Minolta DiMAGE F300 manual

INSTRUCTION MANU AL E 9222-2785-11 P-A211[...]

2 B EFORE Y OU BEGIN 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. Check the pac king list before using this product. If any items are missing, immediately contact y our camera dealer . Minolta DiMAGE F300 digital camer a CR[...]

3 Read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product. Using batteries improper ly 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 f ollowing w ar nings. • Only use the batteries specified in this instr uction manual. • Do not install [...]

4 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE •U se only the specified AC adapter within the voltage range indicated on the adapter unit. An inappropriate adapter or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. • Do not disassemble this product. Electric shock ma y cause injur y if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched. •I m[...]

5 • Do not use or store the product in a hot or humid environment such as the glo ve compar tment or trunk 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 batter y fluid. • If batteries are leaking, discontinue use of the product. • The lens retracts when th[...]

6 T ABLE OF CONTENTS The basic operation of this camera is co vered between pages 14 and 37. This section of the manual cov ers the camera par ts, preparation of the camera f or use, and the basic camera oper ation for recording, viewing, and deleting images . The basic and advanced auto-recording mode sections co ver all the basic functions of the[...]

7 F ocus signals ...........................................................................................................................27 Special focusing situations .................................................................................................... ..27 A utomatic Digital Subject Prog ram Selection ...........................[...]

8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS White balance ..........................................................................................................................62 Au tomatic white balance ..................................................................................................62 Preset white balance ...........................................[...]

9 Setup mode - controlling the camera’ s operation................................................................................ .95 Navigating the setup menu...................................................................................................... 96 LCD monitor brightness ...........................................................[...]

10 N AMES O FP A R TS * 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 . 122). Camera body Data panel (p . 13) Shutter-release button Lens* Self-timer/ Remote-control lamp (p . 42) Flash (p . 32) The tripod socket is l[...]

11 The USB por t, A V -out terminal, and DC ter mi- nal are located behind the terminal cover . Digital-subject-program b utton (p . 29) Strap e yelet (p . 15) Viewfinder* (p . 12) LCD monitor* Menu b utton Flash mode/Inf or mation button (p . 32, 34) Po w er/Access lamp (p . 22) QV/ Delete button (p . 35) Batter y-chamber door (p . 14) Exposure-co[...]

12 N AMES O FP A R TS Mode dial Au to-recording mode (p. 22, 38) Multi-function recording mode (p . 54) Playbac k mode (p . 34, 80) Movie-recording mode (p . 76) Setup mode (p . 95) A udio recording mode (p . 76) Viewfinder F ocus lamp (g reen) Flash lamp (orange) This dial gives direct and easy access to the camera’ s major modes. It also acts a[...]

13 Data panel Fr ame counter (p . 49) Exposure / Flash-compensation indicator (p . 51, 66) Camera-sensitivity indicator (p . 67) Spot-metering indicator (p. 66) Batter y-condition indicator (p . 16) White-balance indicator (p . 62) Flash-mode indicators (p . 32) Manual-f ocus indicator (p . 65) Image-size displa y (p . 48) Image-quality displa y (p[...]

Close the battery-chamber door (3) and slide it toward the top of the body (4) to engage the safety catch. After installing the battery , the set-time/date message ma y appear on the monitor . The clock and calendar are set in the custom 2 section of the setup menu (p . 20). 3 4 14 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING GETTING UP AND R UNNING Changing the CR-V3 [...]

15 When the supplied CR-V3 battery is exhausted please use two AA-size Nic kel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) bat- teries. We do not reccomend the use of Alkaline or Lithium AA batteries. Ni-MH batteries offer improv ed performance par tiucally when charged with an ‘intellegent’ charger . Intellegent chargers recharge each bat- tery with the amount powe[...]

16 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING Batter y condition indicator Full-battery indicator - the batter y is fully charged. This icon is dis- play ed for fiv e seconds on the monitor when the camera is turned on. The icon remains on the data panel. Blinking low-battery warning - displayed on the data panel with no other icons; power is insufficient f or camera[...]

17 The AC Adapter A C-6 allows the camer a 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. Alwa ys turn off the camera before changing between pow er supplies. Connecting the A C adapter (sold separately) 1 Lift the DC terminal cover fro[...]

18 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING Changing the memor y card An SD Memory Card or MultiMediaCard must be inser ted for the camera to operate . If a card has not been inser ted, a no-card warning will automatically be displayed on the monitor and three dashes ( – – – ) will be display ed on the data-panel frame counter . Open the card-slot door (1) fr[...]

