Finally......The A2 Has Arrived !!

Hike Pics · Oct 30, 2018

Almost a month since I won and paid for the auction it is in my possession. FedEx was so irresponsible with this shipment. I will very careful to not use them again unless absolutely necessary. The package sat over a week at a vacation cabin nearby, that the owners use a few times a year! Good thing it was packed very well. I took the battery and card out and left the compartment doors open as well as took the lens cap off to acclimate to the house temperature for a couple of days.

So, the camera arrived, a little dusty but it cleaned up nicely. It had a Tiffen UV filter on the lens and was a little tight to take of. That was good because once it did there was a perfect lens there! The LCD and EVF look great as well as the LCD top screen. It came with an OEM strap but no lens shade. Also a SanDisk 512MB CF and a dead battery. I had to order a charger that came yesterday. I charged the battery and took it out for a test run today. The LCD flickered a little when I first turned it on but settled down later.

These are just a few snaps, nothing fancy. Seems to work just fine. And, can I say, that EVF is awesome!

--
...Wes...
Hike Pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143811888@N02
Digital Low-Tech: https://www.lomography.com/homes/wesrichmond

ParangMehta · Oct 30, 2018

Great!
The camera looks good - look at all those controls on the back!
Pictures are good, too - same 8 MP sensor as my A200, I think. Have fun, and share more pictures!

Cheers!
Parang.

Turbguy1 · Oct 31, 2018

It's a great older cam!

Suggestion: minimize use of the EVF tilting option. A recognized weak point is flex cable at/near the hinge, subject to fatigue cracking and failure.

EXX · Nov 3, 2018

Great cam, have fun with it!

Be careful with the EVF tilt. The flatcable inside is fragile. Use the tilt only as a last resort and move it gently.

Definitely use RAW on this camera. The results are much better in the end. With the last version of the firmware (IIRC 1.14) you can keep on shooting using RAW, no delays. With RAW+JPG however is becomes very slow.

You can probably use the lens shade from the A200.

I also own the ACW100 0.8x wide angle and ACT100 1.5x teleconverter. You can get these quite cheap nowadays. With these 2 add-ons the lens range is extended to 22-300mm equiv.

Hike Pics · Nov 3, 2018

Yes, I have read a bit about the EVF tilt issue. It does work fine with mine when tested but I won't use it again.

The lens shade from my A200 fits perfectly on the A2. I just wished KM had used the same battery for both models.

I will use RAW+JPG on my next outing to see what I can get. If there is any recommended settings or tips any of you have found through the years please feel free to throw them my way. This weekend is our peak leaf change here in the mountains and I want to take it out tomorrow. Probably both cameras! :-D

EXX · Nov 5, 2018

Beware that when using RAW+JPG is that it takes a lot of time for the camera to process and write the data to the CF card. The only real benefit is that you can zoom in on the result to see that the focus is correct; you cannot do this with RAW only.

The slow speed annoyed me so much that I just use it in RAW mode only. The JPG engine of the A2 is not so great anyway (the A200 is better in that respect), Also, you can get a lot more out of the sensor by using RAW and then processing it in e.g. Lightroom. The sensor in the A2/A200 produces a lot of noise which can be handled quite well by modern software like Lightroom. I operate the camera mostly in full manual mode, using the live histogram as a guide for the exposure. Using the "expose to the right (ETTR)" method really works well with the A2.

Check the firmware: if it is not 1.14, update it. The 1.14 was the final gift of Konica-Minolta to A2 users. It squeezes the last bit of performance from the hardware and makes it faster in RAW mode.

You can some A2 shots in my A2 gallery:

https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9239768447/albums/konica-minolta-dimage-a2

There is another add on I have that is very nice: the Konica-Minolta CL49-200 Close up lens. It really improves the macro capabilites of de A2/A200.

Hike Pics · Nov 5, 2018

EXX said:
Beware that when using RAW+JPG is that it takes a lot of time for the camera to process and write the data to the CF card. The only real benefit is that you can zoom in on the result to see that the focus is correct; you cannot do this with RAW only.

You solved the problem right here! I checked the firmware version and it is the old 1.10 version. The camera was locked during RAW writing!

