Minolta

Taking the best from the Dimage 7 series, the Dimage A1 was redesigned for today's digital photographer.

This is a camera for those who demand the highest imaging quality and versatility in a compact, easy-to-use package.

The Dimage A1 exploits the power of digital imaging by providing the tools to express your creativity and solve visual problems.

And above all, the Dimage A1 is a joy to use.5.0 Million Effective Pixels - The Dimage A1 is built around a high-precision electro-optical system designed to maximize image quality.

The system starts with a 5.3 megapixel 2/3-type progressive primary-color CCD with 5.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images.

The pixel resolution of the CCD will produce 13 x 17-inch, 150-dpi prints or 6.5 x 8.5-inch photo-quality prints; this creates a print size larger than both A3 and A5 respectively.

14X APO GT Zoom (7X Optical, 2X Digital) Lens - The f/2.8 - 3.5, 7X optical zoom is an apochromatic (APO) lens employing anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to minimize chromatic aberration at all focal lengths and produce sharp, high-contrast images.

With a focal range of 7.2 - 50.8mm, it is equivalent to a 28 - 200mm zoom lens in the 35mm format.

This lens encompasses the most used focal lengths in photography today, ranging from wide angle for landscapes and interiors to telephoto for portraits and details of distant landmarks.

The 2x digital zoom gives the Dimage 7 a zoom ratio of up to 14x, equivalent to a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Fastest AF Speed - The Dimage A1 has the current world's fastest autofocus speed among SLR-type digital cameras with a non-interchangeable lens.

The AF system is activated by the grip sensor to reduce focusing time as well as to continuously display a sharp image on the monitors.Anti-Shake Function - This new function minimizes the blurring effect of handheld camera shake to provide the sharpest images possible.

The anti-shake system is especially valuable when shooting at long focal lengths or in low-light conditions without a tripod.

Anti-shake allows the camera to be handheld with shutter speeds eight times longer than usual.

When using the camera at the telephoto setting, approximately 90% of the images recorded will be sharp even with a shutter speed as slow as 1/25 sec.CxProcess II Image Processing Technology - The Dimage A1 is the first digital camera to employ CxProcess II, Minolta's new image-processing technology.

CxProcess II controls the essential image qualities of color, contrast, and sharpness while minimizing noise.

Brilliant, saturated color remains vibrant without becoming unnatural or flat.

Subtle contrast is rendered to retain the richness and depth of the subject while preserving details in the highlights and shadows.

Sharpness is controlled by balancing resolution with acutance to show fine detail while minimizing hard, unnatural edges.

Plus, dark noise can be reduced with exposures of one second or longer via the noise-reduction menu.Ultra-High-Speed Shutter - 1/16,000 sec.

- The Dimage A1 has an ultra-high top shutter speed of 1/16,000 second.

This is a major advantage in sports photography, and it also enables greater control over depth-of-field in brightly-lit scenes.

14-Bit A/D Conversion - The Dimage A1 uses 14-bit A/D conversion to record the richness and infinite subtleties of light.

14-bit A/D conversion can distinguish 16,384 levels in each color channel.

This is a fourfold increase over the fidelity of 12-bit systems.

3-D Predictive Focus Control with Subject Tracking - All cameras experience a minute delay from when the shutter-release button is pressed until the image is captured.

Especially at long focal lengths, this slight delay can be significant with fast-moving subjects.

With continuous autofocusing, the Dimage A1 uses the new 3-D Predictive Focus Control to track the subject right up to the moment the exposure is made, ensuring optimum focus.

This new predictive focus control continuously follows the subject through three-dimensional space, regardless of direction, not only to give the sharpest images possible, but also to reduce focusing time to catch the perfect moment.Advanced Image Processing - The Dimage A1 features new image-quality and image-size settings.

The extra-fine image-quality option joins the fine and standard settings to produce a high-quality JPEG file with little compression or loss of detail.

The new 2080 x 1560 image size gives the photographer the ability to switch between 5 megapixel, 3 megapixel, and 2 megapixel images smoothly to match the final use of the image with the optimum resolution to maximize storage space on the memory card.

A 640 x 480 (VGA) image size is also available for web images.Dual-Focal Macro System - This dual-focal macro system allows the lens to be set at the wide-angle or telephoto position to take advantage of different focal lengths.

At the wide-angle position, the larger field of view and depth-of-field create a strong perspective and a sense of space.

The telephoto position isolates the subject and minimizes distortion with a narrow field-of-view and shallow depth-of-field.Flex Focus Point - Flex Focus Point adds unlimited versatility to the AF system.

It is a single crosshair sensor that can be placed anywhere within the field of view.

With the camera on a tripod, simply use the controller's four-way key to position the flex focus point on the subject; the AF system will use that point for each exposure.

The spot metering area can also be switched between a center spot and the flex focus point.

Direct Manual Focus (DMF) - The Dimage A1 incorporates Direct Manual Focus.

DMF is found in professional-level 35mm film cameras like the award-winning Maxxum 7. After the AF system has focused and locked on the subject, the focus can be fine-tuned manually.Powerful Flash Capabilities - The Dimage A1 is compatible with the Minolta Program/Maxxum Flash 3600HS(D) or 5600HS(D) units as well as the latest addition to the line, the Program/Maxxum Flash 2500(D). These powerful flash units can be used directly on the camera.