The response time during recording and playbac k is longer with MultiMediaCards compared with SD Memory Cards. This is not a defect, b ut rather due to the specifications of the cards. When using large capacity cards, some operations lik e deletion may tak e longer . SD Memory Cards have a write-protect switch to pre v ent image data from being del[...]

Basic Custom1 Custom2 LCDbrightness For mat Pow er save Language English 1 min. – – 1 20 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING Setting the date 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 t[...]

21 Custom1 Basic Reset default Date/Time set Date format Video output – – YYYY/MM/DD NTSC Custom2 Use the right key to highlight the custom 2 tab at the top of the menu. Use the down k ey to highlight the date/time-set menu option. Press the central button to displa y the date/time setting screen. Use the left and right keys to select the item [...]

Po w er / Access lamp 22 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION AU T O-RECORDING MODE – BASIC OPERA TION While using the viewfinder or LCD monitor , grip the camera firmly with your ri ght hand while supporting the body with your left. Keep y our elbows at your side and your f eet shoulder-width apar t to hold the camera steadily . When takin[...]

23 Setting the camera to record images automatically Tu rn the mode dial to the auto-recording mode position (1); all camera operations are no w fully automatic. The autofocus, e xpo- sure, and imaging systems will work together to bring beautiful results effortlessly . While many of the camera’ s systems in this mode are automatic, the camera’[...]

24 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION This camera is equipped with a 7.8 to 23.4mm optical zoom. This is equivalent to a 38 to 114mm z oom lens on a 35mm camera. In 35mm photogr aphy , focal lengths below 50mm are ref erred to as wide-angle; the angle of view is larger than that of the human ey e. Abov e 50mm is referred to as tele- photo a[...]

25 About camera operation The auto-recording mode uses advanced technology to mak e photograph y as effortless as possible. A utomatic Digital Subject Prog ram Selection optimizes e xposure, color , and image-processing set- tings for each subject. The sophisticated AF system locates and tracks the subject automatically . Au tomatic Digital Subject[...]

Press the shutter-release button all the w ay down (2) to tak e the picture. • The access lamp will turn red and blink indicating image data is being written to the memor y card. Never remo ve a memory card while data is being transf erred. A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION With the mode dial set to auto recording, the camera will be on [...]

27 This digital camera has a quick, accur ate autofocusing system. The f ocus icon in the lower right cor- ner of the LCD monitor and the green f ocus lamp next to the vie wfinder indicate the focus status. The shutter can be released ev en if the camera cannot f ocus on the subject. Subject lock ed. The camera will contin ue to track the subject w[...]

28 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION A utomatic Digital Subject Program Selection Au tomatic Digital Program Selection chooses between programmed AE and one of fiv e subject pro- gr ams: por trait, spor ts action, landscape, sunset, and night por trait. The digital subject programs opti- mize the camera‘s perf ormance for v ar ious condi[...]

29 Pressing the subject-program b utton (1) cycles through the modes. The active sub- ject program will be indicated at the top of the live image . The subject program will remain in effect until it is changed or the mode dial is turned to another position. Except for macro and night portrait, digital subject programs cannot be used in the mu lti-f[...]

30 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION MA CRO - used f or close-up photograph y between 20 and 60 cm (0.7 - 2.0ft) from the CCD . The lens will automatically zoom to the macro position and cannot be changed. Because of parallax, the LCD monitor should be used to compose the picture. Full-time AF (p . 65) is employ ed. Av ailable in the multi[...]

31 Monitor off The display b utton controls the LCD monitor display . The display cycles to the ne xt position each time the button is pressed: full displa y , live image only , and monitor off. Battery power can be conser ved b y tur ning the monitor off and using the viewfinder to take pictures . When the menu or e xposure-compensation button is [...]

32 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - B ASIC OPERA TION A utoflash Fill-flash Flash cancel A utoflash with red-ey e reduction Flash cancel - the flash will not fire. Use flash cancel when flash photograph y is prohibited, natural light is desired to illuminate the subject, or the subject is bey ond the flash range. The camera-shake wa rn ing ma y appear when[...]

33 The orange flash lamp ne xt to the viewfinder indicates the status of the flash. When the lamp blinks quickly , the flash is charging and the shutter will not release. The lamp glows steadily when the flash is charged and ready to fire. If the shutter speed falls belo w the point where the camera can be saf ely hand held, the camera- shake w ar [...]

