Minolta DiMAGE 7i manual

INSTRUCTION MANU AL E 9222-2779-11 HA-A205[...]

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 features of y our new camera. This manual contains inf or mation regarding products introduced before Ma y , 2002. T o obtain compati- bility information f or products released after this date, contact a Mino[...]

Read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product. Using batteries improperly can cause them to leak har mful solutions, ov erheat, or explode which ma y damage proper ty or cause personal injur y . Do not ignore the follo wing warnings. • Only use the batteries specified in this instruction manual. • Do not install the ba[...]

5 •K eep batteries or small par ts that could be swallo wed aw ay from inf ants. Contact a doctor immediately if an object is sw allowed. • Store this product out of reach of children. Be careful when around children, not to harm them with the product or par ts. • Do not fire the flash directly into the ey es. It ma y damage eyesight. • Do [...]

6 • Do not use or store the product in a hot or humid environment such as the glo ve compartment or tr unk of a car . It may damage the product and batteries which ma y result in burns or injuries caused by heat, fire, e xplosion, or leaking battery fluid. • If batteries are leaking, discontinue use of the product. • The camera temperature ri[...]

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

8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Recording mode – advanced oper ation ...............................................................................................40 Spot-AE lock b utton .................................................................................................................40 Pro-auto button .......................................[...]

9 A utof ocus areas and control ....................................................................................................74 Flex F ocus P oint ......................................................................................................................75 Digital zoom ..............................................................[...]

10 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Playbac k mode – viewing and editing images ...................................................................................10 5 Single-frame pla yback and histogram displa y .......................................................................105 Viewing images ..........................................................[...]

11 Data-transf er mode.............................................................................................................................136 QuickTime system requirements ...........................................................................................136 System requirements ......................................................[...]

* This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surf aces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p . 156). 12 NAMES OF P AR TS CAMERA BOD Y Data panel (p . 15) Pro-auto button (p . 41) Control dial Shutter-release button F ocusing ring (p . 94) F ocal-length inde x Zo[...]

13 Accessory shoe Display mode s witch Display inf ormation button (p . 34, 109) Electronic viewfinder* (EVF) (p . 73) LCD monitor* (p . 16) Menu button Controller DC/A V -out terminal cover Spot-AE lock b ut- ton (p . 40) Battery-chamber lock (p. 26) Eyepiece sensors* (p . 34) Magnification button Remote-control terminal cover (p . 53) Access lamp[...]

14 Function button Macro release (p . 77) F ocus-mode (AF/MF) b utton (p . 94) Digital-effects s witch Diopter-adjustment dial (p . 73) Tr ipod sock et Memory (p. 46) Metering modes (p. 47) Exposure modes (p . 48) Drive modes (p . 54) White balance (p . 62) Camera sensitivity (p . 65) Digital-effects b utton Function dial (p . 44) Digital-effects C[...]

15 DA T A P A N E L Digital-subject-program indicators (p . 42) Camera-sensitivity indicator (p . 65) Exposure-mode indicators (p . 48) Battery-condition indicator (p. 27) White-balance indicators (p . 62) Red-ey e reduction indicator (p. 86) Manual-f ocus indicator (p. 94) Image-quality display (p . 83) Image-size displa y (p. 82) Flash-compensati[...]

7. Color-saturation-compensation display (p . 71) 16 EVF AND LCD MONIT OR DISPLA Y 2. Flash-mode indicator (p. 86) 5. Flash-compensation display (p . 68) 9. Shar pness display (p . 97) 8. Contrast-compensation display (p . 70) 10. Exposure-compensation display (p . 68) 11. White-balance indicator (p. 62) 17. Camera-sensitivity (ISO) display (p . 65[...]

If the shutter speed falls belo w the point where the camera can be hand held saf ely , the camera- shake w ar ning will appear on the monitors. Camera shake is slight b lurring caused by subtle hand motion and is more pronounced at the telephoto setting of the lens than at the wide-angle setting. The warning appears at approximately the reciprocal[...]

18 GETTING UP AND RUNNING 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 to remov e. • When the camera is not in use, alwa ys replace the lens cap. Attach the camera strap to the strap e yelets as sho wn. • Alwa ys keep the camera strap around y our neck [...]

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 turn it 90° clockwise until it clic ks and the circular dimple is aligned with the focal-length inde x (2). • When mounted correctly ,[...]

20 Open the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamber lock to the open position . INSER TING THE COMP A CTFLASH CARD INSER TING BA TTERIES Inser t the CompactFlash card (2) and fold do wn the card- eject lev er . • Inser t the card so that the face is to ward the front of the camera. Alwa ys push the card in straight, ne ver at an angle [...]

While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor , gr ip the camera fir mly with your right hand while suppor ting the body with the palm of your left hand. K eep your elbo ws at your side and your f eet shoulder-width apar t to hold the camera steadily . The EVF can be tilted between 0° and 90°. This is useful for low-le vel camera pos[...]

22 T AKING PICTURES With the mode dial set to still-image recording, the camera will be on and the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor will activate . The zooming ring can be used to frame the subject. The effect of the z oom is immediately display ed in the EVF and on the LCD monitor . Compose the image in the EVF or on LCD monitor taking [...]

23 USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH In low-light conditions or indoors, the flash is needed to illuminate the subject and reduce b lurring through camera shake . The flash can also be used as a fill light in direct sunlight to soften harsh shadows. FLASH RANGE – A UTOMA TIC OPERA TION To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side .[...]