EXX said:
The slow speed annoyed me so much that I just use it in RAW mode only. The JPG engine of the A2 is not so great anyway (the A200 is better in that respect), Also, you can get a lot more out of the sensor by using RAW and then processing it in e.g. Lightroom. The sensor in the A2/A200 produces a lot of noise which can be handled quite well by modern software like Lightroom. I operate the camera mostly in full manual mode, using the live histogram as a guide for the exposure. Using the "expose to the right (ETTR)" method really works well with the A2.

I use Xubuntu so I can't use LR or PS or any of the "regular commercial" PP editors. I do, however, have Darktable, GIMP, RawStudio, UFRAW, RawStudio and RawTherapee to work with.

EXX said:
Check the firmware: if it is not 1.14, update it. The 1.14 was the final gift of Konica-Minolta to A2 users. It squeezes the last bit of performance from the hardware and makes it faster in RAW mode.

Updating will be my next step. I have read horror stories from users who ended up with bricked cameras updating from the KM instructions. I need to update carefully!

EXX said:
You can some A2 shots in my A2 gallery:

https://www.dpreview.com/galleries/9239768447/albums/konica-minolta-dimage-a2

There is another add on I have that is very nice: the Konica-Minolta CL49-200 Close up lens. It really improves the macro capabilites of de A2/A200.

I will check that out.....I love shooting macro! I will check your gallery out tonight, thanks!

EXX · Nov 6, 2018

Flashing the firmware on itself is not a difficult task. Just follow the instructions to the letter and flash with a fully charged battery. If the battery dies during the flash operation, you will end up with a broken camera.

I have flashed my A2 several times, from 1.10 to 1.12, then to 1.13 and finally to 1.14. Never had a problem.

Here are a few pictures of my own A2 and its add-ons: the ACT-100 teleconvertor, the ACW-100 Wide angle converter, the CL49-200 macro lens and a Sigma EF500DG Super external flash.

There are 2 add-ons I do not have: the BP400 battery grip and the AC-1L power adapter.

If you want a good book on the A2/A200, go here: Konica Minolta A1 / A2 / A200 – The Friedman Archives – Stock Photo Images by Gary L. Friedman

Michael Fritzen · Nov 6, 2018

Hike Pics said:
... If there is any recommended settings or tips any of you have found through the years please feel free to throw them my way. ...

Well, one basic advice you're already following is to stay as long as possible at ISO64

I think ISO6400 on my RX100 is better than ISO400 on the A2.

A real fun feature on the A2 is its time lapse function - no external app or device needed. Why oh why such a practical function was removed from many "modern" cams? Not sure though what were the offered resolutions / shooting mode, whether time lapse allowed for full sensor res and/or shooting RAW

EXX · Nov 6, 2018

Yes, ISO400 and ISO800 are pretty bad on the A2/A200. But by using RAW and modern processing and noise reduction software, they are usable, as long as you do not underexpose.

Hike Pics · Nov 6, 2018

That is a fantastic array of gear! Impressive and I'm sure well worth it.

Would you happen to have the 1.12 firmware version, or know where I could get it. I am wanting to do the upgrades in sequence and I can't find that one.

By the way, I went through your A2 gallery and was very impressed. It is great to know the camera has those possibilities, especially with the right photographer behind it.

Michael Fritzen · Nov 7, 2018

Hike Pics said:
...Would you happen to have the 1.12 firmware version, or know where I could get it. I am wanting to do the upgrades in sequence and I can't find that one.

AFAIK no need to keep the sequence. The last FW update is all you need.

EXX · Nov 12, 2018

Michael Fritzen said:
Hike Pics said:

...Would you happen to have the 1.12 firmware version, or know where I could get it. I am wanting to do the upgrades in sequence and I can't find that one.

Click to expand...

AFAIK no need to keep the sequence. The last FW update is all you need.

Unfortunately, I have not found a 1.12 firmware in my archives. But I suspect that Michael is right. I checked the 1.14 firmware installation guide and it states:

"Check the version number of displayed on the LCD monitor. If the version is Ver.1.13e or earlier, the camera must be updated"

There is no mention of a gradual upgrade, so looking at the text above, you can go straight to 1.14. The text above refers to 1.13e probably because it is the English firmware version.