34 P LA YBACK - B ASIC OPERA TION To view images from the auto-recording or mu lti-function recording modes, press the Quick Vie w / delete button. PLA YBA CK - BASIC OPERA TION Images can be viewed in the Quic k View or pla yback modes. This section covers the basic operations in both modes. The pla yback mode has additional functions, see page 80[...]

35 To sw itch between the single-frame pla y- back and histogr am display , press the information button. The histogram sho ws the luminance distr ibution of the image from b lack (left) to white (right). The 256 vertical lines indicates the relative proportion of that light value in the image. The histogram can be used to ev aluate e xposure, but [...]

36 P LA YBACK - B ASIC OPERA TION Full display Index pla yback In index pla yback, the f our-wa y ke ys of the controller will move the y ellow border . When the image is highlighted with the border , the date of recording, voice-memo indicator , the loc k and printing status, and the frame number of the image are displa yed at the bottom of the sc[...]

37 Enlarged pla yback With the image to be magnified display ed, press the up ke y of the controller to activate the enlarged pla yback mode . The degree of magnification is display ed on the LCD monitor . Use the four-w ay k eys of the controller to scroll the image. In single-frame pla yback in Quick View or the playbac k mode, a still image can [...]

Date imprint Off Basic Drive mode Image size Quality Digital zoom Off Standard 2560 X 1920 Single 1 38 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION In auto-recording mode, the menu b utton (1) tur ns the menu on and off . The left/r ight and up/down ke ys of the controller (2) are used to mov e the cursor in the menu. Pressing the central button o[...]

39 Except for the driv e mode, settings made with the auto- recording menu will remain in eff ect until changed or the camera is reset to its def ault settings (p. 102). Drive modes - to control the rate and method of image capture. Image size - to set the pixel resolution of the images . Image size aff ects the size of the image file. Image qualit[...]

40 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Digital zoom The digital zoom is activ ated on the auto-recording mode menu (p . 38) and in the custom 2 section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p . 56). The digital zoom extends the po wer of the telephoto position of the optical zoom b y up to 4X in 0.1X increments. The transition betwee[...]

41 The drive modes control the rate and method of image capture . Icons indicating the selected dr ive mode appear on the data panel and LCD monitor . Single-frame advance Continuous adv ance Self-timer/ Remote control Brac keting To take a single image each time the shutter-release b utton is pressed (p . 26). To take m ultiple images when the shu[...]

42 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Used for self-portraits, the self-timer will dela y the release of the shutter for appro ximately ten sec- onds after the shutter-release button is pressed. When the drive mode is set to self-timer , the f ocus mode is changed from Subject T racking AF to single-shot AF allowing the use of f ocus loc[...]

When setting up the camera, make sure the subject will fa ll within the focus frames. F ocus lock cannot be used with the IR remote control. Focus area selection (p . 52) and manual f ocus (p. 65) can be used. Po int the emitter window of the remote control unit toward the camera and press the release button or the delay b ut- ton to take the pictu[...]

44 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION The continuous-adv ance dr ive mode allo ws a ser ies 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 and the rate of capture depend on the image-quality and im[...]

UHS continuous-adv ance mode allows up to elev en 1280 X 960 images to be captured in one sec- ond. The UHS continuous-advance mode is set on the auto-recording mode men u and in the basic section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p . 56). This mode cannot be used with super-fine image quality , flash illumination, the digital zoom, or Dig[...]

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 brack eting mode is set on the auto-recording mode menu (p . 38) or in the basic section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p . 56). Brackets cannot be made [...]

47 Compose the picture as described in the basic recording operation section (p . 26). Press the shutter-release button partway do wn (1) to lock onto the subject and set the e xposure for the series. Press and hold the shutter-release but t on all the way do wn (2) to make the brac k- et series; three consecutive images will be captured. Focus is [...]

Changing image size aff ects the number of pixels in each image . The greater the image size, the larger the file siz e. 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 high- er quality prints. Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no eff[...]

49 Super fine Fine Standard Economy 112 1 4 59 1 4 69 11 17 27 100 22 32 47 150 Approximate n umber of images that can be stored on a 16MB memor y card. Quality Size 2560 X 1920 2048 X 1536 1600 X 1200 640 X 480 Super fine Fine Standard Economy 15MB 9.5MB 6.0MB 1.0MB 2.5MB 1.6MB 1.0MB 200KB 1.3MB 850KB 550KB 150KB 650KB 450KB 300KB 100KB Approximat[...]