To delete the display ed image, press the QV/delete button. •A confir mation screen will appear . VIEWING AND DELETING PICTURES IN QUICK VIEW Captured images can be viewed in recording mode . Simply press the QV/delete button to access the images, and use the controller to scroll through the pictures on the CompactFlash card. Press the QV/delete [...]

25 BASIC OPERA TION This section cov ers the basic operation of the camera. Please thoroughly familiarize y ourself with the operations in this section bef ore moving on to other sections in the manual.[...]

26 CHANGING BA TTERIES B ASIC OPERA TION Open the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamber lock to the open position. Inser t the batteries. • Make sure the positiv e and negative battery ter minals are orientated as illustrated on the diagram in the battery chamber . This digital camera uses f our AA-size nick el-metal hydride (Ni-MH) [...]

27 BA TTER Y CONDITION INDICA T OR Full-battery – the batteries are fully charged. This icon is displa yed f or five seconds on the monitors when the camer a is tur ned on. The icon remains on the data panel. Blinking low battery warning – displa yed on the data panel with no other icons. P ower is insufficient f or camera operation. The shutte[...]

28 EXTERNAL PO WER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEP ARA TEL Y) CHANGING THE COMP ACTFLASH CARD The AC Adapter allo ws the camera to be powered from an electrical household outlet. The AC Adapter is recommended when the camera is interf aced with a computer or during per iods of heavy use. A C Adapter model AC-1L is f or use in Nor th America, Japan, and T aiwan,[...]

29 Open the card-slot door in the direction indicated (1). Inser t the CompactFlash card into the card slot until the card-eject lev er pops out (4). • Inser t the card so the face is to ward the front of the camera. Alw ays push the card in straight. Never f orce the card. If the card does not fit, check that it is orientated correctly . F old t[...]

30 EVF AND LCD MONIT OR DISPLA Y While holding in the dial release (1), turn the mode dial to still- image recording. Press the pro-auto button (2) to reset the pro- gr ammed and automatic functions. All camera operations are no w fully automatic. The autofocus, e xposure , and imaging systems will work together to bring pro- f essional results eff[...]

1 2 31 BASIC RECORDING OPERA TION Place the subject within the focus fr ame. •F or off-center subjects use the focus-loc k function (p. 32 ). • Make sure the subject is within the f ocus range of the lens: 0.5m – ∞ .F or subjects closer than 0.5m, use the macro function (p . 77 ). Press the shutter-release button partway do wn (1) to lock t[...]

32 FOCUS LOCK The focus-loc k function is used when the subject is off-center and outside the focus fr ame. Focus lock ma y also be used when a special focusing situation pre v ents the camera from focusing on the subject. Place the subject within the focus fr ame. Press and hold the shutter-release button partway do wn. • The focus signals will [...]

This digital camera has a quick, accur ate autofocusing system. The f ocus signals in the lower right corner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the f ocus status. For more inf ormation on autofocus modes see p . 81. FOCUS SIGNALS SPECIAL FOCUSING SITU A TIONS F ocus confirmed. F ocus icon: white F ocus icon: red The camera ma y not be able to f oc[...]

34 DISPLA Y CONTROLS – RECORDING MODE A uto displa y – the camera will automatically change between displa ying the live image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor . The EVF’ s eye sensors monitor if the EVF is being used and s witches the displa y location accordingly . EVF display – the liv e image will only be display ed in the electronic vi[...]

35 In the center of the display s witch, the displa y-information button controls what information is displa yed with the live image . Each time the button is pressed, the display cycles to the ne xt f or mat: standard display , focus frame, real-time histogram, and liv e image only . The number of screens and their formats can be changed in the cu[...]

Still images can be viewed in recording mode . Simply press the QV/delete button to access the images, and use the controller to scroll through the pictures on the CompactFlash card. Images is display ed with various information: date and time of capture, frame n umber , printing and lock status, and voice-memo recording. A his- togram of the image[...]

To delete a display ed image, press the QV/delete b utton. •A confir mation screen will appear . In quick vie w , the display ed image can be deleted. When selecting an image for deletion, a confirmation screen will appear bef ore the opera- tion is ex ecuted. Pressing the controller will ex ecute the command on the con- firmation screen. • The[...]

38 B ASIC OPERA TION In the center of the display s witch, the displa y-information button controls the displa y format. Each time the button is pressed, the displa y cycles through to the next f ormat: full display , image only , index pla yback. Full display Image only Index pla yback In index pla yback, the left/right k eys of the controller wil[...]

39 ENLARGED PLA YBA CK In single-frame pla yback, a still image can be enlarged f or closer e xamination. Images can be magnified between 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X increments. 640 X 480 size images can only be magnified between 1.2X and 2.0X. RA W and super fine images cannot be enlarged. With the image to be enlarged display ed, press the magnificatio[...]

The spot-AE lock b utton below the main dial on the back of the body loc ks the auto- matic exposure system. This function allows the exposure to be set b y a specific ele- ment within the scene or a gra y card outside the scene. When pressed, the spot metering circle is display ed indicating the area used for the e xposure calculation; the shutter[...]

Flash mode (p . 86) Color-saturation compensation (p . 71) Exposure mode (p . 48) 41 PRO-A UT O BUTT ON Simply pressing the pro-auto button (1) resets the camera to pro- gr ammed and automatic functions in the still-image recording mode. The camera’ s systems work together to bring professional results leaving the operator free to concentr ate on[...]

42 RECORDING MODE DIGIT AL-SUBJECT -PR OGRAM BUTT ON The subject-program b utton (1) optimizes the camera’ s per- for mance for v arious conditions and subjects. Exposure, white-balance, and image-processing systems work in unison f or beautiful results . Pressing the subject-program b utton cycles through the modes: por trait, spor t action, sun[...]

