Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi manual

INSTR UCTION MANU AL E 9222-2778-11 MM-A208[...]

2[...]

Thank you f or purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjo y all the f eatures of your new camer a. This manual contains inf ormation regarding products introduced before September , 2002. T o obtain compatibility inf ormation for products released after this date, contact a M[...]

Read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product. Using batteries improper ly can cause them to leak har mful solutions, o v erheat, or e xplode which ma y damage proper ty or cause personal injur y . Do not ignore the f ollowing w arnings. • Only use the batteries specified in this instr uction manual. • Do not install t[...]

5 • Use only the specified A C adapter within the voltage r ange indicated on the adapter unit. An inappropriate adapter or current ma y cause damage or injur y through fire or electric shock. • Do not disassemble this product. Electr ic shock ma y cause injur y if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched. • Immediately remov e th[...]

6 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE • Do not use or store the product in a hot or humid environment such as the glo v e compar tment or trunk of a car . It may damage the product and batteries which may result in b urns or injur ies caused by heat, fire , e xplosion, or leaking batter y fluid. • If batteries are leaking, discontinue use of the product. [...]

7 Names of par ts ....................................................................................................................................12 Camera body ...........................................................................................................................12 Data panel ................................................[...]

8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Adv anced recording .............................................................................................................................40 Displa y controls – recording mode ..........................................................................................40 Pro-auto button ...................................[...]

9 Contrast compensation ...............................................................................................76 Color-saturation compensation ...................................................................................77 Filter .........................................................................................................[...]

10 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Ordering an index print ........................................................................................................ ..115 Canceling a DPOF pr int order ...............................................................................................115 Cop ying images ................................................[...]

11 Disconnecting the camera from the computer ......................................................................142 Windows 98 / 98 second edition..............................................................................142 Windows ME, 2000 Prof essional, and XP ................................................................142 Macintosh..[...]

* This camera is a sophisticated optical instr ument. Care should be taken to k eep these surf aces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p . 148). 12 N AMES OF P ARTS CAMERA BOD Y Data panel (p . 15) Pro-auto button (p . 42) Control dial Shutter-release button F ocusing ring (p. 43) F ocal-length inde x Z[...]

13 Accessor y shoe Displa y mode s witch Displa y inf ormation button (p . 40, 36) Electronic viewfinder* (EVF) (p . 31) LCD monitor* (p . 16) Menu b utton Controller DC/A V -out terminal cov er Spot-AE lock b ut- ton (p . 43) Batter y-chamber lock (p . 20) Eyepiece sensors* (p . 40) Magnification button Remote-control ter minal cov er (p . 57) Acc[...]

14 N AMES OF P ARTS Function button Macro release (p . 47) F ocus-mode (AF/MF) button (p . 43) Digital-eff ects s witch Diopter-adjustment dial (p . 31) Tr ipod sock et Memor y (p . 50) Metering modes (p. 51) Exposure modes (p . 52) Drive modes (p . 58) White balance (p . 67) Camera sensitivity (p . 70) Digital-eff ects button Function dial (p . 48[...]

15 DA T A P A N E L Digital-subject-program indicators (p . 32) Camera-sensitivity indicator (p . 70) Exposure-mode indicators (p . 52) Batter y-condition indicator (p . 21) White-balance indicators (p . 67) Red-ey e reduction indicator (p . 88) Manual-f ocus indicator (p . 43) Image-quality displa y (p . 85) Image-size displa y (p . 84) Flash-comp[...]

7. Color-saturation-compensation displa y (p . 77) 16 N AMES OF P ARTS MONIT OR DISPLA Y – RECORDING MODE 2. Flash-mode indicator (p. 88) 5. Flash-compensation display (p . 74) 9. Shar pness display (p . 99) 8. Contrast-compensation displa y (p . 76) 10. Exposure-compensation display (p . 74) 11. White-balance indicator (p . 67) 17. Camera-sensit[...]

17 Shutter speed Aper ture value White-balance setting (p . 67) Sensitivity setting (p . 70) Degree of e xposure compensation (p . 74) F older name (p . 140) F older number – image file number Histogram Image size (p . 84) Image quality (p .85) Date of capture Mode indicator The blac k area of the histogr am shows the luminance distrib ution of t[...]

18 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING GETTING UP AND R UNNING This section cov ers the preparation of the camer a. This includes the changing of batteries and mem- or y card as well as the use of e xternal power supplies . AT TA CHING THE CAMERA STRAP REMO VING THE LENS CAP Using your thumb and inde x finger , pinch the inside or outside tabs of the lens cap [...]

19 AT TA CHING THE LENS HOOD To mount the lens hood, align the rectangular dimple on the rim of the hood with the focal-length inde x on the top of the lens barrel (1). Slide the hood onto the end of the lens and tur n it 90° clockwise until it clic ks and the circular dimple is aligned with the f ocal-length inde x (2). When mount- ed correctly ,[...]

20 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING INST ALLING AND CHANGING BA TTERIES Open the batter y-chamber door by mo ving the batter y-chamber loc k to the open position. Inser t the batter ies. Make sure the positiv e and negative batter y ter minals are orientated as illustrated on the diagram in the bat- ter y chamber . This digital camera uses f our AA-siz e ni[...]

21 BA TTER Y CONDITION INDICA T OR Full-batter y – the batteries are fully charged. This icon is display ed f or fiv e seconds on the monitors when the camera is turned on. The icon remains on the data panel. Blinking low battery war ning – displa y ed on the data panel with no other icons. P ower is insufficient f or camera oper ation. The shu[...]

22 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING EXTERNAL PO WER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEP ARA TEL Y) INSER TING AND CHANGING A MEMOR Y CARD The A C Adapter allows the camer a to be pow ered from an electrical household outlet. The AC Adapter is recommended when the camera is interf aced with a computer or during periods of heavy use. A C Adapter model A C-1L is f or use in No[...]

23 Open the card-slot door in the direction indicated (1). To eject a memor y card, lift (2) then press (3) the card-eject lev er . The card can now be pulled out. Ta ke care when removing the card as it becomes hot with use . Inser t a memor y card into the card slot until the card-eject lev er pops out (4). Inser t the card so the f ace is tow ar[...]

