A few short months after having
released the DiMAGE
A1, Konica Minolta (these two manufacturers have combined
their resources) has now rolled out the DiMAGE A2; a camera
that continues the use of a solid magnesium alloy body with rubberized
surfaces.
The A2 is a relatively large camera,
comfortable to hold and with a large number of external controls
and buttons that might appear a bit intimidating at first.
The camera design provides a large grip which affords a solid hold, and
which is topped by the Shutter Release with a Front Control Dial — a
wheel control — directly behind it.
Still further behind, positioned
between the Front Control Dial and the Mode Dial, is a
microphone that serves to capture sound with video clips, or
a voice annotation to accompany a photo.
At left of these controls is a Data Panel which shows many of the
current settings for the A2. The Display Panel is backlit, and lights up
in green for approximately 5 seconds every time the shutter release is
pressed halfway.
Two other buttons are aligned below the Data Panel:
controls the quantity of information displayed on
the EVF (electronic viewfinder) or the monitor each time
it is pressed:
basic image data (shooting mode, resolution and
image size, metering mode, frame number and AF brackets
or Flex focus point,
same as above but adds a real time histogram,
no overlaid information aside from the AF brackets/Flex
focus point,
no superimposed data, live image only.
In playback, the button serves to change the quantity
of information displayed on the screen, or to see thumbnails
of the images on the memory card (4 or 9 per screen).
can have either one of two functions assigned in the
menu: it can either serve to turn on the 2X digital zoom,
or be used to magnify the centre of the frame to help focus
the camera when manual focus is used. In addition, it can
be used to engage image magnification in playback (up to
10.2X).
Shooting modes are selected with
the Mode Dial, also on the top right of the camera. 10 modes
are offered:
Usually the Auto Mode takes
care of all camera settings and limits the type and number
of settings that can be made by the user. This is not the
case with the A2. The Auto mode is similar to the Program
mode and even allows program shift, but with one exception:
switching from the Auto mode to another mode resets any settings
made while it was in use; unlike the Program mode.
Program allows the camera
to select aperture and shutter speed. In additon, the user
can select alternative combinations of aperture and shutter
speed that would result in a similar exposure (Program
Shift) simply by turning the Front Control Dial. Any settings
made in the Program mode are recalled when the Mode Dial
is returned to that position.
Aperture Priority provides
control over the aperture range of the A2's lens ((f2.8,
f3.2, f3.5, f4, f4.5, f5, f5.6, f6.3, f7.1, f8, f9, f10,
f11), and apertures can be selected with either the Front
or Rear Control dials.
Shutter Priority offers
control over the entire range of shutter speeds of the
A2, from 1/2000 second to 30 seconds.
Manual gives the user
complete freedom to adjust apertures and shutter speeds.
Apertures are selected with the Rear Control Dial, shutter
speeds with the Front Control Dial. Over or Under exposures
are indicated in red characters.
Portrait optimizes skin
tones, and softens sharpness. A wide aperture is used to
blur the background, an effect that becomes more pronounced
if the zoom is used.
Sports prioritizes
a fast shutter speed to freeze movement.
Sunset optimizes the
colour saturation to capture warm tones.
Night Portrait uses
a low shutter speed to capture the background and red-eye
reduction flash to capture the subject in the foreground.
Memory Recall allows
recalling any one of five distinct set of shooting preferences.
The back of the camera is taken
up by the EVF and the monitor on the left, and therefore the
controls are grouped on the right. Near the top are the Main
Switch,
and around it the Mode Switch. The Mode Switch serves
to select Still
Image capture, or Playback,
or Movie mode.
To the right of the Mode Switch is the Rear Control Dial which,
like the Front Control Dial, serves to set a variety of parameters.
Below the Rear Control Dial is the
AEL button:
By default, the AEL button maintains the metered
exposure parameters when pressed in. However this can be
modified in the camera's menu so that:
instead it locks the exposure when pressed once,
and releases the settings when pressed a second time;
or locks the exposure parameters decided at the Spot
meter point.
Accesses Exposure or Flash Compensation when
pressed in while turning either the Front or Rear Control
Dials. The Front Control Dial varies the exposure compensation,
while the Rear Control Dial serve to set the Flash exposure
compensation (±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments).
The Display Mode Switch is
next, directly below the compensation button. The Switch controls:
Only the EVF is active.
Automatic selection of the EVF
or the LCD monitor. Sensors to the right of the EVF's exit
pupil detect when the user's eye is near the EVF and activates
it.
Only the Monitor is active.
As always, the 4-direction controller
is designed to navigate the menus of the A2, and the button
at the centre serves to confirm selections. Some additional
functions are available in playback, when a photo is displayed
on the monitor:
The up arrow allows superimposing the shooting
data and a histogram of the image.
The down arrow rotates the image on the display
in 90° increments.
The centre button has an additional use in the
Recording mode. Holding in the button for more than a second
switches the AF system from a Wide Area AF to a Spot focus
called Flex Point which can be displaced anywhere
in the frame using the 4 arrows. Pressing the centre
button once more returns the focus point to the centre,
and holding a bit longer returns to the Wide Area system.
A row of 3 buttons complete the controls situated on the
back of the DiMAGE A2:
Provides a Quick View of
the last captured photo or video clip.
In Playback this button allows erasing one image at a time.
Calls up the menu.
The third button turns on or off the
A2's Anti-Shake system which stabilizes the
CCD, not the lens elements. When active the
Anti-Shake button is lit green, and its symbol is displayed
on the EVF or the Monitor in one of four colours that
indicate its current state:
White: indicates that the system is currently
inactive and that camera shake could affect the
image sharpness.