43 While camera perf or mance is optimized f or each shooting condition, some changes can be made to camera settings with subject programs . The autofocus mode can be changed (p . 81). The spor ts action mode uses continuous AF , the other modes use single AF . The digital eff ects controller can be used to adjust image brightness, contrast, and co[...]

44 SETTING THE FUNCTION DIAL The memory function, meter ing mode, e xposure mode, drive 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 for still photog raphy . Tu rn the function dial to the mode to be changed (1). While pressi[...]

45 Function Dial MEM PA S M DRIVE WB ISO Displa y P A S M 100, 200, 400, 800. Setting Memory registers or the set- ting function are selected with a special menu dis- play ed on the monitors. Multi-segment Center weighted Spot Program Aper ture prior ity Shutter priority Manual Single-frame adv ance Continuous adv ance Self-timer Interval Brack eti[...]

46 RECORDING MODE MEMOR Y – STORING CAMERA SETTINGS Three sets of camera settings can be sav ed. This sav es time under frequently repeating conditions by eliminating the need to set the camera. Except f or the spot AEL button, subject progr ams, data imprinting, voice memo , and instant playbac k settings, all recording-mode camera settings will[...]

47 METERING MODES The icons indicating the metering mode are display ed on the monitors only . Do not confuse these icons with the focus signals (p . 33). The meter ing mode is changed with the function dial (p . 44). When center-weighted or spot metering is selected, pressing the shutter-release button partway do wn will activate the e xposure sys[...]

48 P EXPOSURE MODES A S M Program – the camera controls both the shutter speeds and aperture. Aperture priority – the photographer selects the aper ture and the camera sets the appro- priate shutter speed. Manual exposure – the photog rapher selects both the shutter speed and aper ture. Shutter priority – the photographer selects the shutte[...]

49 PROGRAM – P The programmed AE e xposure control uses luminance and focal-length inf ormation to ensure perfect e xposures . The sophisticated exposure system allows the photog rapher the freedom to shoot without having to worry about the technical details of exposure settings . The shutter speed and aper ture val- ues of the exposure are displ[...]

The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appropriate shutter speed to ensure correct exposure. When A mode is selected, the aper ture value on the monitors turns blue. Tu rn the control dial (1) to set the desired aperture. Press the shut- ter-release button partway do wn to activate the e xposure system (2); the corresponding [...]

The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets the appropriate aper ture to ensure correct exposure. When S mode is selected, the shutter speed on the monitors turns blue. Tu rn the control dial (1) to set the desired shutter speed. Press the shutter-release button partway do wn to activate the e xposure system (2); the correspondin[...]

Manual e xposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speeds and aper tures. This mode ov errides the exposure system giving the photographer total control o ver 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 4 to 1/2000 second includin[...]

53 To set the aper ture value , tur n the digital effects s witch to e xpo- sure compensation (2) position. While pressing the digital effects b utton (3), turn the control dial (1) until the correct aper ture is display ed. • The camera’ s e xposure system cannot be used to calculate b ulb e xposures. The use of a separate light meter is recom[...]

54 RECORDING MODE 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 44. DRIVE MODES Single-frame adv ance – to take a single image each time the shutter-release button is pressed. Contin[...]

Continuous-adv ance mode allows a series of images to be captured while holding down the shutter- release button. Continuous adv ance acts like a motor drive on a film camer a. The number of images that can be captured at one time depends on the image-quality and image-size setting. The maxi- m um rate of capture is 2 fps with full-siz e images wit[...]

56 RECORDING MODE UHS continuous-adv ance mode allows a series of 1280 X 960 images to be captured at a rate of approximately 7 fr ames per second. The number of images that can be captured at one time depends on the image-quality setting: fine – 15 frames, standard – 31 frames, and econom y – 39 frames. This mode cannot be used with super-fi[...]

Used for self-portraits, 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. 44). With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic opera- tion section (p . 31). F ocus lock (p .32) or the Flex F ocus P oint (p[...]

58 BRA CKETING This mode makes a three image brac ket of a scene . Bracketing is a method of taking a series of images of a static subject in which each image has a slight variation in e xposure. The camera is not limited to exposure br ackets , but can also mak e contrast, saturation, and filter brac kets. Only one image characteristic can be brac[...]

59 If the CompactFlash card is filled or the shutter button is released bef ore the series has completed, the camera will reset and the entire brac ket must be made again. With super fine and RA W image qualities or when using flash, the brack et will not advance automati- cally; the shutter-release button must be pressed f or each frame of the ser[...]

60 INTER V AL Number of frames in the interval series. Fr ame counter . RECORDING MODE The interval mode makes a series of still or moving images ov er a period of time. Similar to time- lapse photograph y , a series of images of a slow moving e vent can be tak en: the blossoming of a flower , the constr uction of a building. The built-in flash can[...]

61 Confirm the CompactFlash card has enough storage capacity for the series by comparing the num- ber of frames in the interval series with the number of recordable images displa yed on the frame counter . When taking still-images, image size and quality settings can be changed to increase the n umber of pictures that can be sav ed on the CompactFl[...]

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 photograph y . F or using the custom white-balance setting. 62 WHITE BALANCE No displa y Fluorescent T ungsten Daylight AU TO / AW B Cloudy [...]

63 AU T OMA TIC WHITE BALANCE PRESET WHITE BALANCE The automatic white balance compensates for the color temper ature of a scene. In most cases, the AU TO setting will balance the ambient light and create beautiful images, ev en under mix ed-lighting conditions. When the built-in flash is used, the white balance is set f or the color temperature of[...]

