User manual MINOLTA DIMAGE X

9224-2776-11 H-A112 E INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE YOU BEGIN Thank you for purchasing this Minolta product. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of your new digital camera. This manual contains information regarding products introduced before February, 2002. To obtain compatibility information for products released after this date, contact a Minolta Service Facility listed on the back cover of this manual. Check the packing list before using this product. If any items are missing, immediately contact your camera dealer. Minolta DiMAGE X digital camera Lithium-ion battery NP-200 Lithium-ion battery charger BC-200 Hand strap HS-DG100 8MB SD Memory Card AV cable AVC-200 USB cable USB-500 DiMAGE software CD-ROM for DiMAGE X PDF DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility manual on CD-ROM PDF Camera manual on CD-ROM Quick Reference Guide Warranty card Do not remove the ferrite cores from the cables. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, Mac OS, and the Mac OS logo are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. The official name of Windows is Microsoft Windows Operating System. Pentium is a registered trademark of the Intel Corporation. Power PC is a trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation. QuickTime is a trademark used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2 FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE NP-200 Lithium-ion batteries The DiMAGE X operates on a small, but powerful lithium-ion battery. Misuse or abuse of the lithiumion battery can cause damage or injury through fire, electric shock, or chemical leakage. Read and understand all warnings before using the battery. DANGER · Do not short, disassemble, damage, or modify the battery. · Do not expose the battery to fire or high temperatures over 60°C (140°F). · Do not expose the battery to water, or moisture. Water can corrode or damage the internal battery safety devices and cause the battery to overheat, ignite, rupture, or leak. · Do not drop or subject the battery to strong impacts. Impacts can damage the internal battery safety devices and cause the battery to overheat, ignite, rupture, or leak. · Do not store the battery near or in metallic products. · Only use the battery specified in this camera manual. · Only use the specified charger within the voltage range specified on the charger unit. An inappropriate charger or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. · Do not use a leaking battery. If fluid from the battery enters your eye, immediately rinse the eye with plenty of fresh water and contact a doctor. If fluid from the battery makes contact with your skin or clothing, wash the area thoroughly with water. (Continued on the next page.) 3 FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE WARNING · Tape over the lithium-ion battery contacts to avoid short-circuiting during disposal; always follow local regulations for battery disposal. · Only use the battery specified in this manual. · If charging is not completed after the specified period elapses, unplug the charger and discontinue charging immediately. · Only use or charge the battery in an environment with ambient temperatures between 0° and 40°C (32° and 104°F) and a humidity of 45% to 85% RH. Only store the battery in an environment with ambient temperatures between -20° and 30°C (-4° and 86°F) and a humidity of 45% to 85% RH. General warnings and cautions for product use. Read and understand the following warnings and cautions for safe use of the digital camera and its accessories. WARNING · Do not disassemble the camera or charger. Electric shock may cause injury if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched. · Immediately remove the battery or unplug the AC adapter and discontinue use if the camera is dropped or subjected to an impact in which the interior, especially the flash unit, is exposed. The flash has a high voltage circuit which may cause an electric shock resulting in injury. The continued use of a damaged product or part may cause injuries or fire. · Keep the battery, memory card, or small parts that could be swallowed away from infants. Contact a doctor immediately if an object is swallowed. · Store this product out of reach of children. Be careful when around children, not to harm them with the product or parts. · Do not fire the flash directly into the eyes. It may damage eyesight. · Do not fire the flash at vehicle operators. It may cause a distraction or temporary blindness which may lead to an accident. 4 · Do not use the monitor while operating a vehicle or walking. It may result in injury or an accident. · Do not use this product in a humid environment, or operate these products with wet hands. If liquid enters this product, immediately remove the battery or unplug the power cord, and discontinue use. The continued use of a product exposed to liquids may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. · Do not use this product near inflammable gases or liquids such as gasoline, benzine, or paint thinner. Do not use inflammable products such as alcohol, benzine, or paint thinner to clean these products. The use of inflammable cleaners and solvents may cause an explosion or fire. · When unplugging the AC adapter or charger, do not pull on the power cord. Hold the plug when removing it from an outlet. · Do not damage, twist, modify, heat, or place heavy objects on the AC adapter or charger cord. A damaged cord may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. · If these products emit a strange odor, heat, or smoke, discontinue use. Immediately remove the battery taking care not to burn yourself as the battery may become hot with use. The continued use of a damaged product or part may cause injuries or fire. · Only use the specified AC adapter within the voltage range indicated on the adapter unit. An inappropriate adapter or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock. · Take the product to a Minolta Service Facility when repairs are required. 5 FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE CAUTION · Do not use or store these product in a hot or humid environment such as the glove compartment or trunk of a car. It may damage the camera, charger, and battery which may result in burns or injuries caused by heat, fire, explosion, or leaking battery fluid. · If the battery is leaking, discontinue use of the product. · The camera, charger, and battery temperature rises with extended periods of use. Care should be taken to avoid burns. · Burns may result if the memory card or battery is removed immediately after extended periods of use. Turn the camera off and wait for it to cool. · Do not fire the flash while it is in contact with people or objects. The flash unit discharges a large amount of energy which may cause burns. · Do not apply pressure to the LCD monitor. A damaged monitor may cause injury, and the liquid from the monitor may cause inflammation. If liquid from the monitor makes contact with skin, wash the area with fresh water. If liquid from the monitor comes in contact with the eyes, immediately rinse the eyes with plenty of water and contact a doctor. · When using the AC adapter and charger, insert the plug securely into the electrical outlet. · Do not use if the AC adapter or charger cord is damaged. · Do not cover the AC adapter or charger. A fire may result. · Do not obstruct access to the AC adapter or charger; this can hinder the unplugging of the units in emergencies. · Unplug the AC adapter or charger when cleaning or not in use. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THIS MANUAL The getting up and running section covers how to prepare the camera for use. It contains important information about power supplies and memory cards. The basic operation of this camera is covered in the recording-mode section between pages 20 and 29, and the playback-mode section between pages 50 and 56. Read the data-transfer mode section in its entirety before connecting the camera to a computer. Many of the features of this camera are controlled with menus. The menu navigation sections concisely describe how to change menu settings. Descriptions of the settings immediately follow the navigation sections. The appendix contains a troubleshooting section to help answer questions about the operation of the camera. Information covering camera care and storage is also provided. Please store this manual in a safe place. Names of parts ....................................................................................................................................10 Getting up and running.........................................................................................................................12 Charging the lithium-ion battery ..............................................................................................12 Changing the lithium-ion battery..............................................................................................13 Battery-condition indicator .......................................................................................................14 Auto power off .........................................................................................................................14 AC adapter (sold separately)...................................................................................................15 Attaching the hand strap .........................................................................................................15 Installing and removing a memory card ..................................................................................16 About memory cards ...............................................................................................................17 Setting the date and time ........................................................................................................18 Recording mode ...................................................................................................................................20 Handling the camera ...............................................................................................................20 Setting the camera to record images ......................................................................................20 Using the zoom lens................................................................................................................21 LCD monitor display - recording mode....................................................................................22 Camera-shake warning ...........................................................................................................22 Basic recording operation........................................................................................................23 Focus lock ...............................................................................................................................24 Focus range.............................................................................................................................24 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Focus signals...........................................................................................................................25 Special focusing situations ......................................................................................................25 Flash modes ............................................................................................................................26 Flash range..............................................................................................................................27 Flash signals............................................................................................................................27 Navigating the recording-mode menu .....................................................................................28 Drive modes ............................................................................................................................30 Single-frame advance .................................................................................................30 Continuous advance ...................................................................................................31 Self-timer.....................................................................................................................32 Movie recording ..........................................................................................................33 Audio recording...........................................................................................................34 Image size ...............................................................................................................................35 Image quality ...........................................................................................................................36 The frame counter and memory card capacity........................................................................37 White balance..........................................................................................................................38 Automatic white balance.............................................................................................38 Preset white balance ..................................................................................................39 Digital zoom.............................................................................................................................40 Instant playback.......................................................................................................................41 Voice memo.............................................................................................................................42 Folder name ............................................................................................................................43 LCD brightness........................................................................................................................44 Auto-power-off menu settings..................................................................................................44 Audio signals ...........................................................................................................................44 Setting the date and time ........................................................................................................45 Setting the date format ............................................................................................................45 Exposure compensation ..........................................................................................................46 What is an Ev? ........................................................................................................................47 Display button - recording mode .............................................................................................48 A short guide to photography ..................................................................................................49 Playback mode ....................................................................................................................................50 