24 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING SETTING THE D A TE AND TIME After initially inser ting a memor y card and batter y , the camera’ s clock and calendar must be set. When images are recorded, the image data is sav ed with the date and time of recording. Depending on the region, the menu language ma y also ha v e to be set. T o change the language, see th[...]

25 Use the right controller ke y to highlight the advanced 2 tab at the top of the menu. Use the down k e y to highlight the date/time-set menu option. Press the central b utton to displa y the date/time setting screen. Use the left and right ke ys to select the item to be changed. Press the central b utton to set the clock and calen- dar . The set[...]

1 2 26 B ASIC RECORDING SETTING THE CAMERA T O RECORD IMA GES A UT OMA TICALL Y EVF AND LCD MONIT OR DISPLA Y While holding in the dial release (1), tur n the mode dial to still- image recording; the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor will activ ate. Press the pro-auto button (2) to reset the prog rammed and automatic functions. All camera[...]

3 4 27 BASIC RECORDING OPERA TION Place the subject within the f ocus frame . •F or off-center subjects use the focus-loc k function (p . 28). • Make sure the subject is within the f ocus range of the lens: 0.5m (1.6ft) – ∞ .F or subjects closer than 0.5m, use the macro function (p . 47). Press the shutter-release button all the w a y do wn[...]

28 B ASIC RECORDING FOCUS LOCK The f ocus-lock function is used when the subject is off-center and outside the f ocus frame. F ocus lock ma y also be used when a special focusing situation pre v ents the camera from f ocusing on the subject. Place the subject within the f ocus frame . Press and hold the shutter-release button partwa y down. • The[...]

This digital camera has a quic k, accurate autof ocusing system. The focus signals in the lo wer right cor ner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the focus status . For more inf ormation on autofocus modes see p . 83. FOCUS SIGNALS SPECIAL FOCUSING SITU A TIONS The camera ma y not be ab le to f ocus in cer tain situations. If the autof ocus system[...]

30 B ASIC RECORDING USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH FLASH RANGE – A UT OMA TIC OPERA TION To 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 alwa ys fire regardless of the amount of ambient light. The follo w- ing indicators will appear in the upper left cor [...]

While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor , gr ip the camera firmly with your right hand while suppor ting the body with the palm of your left hand. K eep y our elbo ws at your side and y our f eet shoulder-width apar t to hold the camera steadily . HANDLING THE CAMERA CAMERA-SHAKE W ARNING The EVF has a built-in diopter that can b[...]

32 B ASIC RECORDING DIGIT AL-SUBJECT -PR OGRAM BUTT ON The digital-subject-program b utton (1) optimiz es the camera’ s perf ormance for v arious conditions and subjects. Exposure, white-balance, and image-processing systems w ork in unison f or beautiful results. Pressing the digital-subject-program b utton cycles through the modes: por trait, s[...]

33 While camera perf ormance is optimized f or each shooting condition, some changes can be made to camera settings with subject progr ams. The autofocus mode can be changed (p . 83). The spor ts action mode uses continuous AF , the other modes use single AF . The Digital Effects Controller can be used to adjust image brightness, contrast, and colo[...]

To view images from the pla ybac k mode , tur n the mode dial to the pla yback position. To view images from the recording or mo vie recording modes, press the Quic k View / delete b utton. 34 B ASIC PLA YBA CK SINGLE-FRAME PLA YBA CK AND HIST OGRAM DISPLA Y Date of capture Fr ame number/ total number of images Lock indicator (p . 111) Print indica[...]

35 To retur n to a recording mode from Quick View , press the menu button. Controller QV/Delete button VIEWING IMA GES To delete a displa yed image , press the QV/delete b utton; a confir mation screen will appear . The displa yed image can be deleted. Once deleted, an image cannot be recov ered. Press the controller to e x ecute the command on the[...]

36 B ASIC PLA YBA CK In the center of the displa y s witch, the displa y-inf ormation button controls the displa y f ormat. Each time the button is pressed, the displa y cycles through to the next f ormat: full display , image only , inde x pla ybac k. Full displa y Image only Inde x pla ybac k In inde x pla ybac k, the left/right keys of the contr[...]

37 ENLARGED PLA YBA CK In single-frame pla ybac k, a still image can be enlarged f or closer e xamination. Images can be mag- nified between 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X increments . 640 X 480 size images can only be magnified betw een 1.2X and 2.0X. RA W and super fine images cannot be enlarged. With the image to be enlarged displa yed, press the magnifi[...]

38 B ASIC PLA YBA CK Standard, Night, time-lapse, and UHS contin uous-advance mo vies can be pla y ed bac k on the cam- era. Movie files are indicated b y a icon at the bottom of the displa y . Standard and Night Movies are also indicated by a thumbnail of the first fr ame. Press the center of the controller to pla y back the file . To cancel the p[...]

39 VIEWING IMA GES ON A TELEVISION It is possible to vie w camera images on y our tele vision. The camera has a video-out ter minal which can be used to connect the camera to a tele vision using the supplied A V cable . The camera is com- patible with the NTSC and P AL standards. The video-output setting can be chec ked and set in the adv anced 2 s[...]

40 A DV ANCED RECORDING DISPLA Y CONTROLS – RECORDING MODE A uto displa y – the camera will automatically change betw een displa ying the liv e image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor . The EVF’ s ey e sensors monitor if the EVF is being used and switches the displa y location accordingly . EVF displa y – the liv e image will only be displa [...]

41 In the center of the displa y s witch, the displa y-inf ormation button controls what inf ormation is display ed with the liv e image. Each time the button is pressed, the displa y cycles to the ne xt f ormat: standard display , focus fr ame, real-time histogram, and liv e image only . The number of screens and their f ormats can be changed in t[...]

42 A DV ANCED RECORDING Flash mode Color-saturation compensation Exposure mode PR O-A UT O BUTT ON Simply pressing the pro-auto button (1) resets the camer a to pro- gr ammed and automatic functions in the still-image recording mode. The camera’ s systems work together to br ing prof essional results leav- ing the operator free to concentrate on [...]