Custom-white-balance function allows a photogr apher to calibrate the camera to a specific lighting condition. The setting can be used repeatedly until reset. Custom white balance is especially useful with mixed-lighting conditions or when critical control ov er color is needed. To calibrate the camera, press the function b utton and tur n the cont[...]

65 CAMERA SENSITIVITY – ISO Five settings can be selected f or camera sensitivity: Auto , 100, 200, 400, and 800; the numerical values are based on an ISO equivalent. 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 44 to change the ISO settin[...]

66 RECORDING MODE FLASH RANGE AND CAMERA SENSITIVITY Flash range (wide angle) ISO setting AU T O 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 f[...]

Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combination. Adjustments remain in effect until man ually reset. When set to any v alue other than zero , an icon will be display ed on the monitors as a warning. To adjust flash compensation, the up/down k eys of the con- troller are used instead of the control dial. See page 68. 67 2 DIGIT AL EFFECTS CONT[...]

68 EXPOSURE AND FLASH COMPENSA TION The ambient light and flash exposure can be adjusted bef ore the image is captured to make the final picture lighter or darker . Exposure can be adjust- ed by as much as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments (p . 151). The exposure and flash compensation will remain in effect until it has been reset. Adjustments to exposure m [...]

Sometimes the camera’ s e xposure meter is deceived b y cer tain conditions. Changing the e xposure value can compensate f or these situations. F or example, a v ery br ight scene, such as a snowy land- scape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Bef ore taking the picture, adjusting the exposure b y +1 or +2 EV will [...]

The contrast of a scene can be adjusted within se ven le vels (±3) with the digital effects controller . If a scene is too contrasty , information will be lost; if a scene is flat, the image information is not optimised f or the recording ability of the camera. Control ov er the contrast gives photog raphers the ability to optimise the image infor[...]

The color saturation of a scene can be adjusted within se ven le vels (±3) with the digital effects 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 de[...]

72 RECORDING MODE Filter lev els with color images Wa r m Cool Filter settings with b lac k and white images Red Green Magenta Blue[...]

73 ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER The EVF displays 100% field of vie w . When using the camera outdoors or under strong lighting con- ditions, the vie wfinder image is not affected b y the ambient light and remains bright and clear. AU T OMA TIC MONIT OR AMPLIFICA TION In extremely lo w-light conditions when the camera-sensitivity gain has reached its limit[...]

74 AU T OFOCUS AREAS AND CONTROL In still-image recording mode, the controller selects the f ocus area used and mov es the spot-focus area within the image. The two f ocus areas, wide f ocus area and spot focus point, allow fle xibility ov er a variety of situations. The wide focus area is an arr ay of local f ocus areas that work together to contr[...]

75 FLEX FOCUS POINT Once display ed, the spot focus area can be mo ved to an y point in the image area. This Flex Focus P oint is a powerful tool f or off-center subjects. The Fle x Focus P oint cannot be used with the digital z oom (p . 76). With the spot-focus-area cross displa yed, use the controller’ s four-wa y ke ys (1) to mov e the focus p[...]

76 RECORDING MODE 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 on the bac k of the camera. The effect is immediately displa yed. • The live image is enlarged on the LCD monitor and is cropped with a shaded border in th[...]

77 The macro mode is used for close-up photog raphs of small objects. The macro mode can be used with the digital zoom to increase the close-up eff ect. Subject programs and movie 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 zoom ring with the arrow ne xt to the macr[...]

1 2 Activate the recording-mode men u with the menu button (1). The “Basic” tab at the top of the menu 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. 78 NA VIGA TING THE RECORDING-MODE MENU In recording mode, press the menu b utton (1) [...]

Digital zoom 79 Please refer to the f ollowing sections f or descrip- tions of the menu options and their settings. AF mode 2560 X 1920 1600 x 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 Super fine Fine Standard Economy 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 Full[...]

80 RECORDING MODE ELECTRONIC KEYBO ARD The electronic ke yboard is used to enter text f or imprinting data or for naming ne w folders. The key- board automatically appears when text needs to be entered. To enter text, sim- ply use the four- way ke ys of the controller to high- light the desired character and then press the central button of the con[...]

81 AU T OFOCUS MODES • Do not confuse these icons with the metering-mode icons (p. 47). • The shutter can be released ev en if the camera cannot f ocus on the subject. F ocus icon: red – Cannot f ocus. The subject is too close or a special situation is prev enting the AF system from focusing. Continuous AF icon – F ocus confir med. Single A[...]

82 IMA GE SIZE Changing image size aff ects the number of pix els in each image. The greater the image size, the larger the file size. Choose image siz e 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 must be set bef ore the picture is t[...]

83 Data panel IMA GE QU ALITY This camera has fiv e image quality settings: raw , super fine, fine, standard, and econom y . Always select the desired setting before taking the picture . See navigating the recording-mode menu on page 78. Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no eff ect on the number of pix els in the image. The hi[...]

84 Because super-fine and RA W data files are so large, the continuous-adv ance and UHS continuous- advance driv e modes cannot be used with these image-quality settings. With the bracketing driv e mode, the continuous adv ance is canceled and the shutter must be released manually f or each frame of the brack et. When captur ing super fine and RA W[...]

