Minolta MM-A208 manual

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

2[...]

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

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 • Use only the specified AC adapter within the voltage r ange 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 injury if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched. • Immediately remov e the bat[...]

6 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE • 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 battery fluid. • If batteries are leaking, discontinue use of the product. • [...]

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

8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Advanced recording .............................................................................................................................40 Display controls – recording mode ..........................................................................................40 Pro-auto button .....................................[...]

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

10 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Ordering an index print ........................................................................................................ ..115 Canceling a DPOF print order ...............................................................................................115 Copying images ..................................................[...]

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

* This camera is a sophisticated optical 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 . 148). 12 N AMES OF P ARTS CAMERA BOD Y Data panel (p . 15) Pro-auto button (p . 42) Control dial Shutter-release button F ocusing ring (p . 43) F ocal-length inde x Zo[...]

13 Accessory shoe Display mode s witch Display inf ormation button (p . 40, 36) Electronic viewfinder* (EVF) (p . 31) LCD monitor* (p . 16) Menu button Controller DC/A V -out terminal cover Spot-AE lock b ut- ton (p . 43) Battery-chamber lock (p. 20) Eyepiece sensors* (p . 40) Magnification button Remote-control terminal cover (p . 57) Access lamp [...]

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

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

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

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

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

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 mount- ed correctly , t[...]

20 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING INST ALLING AND CHANGING BA TTERIES Open the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamber lock to the open position. Inser t the batteries. Make sure the positive and negativ e battery terminals are or ientated as illustrated on the diagram in the bat- tery chamber. This digital camera uses f our AA-size nick el-met[...]

21 BA TTER Y CONDITION INDICA TOR Full-battery – the batter ies are fully charged. This icon is display ed for five seconds on the monitors when the camer a is tur ned on. The icon remains on the data panel. Blinking low battery warning – displayed on the data panel with no other icons. Po wer is insufficient for camer a operation. The shutter [...]

22 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING EXTERNAL PO WER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEP ARA TEL Y) INSER TING AND CHANGING A MEMOR Y 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. AC Adapter model A C-1L is for use in North[...]

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

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

25 Use the right controller key to highlight the adv anced 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 to be changed. Press the central button to set the cloc k and calen- dar . The setup [...]

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

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

28 B ASIC RECORDING 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 fo[...]

This digital camera has a quick, accur ate autofocusing system. The focus signals in the lo wer right corner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the f ocus status. For more inf ormation on autofocus modes see p . 83. FOCUS SIGNALS SPECIAL FOCUSING SITU A TIONS The camera ma y not be able to f ocus in cer tain situations. If the autofocus system can[...]

30 B ASIC RECORDING USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH FLASH RANGE – A UTOMA TIC OPERA TION To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side . The flash position must be set manually , and once up, the flash unit will alwa ys fire regardless of the amount of ambient light. The follow- ing indicators will appear in the upper left corner [...]

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

32 B ASIC RECORDING DIGIT AL-SUBJECT -PROGRAM BUTT ON The digital-subject-program b utton (1) optimizes the camera’ s performance f or various conditions and subjects. Exposure, white-balance, and image-processing systems work in unison f or beautiful results . Pressing the digital-subject-program b utton cycles through the modes: por trait, spor[...]

33 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 . 83). The spor ts action mode uses continuous AF , the other modes use single AF . The Digital Effects Controller can be used to adjust image brightness, contrast, and col[...]

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

35 To return to a recording mode from Quick View , press the menu button. Controller QV/Delete button VIEWING IMA GES To delete a displa yed image, press the QV/delete b utton; a confirmation screen will appear. The display ed image can be deleted. Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered. Press the controller to ex ecute the command on the confi[...]

36 B ASIC PLA YBA CK 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[...]

37 ENLARGED PLA YBA CK In single-frame pla yback, a still image can be enlarged for closer e xamination. Images can be mag- nified between 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X increments. 640 X 480 size images can only be magnified 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 magnificati[...]

38 B ASIC PLA YBA CK 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 a icon at the bottom of the display . Standard and Night Mo vies 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 pla [...]

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

40 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 displa yed[...]

41 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 , f ocus frame, real-time histogram, and liv e image only . The number of screens and their formats can be changed in the a[...]

42 A DV ANCED RECORDING Flash mode Color-saturation compensation Exposure mode 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 lea v- ing the operator free to concentrate on aes[...]

