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There were many 'races' in the compact camera market back when they were selling like hotcakes. From resolution to zoom, manufacturers were constantly trying to one-up each other. Another area in which they were competing was just how small a camera could be. One of the smallest was the ultra-thin Minolta DiMAGE X, released way back in 2002.
The DiMAGE X's dimensions were 84 x 72 x 20mm (3.3 x 2.8 x 0.8in) - yes, less than an inch thick - so it easily fit into a shirt picket. How did they do it? Folded optics.
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While we're not 100% certain, it's likely that the DiMAGE X was the first digital camera to use folded optics. Light comes through the lens, hits a 90-degree prism and then heads downward where it passes through the various elements until it hits a 2 Megapixel CCD. As you can probably tell from the design of the camera, all of the zooming and focus takes place in the 'downward' portion of the lens.
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As noted in Phil Askey's review, two other things that allowed the DiMAGE X to be so thin was its compact lithium-ion battery and 'tiny' MMC/SD cards (which is funny, considering that the way-too-small microSD format was just a few years away). One tradeoff to having such a compact body was the camera's tunnel-type viewfinder – you might as well just use the 1.5" LCD.
While the camera was a snappy performer, its image quality was less impressive. Phil Askey noted that photos were very 'video like - soft with some visible ghosting artifacts.' Vignetting was also an issue. Its measured resolution was the lowest of any 2 Megapixel camera DPReview had tested at the time. Phil suggests that most of these issues are due to the folded optics design that made the DiMAGE X so unique.
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Despite its unique optical design and ultra-compact body, the DiMAGE X didn't win over Phil (mainly due to image quality), earning it a 'Below Average' award – a rarity on DPReview.
Did you have a DiMAGE X or its successors? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Read our review of the Minolta DiMAGE X
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