85 IMA GE-FILE SIZE AND COMP A CTFLASH CARD CAP ACITY Image quality Image size 2560 X 1920 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 RA W Super fine Fine Standard Economy 1 – – – 1 2 3 11 5 11 15 27 8 16 21 31 13 22 26 35 Appro ximate number of images that can be stored on a 16MB CompactFlash card. Image quality Image size 2560 X 1920 1600 X 1200 1280[...]

86 FLASH MODES Data panel EVF & LCD monitor – – Fill-flash Red-ey e reduction Rear flash sync Used in low-light conditions and to reduce shadows under direct sunlight. To reduce the red-ey e effect with flash photogr aphs of people and animals Flash fires at the end of long exposures . The flash mode can be changed in the basic section of t[...]

87 Red-ey e reduction is used when taking photographs of people or animals in low-light conditions . The red-ey e effect is caused b y light reflected from the retina of the eye . The camera will fire a pre-flash before the main flash to contr act the pupils of the subject’ s eyes . RED-EYE REDUCTION Rear flash sync is used with long exposures to[...]

88 RECORDING MODE WIRELESS / REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash allows the camera 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 different lighting eff ects. The camera’ s built-in flash fires to control the off-camer a[...]

89 Press and hold the mounting-foot-release b utton (2) to dis- engage the safety catch to remo ve the flash unit from the camera. P osition the camera and flash around the subject. See the f ollo wing page for the camer a-to-subject and flash-to-subject r anges. Mak e sure no objects come between the camera and flash unit. Raise the built-in flash[...]

90 RECORDING MODE WIRELESS/REMO TE CAMERA AND FLASH RANGES Flash-to-subject distance Camera-to-subject distance The camera and flash must be with- in 5m or 16.4 ft of the subject. Minimum camera-to-subject distance Aper ture ƒ2.8 ƒ4 ƒ5.6 ƒ8 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 /[...]

91 NO TES ON WIRELESS/REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash performs best under subdued light or interior lighting. Under br ight light sources, the flash ma y not be able to detect the control signals from the b uilt-in flash. The wireless/remote system has four channels so that m ultiple lighting systems can be used in the same area without affecti[...]

92 RECORDING MODE FLASH CONTROL ADI, pre-flash TTL, and manual flash controls are av ailable . Flash control is changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p . 78). ADI flash metering – Advanced Distance Integ ration. This mode combines distance information from the autofocusing system with inf ormation from a pre-flash exposure. Unl[...]

93 When the spot-AE lock b utton is pressed and held, the exposure is loc ked (p . 40). How the spot but- ton operates and what functions it controls can be changed in the custom-1 section of the recording- mode menu (p . 78). If one of the AF/AE settings is selected, the meter ing mode set with the function dial will be employ ed when the spot-AE [...]

94 RECORDING MODE Manual control ov er focus is simple . The focus mode button (AF/MF) (1) s witches between auto- matic and manual f ocus. The MF icon is display ed on the data panel and monitors when the camera is in the manual-f ocus mode. Use the focus ring (2) at the rear of the lens barrel to make a sharp image on monitors. The approxi- mate [...]

95 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 y ellow bar is display ed behind the distance indicator and frame counter on the monitors to indicate the imprinting function is activ[...]

96 COLOR MODE The color mode controls whether a still image is color or blac k and white. This must be set before the image is recorded. The color mode is set in the custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 78). The live image on the monitors will reflect the selected color mode. The color mode has no effect on image file size. RECORDING MOD[...]

97 SHARPNESS The sharpness of the image can be altered. This must be set bef ore the image is recorded. Sharpness is set in the custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 78 ). If any setting other than normal is selected, the shar pness icon will be display ed on the monitors with the degree of sharpness. Shar pness must be reset manually . R[...]

Delete this frame? No Ye s INST ANT PLA YBACK After an image is captured, it can be display ed on the monitors for tw o or ten seconds before being sav ed. When in continuous-advance or brac keting mode, an inde x display is used. With UHS continu- ous advance , only the last frame of the series is display ed. Instant-playback is activ ated and the[...]

V oice memo allows a five or fifteen second audio tr ack to be record- ed with a still image. The function is activated and the length of the recording time is set in the custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p . 78). When the function is activ e, the microphone icon is dis- play ed on the data panel and LCD monitor . V oice memo must be set[...]

The lens aper ture controls not only exposure , but also depth of field; the area between the closest object in focus and the furthest object in focus . The larger the aper ture value , the greater the depth of field and the longer the shutter speed needed to make the e xposure. The smaller the aper ture value , the shallower the depth of field and[...]

101 The shutter controls not only exposure , but 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 flow of motion such as w ater cas- cading ov er a waterf all. The use of a tr ipod is recommended with slow shutter speeds. The change in aper ture and shu[...]

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

Function Dial Exposure mode (p . 48) Digital zoom (Electronic magnification) White balance (p . 62) Metering mode (p. 47) Digital Effects Control (p . 67) Camera Sensitivity (ISO) (p . 65) F ocus mode (p . 81) A utof ocus area Program (fix ed) Disabled A uto white balance (fix ed) Center-weighted (fix ed) Exposure, contrast, color satur ation, and [...]

Once a setting is made, the cursor returns to the menu options and the new setting is displa yed. T o return to the movie mode, press the menu b utton. The audio option allows a movie to be recorded with or without an audio track. The focus mode changes with the audio setting. If audio is on, the focus is fix ed when recording begins. If audio is o[...]

105 PLA YBA CK MODE VIEWING AND EDITING IMA GES SINGLE-FRAME PLA YBA CK AND HIST OGRAM DISPLA Y The blac k area of the histogram shows the luminance distribution of the recorded image from b lack (left) to white (right). Each one of the 256 ver tical lines indicates the relative proportion of that light v alue in the image . The histogram can be us[...]

