Konica Minolta Dimage Z5

Manual Control Options
The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 offers the following manual controls: aperture, shutter speed, white balance, focus, ISO, and exposure compensation. All of these are available in the Manual mode except the exposure compensation. The aperture and shutter speed are controlled by scrolling in the prescribed directions (appearing on the LCD screen with arrows) with the navigational dial. Overall, the Z5 provides users with a nice balance of automatic and manual controls, allowing beginners to hone their skills and slowly evolve into the realm of manual photography. All of these controls will be described in greater detail throughout the review.

Focus
Auto (6.0)
The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 includes several auto focus modes; unfortunately, none of them really work that well. The Single AF option focuses and locks onto a subject before capturing the image. The Z5 takes its time to focus, leaving the user frustrated with many "blinked" portraits and impatient subjects. The Continuous AF mode does not lock onto a subject, but rather follows it as the shot when the shutter release button is pushed down halfway. This works better, but can occasionally leave subjects in a blur. This digital camera also offers a Full-Time AF option that can be turned on or off. This keeps the total focusing time to a minimum, so this option is recommended.

As indicated above, the Z5 displayed extreme difficulty focusing in lower light levels. While this is exaggerated as light levels dropped, indications of the deficiency are present even in daylight. The speed and accuracy of the camera’s automatic focus are questionable at best and should be noted by any potential consumer. This could have been drastically improved with the inclusion of a manual focus ring; a rare and foreign inclusion in the realm of compact digital cameras, but it would have helped gain accuracy when focusing, as well as justifying and maximizing the camera’s odd design.

Manual Focus (3.0)
Manual focus is an option on this DiMAGE, but like most digital cameras that don’t have a focus ring, this is a pretty weak offering. When the Manual Focus mode is selected, a bar appears on the side of the LCD screen with 1m, 2m, and infinity options. Users employ the navigational dial to go up or down the bar, which then brings the subject in or out of focus.

When this tweaking on the bar is happening, the camera automatically zooms in the center of the image. This aids the user by showing a larger picture; however, if users try to manually focus on something that isn’t in the center of the frame, they wouldn’t be able to see it at all – rendering the method utterly useless. Thus, like many compact models, the Z5 can put a "manual focus" option on the spec sheet, but it will likely expire as an unused feature, cluttering the interface.

Metering (7.5)
The camera’s three Metering modes can be found in the second tab of the recording menu. The Multi-segment metering option uses 256 different segments to measure colors and lighting for the overall picture. The Center-weighted option emphasizes the center of the frame within the overall composition. The Spot metering option measures from only a tiny spot in the center of the frame. When using the Z5, a circle appears in the center, so users know where the camera is measuring the lighting and colors from. This option is best for subjects that are backlit or in settings where there will be lots of contrast.

Exposure (7.5)
The mode dial offers the following exposure modes: Manual, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Program, Movie, Auto, Portrait, Sports, Portrait with Landscape, Beach, and Night Portrait. Most exposure controls can be found within the recording menus. The exposure compensation control is not labeled at all, but can be adjusted from +/- 2 (in 1/3 steps) in certain modes (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and scene modes) by pushing the left and right portions of the navigational dial. It seems slightly strange that the exposure compensation would not be available in the Manual mode to augment aperture and shutter adjustments.

White Balance (7.5)
The white balance option is easily found on the first and most easily accessible section of the recording menu. The white balance options appear only as icons, so no textual explanations are available. However, almost more valuable than the text is the live view that can be seen through the menu. Once the proper setting is highlighted, the image will be calibrated to "proper white," whereas some situations prior to adjustment will impose a blue or red cast over white tones. The following options are available: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash, Custom Set and Custom Recall.

Custom Set and Custom Recall are the two options at the bottom with vague icons. Once users figure out the graphics, the actual manual setting of the white balance is simple. The Custom Set option lets users place a white card or object in front of the lens. Users then press the button in the center of the navigational dial and the camera reads that color as white in the Custom Recall mode. The manual white balance mode works quite well, if properly calibrated and rendered accurate colors once set.

ISO (6.0)
Unfortunately, the live views that were available in the white balance menu are not available with the ISO range, referred to as Sensitivity. The DiMAGE Z5 offers the following options on its Sensitivity menu: Auto, 50, 100, 200, and 320. Most compact digital cameras offer a range up to 400, so the slightly shortened range is a bit disappointing, especially considering that this model aims to sit between the compact and digital SLR worlds. One has to question this decision by Konica Minolta; I would understand if the Z5’s 320 ISO setting far surpassed the clarity of other imagers at an ISO 400 setting, but this is not the case. Even at the restricted, 320 sensitivity setting, the Z5 does not parallel the performance of many cameras at ISO 400. This leaves the user a bit short, with a restricted shooting capacity (low light) and limited clarity.

Shutter Speed (6.5)
The shutter speed ranges from 4 seconds to 1/1000^th of a second. This range is a bit short, considering its targeted audience. Many cameras in this price range offer shutter speeds as slow as 30 seconds. The shutter speed can be changed in the Shutter Priority and Manual modes only by pushing the top and bottom portion of the navigational dial. Users can see the effects of their shutter speed choice instantly, as the lighting gets brighter or darker as they scroll through shutter speeds. This should be ample or most users shooting typical outdoor and interior scenes but will not suffice for those interested in recording long exposures or extensive night imagery.

Aperture (7.5)
Can you tell that I just love the live views? Once again, this wonderful viewing option is available when the aperture is adjusted. I do not mean to dwell, but observing potential alterations prior to recording an image is invaluable. The aperture can be changed in the Manual and Aperture Priority modes by pushing the appointed directions on the navigational dial. The aperture of the 12x optical zoom lens can be adjusted from f/2.8-f/8 at its widest setting and f/4.5-f/8 in telephoto mode.