 |
| Date Reviewed: Nov 7, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: MACRO! MACRO! MACRO!...and it DOES shoot in the dark at maybe .8 lux(?).VERY friendly user interface in menu layers (4)offering easy to understand and apply. Simple point n shoot out of the box.
Weaknesses: Does not provide a/c adapter AC-1L in the bundle, but then very few manufacture's models do. Even so, very reasonably priced in the $50+- range AND battery life simply outstanding with AA's used.
Summary: This Minolta MiMage Z1 is 2nd best to only the Coolpix4500 in macro, super macro shots (on-line sellers? take note!)and well under $250 less in total price once the necessary accessories (battery charger MAHA C204F, Powerex 2200 maH batteries,AC-1L a/c adapter, SD 256 memory card) are purchased with it. The so-called 'rattle' in the lens is 90% split rings for the included neck strap and even then, it is NOTHING more than an allowing for the fastest zoom possible. The lens zoom is extremely FAST, QUIET, silky smooth and flawless. AF system works as well in bright light as it does in near dark conditions. The possibilites for this camera will likely never be realized by the average photographer. Folks, I am 6'3" and with big hands, fingers...the manner in which to insert or remove the memory card is the best ever yet as it actually pops up past halfway for you when you simply push on it from the fully installed position just like toast does! The diopter is a blessing for anyone with highly corrected vision! As for the any "clunk" when using the EVF to the LCD monitor?
Look closely and watch..it is the NASA teched silicon returning to the LCD screen from EVF mode which is 98% accurate and 100% respectfully. The battery compartment cover is a dual locking, slideout/spring up design that when used correctly as anyone should atleast try to do with any expensive electronic equipment (not a toy!)it works fine. Shutter lag is at the fastest of digital cameras, rivals 35mm SLRs.
97% of People (118/122) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
 There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Nov 9, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: clear, bright view finder in all circumstances.
A 10X optical zoom plus stellar macro feature and auto focus that provides you with awesome potential.
The flexibility of manual control.
Weaknesses: A penurious 16MB SD card, the so-so Arcsoft Imaging Impressions and the lack of an AC adapter.
Summary: The attention to detail, from ergonomics to features, in this product is outstanding. Coupled with the cost and the quality of the pictures, it represents true value. The diopter adjustment and a complete picture in the viewfinder were great positives for this myhopic septogenarian. While bulkier than the Nikon 4300 or Canon A 80, its grip fits nicely in an average size hand and the camera his good balance. Far more comfortable to use than the Fuji 5000 or 3800, the Toshiba 700 or the Olympic 720 or 740. We use the camera to take pictures of ceramic pieces for portfolio use and the macro mode has proven extremely acccurate and helpful. All and all this is a camera that combines the assets of digial and slr brilliantly at a cost that doesn't break the bank.
96% of People (51/53) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Jan 7, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: Lots of Zoom! & Great pictures. Was very pleased with the in depth manual and was surprised to find the whole thing in english, instead of the 3 languges in 1 that a lot of products come with.
Weaknesses: tiny memory card that comes with it.
Summary: This is my 3rd digital Camera, and by far the best. This camera is suited for either the "point and shoot crowd" or the person who wants to set everything themselves. I feel its a great camera to "grow into". When you ad up the Picture Quality, the 10X zoom, the ease of use, all the features, & the price it equals a great value.
94% of People (44/47) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Mar 15, 2004 |
-
springhill19
from FL - Member Since:
Mar 2004
View Member's:
Reviews
|
Strengths: Speed, compact size, great pictures and super movie mode
Weaknesses: Lower quality plastic case
Summary: I have had two digital cameras prior to this and the main complaint I had about them was that they were too slow and too limited compared to a 35mm SLR. Not so with the Dimage Z1. This camera is very fast and very flexible. Although I have had the camera only for a week, I have used it indoors, outdoors, at a baseball game and theme park. So far, I am highly impressed. It was easily able to capture action shots and nearly all of them came out in-focus, and precisely exposed. Start-up, focus, and shot-to-shot times were excellent. Another nice feature for speed is that when it times-out and automatically powers off the lens stays put (rather than retracting like most other models), which means its back into action in less than a second.
In summary, I think this is a fabulous camera. Its capabilities are simply amazing for this price level. Its especially well suited for outdoor nature photography, and sporting events with its speed and ultra zoom lens. When researching cameras my final choice was between this unit and the Fuji FinePix S5000. I liked the looks and feel of the Fuji better, but when I read several reviews about the excessive JPEG compression and lower quality pictures on the Fuji I went for the Minolta. I have not been disappointed.
93% of People (51/55) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: May 24, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: Superior Optical Zoom....User Friendly....Light-weight....SLR as well as Point & Shoot features....Macro mode with stunning output!