43 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 e xposure to be set by a specific ele- ment within the scene or a gra y card outside the scene. When the spot-AE lock b utton is pressed and held, the spot metering circle is dis- play ed indicating the area used [...]

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

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

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

47 The macro mode is used for close-up photog raphs of small objects. The marco 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[...]

48 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 chan[...]

49 Dial MEM P ASM DRIVE WB ISO Displa y P A S 100, 200, 400, 800. Setting Memory registers or the setting function are selected with a spe- cial menu displa yed on the moni- tors. Multi-segment Center weighted Spot Program Aper ture prior ity Shutter priority Manual Single-frame adv ance Continuous adv ance Self-timer Interval Brack eting A utomati[...]

50 A DV ANCED RECORDING MEMOR Y – STORING CAMERA SETTINGS Five sets of camer a settings can be saved. This sav es time under frequently repeating conditions by eliminating the need to set the camera. Except for the spot AEL button, subject progr ams, data imprinting, voice memo , and instant playbac k settings, all recording-mode camera settings [...]

51 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 . 29). The meter ing mode is changed with the function dial (p . 48). When center-weighted or spot meter ing is selected, pressing the shutter-release button partway do wn will activate the e xposure sy[...]

52 A DV ANCED RECORDING P EXPOSURE MODES A S M Program – the camera controls both the shutter speeds and aperture. Aper ture prior ity – the photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appro- priate shutter speed. Manual e xposure – the photographer selects both the shutter speed and aperture. Shutter priority – the photograph[...]

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

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 overrides the e xposure 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 15 to 1/2000 second includi[...]

Use the control dial (1) to decrease the shutter-speed until “b ulb” is display ed. To set the aper ture value , tur n the digital eff ects switch 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. To take the picture , press and hold th[...]

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

Compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p . 27). Press the shutter-release button partway do wn (1) to lock the exposure and f ocus f or the series; if the autof ocus mode is set to continuous AF , the lens will continually focus during the series (p. 83). Press and hold the shutter-release button all the wa y down (2) to b[...]

60 A DV ANCED RECORDING HIGH-SPEED CONTINUOUS AD V ANCE Compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p . 27). Press the shutter-release button partway do wn (1) to lock the exposure and f ocus f or the series. Press and hold the shut- ter-release button all the w ay down (2) to begin taking pictures . The monitor will be blank w[...]

61 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; image size is changed to 640 X 480 when the digital zoom is used. The number of images that can be captured at one time depends on the image-quality setting: e xtr a fine – 32 frames, fine – 62 frames , and standa[...]

62 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 chara[...]

63 If the memory card is filled or the shutter button is released before the series has completed, the camera will reset and the entire brac ket must be made again. To make a flash br acket, set the digital-eff ects s witch to the exposure position and raise the camer a flash. When using flash, the brack et will not advance automatically; the shutt[...]

64 A DV ANCED RECORDING INTER V AL Number of frames in the interval series Fr ame counter 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 [...]

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

66 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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. 48). With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic record- ing section (p . 27). Focus loc k (p . 28) or [...]

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

68 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 for the [...]

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

70 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 48 to [...]

71 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 ft. ~ 6.9 ft. 0.[...]

To e xtend the versatility of the camera, an accessory flash unit (sold separately) can be mounted on the camera. See page 154 for a list of compatib le flash units. Always remo ve the accessory flash when the camera is not in use, and replace the accessory-shoe cap to protect the contacts. Slide the accessory-shoe cap off as shown. Mount the flash[...]

Tu rn the digital-eff ect switch to the image char acteristic to be adjusted. Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combina- tion. Adjustments remain in effect until manually 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 controller [...]

74 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 . 79). The exposure and flash compensation will remain in effect until it has been reset. Adjust[...]

Sometimes the camera’ s e xposure meter is deceived b y cer tain conditions. Changing the exposure value can compensate f or these situations. For e xample, a very bright scene, such as a snowy land- scape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Before taking the picture, adjusting the e xposure by +1 or +2 EV will resu[...]

76 A DV ANCED RECORDING 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 optimized f or the recording ability of the camera. Control ov er the contrast gives photog raphers the ability to [...]

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[...]

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. The guide is an introduction to some basic photographic principles. The lens aper ture controls not only exposure , but also depth of fiel[...]

79 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 water cascading ov er a waterf all. The use of a tripod is recommended with slow shutter speeds. The change in aper ture and shutter [...]

1 2 Activate the recording-mode menu with the men u 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. 80 R ECORDING MODE MENU NA VIGA TING THE RECORDING-MODE MENU In recording mode, press [...]

