Konica Minolta Dimage A1 manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL[...]

2 E XAMPLES Black & White - produces monochrome images. COLOR MODE The color mode controls whether a still image is color or black and white as well as the color space. The color mode is set in section 3 of the recording menu (p. 80). The live image on the monitors will reflect the selected color mode. For more on the color mode see page 102. N[...]

Thank you for purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of your new camera. Check the packing list before using this product. If any items are missing, immediately contact your camera dealer . 3 BEFORE YOU BEGIN Minolta, The essentials of imaging, and DiMAG[...]

FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE 4 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE NP-400 LITHIUM-ION BA TTERIES This camera operates on a powerful lithium-ion battery . Misuse or abuse of the lithium- ion battery can cause damage or injury through fire, electric shock, or chemical leakage. Read and understand all warnings before using the battery . DANGER • Do not short, disas[...]

5 GENERAL PRODUCT W ARNINGS AND CAUTIONS W ARNING • Only use the battery specified in this manual. • Only use the specified charger or AC adapter within the voltage range indicated on the unit. An inappropriate adapter or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. • Only use the charger power cord in the sales region f[...]

6 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE • Do not use these products near inflammable gases or liquids such as gasoline, benzine, or paint thinner . Do not use inflammable products such as alcohol, benzine, or paint thinner to clean these products. The use of inflammable cleaners and solvents may cause an explosion or fire. • When unplugging the AC adapter o[...]

7 CAUTION • Do not use or store these products in a hot or humid environment such as the glove compartment or trunk of a car . It may damage the camera, charger , and battery which may result in burns or injuries caused by heat, fire, explosion, or leaking battery fluid. • If the battery is leaking, discontinue use of the product. • The camer[...]

8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Names of parts ................................................................................................................. ...................14 Camera body ...........................................................................................................................14 Data panel .............................[...]

9 Enlarged playback ...................................................................................................................43 Viewing movies ........................................................................................................................44 Advanced recording .......................................................[...]

10 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Navigating the recording-mode menu .....................................................................................80 Image size and image quality ..................................................................................................8 2 About RA W image quality..................................................[...]

11 Navigating the playback menu ..............................................................................................1 16 Frame-selection screen ......................................................................................................... 11 8 Delete ..............................................................................[...]

12 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Delete confirmation ............................................................................................................ ....145 Data-transfer mode ............................................................................................................................146 System requirements ........................[...]

13 This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Changes or modifications not approved by the party responsible for comp[...]

* This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surfaces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p. 162). 14 N AMES OF P ARTS CAMERA BODY Data panel (p. 17) Front control dial Shutter-release button Focusing ring (p. 46) Focal-length index Zooming ring Lens* Card-slot [...]

/ 15 Display mode switch (p. 39) Menu button Controller AE lock button (p. 50) Eyepiece sensors* Magnification button DC/Remote-control terminal cover (p. 25, 57) Access lamp QV/ Delete button (p. 40) Main switch and mode switch Playback mode (p. 40, 1 15) Recording mode (p. 32, 45) Movie mode (p. 38, 1 12) Manual exposure (p. 56) Display informati[...]

16 N AMES OF P ARTS Function button Macro release (p. 49) Focus-mode switch (p. 46) Diopter-adjustment dial (p. 29) T ripod socket Memory set (p. 72) Metering modes (p. 69) Drive modes (p. 61) White balance (p. 70) Camera sensitivity (p. 74) Function dial (p. 60) Digital-Effects Controller (p. 77) Flash sync terminal (p. 76) Accessory shoe Speaker [...]

17 DA T A P ANEL Camera-sensitivity indicator (p. 74) Battery-condition indicator (p. 24) White-balance indicator (p. 70) Image-quality display (p. 82) Image-size display (p. 82) Flash-compensation indicator (p. 59) Single-frame advance (p. 33) Located on the top of the camera body , the data panel shows the status of the camera. All icons have bee[...]

8. Color-saturation-compensation display (p. 77) 18 N AMES OF P ARTS MONITOR DISPLA Y - RECORDING MODE 2. Flash-mode indicator (p. 61) 5. Flash-compensation display (p. 77) 7. Sharpness display (p. 97) 9. Contrast-compensation display (p. 77) 17. Exposure-compensation display (p. 59) 1 1. White-balance indicator (p. 70) 10. Camera-sensitivity (ISO)[...]

19 MONITOR DISPLA Y - QUICK VIEW & PLA YBACK MODE 7. Frame number / total number of images 5. Lock indicator (p. 121) 6. Print indicator (p. 126) 1 1. Image-size display (p. 82) 10. Image-quality indicator (p. 82) 2. T ime of capture 1. Mode indicator 4. V oice-memo indicator (p. 1 15) 16. White-balance setting (p. 70) 15. Sensitivity setting ([...]

