21/08/2005 - One of the Original Ciaoers (I was Ciaos Most Wanted in around February 2001 I think, o...
21/08/2005 - One of the Original Ciaoers (I was Ciaos Most Wanted in around February 2001 I think, or was it 2000?), currently on a "semi-sabbatical"...
Member since:02.12.2000
Reviews:78
Members who trust:152
The Konica KD-400Z is a high end digital compact camera, it is a (nearly) 4 Megapixel (2304x1704) camera boasting a 3x optical zoom lens, and a whole lot more. To the layman, it’s almost as good looking/stylish as a Canon Digital Ixus, but has far more capability. This camera was launched in Spring 2002 and currently retails for £338 (via internetcamerasdirect.co.uk; which Jessops will price-match), though expect its price to fall soon as it’s near the end of its production run, and has already been superceded by the 5 Megapixel KD-500Z…
>> Basic Specs >>
As I said, this is a 4 Megapixel digital still camera with a 3x zoom lens (39-117mm equivalent), it also has a 2x digital zoom function as well as the capability to shoot short .mov files and voice memos. This is just a novelty feature (which takes about a minute to set up) that every other new digital camera has that I wouldn’t recommend purchasing this camera for…
You can shoot pictures of 3 sizes, 2304x1704 (nearly 4 Megapixels), 1600x1200, and 640x480, and with each size there is a fine or compressed mode, but since you want this camera, you are unlikely to use the compressed mode, you are going to leave your PC to do that…
This camera comes with a conventional
optical viewfinder and a fairly good 1.5’ TFT LCD monitor, which is where the menu interface is carried out through, and it is here where one may also playback (and zoom into) the pictures that they have already taken.
>> >> Power >>
The camera is powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, which looks very similar to a Nokia battery, which is quite good. I have read in other reviews that it’s good enough to take 100 shots (with the LCD monitor on) and that is about right if you don’t use the flash too much and are fairly conservative, and a word of warning, transferring photos via the USB cable is draining, try to buy a memory card reader! Personally I feel that this is adequate, but from other reviews I have read, this seems to be disappointing, if you wish to have a spare/replacement battery (original) it will set you back around £30.
It takes less than 3 hours to charge this with the supplied charger, which is reasonable, please note that there is no “docking” charging mechanism, you can purchase a separate AC adaptor device that lets you use the mains to power the camera.
The problem regarding this (and it’s a relatively large problem) is that the power-meter on the LCD screen is not accurate, you may find that suddenly the power moves from full to a quarter, I got no idea why this happens, it don’t happen with my mobile phone does it???
The thing that sets this camera apart from its rivals is that it was the first camera in the world to feature a Secure Digital (SD/MMC) and Memory Stick (MS) slot, which means you can get double the capacity you would usually get with only just one slot. You can set the priority your camera puts on these forms of media, plus there is also 2 Megs of internal memory, which can only store images at the lowest resolution. This is a brilliant feature, you can also copy files from the SD/MMC card to the MS, the problem is that SD cards and MS are not the cheapest media to purchase (a 64 meg card costs £10 more than a Compact Flash equivalent), nor are they the fastest, but in my opinion they are certainly the most attractive.
Memory card insertion and removal is excellent, they fit next to the battery via a spring mechanism that locks them into position, and all you need to do is press them and they will spring up so that you can remove them, it’s all very neat and fluid…
>Operation
Operation is intuitively simple, once everything is set up, just slide the lens cover all the way, the beautiful front blue light will flash, the camera will play the equivalent of the windows startup sound, and within 2 seconds you are ready to shoot. The lens cover feels very solid and I think it’s a great opening/shutting mechanism, first of all you wont accidentally turn the camera on; but you can by holding the “play” button for a few seconds to view your snaps; there is an auto shut off feature.
>Functions/Modes
Picture taking-wise, the camera only comes with standard shooting modes. There’s a Macro mode, an “infinity” mode, timer mode, several flash modes, and you can play with exposure settings. I wish there was a “sports” mode though (if there is, I cannot find it). Another feature worth mentioning is the 2x digital zoom, once you have used up your optical zoom (3x), you can zoom in a further 2x digitally, by pressing the zoom-in button again and it will instantly zoom in effectively 6x. Just to clarify, the zoom range is anywhere between 1x and 3x, and then a jump to 6x, on the LCD screen the picture looks quite bad when using the digital zoom, but the picture turns out okay…
>How Many Pixels???
As I have implied, 4 Megapixels are quite a lot, well how much do you need? The Jessops brochure recommends that you need at least a 1,3 Megapixel camera for 6x4 prints and a 4 Megapixel camera is good for prints up to 16x12, but personally I want pictures that can be enlarged quite a lot on my PC screen, and if that’s your desire too, then the answer is at least 3 Megapixels, great if you can get 4.