The 3600HS(D) and 5600HS(D) feature a zoom head that automatically adjusts as the camera's lens is zoomed in and out; the zoom head can also be tilted for bounce illumination.

The 5600HS(D) also features a swivel head and its flash output can be controlled with power ratios.

The new 2500(D) is a compact, automatic flash unit with a tilting head and an affordable price.For close-up photography, Minolta offers a high-quality macro lighting system.

The Macro Flash Controller can be coupled with the Micro Ring Flash 1200 or the Micro Twin Flash 2400 lighting sets.

Both systems give considerable control over lighting in confined spaces at close working distances.PC Flash Terminal - A new, built-in flash sync terminal allows the Dimage A1 to be connected to professional studio and location flash systems.

Simply plug the flash's PC cord into the terminal.

Designed for center-negative and center-positive polarities, the camera is compatible with most studio and location lighting systems.

Digital Effects Control & Digital Enhanced Bracketing - The Digital Effects Control (DEC) is an image-processing center built into the camera.

Contrast, color, and saturation can be adjusted before the image is captured to maximize image data at the scene.

The Filter effect controls the overall color of the image, making it cooler or warmer in eleven levels.

When used with black & white images, the filter creates a warm or cool toned image similar to sepia or gold toners with photographic prints as well as the unique tones of magenta and green.

Ten tones are available.To ensure that the correct level of adjustment is made with the digital effects control, a Digital Enhanced Bracket -- a series of three or five images with a slight increase and decrease in the quality selected -- can be made.

Creative Color Control - In addition to natural color and black & white, the Dimage A1 has two color modes for creative control.

Vivid Color increases the saturation to produce vibrant color images.

Solarization creates a partial reversal of image tones to produce unique imaging effects.

Two Adobe RGB options are available for color management applications so that the image can be captured with or without the Adobe RGB profile embedded.

Digital Subject Programs - Digital Subject Programs optimize exposure and image-processing controls for specific shooting conditions and subjects.

Simply select the appropriate Digital Subject Program and the camera is ready to shoot.

Four subject programs are available: - Portrait: reproduces warm, soft skin tones and slightly defocuses the background.

- Sports Action: makes clear, sharp images of fast-moving subjects.

- Sunset: reproduces the rich, warm colors of sunsets.

- Night Portrait: for deep, subtle night scenes.

When used with the built-in flash, the subject exposure is balanced with the background.Continuous Advance - The continuous-advance modes make it possible to capture the action as it unfolds.

Three JPEG or five 5-megapixel RAW images can be captured at a rate of 2 frames per second.SLR-Type Viewfinder - The redesigned Digital Hyper Viewfinder gives the Dimage A1 the same feel as a 35mm SLR.

The viewfinder can be tilted between 0 and 90-degrees, for comfortable shooting at low angles or in confined spaces.

Additionally, the viewfinder utilizes a new precision 235,000-pixel TFT monitor.

Because the viewfinder LCD is shielded, it provides clear images even when working under bright light.Tilting Color LCD Monitor - The Dimage A1 is fitted with a 1.8-inch low-temperature high-contrast color LCD monitor that can be tilted from -20 to +90-degrees.

This monitor has an extended color gamut, contrast, and dynamic range, plus a wide-viewing angle so that the camera does not need to be held perpendicularly to clearly view the live image.Flex Digital Magnifier - The new Flex Digital Magnifier (FDM) can enlarge a section of the live image by 2X or 8X so sharpness can be judged in manual focus or when using DMF.

The FDM marquee can be moved to frame the section of the image to be enlarged.

Once enlarged, the live image can be scrolled so the entire image area can be examined.Real-Time Histogram - Unique to digital imaging, the Dimage A1's real-time histogram shows the luminance distribution of the image before it is captured.

Displayed with the live image, the histogram allows the subject brightness and contrast to be evaluated to optimize the camera's exposure and contrast controls.

The luminance distribution of recorded images can be checked with the playback histogram.Multiple Movie Types - In addition to taking digital still images, the Dimage A1 also makes digital movies.

There are multiple creative movie formats from which to choose: Standard QVGA (320 x 240) color movies and monochrome night movies up to 15 minutes with audio can be made.

The night-movie mode can make recordings under extreme low-light conditions.

The interval function can produce a series of still images taken at regular intervals or it can combine the images into a 640 x 480 time-lapse movie.

The time-lapse movie plays the images back at 4fps so that normally imperceptible motion springs to life: the blossoming of a flower or changing cloud formations.

Easy, Comfortable Operation - Camera controls and dials are laid out for clear, intuitive operation.

Two control dials are located on the front and back of the grip for quick changes to camera settings.

On the back of the camera, the controller is a straightforward five-way array used to control many of the advanced features and menus.

Separate buttons have been added for exposure compensation and custom white-balance settings.

Plus, a newly-added switch makes it easy to change between single-AF, continuous-AF, and manual focus modes.Data Imprinting - Data imprinting allows the date or time to be printed on the image as well as text and serial numbers.

A 16-character subject line describing the image can be added to the EXIF data and read with the Dimage Viewer.

This subject line can be printed out with a copy of the image from the Dimage Viewer application.

Additionally, the electronic keyboard used to imprint text has an expanded character set for European languages.