20 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING GETTING UP AND RUNNING This section covers the preparation of the camera. This includes the changing of batteries and memory card as well as the use of external power supplies. A TT ACHING THE CAMERA STRAP REMOVING THE LENS CAP Using your thumb and index finger , pinch the inside or outside tabs of the lens cap to remove.[...]

21 A TT ACHING THE LENS HOOD Slide the hood onto the end of the lens and turn it 90° clockwise until it clicks and the circular dimple is aligned with the focal-length index (2). When mounted correctly , the large petals of the lens hood should be to the top and bottom. Never force the lens hood. If it does not fit, check its orientation. T o deta[...]

22 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING CHARGING THE BA TTERY Before the camera can be used, the lithium-ion battery must be charged. Before charging the battery , read the safety warnings on page 4 of this manual. Only recharge the battery with the supplied battery charger . The battery should be recharged before each shooting session. See page 164 for battery[...]

INST ALLING AND CHANGING THE BA TTER Y Open the battery-chamber door by sliding the battery- chamber lock to the open position. Insert the battery with the battery contacts first. Insert the battery so that it slides past the battery latch in the chamber . Push the battery into the chamber until the latch clicks into place. This digital camera uses[...]

24 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING BA TTERY CONDITION INDICA TOR Full-battery indicator - the batteries are fully charged. This indicator is displayed for five seconds on the monitors when the camera is turned on. The indicator remains on the data panel. Blinking low-battery warning - displayed on the data panel with no other icons. Power is insufficient f[...]

25 EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEP ARA TEL Y) The AC Adapter allows the camera to be powered from an electrical household outlet. The AC Adapter is recommended when the camera is interfaced with a computer or during periods of heavy use. AC Adapter model AC-1L is for use in North America, Japan, and T aiwan, and AC-1 1 is for use in all other are[...]

26 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING INSERTING AND CHANGING A MEMORY CARD A memory card must be inserted for the camera to operate. If a card has not been inserted, a no-card warning will be displayed on the monitors. T ype I and II CompactFlash cards and IBM Microdrives are compatible with this camera. For memory card care and handling, see page 163. Open t[...]

27 123 4 T o eject a card, open the card-slot door (1), and press and release the card-eject lever to extend it (2). Press (3) the card-eject lever to eject the card (3). The card can now be pulled out. T ake care when removing the card as it becomes hot with use. The card-eject lever should remain inside the camera body . If it extends, push it in[...]

28 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor , grip the camera firmly with your right hand while supporting the body with the palm of your left hand. Keep your elbows at your side and your feet shoulder-width apart to hold the camera steadily . HANDLING THE CAMERA TURNING ON THE CAMERA Access lamp Press the [...]

29 The EVF has a built-in diopter that can be adjusted between –5.0 to +2.0. While looking through the EVF , turn the diopter-adjustment dial until the viewfinder image is sharp. The electronic viewfinder can be tilted between 0° and 90°. Simply grip the finder between your fingers and move it to the position desired. DIOPTER ADJUSTMENT ADJUSTI[...]

30 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING SETTING THE DA TE AND TIME After initially inserting a memory card and battery , the camera’s clock and calendar must be set. When images are recorded, the image data is saved with the date and time of recording. Depending on the region, the menu language may also have to be set. T o change the language, see the camera [...]

31 Use the right controller key to highlight the 2 nd tab at the top of the menu. Use the down key to highlight the date/time-set menu option. Press the central button to display the date/time setting screen. Use the left and right keys to select the item to be changed. Press the central button to set the clock and calendar . The setup menu will be[...]

32 B ASIC RECORDING SETTING THE CAMERA TO RECORD IMAGES AUTOMA TICALL Y EVF AND LCD MONITOR DISPLA Y Set the exposure dial to the program (P) position (1). Confirm the mode switch is in the recording position (2). All camera operations are now fully automatic. The autofocus, exposure, and imaging systems will work together to make photography effor[...]

2 33 BASIC RECORDING OPERA TION Place the subject within the focus frame. For off-center subjects, use the focus-lock function (p. 34). The subject must be within the focus range of the lens: 0.5m (1.6ft) - ∞ . For subjects closer than 0.5m (1.6ft), use the macro function (p. 49). Use the zooming ring to frame the subject (1). The effect of the z[...]

34 B ASIC RECORDING FOCUS LOCK The focus-lock function is used when the subject is off-center and outside the focus frame. Focus lock may also be used when a special focusing situation prevents the camera from focusing on the subject. Place the subject within the focus frame. Press and hold the shutter-release button partway down. • The focus sig[...]

