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Minolta DiMAGE S414 > Reviews

Digital camera - 4 Megapixel - Optical Zoom: 4 - Digital Zoom: 2.2x - Weight: 0.3 kg - Flash memory: CompactFlash Card - Viewfinder: Optical Viewfinder

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The Konica Minolta DiMAGE S414 meets amateur photographers' needs for a digital camera that provides high-quality image processing, a dynamic zooming range, advanced autofocus and...
more...autoexposure performance and fast, easy operation. The DiMAGE S414's high-precision electro-optical system is built around a 4.1 megapixel 1/1.8-type interline primary-color CCD with 4.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images. This pixel resolution will produce B4 size 150dpi prints or A5 size photo-quality prints. The Konica Minolta DiMAGE S414 features a Konica Minolta GT LENS, a high performance lens class for digital cameras. It is a high-resolution, all-glass apochromat lens featuring both an AD (anomalous dispersion) element and two double-sided aspheric elements to ensure clear, sharp, and detailed images with minimum chromatic aberration at all focal lengths. The DiMAGE S414 features Konica Minolta's proprietary CxProcess, a new image processing technology that provides clear and natural images. In image processing, too much emphasis on natural color produces flat color pictures. Overemphasizing the color range creates an unnatural color scheme. CxProcess balances both extremes by controlling sharpness, color reproduction, tonal gradation and noise to produce pleasing photographs. The digital camera has a 12-bit A/D conversion that can provide a fine tonal gradation with deep shadows, brilliant highlights and millions of colors, up to 4,096 levels in each RGB channel, with more than 68 billion colors. Konica Minolta's 12-bit A/D conversion provides exquisite details in portraiture: smooth complexion, rich shadows and luminous highlights, as opposed to the standard 10-bit A/D conversion with its limited 1,024 levels per RGB channel. The DiMAGE S414 has a high power 4x optical zoom lens - a range equivalent to a 35mm-140mm zoom lens on a 35mm camera - that has the flexibility to capture pictures ranging from wide-angle landscapes to intimate portraits. The One-Touch 2.2x digital zoom gives the Konica Minolta DiMAGE S414 a zoom ratio of up to a 308mm focal length on a 35mm camera. The macro setting on the camera produces sharp close-up images of subjects as near 3.9 inches from the lens. A higher pixel count generally means slower operation. However, the DiMAGE S414's high speed LSI with a 32-bit RISC CPU and the 32 MB SDRAM buffer memory ensures responsive and effortless operation. The DiMAGE S414 is fast. The image capturing interval time of 0.8 second and brisk continuous advance speed of 1.3 frames per second with up to 7 frames (with full-size - 2272x1704 pixels - images in the fine image-quality mode) can transform a passing moment into a priceless memory. With a playback loading time of 0.2 second, images are previewed quickly. Using a wide focus area, the cross-hair main autofocus control accurately and quickly determines subject distance, regardless of the horizontal or vertical subject contrast. Focus Area Selection is a flexible tool that singles out a specific subject in the image area by selecting from five spot focus areas. With Konica Minolta's Focus Area Selection, photographers can move the focusing point to single out a specific subject from a number of objects at varying distances. The S414 can also be manually focused for users that wish to take creative control. The controls over exposure are amazing. The DiMAGE S414 has multi-segment and spot metering. Multi-segment metering uses 270 segments to determine exposure. Three exposure modes are available: program, aperture priority, and manual. 15-second bulb exposures can be made in manual exposure. Camera sensitivity can be set to auto or to one of four ISO equivalent levels: 64, 100, 200, or 400. And to ensure the best exposure possible, an automatic three-frame bracket can be made with 0.3, 0.5, of 1.0 EV steps. The camera's controls are positioned and designed with a four-way controller and easy-to-read menu for ease of use. The mode dial allows the user to switch instantly between fully automatic recording and multi-function recording for more creative control. A shutter sound effect indicates the shutter has been released. The DiMAGE S414's compact design features a lightweight aluminum body, and is designed to feel comfortable in the hands, making it the perfect choice for people on the go. The sharpness, contrast, and filter digital effects controls are image-processing tools built into the DiMAGE S414. These functions allow image data to be maximized at the scene. Sharpness accentuates or softens details. Contrast controls the difference between brightness levels; increasing the contrast makes the highlights brighter and the shadows darker. And the new Filter effects make a color image warmer or cooler. Unique to digital imaging, the DiMAGE S414'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. White balance controls how the camera interprets the color of the ambient lighting. Auto white balance compensates for changes in lighting automatically. Four preset white-balance settings, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, and fluorescent, can be selected for specific light sources. And for critical control over color, the custom setting allows the camera to be calibrated to the lighting conditions at the scene. The camera's color mode has five options: Natural Color, Vivid Color, black and white, Sepia, and solarization. Natural Color preserves the actual colors of the scene and Vivid Color accentuates them. Black and white creates a neutral monochrome image whereas the new Sepia mode gives the classic appearance of toning in old photographs. Solarization creates a partial reversal of tones and colors in the highlights for creative effects. The DiMAGE S414 can continuously record still images at a rate of approximately 1.6 frames per second. A ten-second self-timer is available for self-portraits. The optional remote control RC-3 can used to record still images and movie clips from up to 16 feet away. The DiMAGE S414 is not limited to recording still images. Sixty seconds of digital video with audio can be captured. Voice memo allows up to 15 seconds of audio to be attached to an image when it is captured. The movie clips and audio tracks can be played back in the camera. The LCD monitor displays active camera settings, exposure information, and warnings. This information can be turned off so that the entire image can be viewed. The DiMAGE S414 has two additional displays for critical composition: grid and scale. Usually found in large-format view cameras, the grid makes aligning the camera with vertical or horizontal elements within the image simple; confirming that the horizon or buildings are straight in landscape or architectural photography is easy. The scale can be used in close-up photography to judge the relative proportions of the subject.

