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Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

Started Nov 5, 2018 | Photos
Hike Pics
Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!
1

Took it out today as it was a near perfect blue sky with a little bit of fall color around. Because my CF card is small (512MB) I just kept it on JPG and X-Fine. Also, right now I am very bad at RAW editing.....I just can't seem to do any better than the camera!

I have noticed a few issues, though.

1. If I am indoors and there isn't much light the LCD displays in black and white. 
2. Sometimes. even though the focus lock white dot is displayed, the camera will not fire.
3. The last few images I tried to take today would not focus at all. I got the red dot on subjects that were clearly defined and should have been an easy lock.

But, like the A200, I'll keep on working with it until it totally fails. I still like the OOC color!

Just an example: This gave me a red focus dot but should have been in focus

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Comment & critique:
Please provide me constructive critique and criticism.
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2
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Paul Barnard
Paul Barnard Veteran Member • Posts: 3,798
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

Hike Pics wrote:

Took it out today as it was a near perfect blue sky with a little bit of fall color around. Because my CF card is small (512MB) I just kept it on JPG and X-Fine. Also, right now I am very bad at RAW editing.....I just can't seem to do any better than the camera!

I have noticed a few issues, though.

1. If I am indoors and there isn't much light the LCD displays in black and white.
2. Sometimes. even though the focus lock white dot is displayed, the camera will not fire.
3. The last few images I tried to take today would not focus at all. I got the red dot on subjects that were clearly defined and should have been an easy lock.

But, like the A200, I'll keep on working with it until it totally fails. I still like the OOC color!

Just an example: This gave me a red focus dot but should have been in focus

I think what you are experiencing is the state of the art back then.  focus capability is the area where the most innovations have happened in the last few years.

 Paul Barnard's gear list:Paul Barnard's gear list
Sony a7R III Sony FE 55mm F1.8 Sony FE 70-200 F4 Zeiss Batis 25mm F2 Sony 1.4x Teleconverter (2016) +5 more
EXX
EXX Senior Member • Posts: 1,204
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

Set your focus to single point only, and then use focus and recompose method. I have used the camera like this 99% of the time. Other modes of focus are less reliable and you never really knows where it applies focus.

If you are on a tripod, you can always move the focus point anywhere in the screen using the controller on the back.

Then your other "issue": it is normal that the EVF/LCD switches to black and white in dim lighting conditions. This is done to improve vision: just boosting the colour image would end up in a blurry coloured mess. By using black and white, the noise becomes less of a problem and you can still use the EVF/LCD for framing. The photo will of course still be in colour.

BTW, a red focus dot means the camera cannot focus; a white dot means it achieved focus. Problematic focus sometimes happens, the focus system in the A2/A200 is not as great as current cameras. Even in their time, the focus system of the A2/A200 was average and prone to missing focus.

I looked at the EXIF of the photos and saw it uses f/7.1 in two of them. Did you by any chance use P-mode? For some reason the camera tries to stick to f/7.1 in P-mode as much as it can. The lens however is already at its best at f/4.5, which gives you a faster shutter speed. See also this thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/9110032

 EXX's gear list:EXX's gear list
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Sony SLT-A55 Sony a77 II Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* +18 more
EXX
EXX Senior Member • Posts: 1,204
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

I put some files with information on the A2 here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlEHT5nc-pHSbD7kOpXSPSvS41k

 EXX's gear list:EXX's gear list
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Sony SLT-A55 Sony a77 II Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* +18 more
Hike Pics
OP Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

EXX wrote:

Set your focus to single point only, and then use focus and recompose method. I have used the camera like this 99% of the time. Other modes of focus are less reliable and you never really knows where it applies focus.

This is pretty much the only way I shoot. I find it easy and consistent.

If you are on a tripod, you can always move the focus point anywhere in the screen using the controller on the back.

Then your other "issue": it is normal that the EVF/LCD switches to black and white in dim lighting conditions. This is done to improve vision: just boosting the colour image would end up in a blurry coloured mess. By using black and white, the noise becomes less of a problem and you can still use the EVF/LCD for framing. The photo will of course still be in colour.

After I posted the original post I thought that might could be the case. It is a nice idea.

BTW, a red focus dot means the camera cannot focus; a white dot means it achieved focus. Problematic focus sometimes happens, the focus system in the A2/A200 is not as great as current cameras. Even in their time, the focus system of the A2/A200 was average and prone to missing focus.

I will have to be more aware of this. I tried using Manual focus but I could see no difference at all.

I looked at the EXIF of the photos and saw it uses f/7.1 in two of them. Did you by any chance use P-mode? For some reason the camera tries to stick to f/7.1 in P-mode as much as it can. The lens however is already at its best at f/4.5, which gives you a faster shutter speed. See also this thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/9110032

Yes, the camera was in Program mode. I should have known better because the A200 does the same thing, right? I know my old X-700 was programmed that way. I will keep a note in the case to stay out of Program.

And a big THANKS for your input!

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Hike Pics
OP Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

THANKS, I have downloaded these and will read them tonight!

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Michael Fritzen Veteran Member • Posts: 6,741
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

EXX wrote:

... For some reason the camera tries to stick to f/7.1 in P-mode as much as it can. The lens however is already at its best at f/4.5, which gives you a faster shutter speed. See also this thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/9110032

Adding to this, if apertures smaller than f/5.6 on current 1"-type sensors like the RX100 or RX10 is considered already the start of the diffraction-territory and related losses in sharpness, on the A2/A200 with their even smaller sensors one should certainly stay clear from the small aperture range for general photography. Only for extreme close-up / macro when more DOF is desired it may be worth to go smaller.

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Cheers,
Michael Fritzen

EXX
EXX Senior Member • Posts: 1,204
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!

I never found diffraction a big problem on the A2.

Note that the 8 MP 2/3" sensor has a lower pixel density than the 20 MP 1" sensor.

 EXX's gear list:EXX's gear list
Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Sony SLT-A55 Sony a77 II Sony DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* +18 more
Erni66 New Member • Posts: 1
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!
  • very new to digital photography.
  • Chckd out eBay and want to buy a Minolta dimage A2...seemed least issued involvement.
  • Any thoughts greatly appreciated...best batteries for it too?
  • Erni66
neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Some A2 Shots.......Some A2 Issues!
  • Erni66 wrote:
  • very new to digital photography.
  • Chckd out eBay and want to buy a Minolta dimage A2...seemed least issued involvement.
  • Any thoughts greatly appreciated...best batteries for it too?
  • Erni66

I take it you've worked it out , seeing as you've crossed out your question ?

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
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