The Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 digital camera is the latest in a long line of Konica Minolta digital cameras featuring uncommon innovation, aggressive pricing, and superior optics. The original Minolta Z1 was their first long-zoom digital camera aimed squarely at the consumer market, and has been one of the most popular cameras on the Imaging Resource site since its introduction. Refreshed with a new, slightly larger and higher resolution 4.0 megapixel image sensor, the new Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 shares most of the other features of its predecessor. Long-zoom cameras are fast becoming a popular category, and the new Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 looks to be a worthy competitor.

Another unique digital camera was developed by Canon, its the Canon PowerShot SD3500IS. Compared to Konica Minolta Dimage Z2, Canon PowerShot SD3500IS also adopts  a touch screen interface as a part of the innovation during the past few years. But this digital camera has a unique edge among its opponents which is the 5x optical zoom. This 5x optical zoom is almost equivalent to a range of 24-120mm in 35 SLR-talk plus, it has a maximum aperture of f2.8 useful enough even for low light situations, that way, capturing high-quality images is made possible with this Canon PowerShot SD3500IS. The Canon PowerShot SD3500IS also features the Active Display technology to easily playback your images. The Hints and Tips also helps in capturing, browsing and sharing images easier than ever before. The controls are also easy to navigate plus the touch AF lets you focus on your subject by simply ‘touching’ it on the screen. For your moving subjects, the digital camera’s Servo AF/AE will automatically track them, preserving both focus and exposure for the wonderful shots. Click here to get more of Canon PowerShot SD3500IS.

The Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 is equipped with an impressive 10x, 6.3-63mm lens, the equivalent of a 38-380mm lens on a 35mm camera. This represents a range from a moderate wide-angle to a very substantial telephoto. This Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 lens replaces the 5.8-58mm lens – the effective focal lengths being identical due to the Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 slightly larger sensor size. Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 maximum aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/3.5, depending on the lens zoom setting. Focus is specified as ranging from 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) to infinity in normal mode, with a macro setting ranging from 3.9 to 47.2 inches (10 to 120 centimeters). Click here to get the best features of Konica Minolta Dimage Z2.

Here is a summary of Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 review from a satisfied customer:

My Z2 seems better than other people’s Z2s

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.

Lawrence R. Hudson

There’s also a Super Macro setting for Konica Minolta Dimage Z2, which gets as close as 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) for really impressive closeups. Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 would focus down to close to the “Macro” range even with the Macro option disabled, at least at the wide angle end of the zoom range. At the telephoto end of the lens’ range, minimum focusing distance seemed to be about four feet, regardless of the Macro setting. Though the Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 normally judges focus from a large area in the center of the frame, a Spot AF mode is also available, which determines focus from one of three possible spot-AF hotspots, arranged across the middle of the frame. To activate Spot-AF mode of Konica Minolta Dimage Z2, press and hold down the center button of the arrow pad in any non-movie capture mode. Once Spot-AF mode is selected, you can use the left and right buttons of the arrow pad to select the specific spot area you want to use.

Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 has the following features and specifications:

• 4.0-megapixel CCD.
• Electronic optical viewfinder (EVF).
• 1.5-inch color TFT LCD monitor with anti-reflection coating.
• 10x, 6.3-63mm lens, equivalent to a 38-380mm lens on a 35mm camera.
• 4x digital zoom.
• Automatic, Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure modes, plus five preset Digital Subject Program modes.
• Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 15 seconds, with a “Time” setting for exposures as long as 30 seconds.
• Maximum aperture f/2.8 to f/3.7, depending on lens zoom position.
• Built-in flash with five modes.
• External flash hot shoe for Konica Minolta accessory flash units.

Click here to watch a video of Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 and get the best features

Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 has the following Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Good result in the resolution test
• Excellent handling and operation
• Very fast and responsive in use
• Very fast focus
• Generally good color, good white balance
• Excellent range of controls
• Nice screen and useable ‘switch’ viewfinder

cons:

• Occasional mild color casts
• Occasional overexposure
• Visible noise at high ISO’s

Conclusion:

Fast, fun, and easy to use, the Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 offers a compelling combination of features (including some pretty meaty movie capabilities) and image quality at an excellent price. The camera’s ‘hit rate’ is very high, with the only problems being the occasional exposure problem and the ever-present danger of camera shake when shooting at the long end of the zoom in all but the brightest lighting. Click here to get this exciting features of Konica Minolta Dimage Z2.