50 A UTO - RECORDING MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Date imprinting Every time a still image is recorded, it is stored with an exif tag that contains the date and time of recording as well as shooting inf or mation. This information can be viewed with the camera in the Quick Vie w or playbac k mode, or on a computer with the DiMAGE Viewer softw are. C[...]

51 The camera e xposure can be adjusted to make the final picture lighter or darker b y as much as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments. F or information on the use of exposure compensation, see page 74. In auto- recording mode, e xposure compensation is reset when the mode dial is mov ed to another position. In mu lti-function recording mode exposure compensat[...]

Press the shutter-release button partway do wn (3) or press the central button of the controller (4) to select the area; the other four areas will disappear . Focus and e xposure are lock ed when the shutter-release button is pressed partway down. Press the shutter-release button all the w ay do wn to take the picture . Once a focus area is selecte[...]

53 The focus-loc k function prev ents the AF system from focusing. F ocus lock can be used with off-cen- ter subjects or when a special focusing situation pre v ents the camera from focusing (p . 27). When using single-shot AF with Area AF in the multi-function recording mode, place the subject in the f ocus frames and press the shutter-release but[...]

54 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING MUL TI-FUNCTION RECORDING – AD V ANCED OPERA TION Except for digital subject prog rams, the basic operation of the camer a in multi-function recording mode is identical to the auto-recording mode. Thoroughly f amiliar ize yourself with the pre vious sec- tions before mo ving on. The multi-function recording mode al[...]

55 d. Flash-mode indicator (p . 32) h. White-balance indicator (p . 62) n. Camera-sensitivity (ISO) displa y (p . 67) k. Metering-mode indicator (p. 66) m. Camera-shake warning (p . 33) j. Shutter-speed displa y l. Aper ture display o. F ocus signal (p. 27, 53) s. Digital-zoom displa y (p . 40) r. Drive-mode indicator (p . 41) p. Date-imprinting in[...]

Basic Custom1 Custom2 ExposureMode Drive mode Image size Quality Standard 2560 X 1920 Single Program WhiteBalance Auto 56 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING Press the central button of the controller to select the highlighted setting. Activate the recording-mode men u with the menu button. The basic tab at the top of the menu will be highlighted. Use the[...]

57 Refer to the auto-recording mode section fo r details on dr ive modes (p . 41), image size (p . 48), image quality (p. 48), date imprinting (p. 50), and digital zoom (p . 40). Exposure mode Program Aper ture prior ity Shutter priority Manual 2560 X 1920 2048 X 1536 1600 X 1200 640 X 480 Super fine Fine Standard Economy Cust.set Aut o Drive mode [...]

58 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appropri- ate shutter speed to ensure the correct exposure . When aper ture priority is selected, the aper ture value on the monitor turns blue and a double arrow icon appears ne xt to it. If the LCD monitor is tur ned off, the aper- ture value is fix ed a[...]

59 The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets the appropriate aper ture to ensure correct exposure. When shutter prior ity is selected, the shutter speed on the monitor turns blue and a double arrow icon appears next to it. If the LCD monitor is turned off, the shutter speed is fixed at the last setting and cannot be changed. Th[...]

60 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING Manual e xposure - M Press the exposure-compensation b utton (1) to select the aper ture or shutter speed; the active displa y will tur n blue. Use the left/right keys of the controller (2) to change the exposure setting. Manual e xposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speeds and aper tures. This mode ov[...]

To take the picture, press and hold the shutter-release b utton (3) for the duration of the e xposure. The monitors will be blank during the e xposure. Releasing the shutter button will end the e xposure. The optional remote control RC-3 can be used to eliminate the risk of camera shake . Set the drive mode to self-timer / remote control in the bas[...]

Preset white-balance settings must be set bef ore the image is taken. Once set, the effect is immedi- ately visible on the LCD monitor . The built-in flash can be used with preset white-balance settings, b ut will create a pink- ish or blueish cast with the fluorescent and tungsten settings. The flash is da ylight bal- anced and will produce accept[...]

Custom white-balance 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 espe- cially useful with mixed-lighting conditions or when critical control ov er color is needed. The object used to make a calibration m ust be neutral. A blank piece of whit[...]