Single-frame playback display.................................................................................................50 Viewing images and playing back audio recordings ...............................................................51 Display button - playback mode ..............................................................................................52 Enlarged playback ...................................................................................................................53 Navigating the playback-mode menu ......................................................................................54 Frame-selection screen ...........................................................................................................56 8 Audio captioning ......................................................................................................................57 Deleting image and audio files ................................................................................................58 Locking image and audio files .................................................................................................59 About DPOF ............................................................................................................................60 Creating a DPOF print order ...................................................................................................60 Ordering an index print............................................................................................................61 Formatting memory cards........................................................................................................62 Video output ............................................................................................................................62 Language.................................................................................................................................62 Viewing images on a television ...............................................................................................63 Data-transfer mode ..............................................................................................................................64 DiMAGE X system requirements.............................................................................................64 Connecting the camera to a computer ....................................................................................65 Connecting to Windows 98 and 98SE.....................................................................................67 Automatic installation ..................................................................................................67 Manual installation ......................................................................................................68 Connecting to Mac OS 8.6 ......................................................................................................70 QuickTime system requirements .............................................................................................70 Auto power off ­ data-transfer mode.......................................................................................70 Changing the memory card - data-transfer mode ...................................................................71 Memory card folder organization.............................................................................................72 Disconnecting the camera from the computer ........................................................................74 Windows 98 and 98SE ...............................................................................................74 Windows Me, 2000 Professional, and XP ..................................................................74 Macintosh....................................................................................................................75 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................76 Setting the menu language .....................................................................................................76 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................77 Care and storage.....................................................................................................................82 Technical specifications ...........................................................................................................86 9 NAMES OF PARTS * This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surfaces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p. 82). Flash (p. 26) Main switch Self-timer lamp (p. 32) Shutter-release button Viewfinder window* Microphone Lens* DC terminal (p. 15) Strap eyelet (p. 15) Battery/Card chamber door (p. 13, 16) Tripod socket (Located on the bottom of the body.) 10 Viewfinder* Indicator lamp (p. 81) Left key Right key Zoom lever (p. 21) Mode switch Recording mode (p. 20) Playback mode (p. 50) LCD monitor* Speaker Enter button Menu button Flash-mode button (p. 26) Display button (p. 48, 52) AV-out-terminal/USB-port cover 11 GETTING UP AND RUNNING GETTING UP AND RUNNING This section covers how to prepare your camera for use. Details on the use and installation of the battery and memory card are given as well as how to attach the hand strap and optional AC adapter. Charging the lithium-ion battery Before the camera can be used, the lithium-ion battery must be charged. Before charging the battery, read the safety warnings on pages 3 and 4 of this manual. Only recharge the battery with the supplied battery charger. The battery should be recharged before each shooting session. See page 83 for battery care and storage. Plug the power cord into the charger unit (1). With the battery terminals toward the front and the label face up, slide the battery into the charger (2). 2 1 Plug the charger into a live household outlet. · After a few seconds, the indicator lamp (3) will glow to show the battery is charging. The lamp will go out when the battery has been charged. Charging time is approximately eighty minutes. Unplug the power cord from the outlet. Remove the battery from the charger (4). 4 3 12 Changing the lithium-ion battery This digital camera uses one NP-200 lithium-ion battery. Before using the battery, read the safety warnings on pages 3 and 4 of this manual. When replacing the battery, the camera should be turned off. Slide the battery-chamber door toward the bottom of the camera to release the safety catch (1). Open the door (2). 2 Move the battery latch towards the back of the camera to insert the battery (3). Slide the battery into the battery chamber (4) with the battery terminals first until it is caught by the latch. 4 1 6 To remove the battery, move the latch towards the back of the camera until the battery is released (5). Pull the battery out of the chamber (6). 3 5 7 8 Close the battery-chamber door (7) and slide it toward the top of the camera to engage the safety catch (8). · After installing the battery, the set-time/date message may appear on the monitor. The clock and calendar is set in the setup 1 section of the menu (p. 18). 