Weaknesses: I am a very pleased owner...and I did purchase mine refurbished!
Summary: I highly recommend the Z1.... This camera is very reasonably priced... Mine was refurbished and works fabulous!!!
This camera is stepping into the SLR-type camera ground... the features are more than I could have hoped for.... the 10x Optical and 4x Digital zoom is unbelievable... I've been zooming in on everything!!! Prior to buying any camera, go to any store and play with the zoom and see what YOU can SNEAK pictures of!! I was concerned that the Z1 does not have an 'image stabilization' feature to assist with some of the intense zooming, however controlling the shutter speed seems to compensate for this...
The MACRO mode is such a bonus... you can hold the lens 4cm away from your object and snap an amazingly crisp photo!! I have be photographing flowers lately, and I can capture the tinyest bits of pollin... and produce a crisp 8x10 print without any additional enhancement from the computer or printer!!!
I must also comment on the few compaints I have read in other reviews..... NO this camera typically does not come with av cord, high capacity SD card, or camera case!!! But educated shoppers know that none of the quality cameras come with this at base-line price... you pay and extra $100 to 'bundle' any camera and you get these extras!! As far as the lens cap falling off or the the power being accidentally turned on, YOU NEED TO TREAT YOUR EXPENSIVE SLR-type CAMERA WELL!!! Do you see professional photographers toss their equipment into their bag? NO! Buy a case and treat your camera well. If you want a camera to take to the beach and toss in your bag, please don't waste your money on this one!! Also, I don't think the camera is made of "cheap plastic".... it's actually a wonderfully light weight plastic that is conducive for easy maneuverability with a pistol-grip camera!!!
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Minolta DiMAGE Z1 Digital Camera.... DO your own research... PLAY in a store near you.... BUY on-line for the best prices!!! Happy photographing!!
92% of People (56/61) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Apr 5, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: Takes clear photos on all settings. easy to use. The owners book is clear and easy to understand how to use it.and all in english so its smaller and will fit in your camera bag. The 10x zoom.
Weaknesses: NONE
Summary: This camera is so great we bought it and in less then one day we were using it with all the settings takes such clear photos from the low 640 to the high 2048. the video it takes is great. If you are looking for a new camera i would say this one is the best choice out there. we spent a week looking on this site and reading up on it and going to the store and trying it there. THIS CAMERA ROCKS in every way. good luck with it if you buy one.
92% of People (33/36) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Dec 26, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: Lightweight, everything works right out of the box, easy to use, even for a first timer. Superb picture quality.
Weaknesses: Haven't found any yet
Summary: This is my first digital camera, selected from reading reviews provided on the internet, as well as suggestions from local dealers. My three choices were the Canon A80, the Olympus 750 and the Minolta Z-1. I chose the Minolta
because the Olympus was more money for basically the same features and had a reputation of being more difficult to learn. The Canon did not have the 10x zoom. Now I am happy with my decision. The Minolta acts just like my Minolta
35 mm film camera and is just as fast. Reading the directions to the Z-1 taught me some things about my 35mm
that I wasn't aware of. Just fooling around with the Z-1
has been a lot of fun. the menu is easy to operate and
works immediately. The picture to picture speed is great
and even the flash works well. I have been taking pictures in low light that worked without the flash. The first night
I took a few practice shots, pulled the card and slipped it
into my card reader. Immediately a box opened on Microsoft XP with alternative ways to proceed. I chose to make a slide
show and print. My first pictures came out (8x10 in standard mode)showing every detail clearly, right down to the threads in the sofa. I like this camera. It will be fun learning to use the more advanced features, but so far the automatic settings have been perfect, and the movie mode with sound is great. Pictures show well on our 36 inch TV.
I'm hooked.
88% of People (28/32) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Apr 7, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: 10X Zoom; light weight; easy to grip with one hand; very fast autofocus; bright LCD screen on back; large controls (though not always intuitive); very good flash; manual controls on everything
Weaknesses: Lens does not always feel "tight"; lens cap attaches in a flimsy manner; EVF is grainy
Summary: For a three+ megapixel camera, this one is an excellent bargain, even more so for new buyers since Minolta has come out with the Z2, with a new lens and an increase to 4.0 megapixels (can anyone tell the difference?). The camera is small enough and light enough to fit into a lightweight bag, and with the fast autofocus,very good battery life (I'm still on my first set of batteries), ability to set various flash settings, wide variety of programmed and manual controls, and quality movies (w/ sound), this comaera can be a steal. The Minolta imaging software included is ok, but confusing to learn; it is, however, much more advanced than what is usually included. The 16Mb sD card included with the camera is inadequate, but it is what all of the manufacturers are including; I immeditely went out and got a 128Mb card as part of a package, and will be upgrading that to 256 Mb shortly.
