Some of the technology used in the Dimage 5 and 7 is also used for the
Minolta Dimage S404, a 4-megapixel compact with a 4X GT APO lens.
Clad in metal, the S404 is a substantial camera. It has an excellent in-hand
feel, primarily because of the thick grip, but also because of the good
ergonomic placement of most of its controls.
The small and round Subject-Program button is used to select from
the camera's
built-in programs when the Mode Dial is set to Auto. As the button is
pressed, it cycles through the subject-programs:
•
Portrait
•
Landscape
•
Night Portrait
•
Text
•
Macro
& Text
and the selection is indicated by a cursor on the data panel on its left.
The Mode Dial has 7 positions, including those for Off and
Setup:
Auto
Recording Mode: the camera is fully automatic, and limits the
functions that can be addressed through the menu.
Multi-Function
Recording Mode: allows greater control including control over
autofocus and adjustments to image qualities such as sharpness,
contrast, and color saturation.
Playback:
for viewing pictures, and histograms; viewing movies, and deleting
images.
Movie
mode: to record movie with sound.
USB
Connection Mode: to connect and download images to a computer.
Although
the Mode Dial is quite practical, it is very easily rotated and, as
it also serves to turn on the camera, it is also very easy to accidentally
turn on the S404 while handling it. With some lens cap designs this
might be a serious problem, but in this case the lens can extend with
the cap on it, without causing any damage to the zoom.
Flash
Modes: auto flash, fill-flash, flash cancel, auto flash with red-eye
reduction, fill-flash with red-eye reduction. In Playback this button
also serves to magnify the image being displayed on the screen (up
to 3.5X in JPEG only).
Drive
Mode/Self-timer: single frame advance, self-timer/remote control,
continuous advance, bracketing.
Exposure
Compensation: used in conjunction with the right and left arrows
of the controller. (±2EV in 0.3EV increments).
The
Controller dominates the upper back of the S404. The up and down arrows
of the controller serve to control the zoom, while the right and left
arrows can be used for exposure compensation. Pressing the Controller
in the centre acts like an "enter" button, and also doubles
as the means by which the focusing system is changed, wide-focus area,
or spot-focus area.
In Playback the up arrow of the controller can be used to
call up the histogram for the image displayed.
Beside
the large controller, the S404 has three more buttons. The first is the
Menu button, and below is the Quick View/Delete button.
The QV function is to show the last captured photo without having to switch
to the Playback mode.
Last is the Screen button ,
which is used to turn the LCD screen on or off, or remove the information
overlay from the screen. In Playback, the Screen button is also capable
of displaying thumbnails of the images on the card, 9 at a time.
Overall,
the ergonomic design of the S404 makes it a fairly straightforward camera
to use. Most controls are easily remembered and accessed, making the operation
of the camera very user-friendly.
camera's
built-in programs when the Mode Dial is set to Auto. As the button is
pressed, it cycles through the subject-programs:
,
which is used to turn the LCD screen on or off, or remove the information
overlay from the screen. In Playback, the Screen button is also capable
of displaying thumbnails of the images on the card, 9 at a time. 