13 GETTING UP AND RUNNING Battery-condition indicator This camera is equipped with an automatic battery-condition indicator displayed on the LCD monitor. The icon will change from white to red when battery power is low. Full-battery icon - the battery is fully charged. This icon is displayed for three seconds when the camera is switched on or switched between the recording or playback mode. Half-full-battery icon - the battery is partially charged. This icon is displayed for three seconds. The LCD monitor will turn off when the flash is charging. Low-battery warning - battery power is very low. The battery should be replaced as soon as possible. This warning automatically appears and remains on the monitor until the battery is recharged. If the power level falls below this level when the camera is on, the battery-exhausted message will appear just before the camera shuts down. If power is insufficient for camera operation, the indicator lamp next to the viewfinder will turn red and blink for three seconds. The shutter will not release. The battery must be recharged. Auto power off To conserve battery power, the camera will shut down if an operation is not made within three minutes. To restore power, press the main switch. The length of the auto-power-off period can be changed in the setup 1 section of the recording and playback-mode menu (p. 28, 54). When the camera is connected to a computer, the auto-power-off period is set to ten minutes and cannot be changed. 14 AC adapter (sold separately) Do not change the power supply while the camera is on. Always turn off the camera before changing between power supplies. The AC adapter AC-4 or AC-5 allows the camera to be powered from a household outlet. The AC adapter is recommended when the camera is interfaced with a computer or during periods of heavy use. AC adapter model AC-4 is for use in North America, Japan, and Taiwan, and AC-5 is for use in all other areas. 1 Insert the mini plug of the AC adapter into the DC terminal (1). Insert the AC adapter plug into an electrical outlet. Attaching the hand strap Always keep the strap around your wrist in case that the camera is accidentally dropped. Pass the small loop of the hand strap through the strap eyelet on the camera body (1). Pass the other end of the strap through the small loop and tighten (2). 2 1 15 GETTING UP AND RUNNING Installing and removing a memory card Always turn off the camera and confirm the indicator lamp is not orange and blinking before changing the memory card, otherwise the card may be damaged, and data lost. An SD (Secure Digital) Memory card or MultiMediaCard must be inserted for the camera to operate. If a card has not been inserted, a no-card warning will appear on the LCD monitor; the shutter can still be released. 2 3 1 4 Slide the battery-chamber door toward the bottom of the camera to release the safety catch (1). Open the door (2). Insert the memory card all the way into the card slot and then release (3). The card should catch in the slot. · Insert the card so the face is toward the front of the camera. Always push the card in straight, never at an angle. Never force the card. If the card does not fit, check that it is orientated correctly. · If a MultiMediaCard is inserted incorrectly, it will lock, but the card chamber door will not close. To eject a memory card, press the card into the slot and release (4). The card can now be pulled out. 5 6 Close the battery-chamber door (5) and slide it toward the top of the camera to engage the safety catch (6). 16 About memory cards The response time during recording and playback is longer with MultiMediaCards compared with SD Memory Cards. This is not a defect, but rather due to the specifications of the cards. When using large capacity cards, some operations like deletion may take longer. The SD Memory Card has a write-protect switch to prevent image data from being deleted. By sliding the switch to the bottom of the card, the data will be protected. However, when the card is protected, images cannot be recorded. If an attempt is made to record or delete an image with the camera, the card-locked message will appear and the LED lamps near the viewfinder will turn red and blink quickly. For memory card care and store see page 82. If the unable-to-use-card message appears, the inserted card in the camera may need to be formatted. A card used in another camera may also have to be formatted before being used. A card can be formatted in the setup 2 section of the playback menu (p. 54). When a card is formatted, all the data on the card is permanently erased. Writeprotect switch Lock position 17 GETTING UP AND RUNNING Setting the date and time After initially inserting a memory card and charging the battery, the camera's clock and calendar must be set. When images are recorded, the image data is saved with the date and time of recording. Depending on the region, the menu language may also have to be set. To change the language, refer to page 76. 1 Turn the camera on by pressing the main switch near the shutter-release button (1). 4 2 Slide the mode switch to the playback position (2). The date and time can be set on the playback menu. Navigating the menu is simple. The menu button (3) turns the menu on and off. The zoom lever and left and right keys (4) control the cursor and change settings on the menu. The enter button (5) selects menu options and sets adjustments. 35 18 Basic Power off Setup 1 - Setup 2 Press the menu button to activate the playback menu. Use the right key to highlight the setup 1 tab at the top of the menu. Use the zoom lever to highlight the date/time-set menu option. LCD brightness 3 min. On YYYY/MM/DD Audio signals Date/Time set Date format Playback menu: setup 1 section Press the right key. "Enter" will appear on the right side of the menu. Date/Time set Press the enter button to display the date/time setting screen. Enter Date/Time setting screen Use the left and right keys to select the item to be changed. Use the zoom lever to adjust the item. Press the enter button to set the clock and calendar. The playback menu will be displayed. Press the menu button to close the playback menu. 19 RECORDING MODE RECORDING MODE This section covers the basic recording operation as well as advanced recording functions. To start using the camera, read pages 20 through 29. Many of the recording functions are controlled with menus. The menu navigation sections concisely describe how to change menu settings. Descriptions of the settings immediately follow the navigation section. Handling the camera While using the viewfinder or LCD monitor, grip the camera firmly with your right hand while supporting the camera body with your left. Keep your elbows at your side and your feet shoulder-width apart to hold the camera steadily. When taking vertical pictures, hold the camera so that the flash is above the lens with the shutter-release button to the top. Take care not to cover the lens with your fingers or the strap. Setting the camera to record images 1 Turn the camera on by pressing the main switch (1). Slide the mode switch to the recording position (2). 2 2 20 Using the zoom lens This camera is equipped with a unique 5.7 - 17.1mm zoom lens. This is equivalent to a 37 to 111mm lens on a 35mm camera. The lens is controlled by the zoom lever at the back of the camera. In 35mm photography, focal lengths below 50mm are referred to as wide-angle; the angle of view is larger than that of the human eye. Above 50mm is referred to as telephoto and makes distant objects appear closer. The effect of the optical zoom is visible in both the viewfinder and LCD monitor. To zoom in on the subject, push the zoom lever up. To zoom out, push the zoom lever down. The digital-zoom function can double the power of the lens. The digital zoom is activated in the custom section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). 