43 The spot-AE lock b utton belo w the main dial on the back of the body loc ks the auto- matic e xposure system. This function allows the e xposure to be set by a specific ele- ment within the scene or a gra y card outside the scene. When the spot-AE lock b utton is pressed and held, the spot metering circle is dis- pla yed indicating the area use[...]

44 A DV ANCED RECORDING AU T OFOCUS AREAS AND CONTROL In still-image recording mode, the controller selects the f ocus area used and mo v es the spot-f ocus area within the image. The two focus areas , wide f ocus area and spot f ocus point, allo w fle xibility ov er a v ariety of situations. The wide f ocus area is an arra y of local f ocus areas [...]

45 FLEX FOCUS POINT Once displa yed, the spot f ocus area can be mov ed to any point in the image area. This Flex F ocus P oint is a powerful tool f or off-center subjects . The Fle x F ocus P oint cannot be used with the digital z oom (p . 46). With the spot-f ocus-area cross displa y ed, use the controller’ s four-w a y ke ys (1) to mov e the f[...]

1280 X 960 Image size setting 2560 X 1920 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 1280 X 960 1280 X 960 640 X 480 Recorded image size 46 A DV ANCED RECORDING DIGIT AL ZOOM The digital zoom doub les the lens magnification. The digital z oom cannot be used with RA W image quality or in movie recording. Press the magnification button (1) on the bac k of the [...]

47 The macro mode is used f or close-up photographs of small objects . The marco mode can be used with the digital zoom to increase the close-up eff ect. Subject programs and mo vie recording can be used with the macro setting. The built-in flash cannot be used with macro mode . Align one of the arrows on the z oom ring with the arrow ne xt to the [...]

48 A DV ANCED RECORDING SETTING THE FUNCTION DIAL The memor y function, metering mode, e xposure mode, driv e mode, white balance , and camera sen- sitivity are controlled by the function dial. Making changes with the function dial is simple. The func- tion dial can only be used f or still photograph y . Tu rn the function dial to the mode to be ch[...]

49 Dial MEM P ASM DRIVE WB ISO Displa y P A S 100, 200, 400, 800. Setting Memor y registers or the setting function are selected with a spe- cial menu displa y ed on the moni- tors. Multi-segment Center weighted Spot Program Aper ture pr iority Shutter prior ity Manual Single-frame adv ance Continuous adv ance Self-timer Inter val Brac keting A uto[...]

50 A DV ANCED RECORDING MEMOR Y – ST ORING CAMERA SETTINGS Fiv e sets of camera settings can be sa v ed. This sav es time under frequently repeating conditions by eliminating the need to set the camer a. Except for the spot AEL button, subject prog rams , data imprinting, voice memo , and instant pla yback settings , all recording-mode camera set[...]

51 METERING MODES The icons indicating the metering mode are display ed on the monitors only . Do not confuse these icons with the f ocus signals (p . 29). The metering mode is changed with the function dial (p . 48). When center-weighted or spot metering is selected, pressing the shutter-release button partwa y down will activ ate the e xposure sy[...]

52 A DV ANCED RECORDING P EXPOSURE MODES A S M Program – the camer a controls both the shutter speeds and aper ture. Aper ture pr iority – the photographer selects the aper ture and the camera sets the appro- priate shutter speed. Manual e xposure – the photogr apher selects both the shutter speed and aper ture. Shutter prior ity – the phot[...]

53 PR OGRAM – P The programmed AE e xposure control uses luminance and focal-length inf ormation to ensure perfect e xposures. The sophisticated exposure system allo ws the photographer the freedom to shoot without having to w orr y about the technical details of e xposure settings. The shutter speed and aper ture v al- ues of the e xposure are d[...]

The aper ture values can be changed b y half stop increments between f/2.8 and f/8 at the lens’ wide- angle position and f/3.5 to f/9.5 at the lens’ telephoto position. If the aper ture v alue is bey ond the shutter-speed range , the shutter-speed displa y will blink on the data panel and turn red on the moni- tors. The shutter speed range in a[...]

The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camer a sets the appropriate aper ture to ensure correct e xposure . When S mode is selected, the shutter speed on the monitors tur ns blue . Tu rn the control dial (1) to set the desired shutter speed. Press the shutter-release button partwa y down to activ ate the e xposure system (2); the corres[...]

Manual e xposure mode allo ws individual selection of shutter speeds and aper tures. This mode ov errides the e xposure system giving the photographer total control o v er the final e xposure. The shutter speeds and aper ture values can be changed in half stop increments . The shutter speed range in manual e xposure mode is 15 to 1/2000 second incl[...]

Use the control dial (1) to decrease the shutter-speed until “bulb” is displa yed. To set the aper ture value, turn the digital eff ects s witch to e xpo- sure compensation (2) position. While pressing the digital eff ects button (3), turn the control dial (1) until the correct aper- ture is displa yed. To take the picture , press and hold the [...]

58 A DV ANCED RECORDING The drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Icons indi- cating the selected drive mode appear on the data panel and LCD monitor and in the EVF . See setting the function dial section on page 48. DRIVE MODES Single-frame adv ance – to tak e a single image each time the shutter-release button is pressed.[...]

Compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p . 27). Press the shutter-release button par twa y down (1) to loc k the e xposure and f ocus f or the series; if the autofocus mode is set to continuous AF , the lens will continually focus during the series (p. 83). Press and hold the shutter-release button all the wa y do wn (2) t[...]

60 A DV ANCED RECORDING HIGH-SPEED CONTINUOUS AD V ANCE Compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p . 27). Press the shutter-release button par twa y down (1) to loc k the e xposure and f ocus f or the series. Press and hold the shut- ter-release button all the w a y do wn (2) to begin taking pictures. The monitor will be bla[...]

61 UHS continuous-adv ance mode allows a series of 1280 X 960 images to be captured at a rate of appro ximately 7 frames per second; image size is changed to 640 X 480 when the digital zoom is used. The number of images that can be captured at one time depends on the image-quality setting: e xtra fine – 32 frames , fine – 62 frames , and standa[...]

