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66 of 68 found the following review helpful:
 My Z2 seems better than other people's Z2sMay 18, 2004
By Lawrence R. Hudson
"Fatherhonda"
I've had my Z2 for about a week and I am very impressed with it. This is my fifth digital still camera (the last was a Sony DSC-S75). Other reviewers have complained of poor image quality and noisy zooming during videos. It almost seems as if they are talking about a different camera. My Z2 has produced very sharp and colorful images (flesh tones are a bit oversaturated even at the "natural" color setting) and the zoom is COMPLETELY silent in the videos I've taken. One reviewer said the videos cannot be edited, but that is not true. The camera comes with Arcsoft software to do some crude editing on the Quicktime (*.mov) files, but it also allows you to save the video in other formats such as MPEG, AVI, and WMV. In those other formats the Windows XP Windows Movie Maker will do additional editing. I recommend you use the AVI version since it seems to introduce the fewest compression artifacts. But you have to download the camera's firmware update (version 1.02, posted 04/23/04) at http://www.minoltausa.com/eprise/main/MinoltaUSA/MUSAContent/CPG/CPGProducts?cname=dig in order to get the sound to transfer along with the video. When you are at the site you have to navigate to the Z2 page and then select "software." Another virtue I've discovered -- the camera is efficient in its use of energy.The deficiencies I've found have to do mainly with downloading images and dealing with them once they are in my computer. The Windows XP download wizard cannot rotate images that were taken in vertical format (as it was able to do with my Sony) unless I first rotate the image in the camera's playback display. Images come in as JPEGS, with perhaps a bit more compression than I would like in the "fine" mode - the file sizes for these 4-megapixel photos are about the same as they were with my 3-megapixel Sony. When I edit an image and then try to save it again as a jpeg, my Ulead PhotoImpact 6.0 software cannot compress the image as much as I may need. And my Printmaster 7.0 cannot see the image, though other JPEGS come in just fine. The workaround that I use is to save the Minolta's image as a Bitmap, close the bitmap file, then reopen it, and then save it as a JPEG at the desired level of compression -- and then Printmaster can see it. Perhaps Minolta has done something with the EXIF data that these software applications cannot deal with. With a camera that generates such widely differing reviews it might be a good idea to buy it where you can return it easily. I got mine at WalMart (Circuit City was out of them) for something like $50 more than the Amazon price, just so I could bring it back quickly. But I'm keeping mine.
46 of 47 found the following review helpful:
been very pleasedJun 01, 2004
I have had the Z2 now for about a month. I have taken very many pictures low light, bright sun light, and about every other condition. It has performed very well. I pick this camera for myself because of price and the video function is the best but video is good only for those quick shots. Needs lots of memory. 512mb will get you about 5 minutes in high res. When using zoom near its peak you must have a steady hand. I usually brace my elbows but I have tripod as well. Outdoor light this camera is at its best. I think it out performs any in its price range. The video is perfect in this situation as well and I have not notice any zooming noise in my camera. With night pictures it is little harder to point an shoot. If you are automatic mode, it obivously more delay. It takes little more time to get a picture and video doesn't look very well. Night pictures can be performed well but with some time figuring out your controls. Cloudy days the camera still does very well. I have had no problems with using it with XP. I haven't tried it with a MAC. The flash is one of the brightest that I have seen on a digital camera in this price range. Lights up average size living room with no problem. I do a lot of wildlife photography and I must say that with the zoom I have been very pleased. I have also purchased addition lens but haven't try them in normal settings. The Z2 works very well outdoors with video and pictures. I do a lot of croping and my standard size is a 5x7. It has done better than I expected. Considering features and price, it is very good package and one the best camera in its range and is very lite. I tested for color hazing and it has a little, but it is not noticable to any professional that I talked too. However, this is not professional camera but you get some professional pictures out of it.
