E INSTRUCTION MANUAL
BEFORE YOU BEGIN Thank you for purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of your new 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.
FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE • Keep batteries 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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THIS MANUAL The basic operation of this camera is covered between pages 10 and 27. This section of the manual covers the camera parts, preparation of the camera for use, and the basic camera operation for recording, viewing, and deleting images. The auto-recording mode section covers all the basic functions of the camera in this mode and the multi-function recording mode. Take time to read this section before moving on to the multi-function recording mode section.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Custom white balance ...........................................................................................55 Focus modes ..............................................................................................................56 Camera sensitivity - ISO .............................................................................................57 Flash range and camera sensitivity ............................................................................57 Full-time AF.....
NAMES OF PARTS Flash mode/Magnification button (p. 30, 71) CAMERA BODY * 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. 109). Mode dial (main switch) Shutter-release button Digital-subject-program button (p. 28) Data panel (p. 13) Viewfinder window* Microphone CCD plane Drive-mode button (p. 32) Exposure-compensation button (p. 46) Viewfinder* (p. 12) LCD monitor* (p.
NAMES OF PARTS DATA PANEL VIEWFINDER Digital-subject-program indicators (p. 28) Focus lamp (green) White-balance indicator (p. 54) Manual-focus indicator (p. 56) Camera-sensitivity indicator (p. 57) Flash lamp (orange) Focus frame Because the optical viewfinder and the lens are slightly separated, the image seen through one is not exactly the same as the other; this is called parallax. Parallax can cause errors in framing at close distances and is more pronounced at longer focal lengths.
NAMES OF PARTS LCD MONITOR DISPLAY GETTING UP AND RUNNING ATTACHING THE NECK STRAP AND LENS CAP Attach the small strap to the lens cap by passing one of the small loops through the eyelet on the cap (1) and then passing the other loop through the first loop (2) and tightening. a. Mode indicator (p. 12) b. Flash-mode indicator (p. 30) c. Sharpness display (p. 60) d. Contrast-compensation display (p. 60) e. Color-saturation-compensation display (p. 60) f. Exposure-compensation display (p. 46) g.
GETTING UP AND RUNNING CHANGING BATTERIES BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR This digital camera uses four AA-size alkaline or Ni-MH batteries. Ni-MH batteries are recommended because of longer life. When using Ni-MH batteries, fully recharge them with a battery charger suitable for complex electronic equipment. Please consult your vendor about an appropriate charger. This camera is equipped with an automatic battery-condition indicator.
GETTING UP AND RUNNING EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEPARATELY) The AC Adapter allows the camera to be powered from an electrical 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-1L is for use in North America, Japan, and Taiwan and AC-2L is for use in all other areas.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE AUTO-RECORDING MODE SETTING THE CAMERA TO RECORD IMAGES AUTOMATICALLY Turn the mode dial to automatic recording (1); all camera operations are now fully automatic. The autofocus, exposure, and imaging systems will work together to bring beautiful results effortlessly. BASIC OPERATION This section covers the basic operation of this camera. Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the operations in this section before moving on to the other sections in the manual.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE ZOOM LENS AND DIGITAL ZOOM BASIC RECORDING OPERATION This camera is equipped with a 7.15 to 28.6mm optical zoom. This is equivalent to a 35 to 140mm zoom lens on a 35mm 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.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE FOCUS LOCK FOCUS SIGNALS The focus-lock function is used when the subject is 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. This digital camera has a quick, accurate autofocusing system. The focus icon in the lower right corner of the LCD monitor and the green focus lamp next to the viewfinder indicate the focus status.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE QUICK-VIEW DISPLAY Mode indicator QUICK VIEW Captured images can be viewed in auto-recording and multi-function recording mode. Simply press the QV/delete button to access the images. The date and time of capture, frame number, printing status, lock status, image size and image quality are displayed with the images. The histogram and shooting data of the image can also be displayed in Quick View. Press the QV/delete button to play back the recorded images.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE PORTRAIT - optimized to reproduce soft skin tones and a slight defocusing of the background. The flash mode can be changed (p. 30). DIGITAL-SUBJECT-PROGRAM BUTTON The digital-subject-program button (1) optimizes the camera’s performance for various conditions and subjects. Exposure, white-balance, and image-processing systems work in unison for beautiful results.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE FLASH MODES FLASH RANGE - AUTO-RECORDING MODE To set the flash mode, simply press the flash mode button (1) on the back of the camera until the desired mode is displayed. LCD monitor Data panel Autoflash - the flash fires automatically in low-light and backlit conditions. 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.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE DRIVE MODES SELF-TIMER The drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Icons indicating the selected drive mode appear on the data panel and LCD monitor. 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 is set with the drive-mode button (p. 32).
