Minolta DiMAGE Z1 Review
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Review
Date: Jan 29, 2004 |
Image Quality
The
Minolta DiMAGE Z1 is a digital camera targeted
to beginner to serious amateur photographers and
its image quality is comparable to other 3 megapixels
resolution digital cameras. Thanks to a low ISO
of 50, images are virtually noise-free.
Since most of you are interested in the Minolta
DiMAGE Z1 because of the long zoom, I have taken
a number of the picture samples at that focal
length. Of course, I have also included pictures
at other focal lengths and in different lighting
situations. The long zoom opens up picture possibilities
once reserved only to those who could afford expensive
long zoom lenses for the professional SLR or dSLR
category.
For this review, I used the following settings
as my preferred settings:
-
Shooting Mode: Program AE
-
Metering Mode: Spot
- ISO:
50
- Image
Size: 2048x1536 (3M)
- Image
Quality: Fine
- White
Balance: Auto
All the pictures on this and the other pages (including
the navigation pictures at the top of each page)
have been taken by the Minolta DiMAGE Z1 for this
review. The pictures on this page provide a good
sample of what the DiMAGE Z1 is capable of and
I have provided the 800x600 version. Remember
that this version is of slightly lesser quality
than the original 2048x1536 version. Please open
and download only once to your hard drive -- and
save me some precious bandwidth. Thanks!
| Clicking
on a picture will display the 800x600 image
in a separate window. Leave that separate
window up for all the other images will also
display in that same separate window. |
 The
Mississauga
City Hall (Civic Center) at dusk on a very cold
day (-35 Celsius with the wind chill, brrr). For
this picture, I use a tripod and shoot in Auto mode.
In Auto mode, the camera defaults to ISO 200 (which
is a bit noisy, but still quite acceptable) and
Multi-segment metering. With the Date Imprint feature
on, the date prints on the lower right corner of
the picture in one of three possible formats: year/month/day,
month/day/year and day/month/year. Focal Length
5.8mm, Auto, Multi-segment, shutter speed 1/10 sec.,
aperture F2.8 and ISO 200. [File size: 1.5 MB]
 Unoccupied
benches waiting for warmer weather visitors. I adjust
my tripod to the lowest of the three height settings
for a low angle shot and position the camera so
that the three benches lead the eye to the Church.
Since the bright expanse of snow will fool the light
meter to underexpose the shot, always remember to
dial in a positive exposure compensation for snow
(or sunny beach, for that matter) shots. Here I
dial in a +1EV exposure compensation. Detail captured
is excellent (check out the white Church spire against
the white sky). Focal length 5.8mm, Programmed AE,
Spot, shutter speed 1/100 sec., aperture F5.0, +1EV,
ISO 50. [File size: 1.4 MB]
 Watch
Out! I couldn't believe seeing all those young children
learning to ski on a steep (!!!) hill. Though these
two have a little collision, it looks like they
are still having lots of fun. This shot is handheld
at full telephoto. The fast shutter speed negates
any camera shake at such long focal length. Focal
length 58mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed
1/640 sec., aperture F8.0, +0.3EV, ISO 50. [File
size: 1.3 MB]
 This
young skier is ready to go downhill snowboarding,
and look so cool that I have to take a picture.
I ask and, permission granted, I snap one quick
shot. Unfortunately, I still have the exposure mode
on Shutter-Priority and exposure compensation of
+0.3EV dialed in. Result: overexposure. This shot
has therefore been adjusted in Photoshop Elements
using levels to darken and bring out the colours
of the ski jacket. Focal length 12.6mm, Shutter-Priority,
Spot, shutter speed 1/60 sec, aperture F8.0, +0.3EV
and ISO 50. [File size: 1.0 MB]
 Earl
Bales Park in the Bathurst and Sheppard area
converts to a ski slope for the Winter. Young children
can learn how to snowboard with qualified instructors
on hand. The ground is flat here but there is also
an artificial little hill to practice going downhill.
Lots of parking space. Focal length 5.8mm, Programmed
AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/640 sec, aperture F6.3,
+0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.3 MB]
 Water
meanders through melted snow on an otherwise frozen
stream in Edwards
Garden. I take four different shots before I
get one I like. The first two include more snow
and less sky and come out underexposed even with
+0.3EV and +0.7EV exposure compensation. The last
two include more sky with +0.3EV and +0.7EV exposure
compensation. It's the last one that comes out right
-- demonstrating the importance of bracketing and
trying out different compositions. Focal length
5.8mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/125
sec, aperture F5.6, +0.7EV and ISO 50. [File size:
1.4 MB]
 Winter
landscape has a wistful beauty of its own with snow
blanketing everything on the ground. I almost feel
I could turn this picture upside down and shake
to see snow falling gently back to the ground ;o).
Focal length 16.6mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter
speed 1/100 sec, aperture F4.5, +0.3EV and ISO 50.
