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Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Started Aug 19, 2021 | Discussions
Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

Sony a1
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(unknown member) Forum Pro • Posts: 15,443
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

A classic camera, IMO, but the video resolution of the DiMAGE A1 is only 320 x 240.
For reference, a FHD computer screen is 1920 x 1080, and UHD (4k) is 3840 x 2160.
While a low resolution video of 320 x 240 may look acceptable on the small screen on the camera, it will look similar to the first generation of VHS tapes on a larger computer or TV screen.

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Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels.

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

Depends what you mean by it looks horrible , but I think Patco sums up what the issue might be .

The world's gone mad for big screens , if you want a video to look good on one , you need a camera with the same output resolution as the screen .

Twenty years ago this was adequate for most PC screens , and the average size TV's that people had .

What we have today and our expectations from it are much greater .

The A1 will give good photos for web viewing , but you'll need something more up to date for video work .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

neilt3 wrote:

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

Depends what you mean by it looks horrible , but I think Patco sums up what the issue might be .

The world's gone mad for big screens , if you want a video to look good on one , you need a camera with the same output resolution as the screen .

Twenty years ago this was adequate for most PC screens , and the average size TV's that people had .

https://youtu.be/NJEGuwQFcP0

Didn't have antishake on for the video, but you can see what I am talking about.

Grainy and not sharp. I really don't care for the camera as the quality is not there but I had no choice as an acquaintance didn't want to be bothered to come back with his great camera and shoot some additional shots.

I guess I can use my wife's phone even though it doesn't have antishake. It will not be as smooth.

FrancoD Forum Pro • Posts: 19,261
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

That is a pretty good result from a 2003 digital camera.

320 x 240 was the movie clip size from those cameras in those days except the Minolta was the first to have a built in anti shake.

BTW, a good home computer then would have had a 400MHz CPU with about 256MB RAM with maybe a 2 GB Hard Drive.

And.. it will look as good on your computer screen as it does on your camera if you reduce the playback size to your camera screen size.

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Oli5 wrote:

neilt3 wrote:

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

Depends what you mean by it looks horrible , but I think Patco sums up what the issue might be .

The world's gone mad for big screens , if you want a video to look good on one , you need a camera with the same output resolution as the screen .

Twenty years ago this was adequate for most PC screens , and the average size TV's that people had .

https://youtu.be/NJEGuwQFcP0

Didn't have antishake on for the video, but you can see what I am talking about.

Grainy and not sharp. I really don't care for the camera as the quality is not there but I had no choice as an acquaintance didn't want to be bothered to come back with his great camera and shoot some additional shots.

I guess I can use my wife's phone even though it doesn't have antishake. It will not be as smooth.

Yes , I agree . It's very poor , a modern camera phone is capable of doing a better job today .

If you want better results , you'll need a newer camera .

It doesn't matter what software you use to view the video , it can't show you what isn't there .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Okay, I took the video with our phone, not totally happy with the video.

Again, the in phone video is better.

Looks like it has a grey overcast. Taken 2 hours before sunset

Let me know what I should do to improve.

https://youtu.be/OTJhow2P5CU

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

It would look grey/blue because your filming in the shade .

You can see the line of the shadow on the road , whereas if you look over the road where the sun shines , it's a nice warm light .

It's the same on any digital camera , you need to correct the white balance .

Yours is set to either sunny , or most likely automatic ( AWB) .

Go into the manual settings and change it to "Shady' .

It'll warm it up and improve it no end !

If the "shady" setting turns it too straw/yellow coloured a milder setting is needed , so set it to "cloudy" .

What looks best depends on your camera and personal taste .

If you need the colours to be 100% accurate , you can set a custom white balance off a neutral target . The old tarmac should work .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

neilt3 wrote:

It would look grey/blue because your filming in the shade .

You can see the line of the shadow on the road , whereas if you look over the road where the sun shines , it's a nice warm light .

It's the same on any digital camera , you need to correct the white balance .

Yours is set to either sunny , or most likely automatic ( AWB) .

Go into the manual settings and change it to "Shady' .

It'll warm it up and improve it no end !

If the "shady" setting turns it too straw/yellow coloured a milder setting is needed , so set it to "cloudy" .

What looks best depends on your camera and personal taste .

If you need the colours to be 100% accurate , you can set a custom white balance off a neutral target . The old tarmac should work .

This is an android phone so it doesn't have 'shady' or 'cloudy" as an option. I will have to play with WB.