Am I satisfied so far? Absolutely!
86% of People (30/35) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Jul 15, 2004 |
|
|
 Have owned two Z1's. First one did not operate pro ... Strengths: 10X zoom lens
Weaknesses: shutter stuck in the LCD mode, not able to use the viewfinder.
Summary: Have owned two Z1's. First one did not operate properly first day out of the box last part of January, shutter stuck in LCD mode. Company where I purchase it from, BUYDIG, replaced it. Second camera arrived first part of March. On vacation in June second camera developed the same problems as the first camera. Shutter stuck in the LCD mode could not use the viewfinder mode. Tried to send back to the seller as defective but since it was at least 6 months old told to send to Minotla. So I sent the second camera in for warranty on June 23 to Minolta. Received the camera back July 13, with the same problem as before not fixed, sent back to Minolta. This is becoming costly. Out of owning the Z1 camera for about 6 months at least two of those months have been spent with the camera in shipping. Did I get a lemon? I wonder if the Z2 has the same flaws as the Z1? Would I own another Z1? NO WAY?
84% of People (27/32) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Jan 28, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: great battery consumption, 10X zoom, fast focus and shooting, color is great in LCD, great and flexible manual functions
Weaknesses: color is not as good as those 3X camera, motor noise in video, small LCD
Summary: Great all-in-one camera. You can carry it day and night! With your family or friends.
I have put hundreds of minolta Z1 photos at
www.wilsonchan.com...
They include day, night, scene, animal, plant, human, sun, moon, firework .....
82% of People (14/17) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Dec 30, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: Unique design, 10x optical zoom
Weaknesses: Flimsy battery compartment, no 'hold' switch to prevent camera from turning itself on and off accidentally, not wide angled as compared to say Canon Powershot A70/80
Summary: I brought this camera the moment it arrived to New York for my holiday. This was a camera with a design that turned heads. I liked its point & shoot features as well as its capability to go real 'pro' in the 'SLR' mode. However, I feel it should be equipped with a 'hold' button because the camera kept switching itself on and off as I hung it by my neckstrap & walked about. The battery consumption was also fairly quick as it took only about half a day to deplete 4 fully charged AA batteries. The high 10x OPTICAL ZOOM also called for the use of a tripod because it is impossible to take good pics at higher zoom holding the camera with only bare hands.
79% of People (26/33) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Dec 26, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: V.good zoom.Fast quiet,accurate.macro and sup.macro modes.Bright lcd.Light weight.Good grip.Can take 6-10 pictures in high-medium qual.in 1 second!V.good battery life!
Menu has a lot of options.
Weaknesses: This is my second camera.On he first one the lcd screen cover quit working after 5 minutes.Returned it and got another,but the same thing happened.Now it works again!Battery comp.door weak.
Summary: 2004-01-16 09:55:22
Very good value for the money.I used it with Energizer 2100mh rechargeable batteries for 5 days before it run out of juice.
High quality video mode.
79% of People (11/14) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Oct 14, 2003 |
|
|
Strengths: great movies, feature loaded, super zoom, FAST !!!, SMART !!!
Weaknesses: maybe the switching that is done with a mirror to go back and forth between viewfinder and lcd monitor. It seems to stick sometimes, but works after a second or third try.
Summary: I couldn't believe how well I could zoom in on distant objects and take a sharp, clear picture, without a tripod or rest. This is a very user friendly camera with tons of features, yet simple to use. Excellent battery life! I love this camera!!!
79% of People (11/14) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Dec 3, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: 10X Zoom,Great picture Quality,Long Battery life,VGA Video Recording,Excellent Specs
Weaknesses: 16Mb Sd Card,Electronic ViewFinder Swithching Unnecessary and Viewfinder Display a bit Grainy
Summary: The Camera is Great. I must have taken a Couple of thousand pictures by now. Mostly with great result.Takes Excellent pictures in the Dark as opposed to most reviews about other camera brands which do not take good pictures in the Dark.I previously owned a ViVitar 3715.It must be like Comparing a Donkey with a Horse the Difference is so Vast.I would Buy another one of this Camera with my eyes closed.
78% of People (7/9) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
| Date Reviewed: Apr 17, 2004 |
|
|
Strengths: great pictures menu easy to use
Weaknesses: lens cap comes off sometimes, monitor to small,self timer has to be reset so that means if you take more then one self time picture you have to go back to the menue which takes up time.
Summary: this is my second digital camera and I knew what I was getting because I did reserch on it it's very easy to use, other then the Self T. It rates high. Great pics. zoom is wonderfull and I love the way it feels in my hands not like most of them where there more rectangle and harder to hold on to.
78% of People (7/9) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?
Report this as inappropriate.
There are no comments for this review.
Post a comment.
|
|
|