106 Simply turn the mode dial to the playback-mode position to access images and audio tracks . Image and audio files can be deleted, locked, and copied in the pla yback mode . Controller QV/Delete button Use the left/right keys of the controller to scroll through the images on the memory card. VIEWING IMA GES PLA YING BA CK V OICE MEMOS Press the [...]

107 Standard, Night, Time-lapse, and UHS continuous-adv ance movies can be pla yed bac k on the cam- era. Movie files are indicated b y an icon at the bottom of the display . Standard and Night Movies are also indicated by a thumbnail of the first frame . Press the center of the controller to play bac k the file. To cancel the playbac k, press the [...]

ENLARGED PLA YBA CK In single-frame pla yback, a still image can be enlarged f or closer e xamination. Images can be magnified between 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X increments. 640 X 480 size images can only be magnified between 1.2X and 2.0X. RA W and super fine images cannot be enlarged. With the image to be enlarged display ed, press the magnification b[...]

109 In the center of the display s witch, the displa y-information button controls the displa y format. Each time the button is pressed, the displa y cycles through to the next f ormat: full display , image only , index pla yback. Full display Image only Index pla yback In index pla yback, the left/right k eys of the controller will mov e the yello[...]

1 2 Play Basic Custom1 Custom2 Delete For m a t Lock Index f ormat – – – 9 frames Activate the pla yback-mode men u with the menu button (1). The “Basic” tab will be high- lighted. 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 YB[...]

111 Refer to the f ollowing sections f or descriptions of the menu options and their settings. Pressing the down k ey of the controller will cancel the slide show pla yback and return to the pla yback-mode menu. F or information on frame-selection screens, see page 112. Delete Marked frames 9 frames 4 frames Lock Basic This frame Unlock frames Inde[...]

112 PLA YBA CK MODE FRAME-SELECTION SCREEN When a marked-frames setting is chosen on a menu, the fr ame selection screen will appear . This screen allows multiple files to be selected. The index fo r mat of the screen can be changed in the basic section of the playbac k-mode menu (p . 110). The left/right keys of the controller mov e the y ellow bo[...]

113 Deleting permanently erases the image. Once deleted, an image cannot be recov ered. Care should be taken when using the delete function. Single, multiple , or all images in a folder can be deleted with the pla yback-mode menu. Bef ore an image is deleted, a confirmation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” will ex ecute the operation, “No[...]

114 FORMA TTING COMP A CTFLASH CARDS When a CompactFlash card is f or matted, all data on the card is erased. The formatting function is used to erase all data on a CompactFlash card. Bef ore formatting a card, copy the data to a computer or stor age device . Locking files will not protect them from being deleted when the card is formatted. Alwa ys[...]

115 Single, multiple , or all images in a folder can be loc ked. A lock ed image cannot be deleted by either the playbac k-mode menu functions or the QV/delete button. Important images should be locked. T o lock images in other f olders, the f older must first be selected in the custom 1 section of the setup menu (p . 124). The lock option has four[...]

The custom 1 section of the playbac k-mode menu controls the slide-show function. This function automatically displays all still images in a f older in order . 116 SLIDE SHO W Image count- down / total num- ber of images in the presentation. Press the central button of the controller to pause and restar t the presentation. To cancel the presentatio[...]

To select all the images in the folder to be displa yed in the slide-show presentation. 117 Slide show Menu options Playbac k Duration Settings Enter Repeat All frames Marked Fr ames 1 – 60s. Y es / No To select specific images in the folder to be displa yed in the slide-show presentation. When this setting is chosen, the frame-selection screen ([...]

118 The print menu option is used to set an order for standard prints from images in a specific f older . Single, multiple , or all images can be printed. If a CompactFlash card has multiple f olders, a printing file must be created f or each folder . Folders are selected in the custom 1 section of the setup men u (p . 124). This-frame – To creat[...]

119 When the this-frame or all-frames setting is chosen, a screen will appear requesting the number of copies of each image; a maximum of nine copies can be ordered. Use the up/down ke ys 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 ved afterwards in t[...]

120 COPYING IMA GES Image files can be copied from one CompactFlash card to another . Up to 15MB of data can be trans- f erred. Ev er y time the copy function is used, a ne w folder is automatically created f or the image(s). This frame – To copy the image currently displa yed. Marked frames – To cop y single or multiple images . When selected,[...]

121 <101ML TCP> OK W ait until the copy-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 button of the controller to return to the play- back menu. The copy-unsuccessful message will appear when one or all of the files could not be copied. Chec k[...]

122 VIEWING IMA GES ON A TELEVISION It is possible to vie w camera images on your tele vision. The camera has a video-out terminal 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 check ed and set in the custom 2 secti[...]

123 This section contains detailed information on controlling the camera’ s functions and operation as w ell as creating and selecting folders . The navigating the setup menu section cov ers the operation of the setup menu. The section is follo wed by detailed descriptions of the settings. SETUP MODE CONTR OLLING THE CAMERA’S OPERA TION[...]

124 The “Basic” tab will be highlighted. Use the left/right key of the controller to highlight the appropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. NA VIGA TING THE SETUP MENU To access the menu, simply turn the main dial to the setup position. The four-wa y ke ys of the con- troller (1) are used to mov e the cursor in t[...]

125 Please refer to the f ollowing sections f or descrip- tions of the menu options and their settings. Choosing “Y es” on the confir- mation screens will e xecute the operation, “No” will can- cel the operation F or more information about the electronic ke yboard, see page 80. LCD brightness Basic 1 – 5 Deutsch Fr ançais Language Englis[...]