21 RECORDING MODE LCD monitor display - recording mode Microphone indicator Recording mode Flash modes (p. 26) Exposure compensation (p. 46) White balance (p. 38) Digital zoom (p. 40) Image size (p. 35) Image quality (p. 36) Battery-condition indicator (p. 14) Drive mode (p. 30) Frame counter (p. 37) Camera-shake warning Focus signals (p. 27) The frame counter cannot exceed 999. When the number of recordable images exceeds this, 999 will be displayed. The frame counter will continue to count down when the number of recordable images falls below one thousand. Camera-shake warning If the shutter speed falls below the point where the camera can be hand held safely, the camera-shake warning indicator will appear on the monitor and the viewfinder indicator lamp will turn green and blink slowly. Camera shake is slight blurring caused by subtle hand motion and is more pronounced at the telephoto position of the lens than at the wideangle position. Although the warning appears, the shutter can still be released. If the warning appears, place the camera on a tripod or use the built-in flash. 22 Basic recording operation Turn the camera on and slide the mode switch to the recording position. Place the subject within the focus frame on the LCD monitor or center the subject in the viewfinder. · The focus-lock function (p. 24) can be used with off-center subjects. · If the subject is closer than 1m (3ft.) at the zoom lens' wide-angle position or 3m (10ft) at the telephoto position, only use the LCD monitor to frame the subject. 1 2 Press the shutter-release button partway down (1) to lock the focus and exposure. · The focus signals (p. 25) on the monitor and the indicator lamp next to the viewfinder will confirm that the image is in focus. If the monitor focus signal is red or the indicator lamp is green and blinks quickly, the camera was unable to focus on the subject. Repeat the previous steps until the focus signal is white and the lamp glows steadily. Press the shutter-release button all the way down (2) to take the picture. · After the shutter releases, the indicator lamp next to the viewfinder will turn orange and blink indicating image data is being written to the memory card. Never remove a memory card while data is being transferred. 23 RECORDING MODE Focus lock The focus-lock function is used when you want to compose the image with the subject off-center and outside the focus frame. Focus lock may also be used when a special focusing situation prevents the camera from focusing on the subject. This function is controlled with the shutter-release button. Place the subject within the monitor focus frame or center the subject in the viewfinder. Press and hold the shutter-release button partway down to lock the focus. · The focus signal on the monitor and the viewfinder indicator lamp will indicate if the focus is locked. Without lifting your finger from the shutter-release button, recompose the subject within the image area. Press the shutterrelease button all the way down to take the picture. Focus range The focus range is 25cm (0.8ft.) to infinity. Both the LCD monitor and viewfinder can be used to frame the subject. However, because of parallax, only the monitor's live image will be accurate with subjects closer than 1m (3ft.) at the zoom lens' wide-angle position or 3m (10ft) at the telephoto position. 24 Focus signals This digital camera has a quick, accurate autofocusing system. The focus icon in the lower right corner of the LCD monitor and the indicator lamp next to the viewfinder indicate the focus status. The shutter can be released regardless of whether the camera can focus on the subject or not. Focus confirmed - the LCD monitor focus signal is white and the viewfinder indicator lamp is green and steady. Cannot focus - the LCD monitor focus signal is red and the viewfinder indicator lamp is green and blinking quickly. When the AF system cannot focus, the focus is set to 2m (6.5ft). Focus signal Special focusing situations The camera may not be able to focus in certain situations. In these situations the focus-lock function (p. 24) can be used to focus on another object at the same distance as your main subject, and then the image can be recomposed to take the picture. The subject is too dark. The subject in the focus frame is low in contrast. Two subjects at different distances overlap in the focus frame. The subject is near a very bright object or area. 25 RECORDING MODE Flash modes The flash can be used when taking still images. To set the flash mode, simply press the flash mode button (1) on the back of the camera until the desired mode is displayed. The active flash mode is displayed in the top left corner of the LCD monitor. When the camera is turned off, the flash mode is reset to autoflash with red-eye reduction if autoflash with red-eye reduction or night portrait was last set, if not the mode will be reset to autoflash. 1 The flash modes are displayed in the following order: Autoflash Autoflash with red-eye reduction Fill-flash Flash cancel Night portrait Autoflash - the flash fires automatically in low-light and backlit conditions. Red-eye reduction - the flash fires multiple bursts before the main flash burst to reduce red-eye; an effect caused by light reflected from the retina. Use in low-light conditions when taking photographs of people or animals. The pre-flashes contract the pupils of the subject's eyes. Fill-flash - the flash fires with each exposure regardless of the amount of ambient light. Fill-flash can be used to reduce harsh shadows caused by strong direct light or sunshine. 26 Flash cancel - the flash will not fire. Use flash cancel when flash photography is prohibited, natural light is desired to illuminate the subject, or the subject is beyond the flash range. The camera-shake warning may appear when flash cancel is selected (p. 22). Night portrait - for flash portraits at night. The camera automatically balances the flash and background exposures. When taking portraits, ask your subject not to move after the flash burst; the shutter will still be open for the background exposure. The red-eye reduction function is used with night portrait. The use of a tripod is advised in conjuction with this feature. Flash range The camera automatically controls the flash output. For well-exposed images, the subject must be within the flash range. Because of the optical system, the flash range is not the same at the lens' wide-angle position as it is at the telephoto position. Wide-angle position 0.25m ~ 2.9m (0.8 ft. ~ 9.5 ft.) Telephoto position 0.25m ~ 2.3m (0.8 ft. ~ 7.5 ft.) Flash signals The indicator lamp next to the viewfinder indicates the status of the flash. When the lamp is red and blinks quickly, the flash is charging and the shutter will not release. When the lamp turns green, the flash is charged and ready to fire. 27 RECORDING MODE Navigating the recording-mode menu Camera operations and recording functions are controlled on the menu. Navigating the menu is simple. The menu button turns the menu on and off. The zoom lever and left and right keys control the cursor and change settings on the menu. The enter button selects menu options and sets adjustments. To activate the recording-mode menu, press the menu button. The "Basic" tab at the top of the menu will be highlighted. Use the left/right keys to highlight the appropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. When the desired menu section is displayed, use the zoom lever to scroll through the menu options. Highlight the option whose setting needs to be changed. With the menu option to be changed highlighted, press the right key; the settings will be displayed with the current setting indicated by an arrow. · To return to the menu options, press the left key. Use the zoom lever to highlight the new setting. · If "Enter" is displayed, press the enter button to display the setting screen. Basic Drive mode Image size Quality Custom Setup 1 Single Press the enter button to select the highlighted setting. Once a setting has been selected, the cursor will return to the menu options and the new setting will be displayed. You can continue to make function changes. To return to the recording mode, press the menu button. 