (detailed earlier), shutter release and front control dial. Behind this you can see the microphone and behind that the exposure mode dial (which no longer has a position lock). Just to the left of the dial is the display information button and magnification button.

Buttons (Record mode)

Button Description

Display Information

Pressing this button toggles between live view display modes:
• Standard display
• Real-time histogram
• Focus frame only
• Live image only

In addition you can also add a grid or scale overlay on the live view by holding the function button and pressing this button.
Magnification

The function of this button can be customized to either digital zoom or Flex Digital Magnifier. In digital zoom mode pressing the button engages or disengages a 2x digital zoom. In Flex Digital Magnifier mode you can engage a visual x3.3 live view magnification for manual focus.

Buttons (Play mode)

Button Description

Display Information

Pressing this button toggles between play display modes:
• Standard display
• Image only (no overlay)
• Thumbnail index (3x3 or 2x2)
Magnification

In play mode pressing this button switches into magnify mode, press the up and down arrows to select magnification range of x1.2 to x10.2, press the SET button to switch to scroll mode.

Mode Dial

Position Description
Auto Recording

Auto recording mode is identical to Program AE (below) except that when the camera is turned on or is turned to Auto mode all camera settings are reset to factory default (such as exposure compensation, white balance, metering, etc.)
P Program Auto Exposure (with shift)

In this mode the camera automatically selects aperture and shutter speed based on the current metered exposure value, exposure compensation and selected ISO sensitivity. Note that the A2 supports Pa and Ps program shift which allows you to choose from a range of equivalent exposures by turning the front dial (shutter speed) or rear dial (aperture). When shifted the mode indicator on the rear LCD monitor changes from P to Ps or Pa. For example:
Turn front dial:
 • 1/125 sec F6.3 (turn anti-clockwise)
 • 1/160 sec F5.6 (turn anti-clockwise)
 • 1/200 sec F5.0 (metered)
 • 1/250 sec F3.5 (turn clockwise)
 • 1/320 sec F3.2 (turn clockwise)
A Aperture Priority Auto Exposure

In this mode you select the aperture and the camera will calculate the correct shutter speed depending on metered exposure, exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity. Calculated shutter speed is shown on a half-press of the shutter release button. Turn either 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, F3.2, F3.5, F4, F4.5, F5.0, F5.6, F6.3, F7.1 F8, F9, F10, F11
• Tele: F3.5, F4, F4.5, F5.0, F5.6, F6.3, F7.1 F8, F9, F10, F11
S Shutter Priority Auto Exposure

In this mode you select the shutter speed and the camera will calculate the correct aperture depending on metered exposure, exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity. 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. Turn either 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:
30, 25, 20, 15, 13, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3.2, 2.5, 2, 1.6, 1.3, 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/13, 1/15, 1/20, 1/25, 1/30, 1/40, 1/50, 1/60, 1/80, 1/100, 1/125, 1/160, 1/200, 1/250, 1/320, 1/400, 1/500, 1/640, 1/800, 1/1000, 1/1250, 1/1600, 1/2000, 1/2500, 1/3200, 1/4000, 1/5000, 1/6400, 1/8000, 1/10000, 1/13000, 1/16000 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). The front dial controls shutter speed, the rear dial aperture.
MR

Memory Recall

Recall a camera setup stored in one of the five user memories. A setup can be memorized by selecting the MSET function in any of the P/A/S/M exposure modes. Simply press the left or right arrow to scroll through the stored setups and press the SET button to recall.

Digital subject program: Portrait

From the user manual:
Optimized to reproduce warm, soft skin tones and a slight defocusing of the background. Most portraits look best at a telephoto setting; the longer focal length does not exaggerate facial features and the shallower depth of field softens the background. Use the built-in flash with strong direct sunlight or backlight to reduce harsh shadows.
Digital subject program: Sports

From the user manual:
Used to capture fast action by maximizing shutter speeds. When using a flash, make sure the subject is within the flash range. The flash range can be extended by changing the camera sensitivity. A monopod is more flexible and compact than a tripod when shooting events.
Digital subject program: Sunset

From the user manual:
Optimized to reproduce rich, warm sunsets. When the sun is above the horizon, do not point the camera toward the sun for prolonged periods of time. The intensity of the sun could damage the CCD. Between exposures, turn off the camera or cover the lens.
Digital subject program: Night Portrait

From the user manual:
For deep, subtle night scenes. When used with flash, the subject and background exposures are balanced. Use a tripod to eliminate blurring from camera shake. The flash can only be used with close subjects such as with a portrait of a person. When using the flash, ask your subjects not to move after the burst; the shutter will still be open for the background exposure.

Note: You can customize the camera so that the digital subject program positions on the mode dial are used to recall memory setups rather than scene modes.
From:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/KonicaMinoltaA2/
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