126 SETUP MODE EVF AND LCD MONIT OR BRIGHTNESS The brightness of the EVF and LCD monitor is set independently of each other . Brightness is con- trolled in five le vels from 1 (lo w) to 5 (high). As each setting is highlighted, the monitor will adjust accordingly; the controller must be pressed to set the highlighted lev el. When the LCD br ightnes[...]

127 V OLUME The volume of the audio signals and sound eff ects can be increased or decreased in the basic sec- tion of the setup menu (p . 124). This affects the camera’ s audio signals as well as the pla yback le vels of an audio track. LANGU A GE The language used in the menus can be changed. FILE NUMBER (#) MEMOR Y When file number memory is s[...]

128 SETUP MODE FOLDER NAME All recorded images are stored in folders on the memory card. Folder names come in two f or mats: standard and date. Standard folders ha ve an eight char acter name. The initial folder is named 100ML T11. The first three digits are the f older’ s serial number , which will increase by one each time a new f older is crea[...]

129 NEW FOLDER This allows the creation of ne w folders. The folder-name option in the custom 1 section of the setup menu must be set to standard f orm in order to use the new-folder function. When selected, the elec- tronic ke yboard (p. 80) automatically appears so the f older name can be entered. Once the name is typed in and the enter button on[...]

130 SETUP MODE DISPLA Y MODE Standard display Focus fr ame only Live image only Real-time histogram Scale Grid Setup Basic Custom1 Custom2 File # memory Fo lder name Select folder New f older Display mode Std. display F ocus frame Histogram Grid Scale Direct MF Image only The recording mode dis- plays activ ated by the dis- play-inf ormation button[...]

131 DIRECT MANU AL FOCUS Direct manual f ocus allows manual adjustments to be made after the AF system has loc ked onto the subjects. Direct manual f ocus is activated in the custom 1 section of the setup menu (p . 124). Direct manual f ocus is canceled when continuous AF (p . 81) or manual focus (p . 94) is in use. 1 As described in the basic reco[...]

132 SETUP MODE Image quality RESET DEF A UL T Unlike the pro-auto b utton (p. 41), this function aff ects not only the recording mode, but also the movie, pla yback, and setup modes . When selected, a confir mation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” resets the follo wing functions and settings, “No” cancels the oper ation. Default Setting[...]

EVF auto switch 133 AE hold Sharpness Color mode Data imprinting Instant playbac k Index pla yback f ormat Duration (Slide Show) Repeat (Slide Show) Index print LCD monitor brightness EVF brightness A uto-po wer-sav e period File number memory Normal Natural Color Off Off 9 frames 5 seconds No No (Canceled) 3 3 1 minute Off A uto EVF/LCD 97 96 95 9[...]

134 SETUP MODE SETTING THE DA TE AND TIME It is impor tant to accurately set the clock. When a still image or a movie clip is recorded, the date and time of the recording are sav ed with the image and are display ed during playback or can be read with the DiMAGE Viewer software included on the CD-R OM. The camera’ s clock is also used with data i[...]

135 SETTING THE DA TE FORMA T The date format that is displa yed or imprinted can be changed: YYYY/MM/DD (year , month, day), MM/DD/YYYY (month, day , year), DD/MM/YYYY (da y , month, year). Simply select the f or mat and enter it by pressing the central b utton of the controller; the ne w format will be display ed on the menu. This has no affect o[...]

136 DA T A-TRANSFER MODE CONNECTING T O A COMPUT- ER Read this section carefully before connecting the camer a to a computer . Details on using and installing the DiMAGE Viewer software are f ound in the supplied software man ual. The DiMAGE man- uals do not cov er the basic operation of computers or their operating systems; please refer to the man[...]

137 F or the camer a to be connected directly to the computer and used as a mass-storage device , the computer must be equipped with a USB port as a standard interface. The computer and the operat- ing system must be guaranteed b y their manufacturers to support USB interface . The following oper- ating systems are compatible with the camera: Check[...]

Set the mode dial to the data-transf er position. • The data-transf er menu will be display ed. CONNECTING THE CAMERA T O A COMPUTER 138 DA T A-TRANSFER MODE Star t up the computer . • The computer must be turned on before connecting the camera. Inser t the CompactFlash card into the camera. •C onfirm that the correct card is in the camera. T[...]

139 When the camera is properly connected to the computer , a drive icon will appear . When using Windows XP , the remov able-disk window will open. If the computer does not recognize the camer a, disconnect the camera and restart the computer. Repeat the connection procedure abov e. After using the four-w ay k ey of the controller to highlight the[...]

140 CONNECTING T O WINDO WS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITION The driver needs only to be installed once. If the driver cannot be installed automatically , it can be installed manually with the operating system’ s add-new-hardware wizard; see the instructions on the f ollo wing page. During installation, if the operating system requests the Windows 98 CD-RO[...]

141 Choose the recommended search for a suitab le driver . Click “Ne xt. ” Choose to specify the location of the driver . The browse window 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 located in the CD-ROM drive at :Win98USB. MANU AL INST ALLA TION To [...]

142 The add new hardw are wizard will confir m the location of the driver . Click “Next” to install the dri- v er in the system. • One of three drivers ma y be located: MNL VENUM.inf , USBPDR.inf, or USBSTRG.inf . • The letter designating the CD-ROM drive will v ary between computers. The last window will confirm the driver has been install[...]