When you say set it off the tarmac - you mean off the road surface?

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Oli5 wrote:

neilt3 wrote:

It would look grey/blue because your filming in the shade .

You can see the line of the shadow on the road , whereas if you look over the road where the sun shines , it's a nice warm light .

It's the same on any digital camera , you need to correct the white balance .

Yours is set to either sunny , or most likely automatic ( AWB) .

Go into the manual settings and change it to "Shady' .

It'll warm it up and improve it no end !

If the "shady" setting turns it too straw/yellow coloured a milder setting is needed , so set it to "cloudy" .

What looks best depends on your camera and personal taste .

If you need the colours to be 100% accurate , you can set a custom white balance off a neutral target . The old tarmac should work .

This is an android phone so it doesn't have 'shady' or 'cloudy" as an option. I will have to play with WB.

When you say set it off the tarmac - you mean off the road surface?

Just checked on my phone , your right , it doesn't seem to have WB control on the movie mode . Just on photos .

You'll need to change it on a movie editor software on your PC afterwards .

Yes , tarmac is the road surface . If your in America , I think you call it asphalt .

If it's weathered so it's on the grey side instead of a solid black like when freshly laid , you can use it like a grey card . In your video editor software , if it has an eyedropper function for WB , click on the road surface in the shade with the car and it should correct everything for colour castes .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Thank you

OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos
1

Patco wrote:

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

A classic camera, IMO, but the video resolution of the DiMAGE A1 is only 320 x 240.
For reference, a FHD computer screen is 1920 x 1080, and UHD (4k) is 3840 x 2160.
While a low resolution video of 320 x 240 may look acceptable on the small screen on the camera, it will look similar to the first generation of VHS tapes on a larger computer or TV screen.

Looks like a friend will be giving me a Nikon D7000. I know this is not a new camera but it looks like a good step ahead of the DiMAGE A1.

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

Oli5 wrote:

Patco wrote:

Oli5 wrote:

A 20 sec. video looks great on playback in the camera. When I transfer the video to my computer the video on playback looks horrible.

Will installing the DiMAGE Viewer make the video just as good on the computer as it does on playback in the camera?

A classic camera, IMO, but the video resolution of the DiMAGE A1 is only 320 x 240.
For reference, a FHD computer screen is 1920 x 1080, and UHD (4k) is 3840 x 2160.
While a low resolution video of 320 x 240 may look acceptable on the small screen on the camera, it will look similar to the first generation of VHS tapes on a larger computer or TV screen.

Looks like a friend will be giving me a Nikon D7000. I know this is not a new camera but it looks like a good step ahead of the DiMAGE A1.

The d7000's a world apart from the A1 !

Get a decent lens on it it and you'll be very happy .

It has a good sensor in it , the same as is in my Sony a580 .

Get yourself a lens with image stabilisation and that will help you get sharp results if your shooting handheld .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Konica Minolta DiMage A1 transferring videos

I have been reading lately and I see that the 7500 is an even much better camera than the D7000. I was thinking if I sell the Konica and the gifted Nikon I could purchase the 7500 for very little money. Not sure what I will be shelling out to get it though.

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Try the d7000 first .

You'll not get a great deal for the d7000 , and you'll get very little for the A1 .

If you can get a used d7500 for less than 4x  what you sell the d7000 and A1 for I'd be surprised .

Realistically , if you pick up up a D7500 and get some good lenses for it ( that's the important part , good lenses ) then it should do everything you need it to for the next decade or so !

I'd suggest you use the d7000 for a while to decide if it's lacking for any of your needs before looking at spending more money on anything other than good quality lenses if you don't already have them , before you look at upgrading the body .

It is a very capable camera .

 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
OP Oli5 Junior Member • Posts: 40
Re: Try the d7000 first .

neilt3 wrote:

You'll not get a great deal for the d7000 , and you'll get very little for the A1 .

If you can get a used d7500 for less than 4x what you sell the d7000 and A1 for I'd be surprised .

Realistically , if you pick up up a D7500 and get some good lenses for it ( that's the important part , good lenses ) then it should do everything you need it to for the next decade or so !

I'd suggest you use the d7000 for a while to decide if it's lacking for any of your needs before looking at spending more money on anything other than good quality lenses if you don't already have them , before you look at upgrading the body .

It is a very capable camera .

Thanks for your help. I will take up your suggestion.

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