62 A DV ANCED RECORDING BRA CKETING This mode makes a three image br ack et of a scene . Brack eting is a method of taking a series of images of a static subject in which each image has a slight v ariation in exposure . The camera is not limited to e xposure brac k ets, b ut can also mak e contrast, saturation, and filter br ack ets . Only one imag[...]

63 If the memor y card is filled or the shutter button is released bef ore the ser ies has completed, the camera will reset and the entire brac k et must be made again. To make a flash br ack et, set the digital-eff ects s witch to the e xposure position and raise the camera flash. When using flash, the brack et will not adv ance automatically; the[...]

64 A DV ANCED RECORDING INTER V AL Number of frames in the interval series Fr ame counter The inter val mode mak es a series of still or moving images o v er a period of time. Similar to time- lapse photograph y , a ser ies of images of a slow mo ving e v ent can be tak en: the blossoming of a flow er , the constr uction of a building. The built-in[...]

65 Confir m the memor y card has enough storage capacity f or the series by comparing the number of frames in the interval series with the number of recordable images displa yed on the frame counter . When taking still-images, image siz e and quality settings can be changed to increase the number of pictures that can be sav ed on the memory card. P[...]

66 A DV ANCED RECORDING Used f or self-por traits, the self-timer will dela y the release of the shutter for appro ximately ten sec- onds after the shutter is released. The self-timer is set with the function dial (p . 48). With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic record- ing section (p . 27). Focus loc k (p . 28) [...]

67 White balance is the camera’ s ability to make diff erent types of lighting appear neutral. The effect is similar to selecting da ylight or tungsten film, or using color compensating filters in conv entional photog raph y . Custom setting – f or using the custom white-balance setting. WHITE BALANCE No displa y Fluorescent – f or fluorescen[...]

68 A DV ANCED RECORDING AU T OMA TIC WHITE BALANCE PRESET WHITE BALANCE The automatic white balance compensates f or the color temperature of a scene . In most cases, the AU TO setting will balance the ambient light and create beautiful images, e v en under mix ed-lighting conditions. When the b uilt-in flash is used, the white balance is set f or [...]

To calibrate the camera, press the function b utton and turn the con- trol dial until the custom white-balance icon and “SET” appear on the data panel and red on the monitors. While holding the function b utton (1), use the up/do wn k eys of the controller (2) to select one of the three memor y registers. Select a white object and fill the imag[...]

70 A DV ANCED RECORDING CAMERA SENSITIVITY – ISO Fiv e settings can be selected f or camera sensitivity: Auto , 100, 200, 400, and 800; the numerical values are based on an ISO equiv alent. ISO is the standard used to indicate film sensitivity: the higher the number , the more sensitive the film. See setting the function dial section on page 48 t[...]

71 FLASH RANGE AND CAMERA SENSITIVITY Flash range (wide angle) ISO setting AU TO 100 200 400 800 0.5m ~ 3.8m / 1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft. Flash range (telephoto) 0.5m ~ 3.0m / 1.6 ft. ~ 9.8 ft. 0.5m ~ 2.7m / 1.6 ft. ~ 8.8 ft. 0.5m ~ 3.8m / 1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft. 0.5m ~ 5.4m / 1.6 ft. ~ 17.6 ft. 0.5m ~ 7.6m / 1.6 ft. ~ 25 ft. 0.5m ~ 2.1m / 1.6 ft. ~ 6.9 ft. 0.5[...]

To e xtend the v ersatility of the camera, an accessory flash unit (sold separately) can be mounted on the camera. See page 154 f or a list of compatible flash units . Alwa ys remov e the accessor y flash when the camera is not in use , and replace the accessor y-shoe cap to protect the contacts. Slide the accessor y-shoe cap off as shown. Mount th[...]

Tu rn the digital-eff ect s witch to the image characteristic to be adjusted. Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combina- tion. Adjustments remain in effect until man ually reset. When set to any v alue other than z ero , an icon will be displa yed on the monitors as a w arning. To adjust flash compensation, the up/down k eys of the controll[...]

74 A DV ANCED RECORDING EXPOSURE AND FLASH COMPENSA TION The ambient light and flash e xposure can be adjusted bef ore the image is captured to make the final picture lighter or dark er . Exposure can be adjust- ed by as m uch as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments (p . 79). The e xposure and flash compensation will remain in eff ect until it has been reset. A[...]

Sometimes the camera’ s exposure meter is deceiv ed by cer tain conditions. Changing the e xposure v alue can compensate f or these situations. F or e xample, a v ery br ight scene, such as a sno wy land- scape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Bef ore taking the picture, adjusting the e xposure by +1 or +2 EV wil[...]

76 A DV ANCED RECORDING The contrast of a scene can be adjusted within se v en le v els (±3) with the digital eff ects controller . If a scene is too contrasty , information will be lost; if a scene is flat, the image inf ormation is not optimized for the recording ability of the camera. Control ov er the contrast giv es photog raphers the ability[...]

The color saturation of a scene can be adjusted within se v en le v els (±3) with the digital eff ects controller . Colors can be accented or subdued. The color saturation must be set bef ore the image is captured. When chang- ing the color-saturation setting, an icon will appear in the liv e image. The monitors will indicate if an increase (+) or[...]

Photograph y can be a rewarding pursuit. It is a broad and disciplined field that can take y ears to master . But the pleasure in making photographs and the jo y of capturing a magical moment cannot be compared. The guide is an introduction to some basic photographic principles. The lens aper ture controls not only exposure , b ut also depth of fie[...]

79 The shutter controls not only e xposure, b ut also the ability to stop motion. F ast shutter speeds are used in spor t photograph y to stop action. Slow shutter speeds can be used to show the flo w of motion such as water cascading o v er a waterf all. The use of a tripod is recommended with slow shutter speeds. The change in aper ture and shutt[...]

1 2 Activate the recording-mode men u with the menu b utton (1). The “Basic” tab at the top of the menu will be highlighted. Use the left/r ight ke ys of the controller (2) to highlight the appropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. 80 R ECORDING MODE MENU NA VIGA TING THE RECORDING-MODE MENU In recording mode, pre[...]