64 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING This camera has autof ocus and manual focus control. The focus mode is set in the custom 1 section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p . 56). A utof ocus will produce e xcellent results in almost ev er y situation, howe ver , under certain conditions, the autofocus system will not w ork accurately; see speci[...]

65 Press the controller to switch betw een focus and z oom (1). The active function is highlighted in b lue (2). Use the up/down k eys of the controller to z oom or f ocus. When focusing, the monitor image is automatically magnified by a maxi- mu m of 2.5X depending on the digital zoom setting. The live image returns to nor mal after two seconds, w[...]

Center weighted: a traditional metering method in film cameras. The system measures light va lues over the entire image area with emphasis giv en the central region. Spot metering: uses a small area within the image to cal- culate the exposure . When this mode is selected, the LCD monitor will automatically activate if off and a small circle will a[...]

67 ISO setting AU T O 64 0.5m ~ 3.4m (1.6 ft. ~ 11.1 ft.) Flash range (telephoto) 0.5m ~ 2.0m (1.6 ft. ~ 6.6 ft.) 0.5m ~ 1.9m (1.6 ft. ~ 6.2 ft.) 0.5m ~ 1.1m (1.6 ft. ~ 3.6 ft.) The flash range is measured from the CCD . Because of the optical system, the flash range is not the same at the lens’ wide-angle position as it is at the telephoto posit[...]

68 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING Changes in color , shar pness, contrast, and saturation can be made using the custom 2 section of the mu lti-function recording mode menu (p . 56). These imaging controls giv e photographers the ability to maximize the image inf or mation at the scene. F or example, if a scene is too contr asty , information can be l[...]

69 The setting will remain in effect until it is changed. If sharpness, contrast, or color saturation is set to any setting other than normal, an indicator will be display ed indicating an increase (+) or decrease (–) in the quality selected. If the Vivid Color or black and white is selected, an indicator indicating the color mode will be display[...]

70 M UL TI - FUNCTION RECORDING Vo ice memo allows a fifteen second audio trac k to be recorded with a still image. The function is acti- va ted in the custom 2 section of the multi-function recording menu (p. 56). When the function is active , the microphone indicator is display ed on the data panel and LCD monitor . V oice memo must be set before[...]

71 An image can be display ed on the monitor after it is captured. When used with the continuous- advance or br acketing driv e modes (p. 41), thumbnails of the last six images in the series will be dis- play ed. Only the last frame in a series is display ed with UHS continuous advance or when using date imprinting. Instant playbac k is activated i[...]

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

73 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 tripod is recommended with slow shutter speeds. The change in aper ture and shutt[...]

Sometimes the camera’ s e xposure meter is deceived by certain con- ditions .E xposure compensation can compensate for these situations . F or e xample, a v er y bright scene, such as a snowy landscape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Before taking the picture , adjusting the exposure b y +1 or +2 EV will result [...]

75 What is an Ev? What is a stop? Ev stands for e xposure v alue. The ter m stop comes from the name of aper ture plates used in ear ly lenses. A change of one Ev or one stop will adjust the e xposure calculated by the camera b y a factor of two . Change in Ev Change in stops Adjustment to e xposure +2.0 Ev +1.0 Ev 0.0 Ev –1.0 Ev –2.0 Ev +2 sto[...]

This camera can record digital video with sound. T otal record- ing time varies with the image size . See the navigating the movie menu section on page 78. In mo vie recording, some functions can be used, some are fixed, and some are disab led. See the notes section on page 79. Before recording, the data-panel and monitor fr ame counters will show [...]

77 Recording audio A udio can be recorded without an image . About 30 minutes of audio can be stored on a 16MB memory card. Audio is recorded at approximately 8KB/s . A maximum of 180 min- utes can be recorded at one time; the optional AC adapter is required for long recordings. Recording audio. Press shutter to stop. Press shutter button to record[...]

Image size not only aff ects the resolution of the movie image, b ut also changes the maximum length of the movie clip . The maximum recording time for a 320 X 240 size movie is 3 min utes at approximately 340 KB/sec , and 20 minutes at appro ximately 85 KB/sec for a 160 X 120 movie. A 16 MB memory card can contain approximately 42 seconds of digit[...]

In movie recording, some functions can be used, some are fix ed, and some are disabled, see chart. Image size, white balance , and movie mode can be selected with the movie men u. When the red low-battery indicator appears (p . 16), power is insufficient f or movie recording. The writing speed of the memory card in use may pre v ent an entire movie[...]

