Minolta DiMAGE z5

Reviewed April 2005

Introduction

Konica Minolta's DiMAGE Z5 brings a 5-megapixel resolution to the Z series, until now limited to 4 megapixel with the Z3. The Z5 inherits the same 12X optical zoom and the Anti-Shake system, but gets an electronic viewfinder with a few less pixels, while receiving a larger 2-inch LCD monitor with a higher definition than the Z3 had.

Towards the rear of the grip, the Exposure Mode Dial is bracketed by two buttons at the front, and by the zoom control at the back, the latter also controlling the magnification of an image in playback (up to 4X). Starting with the two button in front of the Exposure Mode Dial, the one on the left controls:

the macro mode, offering first a Standard Macro mode which has a focus range of 10cm to 1m (3.9 to 39 inches); or second, a Super Macro mode which has a range of 1cm to 1m (0.4 to 39 inches) with the lens set and locked at the 10.45 mm position, equivalent to 63mm.

And the button on the right is to select the flash modes:

Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Fill-in, Slow-Synch (front curtain), and Forced Off. Or, if re-programmed in the menu, to access other functions of the Recording menu as a Custom button.

The pop-up flash itself is the same as was used on the DiMAGE Z3. With the camera's sensitivity set to Auto, the flash range remains 0.2 to 4m (0.7 to 13.1 ft) when the zoom is at the wide angle position, and 1.2 to 2.5m (3.9 to 8.2 ft) when the zoom is at the full telephoto mode.

In addition to its pop-flash, the DiMAGE Z5 also provides a flash shoe (Konica Minolta type) and is compatible with Maxxum/Program Flash units 2500(D), 3600HS(D), and 5600HS(D).

The Exposure Mode Dial has 11 positions:

Handles all camera settings and includes Automatic Digital Subject Selection, a type of scene recognition that allows the camera to select the appropriate Scene mode automatically, or failing that, to fall back on the standard Program mode.

The next 5 positions are for Scene modes which optimize the camera's settings for specific subjects:

	Portrait Mode: is optimized to reproduce skin tones while causing a slight defocusing of the background, achieved by the use of a large aperture. The manual recommends using the telephoto end of the zoom and use the built-in flash in addition to direct sunlight to reduce shadows.
	Sports Action: uses continuous focusing to improve the odds of the image being in focus. CCD sensitivity is automatically controlled.
	Landscape Mode: maximizes depth of field through the use of a smaller aperture, and enhances sharpness and contrast.
	Sunset: is optimized to reproduce warm tones which enhances sunset colours.
	Night Portrait: uses a slow shutter speed and the flash, which must be opened by the user, to capture both foreground and background.

	Manual mode of the DiMAGE Z5 allows the user with the means to set aperture or shutter speed.
	Shutter Priority offers a shutter speed range that covers from a maximum of 4 seconds to 1/1000 second, while the Z5 selects a matching aperture.
	Aperture Priority offers an aperture range of f2.8 to f8 when the zoom is set to wide angle, and f4.5 to f8 at the telephoto end.
	Program controls both aperture and shutter speed, but leaves all other parameters, including sensitivity, up to the user. The shutter speed and aperture selected by the camera are shown on the screen when the shutter release is held halfway.
	The Movie mode allows the Z5 to be used to capture video clips with sound at any one of 3 frame/quality settings: 640 x 480 Fine, 640 x 480 Standard, 320 x 240 Standard. Video clips last as long as there is space on the memory card, and can be captured at either 15 frames per second or 30 frames per second, which produces a smoother moving image. During movie recording the stabilized 12X optical zoom remains useable and exposure and focus are adjusted continuously.

Moving to the back of the camera, the largest control is the 4-direction controller. As always, the 4-direction controller serves to move around in the menus and go from one photo to another in Playback. In addition, when the camera is set to any shooting mode, including the scene modes but with the exception of the Auto or Manual modes, the right and left arrows serve to adjust exposure compensation over a range of ± 2EV in 0.3 EV increments.

In the Manual mode, the right and left arrows adjust the aperture while the up and down arrows adjust the shutter speed, and with either Aperture or Shutter Priority the up/down arrows adjust shutter speed or aperture respectively. Finally, when in Playback, the down arrow can be used to rotate images shot vertically.

The centre button of the 4-direction control also has a dual function. First, it serves to confirm changes made in the camera's menu. Second, with all still image shooting mode, when the button is held in for more than a second it provides access to the alternative focusing mode: Wide Area AF which lets the camera select automatically the focus point from 5 zones situated horizontally in the middle of the frame. Or Focus Area Selection, which allows the user to choose one of the 5 focus points.

Three more buttons are aligned along an arc below the 4-direction controller:

Simply displays the menu for the current mode, and also serves to back out of a menu without registering any changes. For more information on the Z5's menus, see the Characteristics section of the review.

Two other controls are positioned directly below the 2-inch, 114,000 pixel LCD monitor. The button on the right turns the camera On or Off. While the three position lever on the right serves to:

	select the recording mode using the 114,000 pixel electronic viewfinder which is equipped with diopter correction.
	select the recording mode using the LCD monitor.
	select the Playback with the LCD monitor active.

As noted at the outset, aside from the addition of a separate On/Off button, the DiMAGE Z5 is extremely similar to the Z3 externally, and therefore there is no major difference in the way the camera handles. The controls are quite well-positioned, and the shape of the camera makes it comfortable to use.

Still, one area of the Z5 could have been better: its EVF. While it offers a bigger and better monitor than the Z3, the Z5's EVF has a low resolution and its image is prone to loosing detail when the subject is brightly lit. Moreover, once the camera AF locks onto a subject, there is a noticeable image freeze that can be occasionally disconcerting.