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

82 R ECORDING MODE MENU ELECTRONIC KEYBO ARD The electronic ke yboard is used to enter text f or imprinting data or for naming ne w folders. The ke y- board automatically appears when text needs to be entered. To enter te xt, simply use the f our-w ay k eys of the controller to highlight the desired character and then press the cen- tral button of [...]

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

84 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 size based on the final use of the image – smaller images will be more suitable f or web sites whereas larger sizes will produce higher quality prints. Image size must be set bef ore the picture is ta[...]

This camera has fiv e image quality settings: raw , super fine, e xtra fine, fine, and standard. Always select the desired setting before taking the picture . See navigating the recording-mode menu on page 80. Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no eff ect on the number of pix els in the image. The higher the image quality , the[...]

86 Because super-fine and RA W data files are so large, the UHS continuous-adv ance drive mode can- not be used with these image-quality settings. After captur ing five RA W or three super fine images successively , there will be a a fe w minutes delay while the images are being sa ved to the memory card. The access lamp will glow and the monitors [...]

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

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

89 Rear flash sync is used with long exposures to mak e trailing lights or blurring appear to f ollow rather than proceed the subject. The effect is not apparent if the shutter speed is too f ast and stops the subject’ s motion. When the shutter is released, a pre-flash will fire. This pre- flash does not exposure the subject, b ut is used in the[...]

90 R ECORDING MODE MENU 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-cam[...]

91 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. Make sure no objects come between the camera and flash unit. Raise the built-in flash [...]

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

93 NO TES ON WIRELESS/REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash 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 camera’ s built-in flash. The wireless/remote system has four channels so that m ultiple lighting systems can be used in the same area with[...]

94 R ECORDING MODE MENU 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 . 80). ADI flash metering – Advanced Distance Integration. This mode combines distance inf or mation from the autofocusing system with inf ormation from a pre-flash exposu[...]

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

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

97 DA TA IMPRINTING Data can be printed directly on the image. The impr inting function must be activated bef ore the image is taken. Once activated, data will continue to be imprinted until the function is reset; a yellow bar is display ed behind the distance indicator and frame counter on the monitors to indicate the imprinting function is active[...]

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

99 SHARPNESS The sharpness of the image can be altered. This must be set before the image is recorded. Sharpness is set in the advanced 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p . 80). If any setting other than normal is selected, the shar pness icon will be displayed on the monitors with the deg ree of sharpness. Recording-mode menu settings EVF and[...]

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

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 advanced 2 section of the recording- mode menu (p . 80). When the function is active, the microphone icon is display ed on the data panel and LCD monitor . V oice memo must be set[...]

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 effectiv e image area is 308 X 240 pixels; two thin lines will appear to the left and right of the image when play ed back. 102 M O VIE RECORDING MO VIE RECORDING Recording indicator Countdown in seconds Shooting digita[...]

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

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. 104 M O VIE RECORDING Movie mode STD . movie Basic A uto select Night movie A udio On / Off Use the up/down ke y to highlight the option whose setting needs to be changed. Press the right controller[...]

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 movie recording mode. The camera’ s systems work together to bring professional results lea ving the operator free to concentrate on aesthetic decisions . The pro-auto b utton aff ects functions in either the recording (p .[...]

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

107 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 108. Delete Marked frames 9 frames 4 frames Lock Basic This frame Unlock frames Inde[...]

108 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU 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 f ormat of the screen can be changed in the basic section of the playbac k-mode menu (p . 106). The left/right keys of the controller mov e the y ell[...]

109 Single, multiple , or all images in a folder can be deleted with the pla yback-mode menu. Before an image is deleted, a confirmation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” will ex ecute the operation, “No” will cancel the operation. T o delete images in other f olders, the f older must first be selected in the advanced 1 section of the se[...]

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

111 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. Impor tant images should be locked. T o lock images in other f olders, the f older must first be selected in the advanced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). The lock option has f[...]

The advanced 1 section of the pla yback-mode men u controls the slide-show function. This function automatically displays all still images in a f older in order . 112 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU 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 select all the images in the f older to be display ed in the slide-show pre- sentation. 113 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 f older to be display ed in the slide-show pre- sentation. When this setting is chosen, the frame-selection scre[...]

114 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU 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 memor y card has multiple f olders, a printing file m ust be created f or each folder . Folders are selected in the adv anced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). Thi[...]

115 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[...]