80 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION When turning the camera on, the lens can be prev ented from extending. Press and hold the down the central k ey of the rear controller when turning the mode dial from off to the playbac k position. Camera Notes Pla ying back v oice memos and audio captions Vo ice memos (p. 70) and audio captions (p . 87) ca[...]

Press the controller to pause the movie or audio playbac k; press the controller again to resume the playbac k. 81 Movie clips and audio recordings are pla yed bac k the same way . Use the left/r ight keys of the con- troller to display the mo vie or audio file; audio files are displayed with a b lue screen. These files can- not be play ed back in [...]

Basic Custom1 Custom2 Delete Lock A udio caption – – – 82 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Once a setting has been selected, the cursor will return to the menu options and the new set- ting will be display ed. Changes can continue to be made. T o retur n to the playbac k mode, press the menu button. Navigating the pla yback-mode menu Pr[...]

83 1 Copying to camer a memor y . Ref er to the follo wing sections f or descr iptions of the menu options and their settings. Choosing “Y es” will e xecute the operation, “No” will cancel it. Ye s No For information on frame-selection screens, see page 84. New f older name 2 Change card. 3 Copying to memory card. 4 Copying completed. Delet[...]

When a marked-frames setting is chosen on a menu, the fr ame selection screen will appear . This screen allows multiple images to be chosen. The left/right keys of the controller mov e the yello w border to select the image. The up ke y of the controller selects the frame; when selected, an icon will appear next to the image. The down k ey will des[...]

85 Deleting permanently erases the file. Once deleted, a file cannot be recov ered. Care should be taken when deleting images. Single, multiple , or all files on the memor y card can be deleted in the basic section of the playbac k- mode menu (p . 82). Before a file is deleted, a confirmation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” will ex ecute t[...]

86 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Single, multiple , or all files can be locked. A loc ked file cannot be deleted by either the pla yback- mode menu functions or the QV/delete button. Important images and audio recordings should be lock ed. The lock function is in the basic section of the playbac k menu (p . 82). The loc k option has four s[...]

87 A still image can hav e a fifteen-second audio caption attached to it. This function will also replace a vo ice-memo audio track recorded with an image. A udio captions cannot be attached to movie clips, nor can they o verwrite audio recordings. A udio captioning Display the image to which the audio caption will be attached. If the image is lock[...]

88 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION The custom 1 section of the playbac k-mode menu controls the slide-show function. This function automatically displays all still images on the memory card in order . Slide Show Press the central button of the controller to pause and restart the slide show presen- tation. To cancel the presentation, press th[...]

89 Menu options Settings Slide show Pla yback Duration Repeat Enter All frames Marked Fr a m es 1 - 60s. Y es / No To star t the slide-show presentation. Pressing the central b utton of the controller will pause the presentation. During the slide show , press the down ke y of the controller to stop the presentation and return to the playback-mode m[...]

90 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION The print menu option is used to set an order for standard prints from still images on the memory card. Single, multiple , or all images can be pr inted. Print orders are created in the custom 2 section of the playbac k-mode menu (p . 82). The pr int menu option has four settings: About DPOF This camera is [...]

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 required number of copies. If the all-frames setting w as used to create a print order, any additional images recorded afterwards will [...]

92 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION The copy function mak es exact copies of image , audio, or mo vie files and can store the copied data on another memory card. E-mail Copy mak es a standard 640 X 480 (V GA) JPEG copy of an original still image so that it may be easily tr ansmitted by e-mail. If an economy image is selected f or E-mail Copy [...]

Cop y 93 When the change-card message is highlighted, remov e the cam- era’ s memory card and inser t the card to which the image should be copied. Press the central button of the controller to contin ue or the menu button to cancel the cop y operation. After the copy-completed message is highlighted, a ne w screen will appear to indicate the nam[...]

94 P LA YBACK MODE - ADV ANCED OPERA TION Viewing images on a tele vision It is possible to vie w camera images on your tele vision. The camera has a video-out ter minal to make the connection using the supplied A V cab le. The camera is compatible with the NTSC and P AL stan- dards. The video-output setting can be check ed and set in the custom 2 [...]

95 The setup mode is used to control the camera’ s functions and operation. The navigating the setup menu section cov ers the operation of the menu. The section is f ollowed by detailed descriptions of the settings. Innov ation and creativity has alwa ys been a dr iving f orce behind Minolta products . The Electro-zoom X w as purely an e xercise [...]