1600X1200 Standard Auto White balance 28 Basic Drive mode Single Continuous Self-timer Movie Audio rec. Image size 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 Quality Super fine Fine Standard Economy White balance Auto Daylight Cloudy Tungsten Fluorescent Refer to the following sections for details on the menu options and their settings. The setup 1 section can be accessed from both the recording-mode and playback menu (p. 54). Custom Digital zoom Instant playback Voice memo Folder name On / Off On / Off On / Off Standard form Date form Setup 1 LCD brightness Power off Enter 1 minute 3 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 30 minutes Audio signals Date/Time set Date format On / Off Enter YYYY/MM/DD DD/MM/YYYY MM/DD/YYYY 29 RECORDING MODE Drive modes The drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Icons indicating the selected drive mode appear on the monitor. The drive mode is selected in the basic section of the recordingmode menu (p. 28). When the camera is turned off, the drive mode is reset to single-frame advance. Movie recording (p. 33) Single-frame advance Audio recording (p. 34) Continuous advance (p. 31) Self-timer (p. 32) Single-frame advance Single-frame advance allows only one image to be captured each time the shutterrelease button is pressed. This is the camera's default setting. 30 Continuous advance The continuous-advance drive mode allows a series of images to be captured while holding down the shutter-release button. The number of images that can be captured at one time and the rate of capture depend on the image-quality and image-size setting. With the image-size setting of 1600 X 1200, the maximum rate of capture is 2 fps. If the image quality is set to super fine (p. 36) only one frame can be captured at a time. Continuous advance is selected in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). Compose the picture as described in the basic recording operation section (p. 23). Press the shutterrelease button partway down to lock the exposure and focus for the series. Press and hold the shutter-release button all the way down (1) to begin taking pictures. 1 When the shutter-release button is pressed and held, the camera will begin recording images until the maximum number has been taken or the shutter button is released. The built-in flash can be used, but the rate of capture is reduced because the flash must recharge between frames. The frame counter is adjusted after the series has been taken while the images are being saved. The chart lists the maximum number of images that can be captured with different image-quality and image-size combinations. Image Quality Image Size 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 Fine Standard Economy 7 15 29 11 23 44 44 81 140 31 RECORDING MODE Self-timer Used for self-portraits, the self-timer will delay the release of the shutter for approximately ten seconds after the shutter-release button is pressed. The self-timer drive mode is selected in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic recording operation section (p. 23). Focus lock (p.24) can be used with offcenter subjects. Press the shutter-release button partway down to lock the exposure and focus (1). Press the shutter-release button all the way down to begin the countdown (2). Because focus and exposure are determined when the shutterrelease button is pressed, do not stand in front of the camera when taking a selftimer image. Always confirm the focus with the focus signals before beginning the countdown (p. 25). During the countdown, the self-timer lamp on the front of the camera (3) will start to blink. A few seconds before the exposure, the self-timer lamp will blink rapidly. The lamp will glow steadily just before the shutter fires. To stop the countdown, press the zoom lever. To stop the countdown and cancel the self-timer, press the main switch. The drive mode will be reset to single-frame advance after the exposure. 1 2 32 Movie recording The movie-recording drive mode is selected in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). Movie clips up to approximately thirty-five seconds in length with audio can be recorded. The movie image is 320 X 240 pixels (QVGA) and recorded at a rate of around 340KB/s. Approximately one 19-second movie clip can be stored on one 8MB memory card. Shooting digital video is simple. Frame the picture on the LCD monitor. Press and release the shutter-release button to begin recording (1); "Rec" will be displayed during recording. The camera will continue to record until the recording time is used or the shutter1 release button is pressed again. When recording, the frame counter will countdown the recording time. Take care not to cover the microphone while recording. During recording, focus is locked and the optical zoom is disabled. However, a stepless 2X digital zoom can be used with the zoom lever. After recording, a screen will appear indicating the movie clip is being saved to the memory card. Never Recording remove the memory card or disconnect the power supply while the clip is being saved. Stand-by Maximum recording time for the next clip. Saving to card. Recording indicator Remaining recording time 33 RECORDING MODE Audio recording Ninety seconds of audio can be recorded without an image. The audio-recording drive mode is selected in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). When the function is active, the live view is replaced with a blue screen. Approximately 842 seconds of audio can be stored on one 8MB memory card. Audio is recorded at approximately 8KB/s To begin recording, press the shutter-release button (1). A bar graph (2) will display the amount of recorded time. The recording will stop when the shutter-release button is pressed again or the ninety-second limit has elapsed. When making audio recordings, be careful not to touch or cover the microphone. The quality of the recording is proportional to the subject to microphone distance. For best results, hold the camera approximately 20cm (8in) from your mouth. Microphone 1 Stand-by PressShutterButton ToRecord. Recording audio. Press shutter to stop. 2 Recording Remaining recording time 34 Image size Changing image size affects the number of pixels in each image. The greater the image size, the larger the file size. Choose image size based on the final use of the image - smaller images will be more suitable for web sites whereas larger sizes will produce higher quality prints. Image size must be set before the picture is taken. Image size is set in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). Three image sizes are available: 1600 X 1200 (UXGA), 1280 X 960 (SXGA), and 640 X 480 (VGA). Image size is defined by the image's horizontal and vertical dimensions in pixels. The selected image-size setting is displayed on the LCD monitor by the horizontal dimension only. If the image size is changed, the frame counter will display the approximate number of images that can be recorded at that setting on the installed memory card. One memory card can contain images with differing sizes. 35 RECORDING MODE Image quality This camera has four image-quality settings: super fine, fine, standard, and economy. Always select the desired setting before taking the picture. Image quality is set in the basic section of the recordingmode menu (p. 28). Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no effect on the number of pixels in the image. The higher the image quality, the lower the rate of compression and the larger the file sizes. If the economical use of the memory card is important, use the economy mode. Standard image quality is sufficient for normal usage. The super-fine mode will produce the highest quality image and the largest image files. File formats vary with the image quality setting. Super fine images are saved as a TIFF file. Fine, standard, and economy images are formatted as JPEG files. If the image quality is changed, the LCD monitor will display the approximate number of images that can be recorded at that setting on the installed memory card. One memory card can contain images with differing qualities. LCD monitor display File type Super fine - the highest-quality image. Fine - high-quality image. Standard - the default setting. Economy - the smallest file sizes. S. FIN FINE STD ECON TIFF JPEG JPEG JPEG 36 The frame counter and memory card capacity The number of images that can be stored on a memory card is determined by the size and type of card and the file size of the images. The actual file size is determined by the scene; some subjects can be compressed further than others. Approximate file sizes. Image quality Image size 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 The frame counter indicates the approximate number of images that can be stored on the memory card at the camera's image quality and size settings. If the settings are changed, the frame counter adjusts accordingly. Because the calculation is based on approximate file sizes, the actual image taken may not change the counter or may decrease it by more than one. Super fine 5.5MB 3.5MB 0.89MB Fine 0.93MB 0.60MB 0.17MB Standard 0.47MB 0.31MB 0.09MB Economy 0.24MB 0.17MB 0.05MB Approximate card capacity for an 8MB memory card. Super fine 1 image 1 image 7 images 6 images 10 images 39 images Fine 20 images Standard 13 images 68 images 39 images 117 images Economy 25 images When the frame counter displays three red zeros, it indicates no more images at the image size and quality settings can be captured. Changing the image size or quality settings may allow more images to be captured. 37 RECORDING MODE White balance White balance is the camera's ability to make different types of lighting appear neutral. The effect is similar to selecting daylight or tungsten film, or using color compensating filters in conventional photography. One automatic and four preset white-balance setting are available. When one of the preset white-balance settings is selected, an icon will be displayed on the LCD monitor to indicate the active white-balance setting. White balance is set in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). Automatic white balance The automatic white balance compensates for the color temperature of a scene. In most cases, the auto setting will balance the ambient light and create beautiful images, even under mixed-lighting conditions. When the built-in flash is used, the white balance is set for the color temperature of the flash. SHOOTING TIPS White balance cannot correct high-energy vapor lighting: sodium-vapor (yellow highway lights), or mercury vapor. For portraits under these lighting conditions, the flash can be used to overpower the ambient light if the subject is within range. With landscapes containing these types of lights, set the white balance to the preset daylight setting. 38 Preset white balance Preset white-balance settings must be set before the image is taken. Once set, the effect is immediately visible on the monitor. To record the ambient light, set the flash mode to flash cancel (p. 26). The built-in flash can be used with preset white-balance, but will create a pinkish or blueish cast with the fluorescent and tungsten settings. The flash is daylight balanced and will produce good results with the daylight and cloudy settings. Daylight - for outdoor and sunlit subjects. Cloudy - for overcast outdoor scenes. Tungsten - for incandescent lighting: household filament light bulbs. Fluorescent - for fluorescent lighting: office ceiling lights. 39 RECORDING MODE Digital zoom Assisting the optical zoom is a four-step 2X digital zoom. The digital zoom is activated in the custom section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). The digital zoom increases the magnification of the greatest telephoto setting of the optical zoom in four steps: X1.25, X1.50, X1.75, and X2.00. Although the images recorded with the digital zoom are interpolated to the set image size, the quality of the images may not be equal to images taken without the digital zoom. The effect of the digital zoom is visible on the LCD monitor only. The digitalzoom function is canceled if the LCD monitor is turned off (p. 48). Activate the digital zoom in the custom section of the recording mode menu. · The digital zoom will remain active until reset on the menu. At the maximum telephoto position, press the zoom lever up to engage the digital zoom. · The zoom magnification will be displayed in the top right corner of the monitor. · To zoom out, press the zoom lever down. 40 Instant playback After a still image is captured, it can be displayed on the monitor for two seconds before being saved. Instant playback shows the last frame in the series when used with the continuous-advance drive mode (p. 31). When the LCD monitor is turned off (p. 48), it will automatically activate for the instant playback period. Instant playback can be activated in the custom section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). When used with voice memo, the audio recording will begin after the image is played back. MINOLTA HISTORY Innovation and creativity has always been a driving force behind Minolta products. The Electro-zoom X was purely an exercise in camera design. It was unveiled at Photokina in Germany in 1966. The Electro-zoom X was an electronically controlled aperture-priority mechanical SLR with a built-in 30 120mm f/3.5 zoom lens giving twenty 12 X 17mm images on a roll of 16mm film. The shutter-release button and battery chamber are located in the grip. Only a few prototypes were built making it one of Minolta's rarest cameras. 41 RECORDING MODE Voice memo Voice memo allows an audio track up to fifteen seconds to be recorded with a still image. The function is activated in the custom section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28). When the function is active, the white microphone icon is displayed on the LCD monitor. The voice memo must be set before taking a picture. It will remain in effect until reset. When the LCD monitor is turned off (p. 48), it will automatically activate for the voice-memo period. After an image is captured, a screen will appear indicating the audio recording has started. A bar graph (1) will display the amount of recording time remaining. To stop the recording, press the shutter-release button or enter button (2). The recording will automatically stop when the fifteen-second limit has elapsed. Voice memo is attached to the last image of a continuous-advance series (p. 31). When played back, images with voice-memo audio tracks have a note icon displayed with them (p. 51). When making audio recordings, be careful not to touch or cover the microphone. The quality of the recording is proportional to the subject to microphone distance. For best results, hold the camera approximately 20cm (8in) from your mouth. Microphone 2 Recording audio. Stop 1 Recording indicator Remaining recording time 42 Folder name All recorded images are stored in folders on the memory card. Folder names come in two formats: standard and date. Standard folders have an eight character name. The initial folder is named 100MLT09. The first three digits are the folder's serial number, which will increase by one each time a new folder is created. The next three letters refer to Minolta, and the last two numbers indicate the camera used; 09 indicates a DiMAGE X. A date folder name also starts with the three digit serial number and is followed by one register for the year, two registers for the month, and two registers for the day: 100YMMDD. The folder 10120412 was created in 2002 on April 12th. With the date folder format selected, when an image is recorded a new folder with the day's date will be created. All images recorded that day will be placed in that folder. Images recorded on a different day will be placed in a new folder with the corresponding date. When a new folder is created, the serial number in the image-file name is reset to 0001. For more information on folder organization and file names, see page 72. 