Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Armed with a 1/2.5 inch 5 MP CCD and 8x optical zoom lens, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z20 supplies users with both fully automatic control settings and manual exposure modes. Users can record both still and video footage to either the optional SD/MMC memory card or to the 14.5 MB of internal storage provided. Users can review or compose images with the fixed 1.5 inch color LCD screen or color viewfinder, though they are not simultaneously operable. Manual control settings include focus, white balance, exposure priority, aperture, shutter speed, EV compensation, and flash, along with a few additional shooting options. VGA video clips can be recorded on the Z20 at 15 frames per second or QVGA video clips can be shot at 30 frames per second. Unfortunately, without a video out port, users will only be able to export video and still images through either the memory card or the USB port located on the right side of the camera. The Z20 can currently be found online for around $250 (USD).
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Picture Quality / Size Options (8.0)
Changes to the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z20's image sizes and quality can be made through the first screen of the menu. The user can set the pixel rates for the camera to one of four different settings when in regular shooting modes and to two different settings for movie mode. The camera can be set to 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, and 640 x 480. When in movie mode, the user is able to choose between 640 x 480 and 320 x 240. The quality settings in regular shooting mode allow the user to select between Fine, Standard, or Economy modes. Economy mode will yield the smallest JPEG file size, but also has the lowest quality. In movie mode, the user can select between two frame rates of either 15 or 30 fps.

Picture Effects Mode (8.0)
Picture effects settings on the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z20 are located through the menu and allow for creative manipulation of images while within the camera. The picture effects settings allow for Natural Color, Vivid Color, B&W, and Sepia. It is also possible to alter the contrast and sharpness of the image when shooting in P, A, S, and M modes. Contrast and sharpness are not accessible when in automatic, preset, or movie modes. The contrast mode is designed for in-camera editing that either avoids or precedes Photoshop. Users can tweak tonal values and alter the visible grayscale with the included setting.

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