Digital zoom 81 Please ref er to the f ollowing sections f or descriptions of the menu options and their settings. AF mode 2560 X 1920 1600 x 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 Super fine Extra fine Fine Standard Fill-flash Red-ey e Rear sync. Wireless Image size Quality Flash mode Basic Single Continuous RA W 1 – 4 Wireless Ch. ADI flash Pre-flash TTL Ma[...]

82 R ECORDING MODE MENU ELECTR ONIC KEYBO ARD The electronic ke yboard is used to enter te xt f or imprinting data or f or naming ne w f olders. The key- board automatically appears when te xt needs to be entered. To enter te xt, simply use the f our-wa y keys of the controller to highlight the desired character and then press the cen- tral b utton[...]

83 AU T OFOCUS MODES Do not confuse these icons with the metering-mode icons on page 51. Red f ocus indicator – the subject is too close or a special situation is pre v enting the AF sys- tem from f ocusing. The shutter can be released. Continuous AF indicator – f ocus confirmed. Single AF indicator – f ocus confirmed and locked. This digital[...]

84 IMA GE SIZE Changing image size aff ects the n umber of pix els in each image. The greater the image size , the larger the file size . Choose image size based on the final use of the image – smaller images will be more suitable f or web sites whereas larger sizes will produce higher quality prints. Image size m ust be set bef ore the picture i[...]

This camera has fiv e image quality settings: raw , super fine, e xtra fine, fine , and standard. Alwa ys select the desired setting bef ore taking the picture. See navigating the recording-mode men u on page 80. Image quality controls the rate of compression, b ut has no eff ect on the number of pix els in the image. The higher the image quality ,[...]

86 Because super-fine and RA W data files are so large, the UHS continuous-adv ance drive mode can- not be used with these image-quality settings. After capturing five RA W or three super fine images successiv ely , there will be a a fe w minutes dela y while the images are being sa v ed to the memor y card. The access lamp will glow and the monito[...]

87 IMA GE-FILE SIZE AND MEMOR Y CARD CAP A CITY RA W Super fine Extra fine Fine Standard 1–– – 124 1 5 27 1 1 36 51 4 2 1 4 8 10 23 33 65 Appro ximate number of images that can be stored on a 16MB CompactFlash card. Image size 2560 X 1920 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 RA W Super fine Extra fine Fine Standard 9.6MB – – – 14.2MB 5.6MB [...]

88 FLASH MODES Data panel EVF & LCD monitor – – Fill-flash Red-ey e reduc- tion Rear flash sync The flash mode can be changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p . 80). For the flash to fire , the unit must be manually lifted. The flash will fire in the selected mode regardless of the amount of ambient light. When the flash i[...]

89 Rear flash sync is used with long e xposures to make tr ailing lights or blurring appear to f ollow r ather than proceed the subject. The eff ect is not apparent if the shutter speed is too f ast and stops the subject’ s motion. When the shutter is released, a pre-flash will fire. This pre- flash does not e xposure the subject, but is used in [...]

90 R ECORDING MODE MENU WIRELESS/REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash allows the camer a to control an off- camera Minolta 5600HS(D) and 3600HS(D) flash unit with- out the need of a cable . Single or multiple flash units can be placed around the subject to create diff erent lighting eff ects. The camera’ s built-in flash fires to control the off-c[...]

91 Press and hold the mounting-f oot-release button (2) to dis- engage the saf ety catch to remov e the flash unit from the camera. P osition the camera and flash around the subject. See the f ollowing page f or the camera-to-subject and flash-to-subject r anges . Make sure no objects come between the camera and flash unit. Raise the built-in flash[...]

92 R ECORDING MODE MENU WIRELESS/REMO TE CAMERA AND FLASH RANGES Flash-to-subject distance Camera-to-subject distance The camera and flash must be within 5m or 16.4 ft of the subject. Aperture ƒ/2.8 ƒ/4 ƒ/5.6 ƒ/8 ISO 100 ISO 200/A UT O ISO 400 ISO 800 Camera sensitivity setting 1.4 m / 4.6 ft 1.0 m / 3.2 ft 0.7 m / 2.3 ft 0.5 m / 1.6 ft 2.0 m /[...]

93 NO TES ON WIRELESS/REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash perf orms best under subdued light or inter ior lighting. Under bright light sources, the flash ma y not be ab le to detect the control signals from the camera’ s built-in flash. The wireless/remote system has f our channels so that multiple lighting systems can be used in the same area wi[...]

94 R ECORDING MODE MENU FLASH CONTR OL ADI, pre-flash TTL, and manual flash controls are av ailab le. Flash control is changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p . 80). ADI flash metering – Advanced Distance Integr ation. This mode combines distance inf ormation from the autof ocusing system with inf ormation from a pre-flash expo[...]

8 / 26 11 / 36 16 / 52 22 / 72 95 The magnification button can be used to activ ate the digital z oom (p . 46) or enlarge the center of the image by 4X to aid man ual f ocusing. The function of the magnification b utton is selected in the adv anced 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p . 80). When electronic magnification is selected on the menu,[...]

96 R ECORDING MODE MENU When the spot-AE lock b utton is pressed and held, the e xposure is loc k ed. How the spot-AE lock b ut- ton operates and what functions it controls can be changed in the adv anced 1 section of the record- ing-mode menu (p . 80). If one of the AF/AE settings are selected, the meter ing mode set with the function dial will be[...]

97 DA TA IMPRINTING Data can be printed directly on the image. The imprinting function must be activated bef ore the image is taken. Once activ ated, data will continue to be imprinted until the function is reset; a yello w bar is displa yed behind the distance indicator and fr ame counter on the monitors to indicate the impr inting function is act[...]

98 R ECORDING MODE MENU COLOR MODE The color mode controls whether a still image is color or blac k and white . This must be set bef ore the image is recorded. The color mode is set in the adv anced 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p . 80). The liv e image on the monitors will reflect the selected color mode. The color mode has no effect on im[...]