[File size: 1.3 MB]
 My
first introduction to snow was in Kansas City, Missouri
one morning. It had snowed all night and I woke
up, pulled the curtains and stared in wonderment
at the snow-covered landscape. A tree in front of
my window had its branches laden with snow. Beautiful!
Keep an eye open (and camera ready) for those snow-laden
branches after a fresh snowfall. Focal length 5.8mm,
Shutter-Priority, Spot, shutter speed 1/125 sec.,
aperture F5.0, +0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.3
MB]
 There
is something magical about wooden fences that seem
to invite us to step up to them and lean against
them with one foot up on the low rung. This is also
our "tree branches against bright sky"
shot to check out purple fringing. Focal length
8mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/125 sec.,
aperture F5.6, +0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.3
MB]
 A
duck floats lazily under the shadows of thick evergreen
boughs. It's too dark so I pull up the flash, and
you can see its reflection in the water. Water droplets
are frozen in place by the flash. Noise is wonderfully
well controlled in this picture. Focal length 58mm,
Shutter-Priority, Spot, shutter speed 1/125 sec,
aperture F3.5, +0.3EV and ISO 50, with Fill-in Flash.
[File size: 1.4 MB]
 If
you are into birding, then you'll be glad to know
that taking pictures of birds is extremely satisfying
using the 10x optical zoom of the DiMAGE Z1. You
can get close without scaring them away. A flock
of sparrows are perched on the low branches of a
tree and I zoom in to isolate one of them. This
shot is handheld at full telephoto. Focal length
57mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/250 sec,
aperture F3.5, +0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.4
MB]
 The
Z1's auto-focus works really well as these bird
pictures demonstrate. Sometimes it would focus on
the branches instead of a bird, but I just have
to move it a little bit to ensure one of the bird
is in the focus area, half press the shutter release
button to lock focus, and recompose. Focal length
25mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/400 sec.,
aperture F3.5, +0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.3
MB]
 Where
does it get the energy to sing in this cold weather?
Only an ultra zoom lens can isolate this sparrow
and bring it to focus. Focus is spot on, shutter
lag is negligible so it's easy to catch the right
moment. I believe the Z1 is a birder's dream come
true. This is another tough "shoot against
bright sky" shot. Focal length 58mm, Programmed
AE, Spot, shutter speed 1/250 sec, aperture F3.5,
+0.3EV and ISO 50. [File size: 1.1 MB]
 One
of my favourite shots, especially with the muted
golden colours in the background. Again, handheld
at full telephoto. As long as you use a fast enough
shutter speed, you don't need to worry about camera
shake. Focal length 58mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter
speed 1/250 sec, aperture F3.5, +0.7EV and ISO 50.
[File size: 1.3 MB]
 The
bright yellow window contrasts nicely with the whiteness
of the snow-covered roof. An ultra zoom lens also
allows more interesting composition. With a 10x
optical zoom, you can zoom in tighter if you so
wish, going past the usual 3x or 4x zoom lens on
most consumer digital cameras. The colours are reproduced
very nicely here. Focal length 20mm, Programmed
Auto, Spot, shutter speed 1/125 sec, aperture F5.0
and ISO 50. [File size: 1.2 MB]
 Chinese
New Year on January 22, 2004. Here, worshippers
visit the pagoda on Bayview Avenue, thumping (notice
the log hanging in front of the bell) the gong before
going inside. Interestingly, there is also a Muslim
place of worship, and a Jewish temple, all three
right beside one another on the same road. Focal
length 6.6mm, Programmed AE, Spot, shutter speed
1/100 sec, aperture F5.6 and ISO 50. [File size:
1.3 MB]
For
our panorama shot at Edwards Garden, I take note
of the exposure setting, switch to Manual mode
and enter the shutter speed and aperture manually.
Then I take 4 portrait shots hand held. To stitch
the shots together, I use the Merge function of
Photoshop Elements, stitching two images at a
time. Focal length 5.8mm, Manual, Spot, shutter
speed 1/160 sec., aperture F4.5 and ISO 50.
Need
a place to upload your photos? Free photo sharing
and photo hosting web site at cassepoze.
A
Personal Word
The
Minolta DiMAGE Z1 looks futuristic and, in its
shiny metallic body, is not a digital camera that
you can try to be inconspicuous with. I believe
it would look great in an all-black body finish.
Looks aside, the Minolta Z1 is everything you
need in a compact and light package. There's flexible
exposure control, a noise-free ISO 50, fast operations
with negligible shutter lag, and fast responsive
autofocus.
I
find that with an ultra zoom digital camera, I
tend to shoot more at the long end of the telephoto.
In this case, Spot metering seems to make more
sense and gives the best exposure. The EVF is
bright, the construction is solid, the handling
is comfortable, but most of all, the image quality
is simply excellent.
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