Costas Vlachos
Forum Enthusiast
Hi all,
I'm considering purchasing the Minolta DiMAGE 7. I like the SLR-style design and of course the 5 megapixel CCD. It supports the MicroDrive (a must), there are virtually no chromatic aberrations (a major +), the 28-200mm lens is fast and versatile, the EVF can greatly help shooting in direct sunlight, flex-focus is great with composition, uses AA batteries, has 49mm thread, better manual-focus handling, mechanical zoom, etc., etc. Theoretically, this camera appears to be the best there is among non-SLRs today.
BUT... I don't know if it's just me, but looking at Phil's D7 review samples and also at a few galleries posted here in the forum I am left with a feeling of disappointment regarding the D7's image quality. Of course image quality is subjective to some extent, but to my eyes most of the D7 images I've seen so far appear flat or washed-out, with a yellowish cast, over-exposed, and kind of grainy. I'm not saying the camera is incapable of producing good images. One needs to master the camera first before its performance can be maximised. The same thing holds true with the Canon PowerShot G1, which doesn't produce very good results when in AUTO mode, but is a truly spectacular camera when you learn how to use it. I really hope this is also the case with the D7. I've had the chance to play with the Nikon CoolPix 995 for about three weeks, and I must say that the images I've shot (most of them in AUTO mode) are clearly more pleasing (to me) than those of the D7.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to throw negative comments on something I haven't even tried for myself yet. But... for such an expensive (and 5 MP) camera, the results I've seen so far just don't seem to do it for me. Phil gave the D7 an 8 for image quality, the lowest among the major "recommended" and "highly recommended" cameras. Judging from the samples, 8 seems pretty accurate to me. The Nikon CP990 and Canon G1 both got a 9 and the CP995 an 8.5. Even the old Casio QV-3000 got a 9, and again this can be seen by looking at the images. You don't have to look hard, just view Phil's samples of each of the cameras I mentioned above. Of course, there are many other good reasons to choose the D7, but to me image quality is the most important factor.
Anyone sharing my concerns? Am I expecting too much? Hopefully someone with a D7 will put my mind at rest by posting a few samples with that "wow" feeling (haven't seen one yet).
Costas
I'm considering purchasing the Minolta DiMAGE 7. I like the SLR-style design and of course the 5 megapixel CCD. It supports the MicroDrive (a must), there are virtually no chromatic aberrations (a major +), the 28-200mm lens is fast and versatile, the EVF can greatly help shooting in direct sunlight, flex-focus is great with composition, uses AA batteries, has 49mm thread, better manual-focus handling, mechanical zoom, etc., etc. Theoretically, this camera appears to be the best there is among non-SLRs today.
BUT... I don't know if it's just me, but looking at Phil's D7 review samples and also at a few galleries posted here in the forum I am left with a feeling of disappointment regarding the D7's image quality. Of course image quality is subjective to some extent, but to my eyes most of the D7 images I've seen so far appear flat or washed-out, with a yellowish cast, over-exposed, and kind of grainy. I'm not saying the camera is incapable of producing good images. One needs to master the camera first before its performance can be maximised. The same thing holds true with the Canon PowerShot G1, which doesn't produce very good results when in AUTO mode, but is a truly spectacular camera when you learn how to use it. I really hope this is also the case with the D7. I've had the chance to play with the Nikon CoolPix 995 for about three weeks, and I must say that the images I've shot (most of them in AUTO mode) are clearly more pleasing (to me) than those of the D7.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to throw negative comments on something I haven't even tried for myself yet. But... for such an expensive (and 5 MP) camera, the results I've seen so far just don't seem to do it for me. Phil gave the D7 an 8 for image quality, the lowest among the major "recommended" and "highly recommended" cameras. Judging from the samples, 8 seems pretty accurate to me. The Nikon CP990 and Canon G1 both got a 9 and the CP995 an 8.5. Even the old Casio QV-3000 got a 9, and again this can be seen by looking at the images. You don't have to look hard, just view Phil's samples of each of the cameras I mentioned above. Of course, there are many other good reasons to choose the D7, but to me image quality is the most important factor.
Anyone sharing my concerns? Am I expecting too much? Hopefully someone with a D7 will put my mind at rest by posting a few samples with that "wow" feeling (haven't seen one yet).
Costas