99 SHARPNESS The shar pness of the image can be altered. This must be set bef ore the image is recorded. Shar pness is set in the advanced 2 section of the recording-mode men u (p . 80). If any setting other than nor mal is selected, the shar pness icon will be displa y ed on the monitors with the degree of shar pness. Recording-mode menu settings [...]

: delete : store Delete this frame? No Ye s INST ANT PLA YBA CK If the central b utton of the controller is pressed during the instant playbac k, the displa y ed image(s) will immediately be sav ed and the pla yback canceled. To delete an image during the instant playbac k, press the QV/delete b utton. A confirmation screen will appear . Use the le[...]

V oice memo allows a fiv e or fifteen second audio trac k to be record- ed with a still image. The function is activated and the length of the recording time is set in the adv anced 2 section of the recording- mode menu (p . 80). When the function is active , the microphone icon is displa yed on the data panel and LCD monitor . V oice memo must be [...]

Up to sixty seconds of digital video with or without audio can be recorded. The motion JPEG image is 320 X 240 pix els (QV GA). The effectiv e image area is 308 X 240 pix els; two thin lines will appear to the left and right of the image when play ed bac k. 102 M O VIE RECORDING MO VIE RECORDING Recording indicator Countdown in seconds Shooting dig[...]

Function Dial Exposure mode Digital zoom (Electronic magnification) White balance Metering mode Camera Sensitivity (ISO) F ocus mode (p . 81) A utof ocus area Program (fix ed) (p. 53) A uto white balance (fix ed) (p . 68) Center-weighted (fix ed) (p . 51) A uto (fix ed) (p . 70) Continuous AF (without audio) Single AF (with audio) Spot (fix ed) Dig[...]

Once a setting is made, the cursor returns to the menu options and the new setting is displa yed. T o retur n to the movie mode , press the menu b utton. 104 M O VIE RECORDING Movie mode STD . movie Basic A uto select Night movie A udio On / Off Use the up/down k ey to highlight the option whose setting needs to be changed. Press the right controll[...]

PR O-A UT O BUTT ON Simply pressing the pro-auto button (1) resets the camer a to pro- gr ammed and automatic functions in the movie recording mode . The camera’ s systems work together to br ing prof essional results leaving the operator free to concentrate on aesthetic decisions . The pro-auto b utton aff ects functions in either the recording [...]

Play Basic Adv .1 Adv .2 Delete For m at Lock Index f ormat – – – 9 frames 1 2 Activate the pla yback-mode menu with the menu b utton (1). The “Basic” tab will be highlighted. Use the left/right keys of the controller (2) to highlight the appropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. NA VIGA TING THE PLA YBA CK-[...]

107 Ref er to the f ollowing sections f or descriptions of the menu options and their settings. Pressing the down k e y of the controller will cancel the slide show pla yback and retur n to the pla ybac k-mode menu. F or inf ormation on frame-selection screens, see page 108. Delete Marked frames 9 frames 4 frames Lock Basic This frame Unlock fr ame[...]

108 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU FRAME-SELECTION SCREEN When a marked-frames setting is chosen on a men u, the frame selection screen will appear . This screen allows m ultiple files to be selected. The inde x f ormat of the screen can be changed in the basic section of the pla yback-mode men u (p . 106). The left/right keys of the controller mov e the y [...]

109 Single, m ultiple, or all images in a f older can be deleted with the pla ybac k-mode menu. Bef ore an image is deleted, a confir mation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” will ex ecute the oper ation, “No” will cancel the operation. T o delete images in other folders, the f older must first be selected in the adv anced 1 section of t[...]

110 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU FORMA TTING MEMOR Y CARDS The f ormatting function is used to erase all data on a memor y card. Bef ore f or matting a card, cop y the data to a computer or storage de vice . Locking files will not protect them from being deleted when the card is f ormatted. Alwa ys f ormat the memor y card using the camera; nev er use a c[...]

111 Single, m ultiple, or all images in a f older can be loc k ed. A lock ed image cannot be deleted by either the pla yback-mode men u functions or the QV/delete b utton. Impor tant images should be loc ked. T o lock images in other f olders, the f older must first be selected in the adv anced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). The loc k optio[...]

The adv anced 1 section of the pla yback-mode men u controls the slide-show function. This function automatically displa ys all still images in a f older in order . 112 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU SLIDE SHO W Image count- down / total n um- ber of images in the presentation. Press the central b utton of the controller to pause and restar t the presentati[...]

To select all the images in the f older to be displa y ed in the slide-show pre- sentation. 113 Slide show Menu options Pla yback Duration Settings Enter Repeat All frames Marked Fr ames 1 – 60s. Y es/No To select specific images in the f older to be displa y ed in the slide-show pre- sentation. When this setting is chosen, the frame-selection sc[...]

114 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU The print menu option is used to set an order f or standard prints from images in a specific folder . Single, m ultiple, or all images can be printed. If a memor y card has multiple folders , a printing file m ust be created f or each f older . Folders are selected in the adv anced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). Th[...]

115 When the this-frame or all-frames setting is chosen, a screen will appear requesting the n umber of copies of each image; a maximum of nine copies can be ordered. Use the up/down k eys of the con- troller to set the number of copies desired. If the all-frames setting was used to create a print order , any additional images sa v ed afterwards in[...]

116 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU COPYING IMA GES Image files can be copied from one memor y card to another . Up to 15MB of data can be transf erred. Ev er y time the cop y function is used, a new f older is automatically created for the image(s). This frame – T o copy the image currently displa yed. Marked frames – T o cop y single or multiple images[...]

117 OK W ait until the cop y-completed message is highlighted. A new screen will appear to indicate the name of the new f older containing the copied images; press the central b utton of the controller to retur n to the pla y- back men u. The cop y-unsuccessful message will appear when one or all of the files could not be copied. Check the second m[...]

Setup Basic Adv .1 Adv .2 LCDbrightness EVFbrightness A udio signals Shutter FX V olume 3 3 1 1 2 Language English 118 S ETUP MODE The “Basic” tab will be highlighted. Use the left/r ight ke y of the controll er to highlight the appropr iate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. NA VIGA TING THE SETUP MENU To access the m[...]