This digital camera has a quick, accurate autofocusing system. The focus signals in the lower right corner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the focus status. For more information on autofocus modes, see p. 46. FOCUS SIGNALS SPECIAL FOCUSING SITUA TIONS The camera may not be able to focus in certain situations. If the autofocus system cannot focu[...]

36 B ASIC RECORDING USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH FLASH RANGE - AUTOMA TIC OPERA TION T o use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side. The flash position must be set manually , and once up, the flash unit will always fire regardless of the amount of ambient light. The following indicators will appear in the upper left corner of the[...]

/ ANTI-SHAKE SYSTEM 37 When Anti-shake is off, the white indicator appears to warn the shutter speed is too long for the camera to be safely handheld. The yellow indicator appears when the Anti-shake system is activated, but the shutter speed is too slow for it to be effective. The blue indicator appears when the Anti-shake system is activated. If [...]

Movie files are recorded at approximately 522KB per second. A 16MB Compactflash card can store about 19 seconds of digital video with audio. Actual time depends on the subject and the amount of free space on the memory card. For more on movie recording, see page 1 12. Set the mode switch to the movie recording (1) position. Before recording, the da[...]

/ 39 DISPLA Y MODE SWITCH Auto display - the camera will automatically change between displaying the live image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor . The EVF’s eye sensors monitor if the EVF is being used and switches the display location accordingly . EVF display - the live image will only be displayed in the electronic viewfinder . Under bright li[...]

T o view images from the playback mode, turn the mode switch to the playback position. T o view images from the recording or movie recording modes, press the Quick View / delete button. 40 B ASIC PLA YBACK SINGLE-FRAME PLA YBACK AND HIST OGRAM DISPLA Y Date of capture Frame number/ total number of images Image size (p. 82) Image quality (p. 82) T i[...]

T o return to a recording mode from Quick View , press the menu button. VIEWING IMAGES AND HISTOGRAM 41 T o delete a displayed image, press the QV/delete button; a confirmation screen will appear . The displayed image can be deleted. Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered. Press the controller to execute the command on the confirmation screen. [...]

42 B ASIC PLA YBACK The display-information button controls the display format. Each time the button is pressed, the display cycles through to the next format: full display , image only , index playback. Full display Image only Index playback In index playback, the four-way keys of the controller will move the yellow border to the adjacent image. W[...]

43 ENLARGED PLA YBACK In single-frame playback, a still image can be enlarged for closer examination from 1.2X. The degree of maximum magnification depends on image size: 8X for 2560X1920, 6.4X for 2080X1560, 5X for 1600X1200, 2X for 640X480, and 4X for 1280X960 digital-zoom images. RA W and TIFF images cannot be enlarged. With the image to be enla[...]

44 A DV ANCED RECORDING Movies can be played back on the camera. Movie files are indicated by an indicator at the bottom of the display . Press the center of the controller to play back the file. T o cancel the playback, press the menu button. VIEWING MOVIES Press the controller to pause the movie; pressing the controller again will resume the play[...]

45 The display-information button controls what information is displayed with the live image. Each time the button is pressed, the display cycles to the next format: standard display , real-time histogram, focus frame, and live image only . The real-time histogram shows the approximate luminance distribution of the live image. This histogram will n[...]

46 A DV ANCED RECORDING FOCUS-MODE SWITCH Single-shot AF (Autofocus), continuous AF , and manual focus is set with the focus-mode switch. Slide the switch to select the appropriate focus mode. Single-shot AF - a general purpose autofocusing mode. Its operation is described in the basic recording section. Continuous AF - used for photographing movin[...]

DIGIT AL ZOOM The digital zoom doubles the lens magnification. The digital zoom cannot be used with RA W image quality or in movie recording. Press the magnification button on the back of the camera. The effect is immediate and X2.0 is displayed in top right corner of the live image. Pressing the magnification button a second time cancels the digit[...]

48 A DV ANCED RECORDING FLEX FOCUS POINT The Flex Focus Point (FFP) is a powerful tool for off-center subjects. It can be moved to any point in the image area. The FFP cannot be used with the digital zoom or movie recording. Use the controller ’s four-way keys (1) to move the Flex Focus Point in the live image. Press and hold the center button of[...]

49 The macro mode is used for close-up photographs of small objects. The built-in flash cannot be used with macro mode. The use of a tripod is recommended. Align one of the arrows on the zooming ring with the index next to the macro switch and slide the switch forward. The lens must be zoomed to the wide-angle or telephoto position for the macro sw[...]