Reviews
Konica
Minolta DiMAGE Z20
Terrific zoom, terrific ultra-close macro
The
Konica Minolta 5-megapixel DiMAGE Z20 replaces last year's 3.2
megapixel Z10 model. The Z20 is one of those cameras that at first
sight looks like a small SLR: no viewfinder, fairly big body with
a big lens barrel, and a ãpower bulgeä handle on the right. However,
the Z20, is not a SLR; it just looks that way because the big
barrel contains a massive 8X Konica Minolta Zoom lens. You can't
see a viewfinder from the front because the Z20 doesn't have an
optical one like most digicams. Instead, it uses an electronic
design that actually lets you see through the lens, just like
with a SLR.
Minolta's
target for the DiMAGE Z20 are first-time digital photographers
and those upgrading from older digital cameras.ä I'd add that
the Z20 is a great digital camera for first-timers who want a
big optical zoom because that is what determines the rather bulky
design of this camera. It's not that big (4.3 x 3.2 x 3.7) and
it weighs just 12.6 ounces fully loaded with four AA batteries,
but its design with the long lens barrel makes it feel large and
a bit difficult to stow away. This not a camera you can slip into
a pocket or even an attachŽ case. If you take it with you, you
need to reserve a space for it. If you put up with the size, you
get a fast 5-megapixel camera that is a pleasure to use and lets
you get as close as you want both via its superb macro as well
as its massive 8X optical/4X digital zoom.
Now
let's talk ergonomics and design: Most of the plastic body of
the Z20 has a matte-silver powder finish. The body is functional
rather than beautiful, without any unnecessary styling elements.
The Z20 looks a bit bare and you want a case to protect all that
powder-coated plastic. Ergonomics are first rate. You can hold
the camera in your right hand where the powerbulge with its rubber
coating fits nicely into your palm. The shutter is in the perfect
spot and the zoom rocker exactly where you expect it to be. For
extra stabilization use your left hand where the rounded left
side of the Z20, also with a pad of rubber coating, fits perfectly
into your palm. Good ergonomics are important with a big-zoom
where you need to hold the camera as steady as you can, especially
since for cost reasons Minolta did not equip this model with an
ãanti-shakeä feature.
Controls
are large and clearly marked, with the exception of the mode dial
that squeezes 11 symbols onto a small wheel that must be aligned
to a faint marker. The traditional 5-way navigation pad is ergonomically
located and works well. The remaining three buttons (Menu, Quick
View and Information) are within easy reach of your right thumb,
as is the on/off button that has a record/playback ring around
it. The Z20 is one of those few cameras where you can reach every
control with your thumb.
The
Z20's electronic viewfinder is complemented by a small 1.5-inch
LCD. You use either the LCD or the electronic viewfinder by toggling
between them. Minolta calls this a ãswitchfinder.ä The electronic
viewfinder is a mixed blessing. It has a diopter adjustment and
lets you see what's going on in full 32X magnification. This wouldn't
be possible with a regular optical viewfinder. But it's a low
resolution affair with a grainy and unsharp picture. Despite the
basic looks of the Z20, there is more to this camera than meets
the eye. It is, for example, very fast. Push the ãonä button and
the DiMAGE springs to life instantly. There is also very little
shutter lag, and Minolta's CxProcess III image processing technology
assists in making pictures come out just the way you see them.
A neat trick that works.
The
main attraction of the Z20 is its ultra-flexible lens. The macro
is incredible. You can get within 0.4 inches of a subject for
close-ups that very few other cameras can take. Or you can bring
the world as close as you want with the 8X optical zoom. Multiply
that with a very good 4X digital zoom and nothing is ever too
close or too far away for this camera. Get used to it and it's
hard to go back to the standard 3X zoom of an average digicam.
The
movie mode is so-so. You can zoom while shooting movies, and you
get a full 30 frames per second in the standard 320x240 mode.
There is also a night-movie mode and you can capture individual
frames from a movie. On the other hand, the frame rate drops to
15 in 640 x 480 mode, and neither mode has sound. There isn't
any sound in this camera, so you can't add voice annotations to
your pictures.
The
Z20 is powered by four AA batteries or rechargeables. You're supposed
to get 450 shots out of a set, and that sounds about right. On
the storage side, the Z20 offers a nice surprise with an internal
14.5MB in addition to its SD/MMC card slot (no SD Card card is
included). The print manual is weak, but there is a more complete
PDF version on CD.
If
you can live with the somewhat bulky body and the small, low-res
ãswitchfinder,ä the Z20 rewards you with superb ergonomics, speed,
great battery life, and the ability to take excellent pictures
of subjects that can be as close as less than an inch and far,
far away thanks to the excellent 8X optical zoom. This cameras
can do it all.
öConrad
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