119 Choosing “Y es” will ex ecute the operation, “No” will cancel it. F or more inf ormation about the electronic ke yboard, see page 82. LCD brightness Basic 1 – 5 Deutsch Fr ançais Language English File # memor y Adv anced 1 F older name Select f older Date f orm On / Off Std. f orm (f older names) EVF brightness 1 – 5 Español New f[...]

120 S ETUP MODE EVF AND LCD MONIT OR BRIGHTNESS The brightness of the EVF and LCD monitor is set independently of each other . Br ightness is con- trolled in fiv e le v els from 1 (low) to 5 (high). As each setting is highlighted, the monitor will adjust accordingly; the central b utton of the controller must be pressed to set the highlighted le v [...]

121 V OLUME The v olume of the audio signals and sound eff ects can be increased or decreased in the basic sec- tion of the setup menu (p . 118). This aff ects the camera’ s audio signals as well as the pla ybac k le v els of an audio trac k. LANGU A GE The language used in the menus can be changed. FILE NUMBER (#) MEMOR Y When file number memory[...]

122 S ETUP MODE FOLDER NAME All recorded images are stored in f olders on the memor y card. Folder names come in two f ormats: standard and date. Standard f olders hav e an eight character name. The initial f older is named 100ML T10. The first three digits are the folder’ s ser ial number , which will increase by one each time a new f older is c[...]

123 NEW FOLDER This allows the creation of ne w f olders . The f older-name option on in the adv anced 1 section of the setup menu must be set to standard f or m in order to use the new-f older function. When selected, the electronic ke yboard (p . 82) automatically appears so the folder name can be entered. Once the name is typed in and the enter [...]

124 S ETUP MODE DISPLA Y MODE Standard displa y F ocus frame only Liv e image only Real-time histogram Scale Grid Setup Fo lder name Select folder New f older Display mode Std. display F ocus fr ame Histogram Grid Scale Direct MF Image only The recording mode dis- pla ys activ ated by the dis- pla y-inf ormation button (p . 41) can be selected in t[...]

125 DIRECT MANU AL FOCUS Direct manual f ocus allo ws manual adjustments to be made after the AF system has loc ked onto the subjects. Direct manual f ocus is activ ated in the adv anced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). Direct manual f ocus is canceled when continuous AF (p . 83) or manual f ocus (p . 43) is in use. 1 As described in the basi[...]

126 S ETUP MODE Image quality RESET DEF A UL T Unlike the pro-auto b utton (p . 42, 105), this function affects not only the recording mode , b ut also the movie , pla ybac k, and setup modes. When selected, a confirmation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” resets the f ollowing functions and settings , “No” cancels the operation. Default[...]

EVF auto s witch 127 AE hold Shar pness Color mode Data imprinting Instant pla yback Inde x pla yback f ormat Duration (Slide Show) Repeat (Slide Show) LCD monitor brightness EVF brightness A uto-power-sa v e period File number memory Normal Natural Color Off Off 9 frames 5 seconds No 3 3 1 minute Off A uto EVF/LCD 99 98 97 100 111 112 112 120 120 [...]

128 S ETUP MODE SETTING THE D A TE AND TIME It is impor tant to accurately set the clock. When a still image or a mo vie clip is recorded, the date and time of the recording are sav ed with the image and are displa yed during playbac k or can be read with the DiMA GE Viewer softw are included on the CD-ROM. The camera’ s clock is also used with d[...]

129 VIDEO OUTPUT Camera images can be displa y ed on a tele vision (p . 39). The video output can be changed between NTSC and P AL. Nor th America uses the NTSC standard and Europe uses the P AL standard. Chec k which standard is used in your region to pla y back images on your tele vision set. AU TO PO WER SA VE The control used to recall sav ed c[...]

In manual e xposure mode (p . 56), the shutter speed and aper ture v alue can be changed relative to each other without aff ecting the total e xposure. When this function is activ e, simply press and hold the spot-AE lock b utton and turn the control dial to change the shutter speed and aper ture combination. In manual e xposure mode (p . 56), the [...]

131 In the brac keting driv e mode (p . 62), the brac ket can be changed betw een the type indicated by the digital-eff ects s witch and e xposure brac k ets only . T wo settings are av ailab le: DEC control – the camera’ s initial setting as descr ibed on page 62. The type of brac k et depends on the position of the digital-eff ects s witch. E[...]

132 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE DA T A-TRANSFER MODE Read this section carefully bef ore connecting the camera to a computer . Details on using and installing the DiMA GE Viewer softw are are f ound in the supplied software man ual. The DiMA GE man- uals do not cov er the basic operation of computers or their oper ating systems; please refer to the manua[...]

133 CONNECTING THE CAMERA T O A COMPUTER Star t up the computer . The computer must be tur ned on before connecting the camera. Attach the other end of the USB cable to the computer’ s USB por t. Make sure the plug is firmly attached. The camera should be connected directly to the computer’ s USB por t. Attaching the camera to a USB hub ma y pr[...]

134 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE When the camera is properly connected to the computer , a drive icon, or v olume, will appear . When using Windo ws XP or Mac OS X, a window will open requesting instructions on what to do with the image data; f ollow the directions in the window . If the computer does not recognize the camera, dis- connect the camera and [...]

135 CHANGING THE MEMOR Y CARD (D A T A-TRANSFER MODE) Care should be taken when changing memory cards while the camera is attached to the computer . Data could be lost or damaged if the camera is not properly disconnected. Alwa ys confirm the access lamp is out before remo ving the memory card. WINDO WS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITION 1. T ur n off the came[...]

136 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE CONNECTING T O WINDO WS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITION The driver needs only to be installed once . If the dr iver cannot be installed automatically , it can be installed manually with the operating system’ s add-new-hardware wizard; see the instr uctions on the f ollowing page . Dur ing installation, if the operating system req[...]