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1-7 of 7 reviews of Minolta DiMAGE S414

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Herby Turns Technical!
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by herby30

Advantages: See review
Disadvantages: None

...bought a digital camera, a Minolta Dimage S414 4 million mega pixel version to be precise, which would normally retail here in the UK for around the £200 mark, but we managed to get a bit of a bargain and bought it for a mere $199.99 (around £110), not bad eh? Not being the most technically minded person, it’s hard to know where to start when writing a review such as this, so for the benefit of people like me out there, I will try to make it as ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

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very helpful

03.06.2004

A dream for those that want control at a low price
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by chemsoc

Advantages: Image and build Quality, adjustablity
Disadvantages: battery life, lens cap

...huge amount of money the Minolta S414 was recommended by a friend. All I can say now is that I will never go back to film cameras. It is hard to know where to start with this camera, but I will start with the heart of the camera, the lens. The lens (Minolta GT) was one of the main selling points as far as I was initially concerned. Its specs and reputation preceded it. I was not disappointed when I finally got my Minolta Dimage S414, the images ... Read review

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very helpful

30.05.2004

An excellent camera of good design and quality
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by melonballer

Advantages: Clear Qualinty Images with good sound and video recording. Very sturdy construction.
Disadvantages: Rather heavy compared to later models, so Rechargeable batteries are a must for this thirsty camera.

It’s one of these cameras that are as complicated as you make them. You have to option of auto; point and shoot images. No messing about point the cameras at your subject and you’ve got yourself a nice holiday snap. But it you want to fiddle which the settings, the timing the light transparency focus exposure degree dishwasher thingy…. Then you can do that too. It’s probably as heavy as you expect a camera which as 4AA batteries inside to ... Read review

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16.09.2004

A Photographers Digicam
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by pentreview

Advantages: Looks right, Handles well, Great Results, Low Price for Spec, True VFM
Disadvantages: Needs bigger card and rechargeable batteries - no external flash

...range. Then I saw the Minolta S414 on the internet. It seemed to be almost everything I wanted at a reasonable price. I bought it and dont regret it at all. Superb lens with very accurate focusing and exposure control. Card was too small and Batteries useless but £60 got me a 256mg card, a High Power rechargeable batteries and a card reader so for £300 I had it all. One or two niggles I can live with - no external flash can be used - On/Off ... Read review

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09.08.2003

Minolta DiMAGE S414
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by DEFENDER67

Advantages: Great value for money, Excellent picture quality (4.0M pixels), 4.0X high speed Optical Zoom
Disadvantages: No rechargable batteries, No flash memory

The Minolta DiMAGE S414 Digital camera features 4.0 Mega Pixels for delivering superior quality images. The 4X OPTICAL zoom gives a close view using Minolta High speed GT lens. The Shooting ability is further-more expanded with a 2.2X Digital zoom with no loss of resolution! This is a top spec machine for its low price and can out perform its more expensive competitors. The let down is that it does'nt come with rechargable batteries (standard Alkaline) ... Read review

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28.01.2004

Minolta DiMAGE S414
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by cyberus

Advantages: User Friendly, Packed with features, value for money
Disadvantages: big & bulky

...pictures. I have had the Minolta S414 for a month now and love it. It takes great pictures and the battery life has been better than what the website says it should be. The camera is bigger than some people might want to carry around, but that allows it to take more professional pictures than some of the smaller cameras (i.e. the flash is very bright and night pictures come out great). Some websites have mentioned that the pictures need to be fixed ... Read review

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18.03.2004

minolta s414
Review of Minolta DiMAGE S414 by beertrucker

Advantages: price for a 4 mega pixel camera, easy to use
Disadvantages: batteries

the minolta camera is probably the best priced 4 mega pixel digital camera on the market to date.it is the latest version from minolta.i have found this camera to be easy to understand as a first time user in digital photography.the camera was purchased via the internet making a saving of around fifty pounds compared with the retail price.although not one of the smallest digital cameras on the market it is compact and neat.on the 16mb flash card which ... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

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somewhat helpful

17.05.2003

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