Basic Custom1 Custom2 LCDbrightness For mat Pow er save Language English 1 min. – – 96 S ETUP MODE To access the menu, simply tur n the mode dial to the setup position. The left/r ight and up/down ke ys of the controller are used to mov e the cursor in the menu. Pressing the central button of the controller will enter a setting. Once a setting [...]

97 Choosing “Y es” on the confirmation screens will ex ecute the operation, “No” will cancel it. Ye s No Ye s No Enter Setup Date/Time set 2003 07 20 16 33 : . . On the date/time setting screen, use the left/right keys of the controller to select the year , month, da y , hour , or minute. The up/down keys are used to change the va lue. Pres[...]

98 S ETUP MODE LCD monitor brightness The brightness of the LCD monitor can be set in elev en lev els. The brightness setting screen is opened from the basic section of the setup menu (p . 96). Use the left/r ight ke ys of the controller (1) to adjust the brightness. The monitor image will change accordingly . Press the central bu tton of the contr[...]

99 A uto po wer sav e To conser ve battery power , the camera will shut down if no oper ation is made within a cer tain per iod. The length of the auto-power-sa ve period can be changed to 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes. When the cam- era is connected to a computer , the auto-pow er-save period is fix ed at ten minutes. Language The language used in the me[...]

100 S ETUP MODE Fo lder 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 T17. The first three digits are the f older’ s serial number , which will increase by one each time a new f older is cr[...]

101 Shutter FX When the shutter is released, a shutter sound effect will give a positiv e confirmation of the operation. The sound effect can be turned off in the custom 1 section of the setup menu (p . 96). Three shutter effects are av ailable; signal 1 is mechanical, signal 2 is electrical, and custom for a person- alized eff ect. The mechanical [...]

102 S ETUP MODE p. 6 5 V olume The volume of the audio signals and shutter FX can be increased or decreased in the custom 1 sec- tion of the setup menu (p . 96). This affects the camera’ s audio signals only and will not change the playbac k lev els of an audio track. Reset def ault This function affects all modes . When selected, a confir mation[...]

103 Sharpness Duration (Slide Show) Repeat (Slide Show) LCD monitor brightness A uto-po wer-sav e period A udio signals File number memory Normal 5 seconds No Normal 1 minute 1 Off Color-saturation Contrast Normal Normal p. 6 8 p. 6 8 p. 6 8 p. 8 8 p. 8 8 p. 9 8 p. 9 9 p. 100 p. 9 9 Shutter FX 1 (custom recording erased) p . 101 Fo lder name Standa[...]

104 S ETUP MODE Setting the date 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 date i[...]

105 DA T A-TRANSFER MODE Read this section carefully before connecting the camer a to a computer . Instr uctions on using and installing the DiMAGE Viewer software are f ound in the supplied software manual. The DiMAGE man- uals do not cov er the basic operation of computers or their operating systems; please refer to the manual supplied with your [...]

106 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE Connecting the camera to a computer Star t up the computer . The computer must be on before connecting the camera. Inser t the memor y card into the camera. T o change the memor y card while the camera is con- nected to a computer , see page 116. Confirm the batter y has sufficient power before connecting the camer a to a [...]

107 When the camera is properly connected to the computer , a drive icon, or v olume, will appear . When using Windows XP or Mac OS X, a window will open requesting instructions on what to do with the image data; follow the directions in the window . If the computer does not recognize the camera, dis- connect the camera and restart the computer. Re[...]

108 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE 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-ne w-hardware wizard; see the instr uctions on the fo llowing page. During installation, if the operating system requests the Windo ws 98 CD-ROM, insert it into the C[...]

109 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. Manual Installation To ins[...]

110 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE The add new hardw are wizard will confir m the location of the driver . Click “Next” to install the dri- ve r 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 va ry between computers . The last window will confirm the d[...]

111 Connecting to Mac OS 8.6 To download and install this software, f ollow the instruc- tion on the Apple web site. Alw ays 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 suppor t must be installed first. This software is supplied by Apple Computer [...]

112 D ATA - 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 copying images and audio recordings , simply drag and drop the file icon into a location in the computer . Files and folders on the memory card can be delete[...]