Yellow: indicates that the system is active,
but that the shutter speed is too low for the system
to be effective.
Blue: indicates the Anti-Shake system is active.
Red: indicates that the Anti-Shake system is
overheating because of ambient conditions. The
system shuts down automatically and the camera
must be allowed to cool.
The electronic viewfinder to
of the DiMAGE A2 is the second major improvement (after the
increase in resolution) in comparison to the A1. The EVF is
composed of 922,000 pixels, a 640 x 480 display, and
the image it produces is very detailed. Moreover, the display
can be set to either one of two modes in the menu:
Quality 30 fps which yields a very high resolution
VGA image.
Smooth 60 fps ideal for fast moving subjects but
which uses a half VGA resolution (640 x 240).
The EVF can be tilted up to 90° upwards,
and provides a diopter correction on the left side of the housing
to adjust it to one's eyesight.
The 1.8 inch LCD monitor of the A2 is identical to the A1's. It can be
tilted down 20° and up 90°, making it possible to view the screen
when the camera is held overhead, or placed on or near the ground.
All the remaining external controls
of the A2 are on the left side of the camera.
The Function Dial is near the top of the body and provides a quick
and efficient way to set often needed settings without having to scroll
through the menus. By turning the dial to the needed function, and pressing
its centre button while rotating one of the Control Dials, the following
options can be modified:
MSET serves to memorize
up to 5 sets of camera settings which can be recalled later.
Custom can be used to
access one of 6 functions (Image Size, Image Quality, Flash
Mode, Colour Mode, or Depth of Field Preview to be instantly
available when the Function Dial is set to this position.
Assigning a specific function is done in the Setup menu (see
the Interface and Software section of the review for an
overview of all the options of the Setup menu).
Spot metering,
either at the centre of the frame or where the focus
point is.
Drive modes:
Single-frame advance: to capture a single
image each time the shutter release button is pressed.
Bracketing: to capture a series of three
images with a selectable variation in exposure, contrast,
saturation, or colour.
Continuous Advance: allows capturing three
images at 1.8 fps when the shutter release is held
pressed in. Focus is established at the first frame,
and the camera displays each frame post capture.
High-speed continuous advance: captures
a series of three images at approximately 2.7 frames
per second. Focus is fixed at the first image, and
the monitor is turned off during the capture.
UHS (Ultra High Speed) continuous advance:
captures multiple 640 X 480 size images at approximately
7 frames per second (a 1/30 sec minimum shutter speed
is required.
Interval: allows capturing a series of images
with at a specified time interval.
Interval and Time Lapse Movie: captures
a series of 640 x 480 images at a preset interval
which can then be played back at as a slow motion
movie at 4 frames par second.
Self-Timer: engages the self timer (2 or 10 second
delay).
White Balance: Auto,
Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Shade, Flash,
or up to 3 custom white balance settings.
To set the ISO sensitivity
of the CCD: Auto (between 64 and 200 ISO), 64, 100, 200,
400 or 800 ISO.
The centre button of the Function Dial has an additional use. Holding it
in while pressing the button
superimposes a composition grid on the displays, or a scale.
A speaker is fitted directly below the Function Dial, next to a standard Flash
Synch terminal that is covered by a screw-on cap. The flash synch terminal
allows a studio or location flash system to be connected to the camera
with a standard PC cord. The terminal is compatible with both centre positive
(normal polarity) and centre negative (positive polarity) flash units with
a voltage of 400V or lower.
Next comes the Digital Effects
Controller. This control serves to adjust contrast, colour,
and saturation:
Filter: When the A2
is set to capture colour images, the FIL setting can
be used to warm or cool the image over 11 steps (0 or ±5
steps).
When the A2 is set to capture black and white image, the FIL
control can tone the monochrome image in 11 steps, cycling from neutral
to red, to green, to magenta, to blue and returning to normal.
Saturation: serves
to increase or decrease colour saturation over ±5
steps.
Contrast: serves
to increase or decrease image contrast over ±5 steps.
The last two external controls of the A2 are near the base of the camera: is
the Custom White Balance button. Pointing the A2 at a white surface
under ambient light while pressing the button sets the white balance for
the specific lighting. The custom white balance can then be saved in any
of 3 memories.
Finally, a slider switch serves to select the Focus Mode:
Single Shot AF,
Continuous AF,
Manual Focus the A2 can be manually focused using the focus
ring on the lens barrel near the body, and the central part of the
image can be enlarged on the monitor or EVF to assist in focusing.
The top of the DiMAGE A2 is
fitted with a Minolta flash shoe, compatible with Minolta flash
units 2500, 3600HS, 5600HS, Macro 1200 and 2400 with controller.
Third party Minolta-compatible flash units can also be
used, but some restrictions may apply.
The DiMAGE A2, like the A1, offers
an excellent ergonomic design. Doubtlessly, a fair amount of
time must be invested in understanding and getting used to its
numerous external controls, but with a bit of time, their logical
and well though-out placement and functions make the task much
easier than it appears to be at first.
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Ergonomics
,
and around it the Mode Switch. The Mode Switch serves
to select 
Still
Image capture, or 
Playback,
or 
Movie mode.
To the right of the Mode Switch is the Rear Control Dial which,
like the Front Control Dial, serves to set a variety of parameters.
button
superimposes a composition grid on the displays, or a scale.
is
the Custom White Balance button. Pointing the A2 at a white surface
under ambient light while pressing the button sets the white balance for
the specific lighting. The custom white balance can then be saved in any
of 3 memories.