116 P LA YBA CK MODE MENU COPYING IMA GES Image files can be copied from one memory card to another. Up to 15MB of data can be transferred. Every time the copy function is used, a ne w folder is automatically created f or the image(s). This frame – T o copy the image currently displa yed. Marked frames – T o copy single or m ultiple images. Whe[...]

117 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. Check the second memory [...]

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

119 Choosing “Y es” will e x ecute the operation, “No” will cancel it. F or more information about the electronic ke yboard, see page 82. LCD brightness Basic 1 – 5 Deutsch Fr ançais Language English File # memory Advanced 1 F older name Select folder Date form On / Off Std. form (folder names) EVF brightness 1 – 5 Español New f older[...]

120 S ETUP MODE EVF AND LCD MONIT OR BRIGHTNESS The brightness of the EVF and LCD monitor is set independently of each other . Br ightness is con- trolled in five le vels from 1 (lo w) to 5 (high). As each setting is highlighted, the monitor will adjust accordingly; the central button of the controller must be pressed to set the highlighted le vel.[...]

121 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 . 118). This affects the camer a’ s audio signals as well as the playbac k lev els 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 [...]

122 S ETUP 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 T10. The first three digits are the folder’ s ser ial number , which will increase by one each time a new f older is cre[...]

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

124 S ETUP MODE DISPLA Y MODE Standard display Focus frame only Live image only Real-time histogram Scale Grid Setup 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 (p . 41) can be selected in the adv[...]

125 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 focus is activ ated in the advanced 1 section of the setup menu (p . 118). Direct manual f ocus is canceled when continuous AF (p . 83) or manual focus (p . 43) is in use. 1 As described in the basic re[...]

126 S ETUP MODE Image quality RESET DEF A UL T Unlike the pro-auto b utton (p. 42, 105), this function affects not only the recording mode, b ut also the movie, pla 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 Se[...]

EVF auto switch 127 AE hold Sharpness Color mode Data imprinting Instant playbac k Index pla yback f ormat Duration (Slide Show) Repeat (Slide Show) 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 3 3 1 minute Off A uto EVF/LCD 99 98 97 100 111 112 112 120 120 129[...]

128 S ETUP 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 [...]

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

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

131 In the brack eting drive mode (p . 62), the brack et can be changed between the type indicated by the digital-effects s witch and e xposure brack ets only . T wo settings are av ailable: DEC control – the camera’ s initial setting as described on page 62. The type of bracket depends on the position of the digital-effects s witch. Exposure ?[...]

132 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE DA T A-TRANSFER MODE 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 manual su[...]

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

134 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE 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 re[...]

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

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

137 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 locat- ed in the CD-ROM drive at :Win98USB . MANU AL INST ALLA TION To i[...]

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

139 CONNECTING T O MA C OS 8.6 To download and install this softw are, f ollow 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 suppor t software must be installed first. This software is supplied by Apple[...]

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

141 Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” follo wed by a f our-digit file number and a tif , mrw , jpg, jpe, mov , or thm e xtension. V oice-memo files hav e a wav e xtension and the file name corresponds to its image file. The thumbnail images (thm) are used in camera and DiMAGE Viewer software oper a- tion. When a new f older is create[...]

DISCONNECTING THE CAMERA FROM THE COMPUTER 142 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE 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 . Nev er disconnect the camera when the access lamp is lit – the data or memory card may permanently be damaged. To disconnec[...]

143 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. Disconnect the USB cable . A confirmation screen will appear to indi- cate the devices to be stopped. Clicking [...]

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

145 Pictures are not sharp. F ocus signal is red. Subject is too close. Make sure the subject is within the aut- ofocus r ange (0.5m – ∞ / 1.6 ft – ∞ ) or use the macro mode (p. 47). The camera is in macro mode. Cancel the macro mode setting (p . 47). A special situation is prev enting the autofocus system from f ocusing (p. 29 ) Use the fo[...]

146 T R OUBLESHOO 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 memory card may be damaged and camer a settings reset. The camera temperature rises with e xtended periods of use. Care should be t[...]

147 1. Insert a memor y card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USB cab le. 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 mance and [...]

148 C ARE AND STORA 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 scratch the surf ace. •T o clean the lens surface , first blow a wa y any dust or sand, then, if necessary , moiste[...]

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

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

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

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

153 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 Batter y perf or mance (recording): Appro x. number of recorded images: 220 frames Based on Minolta’ s standard test method: 1850mAh Ni-MH batteries, full-size images (2560[...]

154 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 . 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 . Sev [...]

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

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