51 of 53 found the following review helpful:
Minolta Dimage Z2Apr 15, 2004
By pablocasal
"pablocasal"
Dimage Z2 feels good in your hands. The grip handle has well spaced and placed buttons. The neat LCD screen/viewfinder switcher option is very handy. The LCD screen does not fold out for odd-angle viewing. This camera will not fit into a pocket, but is surprisingly light.
The controls are pretty intuitive, but also extensive. They're a lot easier to understand than most VCR's. Of course, this might be faint praise...
Pictures look fine on my 17 inch laptop screen. Since I do not print out my pictures much, 4MP is more than enough. At half the price of the digital Rebel (and the like), I can live with half the megapixels of digital SLR's. The 16meg SD card that it comes with is completely inadequate. My 512 SD card might seem like overkill, unless you want to film movies. Then, the 512 seems just adequate.
The movie-mode is the best I've seen on a camera. If you pick your spots carefully, you can film a wedding in both still and movie modes, and be pleased by both results. However, the motor on the lense is very loud when employed during filming, and will be noticably picked up. In other words, DON'T zoom while filming. The 10X optical lense will make you forget the digital zoom. If you must go for the digital gusto, unless you've got nerves of steel and hands of granite, use a monopod. Z2's focus lock option allows you to properly compose your picture with your subject off center. The focus is fast (if not quiet) and pretty responsive. The flash is powerful (red-eye reduction), and there is a hot-shoe for a larger flash unit.
The 2 AA battery (with AC power option) allows a lot of flexibility. An optional battery unit is available that pretty much provides enough juice to run a small Irish village (excluding the pub).
If you can accept that it is what it is (a consumer camera with lots of neat features in a well-thought-out package), then Z2 deserves its 5 stars.
37 of 38 found the following review helpful:
great for the enthusiastic beginnerApr 23, 2004
By gmr2048
I've had this camera for a little over a month and so far, I love it. It's got the full-auto (point-and-shoot) mode for the casual photographer/beginner, but it also has a variety of manual modes and advanced features like aperture priority, shutter priority, program mode, and full manual, as well as manual white balance for those interested in learning the art of (digital) photography. The two built in macro modes (close and *really* close) allow for excellent close-up shots. Despite having almost no experience in photography beyond point-and-shoot cameras, I was taking pretty good macro shots my first day with it (at least that's what mom said ;). The 10x zoom is great for the long shots. The 16MB SD card is useless (pick up at least 256MB). I still carry the 16 for a spare, but at the highest image resolution, I doubt I could fit 10 pictures on it. Do yourself a favor and buy the lens adapter ring and a UV filter for the camera. The UV filter can be had pretty cheap, won't affect picture quality, and will keep your built-in lens safe from scratches, dirt, and UV rays (evidently pretty damaging to camera equipment). And having the adapter, you'll be able to attach other filters as your need/skill grow. Oh, and get a couple of sets of rechargeable NIMH batteries too. They'll save you a lot of money. I briefly looked into the Konika-Minolta LI battery pack that's made for the camera, but being more than half the price of the camera, decided it was more expensive than I needed. At least for now. So far, my only complaints are: the battery cover door seems pretty flimsy. I'd like to see something more substantial. And, I'm not sure the idea of the mechanical mirror used to select the view through the eyepiece or on the display screen is wise. It just seems like more mechanical parts to fail in the future. Also, the use of the eyepiece won't prolong battery life as it would in most digital cameras. So, it's few faults aside, I give the KM Z2 a solid 5 star rating.
36 of 38 found the following review helpful:
Have yet to find anything wrong with this cameraApr 10, 2004
By Neil
I've been holding off buying a digital camera as I love my Olympus SLR camera but, whilst looking around my local camera store in February, I was introduced to the Z1 and was told that I should probably wait as new cameras were coming out soon. Well, the Z2 came out and I pre-ordered on the strength of what I'd seen from the Z1.
The Z2 has surpassed my expectations - I have some very good quality print outs of my first few images. I even managed to get an excellent close up shot first time that I'd previously wasted at least 2 films trying to get on my regular SLR. Focus is fast and accurate and the camera is light and very comfortable to hold. Definitely recommended.
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