The picture quality from this camera is excellent, especially in good light, thought it does not like facing the sun too much, you need to play with the modes when that happens. If you want better, I guess you need to buy an SLR or one of those cameras with a “professional” lens.
>>The downside of having too many pixels
If you are shooting at 4 Megapixels in fine mode, with the supplied 16 meg card, you can store 8 images, you can get about 37 onto a 64 meg memory card, so I would recommend that you get at least that; problem is SD/MS is not the cheapest media, nor is it the fastest (it takes 4-5 seconds before you can take the next shot)…
>Freebies There aren’t any, all you get is a small strap so you can wear the camera around your neck, you’d think Konica would at least give us a carry case. Also you are only supplied with a quick start manual, if you want the manual you have to print it off the CD, which comes with Acrobat Reader (to view the manual), QuickTime (to view any movies you shoot) and Win 98 and earlier drivers (Win Me and XP do not require a driver). The software crashed my PC when I tried to install only the manual, so if I were you, I would just find the manual file on the CD-Rom and transfer that to your hard drive manually. As I mentioned, you get a 16 Meg (Toshiba) SD card and a fairly short USB cable also, the packaging is great. There is no photo software; which is no big deal…
>The Rivals Well if you want to purchase this camera, why not also look at some of its rivals, firstly the Kodak LS 443 or the Casio QV-R4, costs a little more, looks okay and have a superior spec. Or the HP Photosmart 812, similar spec (but 7x digital zoom) it costs much less but it doesn’t look “pocketable”. Or the Canon Digital Ixus V3, this is the only camera that looks better in my opinion, but it’s a shame that it only has a 2x optical zoom lens and is only a 3 Megapixel camera, you can pick this up for just over £300 if you look hard enough! You could also go for the KD-500z or look for a KD-310 (which I have only seen on the internet), a 3 Megapixel equivalent.
>The Verdict I have got to give this camera 5 out of 5, there are lots of minor faults, but I can live with them and get used to them, the fact is that I am very satisfied with this camera, and I will be even more so once I explore the more advanced features; there aren’t many, but enough for me to really sink my teeth into. If you want a camera that looks great and can take great pictures, then this you can’t do much worse than the Konica KD 400z; it feels so “right”. It’s a shame that there are the little problems like difficult auto-focussing and a dodgy power meter (also if you hate red-eye then avoid this), but that fails to take the shine off a very complete product. I feel you really need a professional digital camera to do better, but they are not pocketable…
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Pink neoprene water-resistant digital/compact camera case with bonus wrist carry ... more
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This high quality case offers maximum protection for your high value Digital/compact ... more
camera. The executive looking case boasts good looks as well as some handy features such as; Elasticised straps to keep your expensive camera firmly in place Three SD card holder slots so you never loose your memory card and pictures Netted storage compartment Belt clip Do not run the risk of damaging your expensive camera! Make sure that your camera is 100% protected with our durable high quality case for your camera. This item also comes with a belt clip so you can easily keep your camera close to you when you leave your car or house. This item will fit all digital camera that are no thicker than 2" or wider than 5". Please check that your digital camera will fit before ordering to avoid disappointment. When you purchase this item you will receive the following: One high quality durable black hardwearing camera case Belt clip Our no quibbles returns policy and full 2 year guarantee Fast dispatch of your item from the UK via Royal Mail 1st class post
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Pink neoprene water-resistant digital/compact camera case with bonus wrist carry ... more
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You will receive 1 high quality Rechargeable Battery,100% fits!Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery ... more
(brand new merchandise in original packaging)This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the battery which was included in the delivery of your device. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.Important information:A battery with a greater power output than the battery which was included in the delivery of your device can have larger dimensions. Please observe the dimensions in mm indicated in the offer (see above under technical details).safety due to heat and overcharge protectionmore power than the battery which was included in the delivery of your deviceno memory effect - recharge your battery whenever you likeexcellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessorythe standard battery charger can still be usedLegal note: This item is compatible, not an original product of the digital camera manufacturer and is not manufactured, supported or recommended by the digital camera manufacturers. All brand names, trade marks and product names only serve the purpose of indicating compatibility, in doing so are not connected to the original products of the respective manufacturers and are the property of the respective holder of rights.
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Advantages: Small, compact, good display screen, easy to use. Disadvantages: Red eye control is poor, and pictures can be grainy when taken in poor lighting
Advantages: Very small, easy to use with very good build quality and takes great pictures Disadvantages: expensive spare battery and no tiff mode for photos
Advantages: Small, compact, good display screen, easy to use. Disadvantages: Red eye control is poor, and pictures can be grainy when taken in poor lighting
Jan 2nd, 2003
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