AUTO-RECORDING MODE REMOTE CONTROL (SOLD SEPARATELY) The IR Remote Control RC-3 allows remote camera operation up to 5m (16 ft.) away. The remote control unit can be used in movie recording (p. 65). Place the camera on a tripod, and set the drive mode to self-timer / remote control (p. 32). Arrange the camera and subject to compose the picture. Frame the subject within the focus frame when setting up the camera. • Focus lock cannot be used with the IR remote control.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE BRACKETING DISPLAY BUTTON - RECORDING MODE This mode makes a three-image bracket of a scene. Bracketing is a method of taking a series of images of a static subject in which each image has a slight variation in exposure. The bracketing mode is set with the drive-mode button (p. 32). Brackets cannot be made with super-fine images (p. 41). The display-information button controls the LCD monitor display.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE NAVIGATING THE AUTO-RECORDING MODE MENU In auto-recording mode, press the menu button to activate the menu. The menu button also turns off the menu after settings are made. The four-way keys of the controller are used to move the cursor in the menu. Pressing the center of the controller will enter a setting. Use the up/down keys of the controller (2) to scroll through the menu options. Highlight the option whose setting needs to be changed.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE IMAGE SIZE IMAGE QUALITY 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. This camera has four image quality settings: super fine, fine, standard, and economy. Always select the desired setting before taking the picture.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE IMAGE-FILE SIZE AND COMPACTFLASH CARD CAPACITY VOICE MEMO The number of images that can be stored on a CompactFlash card is determined by the size of the 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. Voice memo allows a five or fifteen second audio track to be recorded with a still image.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE DATE IMPRINTING INSTANT PLAYBACK The date of recording can be printed directly on the image. Date-imprinting indicator The imprinting function must be activated before the image is taken. Once activated, the date will continue to be imprinted until the function is reset; a yellow bar is displayed behind the frame counter on the monitor to indicate the imprinting function is active. After an image is captured, it can be displayed on the monitor before being saved.
AUTO-RECORDING MODE EXPOSURE COMPENSATION Shooting tips 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. In auto-recording mode, exposure compensation is also reset when the mode dial is moved to another position. The exposure compensation must be set before the image is captured.
MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING Switching between the wide focus area and the spot focus areas is simple. Press and hold the controller (1) until the wide-focus-area frame lines change to the spot-focus-area display. Press and hold the controller again to return to the wide-focus-area frame lines. MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING MODE 1 The focus area selection controls which spot focus area is active. This function can be used for off-center subjects or to single out an individual subject from a group.
MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING NAVIGATING THE MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING MODE MENU In multi-function recording mode, press the menu button to activate the menu. The menu button also turns off the menu after making settings. The four-way keys of the controller are used to move the cursor in the menu. Pressing the center of the controller will enter a setting.
MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING EXPOSURE MODES MANUAL EXPOSURE - M The three exposure modes allow extensive control over image making: program, aperture priority, and manual exposure. Exposure modes are set in the basic section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p. 50). Manual exposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speeds and apertures. This mode overrides the exposure system giving the photographer total control over the final exposure.
MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING WHITE BALANCE CUSTOM 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. Custom-white-balance function allows a photographer to calibrate the camera to a specific lighting condition. The setting can be used repeatedly until reset.
MULTI-FUNCTION RECORDING FOCUS MODES CAMERA SENSITIVITY - ISO This camera has autofocus and manual focus control. The focus mode is set in the basic section of the multi-function recording mode menu (p. 50). Five camera sensitivity settings can be selected: Auto, 64, 100, 200, and 400; the numerical values are based on an ISO equivalent. ISO is the standard used to indicate film sensitivity: the higher the number, the more sensitive the film.