113 Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” f ollowed by a f our-digit file number and a tif , jpg, mov , or thm extension. V oice-memo and audio caption files hav e a wa v extension and the file name corre- sponds to their image file. A udio recordings also use the wav e xtension. The thumbnail images (thm) are produced with super-fine im[...]

114 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE Disconnecting the camera from the computer Windows Me , 2000 Prof essional, and XP Confirm that the access lamp is not lit. T urn the mode dial to another position and then disconnect the USB cable . To disconnect the camera, click once on the unplug-or-eject-hardware icon located on the task bar . A small window will open[...]

115 The hardware de vices to be stopped will be dis- play 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 de vice icon and drop it into the trash. T urn the camera off , and then disconnect the USB cable. A confirmation screen will appear to indi- cate the d[...]

116 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE Changing the memor y card (Data-transf er 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. Windows 98 and 98 Second Edition 1. T urn off the camera. 2. Change the memor y card. 3. T urn on the camer[...]

117 Problem Symptom Cause Solution The camera will not work. Nothing dis- pla yed on the data panel or the monitors. The batter y is dead. AA Ni-MH batteries are inser ted incorrectly . The A C adapter is not connected properly . Replace batter y (p . 14). Reinser t the batteries taking care that the negative and pos- itive terminals are orientated[...]

118 A PPENDIX Pictures are not shar p . Subject is too close. Make sure the subject is within the autof ocus range (p. 24) or use the macro mode (p . 29). The camera is in macro mode. Cancel the macro mode setting (p . 29). A special situation is pre- v enting the autof ocus system from f ocusing (p. 27). Use the f ocus-lock function to f ocus on a[...]

119 The camera temperature rises with e xtended per iods of use. Care should be taken to a void b ur ns when handling the camera, batteries, or memory card. If the camera does not function normally or the system error message appears, turn it off, remov e and reinser t the batteries, or unplug and reconnect the AC adapter . If the camera has become[...]

120 A PPENDIX 1. Insert a memor y card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USB cable. Other devices m ust not be connected to the computer during this procedure. 2. Right click on the My-computer icon. Select “proper ties” from the drop-down menu. Windows XP: from the star t menu go to the control panel. Click on the perf or m[...]

USB DIRECT -PRINT allows still images to be printed directly from a compatible Epson printer using a DPOF file (p. 90). Images to be printed are selected with the print option in the custom 2 section of the playbac k menu. An index print can also be selected on the menu. Super fine images cannot be printed with USB DIRECT -PRINT . Before each print[...]

122 A PPENDIX Read this section in its entirety to get the best results from your camera. With proper care, y our cam- era will provide y ears of ser vice. Camera care • Do not subject the camera to shock or impact. •T urn off the camera when transporting. • This camera is neither waterproof nor splashproof. Inserting or removing batteries or[...]

123 Operating temperatures 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 park ed in the sun, or to extreme humidity . •W hen taking the camera from a cold to a warm environment, place it in a seale[...]

124 A PPENDIX Batteries • Battery performance decreases with temperature. In cold environments, w e recommend keeping spare batteries in a warm place, such as the inside of a coat. Batter ies can recov er their power when they w ar m up. • If batteries have been e xhausted when used in the camera, do not reload them e ven if their charge seems [...]

125 Bef ore impor tant ev ents and jour ne ys • Check the camera’ s operation; take test pictures and purchase spare batteries. •M inolta has no responsibility for an y damage or loss incurred by equipment malfunction. Questions and ser vice • If you ha ve questions about y our camera, contact your local camera dealer or write to the Minolt[...]

126 A PPENDIX CCD: 1/1.8-type interline pr imar y-color CCD Number of eff ective pix els: 5.0 million T otal number of pix els: 5.3 million Camera sensitivity (ISO): A uto and 64, 100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents. Aspect ratio: 4:3 Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups Maximum aper ture: f/2.8 (wide-angle position), f/4.7 (telephoto position) [...]

127 Batteries: One CR-3V lithium batter y or two AA Ni-MH batter- ies. Batter y perf or mance (recording): Approximately 260 frames: based on Minolta’ s stan- dard test method: CR-3V lithium batter y , LCD moni- tor on, full-size images (2560 X 1920), standard image quality , no instant playbac k, no voice memo , no full-time AF , no subject trac[...]

9222-2785-11 P-A211 Printed in Ger many © 2002 Minolta Co ., Ltd. under the Ber ne Conv ention and the Univ ersal Copyright Conv ention. 0-43325-53136-1[...]