143 CONNECTING T O MA C OS 8.6 To download and install this software , follo w the instruction on the Apple web site. Alwa ys read the attached terms and conditions before installing any ne w software. To access this camera with a computer with Mac OS 8.6, the USB storage support software must be installed first. This software is supplied by Apple [...]

144 COMP ACTFLASH CARD FOLDER ORGANIZA TION DA T A-TRANSFER MODE Once the camera is connected to the computer , image and audio files can be accessed by doub le clicking on icons. Image f olders are located in the DCIM folder . T o copy images and audio recordings , simply drag and drop the file icon into a location in the computer . Files and fold[...]

145 Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” follo wed by a f our-digit file number and a tif , mrw , jpg, mov , or thm extension. V oice-memo files hav e a wa v extension and the file name corresponds to its image file. The thumbnail images (thm) are used in camera and DiMA GE Viewer softw are operation. When a new f older is created, the [...]

DISCONNECTING THE CAMERA FROM THE COMPUTER 146 WINDO WS ME, 2000 PROFESSIONAL, AND XP Confirm that the access lamp is not lit. T urn the mode dial to another position and then disconnect the USB cable . Ne ver disconnect the camera when the access lamp is lit – the data or CompactFlash card ma y per manently be damaged. To disconnect the camera, [...]

147 The hardware de vices to be stopped will be display ed. Highlight the device b y clicking on it then click “Stop . ” Confirm that the access lamp is not lit and then drag the mass-storage device icon and drop it into the trash. A confirmation screen will appear to indicate the devices to be stopped. Clicking “OK” will stop the de vice. [...]

148 CHANGING THE COMP A CTFLASH CARD (D A T A-TRANSFER MODE) Care should be taken when changing CompactFlash cards while the camera is attached to the com- puter . Data could be lost or damaged if the camera is not properly disconnected. WINDO WS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITION 1. T ur n off the camera. 2. Change the CompactFlash card. 3. T ur n on the came[...]

149 APPENDIX[...]

150 A variety of Minolta accessories can be used with this camera to e xtend its performance. For more details on the items listed below and in other sections of this manual, contact y our local Minolta deal- er . PC Flash Adapter PCT -100 To allow standard flash units and lighting systems to be connected to the camera with a PC cord. The supplied [...]

151 Close-up Diffuser CD-1000 Used directly on the camera with the built-in flash to pro vide soft lighting for close-up photog raphy . WHA T IS AN EV? WHA T IS A ST OP? Ev stands for e xposure v alue. Stop refers to clic k stops in mechanical cameras. A change of one Ev or one stop will adjust the exposure calculated b y the camera by a f actor of[...]

152 TROUBLESHOO TING Problem Symptom Cause Solution The camera will not work. Nothing dis- pla yed on the data panel or the monitors. The batteries are dead. The batteries are inser ted incorrectly . The A C adapter is not connected properly . Replace batteries (p. 26). Reinser t the batteries taking care that the negative and pos- itive terminals [...]

153 Pictures are not shar p . F ocus signal is red. Subject is too close. Make sure the subject is within the autof ocus range (0.5m – ∞ / 1.6 ft – ∞ ) or use the macro mode (p . 77). The camera is in macro mode. Cancel the macro mode setting (p . 77). A special situation is pre- v enting the autof ocus system from f ocusing (p .33) Use the[...]

154 TROUBLESHOO TING If the camera does not function normally , tur n it off, remo ve and reinsert the batter ies, or unplug and reconnect the AC adapter . Always turn the camera off using the mode dial otherwise the CompactFlash card may be damaged and camer a settings reset. The camera temperature rises with e xtended periods of use. Care should [...]

155 1. Inser t a memor y card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USB cable . Other devices must 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. Click on the perf or mance and [...]

156 CARE AND ST ORA GE CLEANING • If the camera or the outside of the lens is dirty , gently wipe it with a soft, clean, dr y cloth. If the camera or lens comes in contact with sand, gently blo w awa y loose par ticles. Wiping may scr atch the surface. •T o clean the lens surface , first blow a wa y any dust or sand, then, if necessary , moiste[...]

157 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 exposed to e xtreme 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 sea[...]

158 CARE AND ST ORA GE BA TTERIES • Battery performance decreases with temperature. In cold environments , we recommend keeping spare batteries in a warm place, such as the inside of a coat. Batteries can recover their po wer when they warm up . As the performance of Ni-MH batteries is affected less by temper ature, their use is recommended when [...]

159 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 surface of the LCD monitor; it may be permanently damaged. • In a cold environment, the LCD monitor ma y become temporarily dark. Whe[...]

160 TECHNICAL SPECIFICA TIONS Number of eff ective pix els: 4.95 million (2568 X 1928) CCD: 2/3-type interline pr imar y-color CCD with a total of 5.24 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 posit[...]

161 Specifications are based on the latest information av ailable at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Batteries: 4 AA Ni-MH or alkaline batteries (see page 158) External power source: A C adapter (AC-1L or A C-2L) High-power battery pack (EBP-100) Dimensions: 117.0 (W) X 90.5 (H) X 112.5 (D) mm 4.61 (W) X 3.56 (H) X 4.[...]

This mark on your camera certifies that this camera meets the requirements of the EU (European Union) concerning interference causing equipment regula- tions. CE stands f or Conformité Européenne (European Conformity). Digital Camera: Tested To Comply With FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE This device complies with P ar t 15 of the FCC Rule[...]

163[...]

9222-2779-11 HA-A205 Printed in Ger many © 2002 Minolta Co ., Ltd. under the Berne Convention and the Universal Cop yr ight Conv ention. 0-43325-53038-8[...]