The firmware can still be downloaded form the Konica Minolta Europe website:

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Europe GmbH: Firmware

Just select firmware and click on the download link to get to the download page.

Hike Pics · Nov 12, 2018

That is great news, I will proceed with updating it to v1.14.

With some other updates to camera software I have done the new update built upon the last update and MUST be update sequentially.

I just charged the battery and will update after work tonight.

EXX · Nov 12, 2018

I did manage to locate a copy of the 1.12e firmware, with the installation guide. I have put it here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlEHT5nc-pHSgntbPYzY3BOz4nDp

But anyway, IMHO it is better to go to 1.14 straightaway. It will save you one installation cycle and reduce the risk of something going wrong.

Hike Pics · Nov 12, 2018

Big Thanks! I downloaded both and will keep them in my camera files. But, as you suggested, I will go ahead and update straight to the v1.14.

Hike Pics · Nov 14, 2018

Looks like all went well with the update. We are getting bad weather here now but it is supposed to clear up this weekend. I will get it back out then for a few shots.

neilt3 · Nov 15, 2018

EXX said:
Michael Fritzen said:

Hike Pics said:

...Would you happen to have the 1.12 firmware version, or know where I could get it. I am wanting to do the upgrades in sequence and I can't find that one.

Click to expand...

AFAIK no need to keep the sequence. The last FW update is all you need.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I have not found a 1.12 firmware in my archives. But I suspect that Michael is right. I checked the 1.14 firmware installation guide and it states:

"Check the version number of displayed on the LCD monitor. If the version is Ver.1.13e or earlier, the camera must be updated"

There is no mention of a gradual upgrade, so looking at the text above, you can go straight to 1.14. The text above refers to 1.13e probably because it is the English firmware version.

The firmware can still be downloaded form the Konica Minolta Europe website:

https://www.konicaminoltasupport.com/index.php?id=2314

Just select firmware and click on the download link to get to the download page.

It's a surprise to see that the download for the firmware updates are back online at KM again , They have all been unavailable for the last month or so .

neilt3 · Nov 15, 2018

Hike Pics said:
Almost a month since I won and paid for the auction it is in my possession. FedEx was so irresponsible with this shipment. I will very careful to not use them again unless absolutely necessary. The package sat over a week at a vacation cabin nearby, that the owners use a few times a year! Good thing it was packed very well. I took the battery and card out and left the compartment doors open as well as took the lens cap off to acclimate to the house temperature for a couple of days.

So, the camera arrived, a little dusty but it cleaned up nicely. It had a Tiffen UV filter on the lens and was a little tight to take of. That was good because once it did there was a perfect lens there! The LCD and EVF look great as well as the LCD top screen. It came with an OEM strap but no lens shade. Also a SanDisk 512MB CF and a dead battery. I had to order a charger that came yesterday. I charged the battery and took it out for a test run today. The LCD flickered a little when I first turned it on but settled down later.

These are just a few snaps, nothing fancy. Seems to work just fine. And, can I say, that EVF is awesome!

Good to see you finally got and are having some fun with it .

With regards to the lens shade , the Dimage 7hi , A1 , A2 & A200 all use the same one .

The Dimage 7 & 7i shades are out of the same mould and will fit just the same but are silver rather than black on the outside .

They'll do the same job though , these all come up on ebay often enough and cheap enough .

In the meantime just share the one from the A200 with them .

--

neil t3’s albums | Flickr

www.flickr.com

Bill-in-KY · Feb 9, 2019

I recently bought an A1 through Ebay. The seller sent it via FedEx. My wife and I were both home, and both vehicles were in the driveway. The FedEx driver left the package on the front steps and silently went away, without knocking on the door and handing over the package. We didn't know he had come until I happened to check the front steps a little while after lunch. The outside temp was in the 20s. The camera was cold when I got it. I was already wary of FedEX because one of their drivers came in Dec. with a surprise Christmas present, a 55" TV. He left the TV box standing up outside against the back porch stairway, and didn't let us know he had come. I went outside again for something that afternoon and found the TV. The day I was expecting the camera, I checked the back porch and steps several times, figuring the FedEx driver would just leave it out there. It was after lunch when I thought to check the front steps, just in case, and there it was.

Finally......The A2 Has Arrived !!

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