The Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 look like a contrivance from a sci - fi motion picture , but hold in within its way-out curve is a surprisingly capable television camera with an Automatic mode for clock time when you need quick snapshots , and Program , Aperture Priority , Shutter Priority , and Manual exposure modes if you want to tweak controls .
The Z5 ’s rum shape ca-ca it bulky to transport — this is n’t a pocket camera — but comfortable to accommodate . The 2.0 - inch LCD , while not as spacious as the 2.5- inch LCDs on the Epson L-500V (; February 2005 ) or the Casio Exilim EX - Z55 ( ) , is undimmed and shrill . An EVF ( electronic viewfinder ) with diopter adjustment ( so you could adjust it to your eyesight ) makes it easy to inject in bright sunlight , and the menus are soft to scan and sail . A live histogram assist you adapt exposure compensation . A trice - style push button puts manual controls at your fingertips ; you may customise it to easily enable and disable drive , focal point , or color modes , or bloodless balance or ISO setting .
The 12x optic rapid climb in the Z5 is a standout in this class , and can focus to an intimate 0.4 inches in Super Macro mode , perfect for bud entomologists ( I only wish it had a twistable LCD for shoot at peculiar angles ) . The Z5 is one of a smattering of compact cameras to offer still - figure stabilisation , which keep images steady by shift the CCD , so your images will be sharp even at slow shutter swiftness . It recognizes when you ’re panning to follow a moving field , so it wo n’t sample to stabilize the shot when you do n’t want it to .
The 5 - point area autofocus ( AF ) is responsive , and you may take from single - shot or continuous AF . Focus lock is uncommitted in single - guess sharpen mode , and Predictive Focus Control ( which promise where a move topic will be when you press the shutter expiration ) kicks in when you select uninterrupted auto focussing . you could also concentrate manually .
In our examination , the color and item in images from the Dimage Z5 was very good , with accurate , saturated colors . But although the Z5 ’s ISO ranges from 50 to 320 , and it shoots well at lower ISO configurations , racket becomes a problem above 100 ISO . And the Z5 can only take JPEG images ; I ’d like at least a TIFF option in a photographic camera of this caliber .
The Z5 is no slouch when it comes to bourgeon video , capture VGA - quality pic ( 640 by 480 pixels , the high solution you ’ll find in a camera of this character ) at a smooth 30 bod per second , continuously until your memory card is filled . The Silent Cam feature minimizes lens noise when you zoom , Night Movie lets you shoot video in low light , and Anti - Shake smoothes out the heebie-jeebies . The Auto picture has some hassle hold up with fast genus Pan , but otherwise the Dimage Z5 ’s television and audio quality is very good .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
The Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 assume great picture , specially at modest ISOs . Add the antishake feature of speech , 12x optical lens , and Super Macro modality , and the Z5 a solid choice , peculiarly if you like macro photography or need the flexibility to capture decorous video without lugging around an extra camcorder .
Jury Tests
graduated table = Excellent , Very beneficial , Good , Flawed , impossible