137 Choose the recommended search f or a suitable driver . Clic k “Ne xt. ” Choose to specify the location of the driver . The browse windo w can be used to indicate the dri- v er location. When the location is shown in the window , click “Ne xt. ” The driver should be locat- ed in the CD-ROM driv e at :Win98USB. MANU AL INST ALLA TION To[...]

138 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE The add new hardw are wizard will confirm the location of the driver . One of three drivers ma y be located: MNL VENUM.inf, USBPDR.inf , or USB- STRG.inf . The letter designating the CD-R OM drive will v ary between computers. Click “Ne xt” to install the driver in the system. The last window will confirm the dr iv er [...]

139 CONNECTING T O MA C OS 8.6 To download and install this softw are, f ollo w the instruction on the Apple web site. Alwa ys read the attached ter ms and conditions bef ore installing any ne w softw are. To access this camera with a computer with Mac OS 8.6, the USB storage suppor t software must be installed first. This software is supplied b y [...]

140 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE MEMOR Y CARD FOLDER ORGANIZA TION Once the camera is connected to the computer , image and audio files can be accessed by doub le clic king on icons. Image f olders are located in the DCIM f older . T o copying images and audio recordings , simply drag and drop the file icon into a location in the computer . Files and fold[...]

141 Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” follo wed b y a f our-digit file n umber and a tif , mrw , jpg, jpe, mo v , or thm extension. V oice-memo files hav e a w av e xtension and the file name corresponds to its image file. The thumbnail images (thm) are used in camera and DiMAGE Viewer softw are opera- tion. When a new f older is cre[...]

DISCONNECTING THE CAMERA FR OM THE COMPUTER 142 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE WINDO WS ME, 2000 PR OFESSIONAL, AND XP Confir m that the access lamp is not lit. T urn the mode dial to another position and then disconnect the USB cable . Ne v er disconnect the camera when the access lamp is lit – the data or memory card may per manently be damaged. To disc[...]

143 The hardware de vices to be stopped will be dis- pla yed. Highlight the de vice b y clicking on it then clic k “Stop . ” Confir m that the access lamp is not lit and then drag the mass-storage de vice icon and drop it into the trash. Disconnect the USB cable . A confir mation screen will appear to indi- cate the de vices to be stopped. Clic[...]

144 T R OUBLESHOO TING Prob lem Symptom Cause Solution The camera will not work. Nothing displa yed on the data panel or the monitors. The batteries are dead. The batteries are inser ted incor- rectly . The A C adapter is not connected properly . Replace batteries (p. 20). Reinser t the batteries taking care that the negative and positiv e terminal[...]

145 Pictures are not shar p . F ocus signal is red. Subject is too close. Make sure the subject is within the aut- of ocus range (0.5m – ∞ / 1.6 ft – ∞ ) or use the macro mode (p . 47). The camera is in macro mode. Cancel the macro mode setting (p . 47). A special situation is pre venting the autof ocus system from f ocusing (p . 29 ) Use t[...]

146 T R OUBLESHOO TING If the camera does not function normally , tur n it off , remov e and reinser t the batteries, or unplug and reconnect the A C adapter . Alwa ys turn the camera off using the mode dial otherwise the memor y card ma y be damaged and camera settings reset. The camera temperature rises with e xtended periods of use. Care should [...]

147 1. Inser t a memor y card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USB cable . Other de vices m ust not be connected to the computer during this procedure. 2. Right click on the My-computer icon. Select “properties” from the drop-do wn menu. Windows XP: from the star t menu go to the control panel. Clic k on the perf or mance a[...]

148 C ARE AND ST ORA GE CLEANING • If the camera or the outside of the lens is dir ty , gently wipe it with a soft, clean, dr y cloth. If the camera or lens comes in contact with sand, gently blo w a wa y loose par ticles. Wiping may scratch the surf ace. •T o clean the lens surf ace, first b low a w a y any dust or sand, then, if necessary , m[...]

149 OPERA TING TEMPERA TURES AND CONDITIONS • This camera has been designed f or use in temperatures from 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F). •N ev er leav e the camera e xposed to extreme high temperatures , such as in a car parked in the sun, or to e xtreme humidity . • When taking the camera from a cold to a warm environment, place it in a se[...]

150 C ARE AND ST ORA GE BA TTERIES • Batter y perf ormance decreases with temperature. In cold environments , we recommend k eeping spare batteries in a warm place, such as the inside of a coat. Batteries can recover their po wer when the y warm up . As the perf ormance of Ni-MH batter ies are less aff ected by temper ature, their use is recommen[...]

151 LCD MONIT OR CARE • Although the LCD monitor is manuf actured using high precision technology , there may occasionally be a lack of color or bright points on the LCD monitor . • Do not apply pressure to the surf ace of the LCD monitor ; it may be permanently damaged. • In a cold environment, the LCD monitor ma y become temporar ily dark. [...]

152 T ECHNICAL SPECIFICA TIONS Number of eff ectiv e pix els: 5.0 million CCD: 2/3-type interline pr imar y-color CCD with a total of 5.2 million pix els . Camera sensitivity (ISO): Auto and 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO equiv alents. Aspect ratio: 4:3 Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups . Maximum aper ture: f/2.8 (wide-angle position), f/3.5 [...]

153 Specifications are based on the latest inf ormation availab le at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Batteries: 4 AA Ni-MH or alkaline batteries Batter y perf or mance (recording): Appro x. number of recorded images: 220 frames Based on Minolta’ s standard test method: 1850mAh Ni-MH batteries, full-size images (256[...]

154 A v ariety of Minolta accessor ies can be used with this camera to e xtend its perf ormance. For more details on the items listed below and in other sections of this man ual, contact your local Minolta deal- er . Close-up Diffuser CD-1000 Used directly on the camera with the b uilt-in flash to provide soft lighting f or close-up photograph y . [...]

155 Filter le v els with color images Wa r m Cool Filter settings with b lac k and white images Red Green Magenta Blue F or more on Filter eff ects, see page 77. FIL TER[...]

© 2002 Minolta Co ., Ltd. under the Ber ne Conv ention and the Univ ersal Cop yright Conv ention. 0-43325-53120-0 Printed in Ger many[...]