100MLT09 (Standard) 10120412 (Date) 43 RECORDING MODE LCD brightness The brightness of the LCD monitor can be set in eleven levels. After selecting the LCD brightness option and pressing the enter button on the menu (p. 28, 54), the LCD brightness screen will be displayed. Pressing and holding the display button will also active the LCD brightness screen. Use the left and right keys (1) to adjust the brightness level; the monitor image will change accordingly. To set the level, press the enter button (2); the camera will return to the recording or playback mode. The LCD brightness level will affect both modes. Low High Enter 1 2 Auto-power-off menu settings To conserve battery power, the camera will shut down if an operation is not made within a certain period. To restore power, press the main switch. The length of the auto-power-off period can be changed in the setup 1 section of the recording and playback-mode menu (p. 28, 54): 1, 3, 5, 10, and 30 minutes. The length of the auto-power-off period is fixed at 10 minutes when the camera is connected to a computer. Audio signals The camera's audio signals can be turned off and on in the setup 1 section of the recording and playback-mode menu (p. 28, 54). 44 Setting the date and time It is important to accurately set the clock. When a recording is made, the date and time of the recording are saved with the file and are displayed in playback mode or with the DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility software included on the CD-ROM. The date and time are set in the setup 1 section of the recording and playback-mode menu (p. 28, 54). When the Date/Time-set option is selected and entered, the date/time screen will be displayed. The left and right keys (1) are used to select the item to be changed and the zoom lever (2) is used to change the value. From left to right, the screen shows the year, month, day, hour, and minute. When the date and time have been adjusted, set the clock by pressing the enter button (3). The menu button cancels the screen without applying any changes. Date/Time set Enter 1 2 3 Setting the date format The date format that is displayed can be changed: YYYY/MM/DD (year, month, day), MM/DD/YYYY (month, day, year), DD/MM/YYYY (day, month, year). Simply select the format and enter it by pressing the enter button; the new format will be displayed on the menu. The date format does not affect date folder names (p. 43). The date format is set in the setup 1 section of the recording and playback-mode menu (p. 28, 54). 45 RECORDING MODE Exposure compensation The camera exposure can be adjusted to make the final picture lighter or darker by as much as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments. The exposure-compensation value will remain in effect until it has been reset or the camera has been turned off. The exposure compensation must be set before the image is captured. When setting the exposure compensation, the amount of compensation is shown next to the exposure-compensation icon on the monitor. When set to any value other than 0.0, the icon will remain on the LCD monitor as a warning. To set the exposure compensation, the monitor must be on. 1 Use the left and right keys (1) to adjust the exposure-compensation value. · The LCD monitor will display the exposurecompensation icon and value. · Change in exposure compensation is visible in the live image on the monitor. The adjustment in exposure will be automatically set after five seconds or when another camera button is pressed. 46 Sometimes the camera's exposure meter is deceived by certain subjects. Exposure compensation can be used in these situations. For example, a very bright scene, such as a snowy landscape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Before taking the picture, adjusting the exposure by +1 or +2 Ev will result in an image with normal tonal values. In this example, the dark scene appears bright and washed-out on the LCD monitor. By decreasing the exposure by ­1.5 Ev, the richness of the sunset is preserved. What is an Ev? Ev stands for exposure value. A change of one Ev will adjust the exposure calculated by the camera by a factor of two. Change in Ev +2.0 Ev +1.0 Ev 0.0 Ev ­1.0 Ev ­2.0 Ev Adjustment to exposure 4X as much light 2X as much light Calculated exposure 1/2 as much light 1/4 as much light 47 RECORDING MODE Display button - recording mode The display-information button controls the LCD monitor display. The display cycles to the next position each time the button is pressed: full display, live image only, and monitor off. If the display button is pressed and held, the LCD-brightness adjustment screen will appear, see page 44. Battery power can be conserved by turning the monitor off and using the viewfinder to take pictures. However, because of parallax, the monitor should be used for subjects closer than 1m (3ft.) at the zoom lens' wide-angle position or 3m (10ft) at the telephoto position. When the flash-mode or menu button is pressed, the monitor will automatically turn on. The digital zoom is disabled when the monitor is off. The monitor cannot be turned off in audio or movie recording. When the LCD monitor is off, it will automatically activate for the instant playback period. Full display Monitor off Display button Live image only 48 A short guide to photography Photography can be a rewarding pursuit. This guide is an introduction to some basic photographic principles. The zoom lens does not only affect how large the subject is in the picture, but it also influences the depth of field and perspective. Depth of field is the area between the closest object in focus and the furthest object in focus. As the lens zooms in (telephoto position) to the subject, the depth of field becomes shallower, separating the subject from the background. Many portraits are taken with telephoto lenses. Zooming the lens out to the wide-angle position makes both the foreground and background appear sharper. Usually landscape photographs take advantage of the large depth of field of wide-angle lenses. Wide-angle lenses also create a strong perspective which gives a sense of depth in the image. Telephoto lenses compress the space between the subject and background and create a weak perspective. 49 PLAYBACK MODE PLAYBACK MODE This section details how to view and edit images on the camera. Basic operation of the playback mode is covered from page 50 to 56. Detailed descriptions of the playback menu settings follow the menu navigation section. Single-frame playback display Still image Mode indicator Magnification display (p. 53) Image size (p. 35) Image quality (p. 36) Movie clip Time of recording Date of recording Audio-track indicator Print icon (p. 60) Play Battery-condition indicator (p. 14) Folder number file number (p. 72) Lock icon (p. 59) Frame number/ total number of images Movie icon An audio recording (p. 34) has no image data and so the LCD monitor will show a blue screen to indicate the audio file. The time and date of recording, lock status, frame number, and folder and file number are displayed. 50