Reviews for Konica Minolta DiMAGE G400 Compact Camera

Konica Minolta DiMAGE G400 Compact Camera

Strengths: - Compact and relatively thin size - Fast startup to first photo - Two media formats: Memory Stick & SD - Solid metal build & feel - Wide range of manual & automatic setting - Long battery

Weakness: - Only an f2.8 lens (though this is standard, a brighter lens would be nice) - Sliding cover open can smudge lens - No shutter priority setting - No histogram, but how many this size do?

After reading an Oct '03 announcement of this camera, I got it for myself for Christmas and used intensively on a 12 day trip to California. It took a bit of getting used to (after using several Sony cameras for so long), but now I love it.

I played around with various settings and I recommend using is the Spot Meter over the Center-Weight Meter, which often gave me poorly exposed photos.

Being tied into the older format Memory Stick (not MS Pro) with my trusty Vaio notebook computer, I really like the fact that I can use both a MS (with a 128MB max capacity) and potentially much larger SD cards in the camera at the same time. I set it to give priority to the Memory Stick. When that is full, it automatically starts storing pictures on the SD card. There is a built-in function to copy or move files from the SD card to the Memory Stick.

I took about 1000 pictures of family and landscapes during the trip. For most of the trip I kept the camera strap around my neck and easily held the camera in my shirt pocket.

Complaints: For indoor family photos the flash is a bit strong, and at the same time it does not extend very far. The f2.8 lens does not do as well in dim light as my old Sony DSC-S70. But it is enjoyably fast to start up and get the first shot. The second shot is slowed some by the write-time, which I hope to alleviate some with a Sandisk Ultra II SD card. Photos in good light are very sharp.

Tip: You can use cheaper Konica DR-LB4 batteries.

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Konica Minolta DiMAGE G400 Compact Camera

Strengths: Fast, not just starting, but also displaying pictures. Image quality is excellent. Memory stick and SD card friendly COMPACT

Weakness: So small that large handed or clumsy people might struggle with controls, opening, or putting their fingers on the LCD

I had a Olympus D-360L prior, an excellent camera, but no zoom. I looked at the Canon S400, Pentax 555, Sony T1, Kyocera 300L. The Pentax had speed issues, the Sony was expensive, the Kyocera had no optical viewfinder and I did not like the split LCD, lens system which I thought would be more difficult to control . The Canon was almost my choice, but it was a little slower, more expensive, and the Minolta supported SD and memory stick formats.

The Minolta is tiny, I can fit it into a case intended only for memory cards. It is also lightnening fast, I cannot see how much faster a camera could be. You slide the door, bring the camera to your eye, align the image, and shoot, there is no delay, another picture can be taken with only a 1 second (roughly) delay.
The directional and telephoto buttons allow you to magnify and move the image on the LCD, the image moves on the screen without any blurring. The display of images is very fast.
The issue of autofocus in low light is difficult for me to notice. I'm not an expert in photography, but I really have not notice a significant issue. The camera does seem to struggle a little in low light,-some autofocus delays, some exposure issues, but to me these are almost imperceptible, and I suspect they would be to most people.

Being able to use SD and memory stick ccards is also a huge advantage if you have any devices that use memory stick (I have a Sony Clie-22).

There are small issues with opening the camera cover, initially I found it a little difficult to get a good grip but I now have no problems. The menu system is not the best in terms of organization, but it is redundant (the same settings are available on many screens), and I have not had problems with it.

This is an excellent, compact, fast camera that unlike my old Olympus D360L, I can carry it everywhere, in my shirt pocket if I want. It may not be a good choice for someone not used to digital gadgets, but anyone with experience with computers or PDA's should enjoy this camera.

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Konica Minolta DiMAGE G400 Compact Camera

Strengths: Very small and light, seems to take nice pictures, uses 2 types of memory, fast startup with ability to take quick snapshots.

Weakness: Pixel Problem on my unit.

Bought this camera after reading many reviews and doing a lot of research. My camera had a pixel problem, after viewing pictures on computer and printing, there was a white/purplish speckle in the same spot in every photo.

Could not return to store, had to contact manufacturer. Surprisingly they were helpful and I have to ship the camera away for repairs. I will update on how long it takes as this could make or break my opinion of Konica Minolta.

UPDATE: June 15, 2004: I ended up returning the camera to Newegg a couple months ago and they offered an exchange but the camera was out of stock. So, I went with the G500 for a few dollars more. That one had the exact same problem with the problematic pixel! I sent it out for repair.

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Minolta DiMAGE G400

Konica Minolta's DiMAGE G400 is a compact, stylish 4 megapixel, 3x zoom digicam in a rugged stainless steel body. I found it a little prone to high image noise, but its images were overall quite pleasing, and the camera has a surprising range of controls and options available within its menu system. Deserving of attention, if you're in the market for a rugged, stylish, compact digicam.

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