Konica Minolta DiMAGE 5, DiMAGE 7 Instruction Manual

9224-2773-11 H-A106

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Thank you for purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of your new camera.

This manual contains information regarding products introduced before June, 2001. To obtain compatibility information for products released after this date, contact a Minolta Service Facility.

Check the packing list before using this product. If any items are missing, immediately contact your local camera dealer.

Minolta DiMAGE digital camera AA alkaline batteries (set of four) Neck strap for DiMAGE 7/5 NS-DG7 Lens shade for DiMAGE 7/5 DLS-7 16MB CompactFlash card Video cable for DiMAGE 7/5 VC-100 USB cable for DiMAGE 7/5 USB-100 DiMAGE software CD-ROM DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility version 1.1 instruction manual Camera manual Quick Reference Guide Warranty card

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Because the low performance of alkaline batteries with digital cameras, the use of Ni-MH batteries is recommended.

Read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product.

Using batteries improperly can cause them to leak harmful solutions, overheat, or explode which may damage property or cause personal injury. Do not ignore the following warnings.

• Only use the batteries specified in this instruction manual.

• Do not install the batteries with the polarity (+/–) reversed.

• Do not use batteries which show wear or damage.

• Do not expose batteries to fire, high temperatures, water, or moisture.

• Do not attempt to short or disassemble batteries.

• Do not store batteries near or in metallic products.

• Do not mix batteries of different types, brands, ages, or charge levels.

• Do not charge alkaline batteries.

• When recharging rechargeable batteries, only use the recommended charger.

• Do not use leaking batteries. If fluid from the batteries enters your eye, immediately rinse the eye with plenty of fresh water and contact a doctor. If fluid from the batteries makes contact with your skin or clothing, wash the area thoroughly with water.

WARNING

FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE

• Use only the specified AC adaptor within the voltage range indicated on the adaptor unit. An inappropriate adaptor or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock.

• Do not disassemble this product. Electric shock may cause injury if a high voltage circuit inside the product is touched.

• Immediately remove the batteries or unplug the AC adaptor and discontinue use if the camera is dropped or subjected to an impact in which the interior, especially the flash unit, is exposed. The flash has a high voltage circuit which may cause an electric shock resulting in injury.The continued use of a damaged product or part may cause injuries or fire.

FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE

• Keep batteries or small parts that could be swallowed away from infants. Contact a doctor immediately if an object is swallowed.

• Store this product out of reach of children. Be careful when around children, not to harm them with the product or parts.

• Do not fire the flash directly into the eyes. It may damage eyesight.

• Do not fire the flash at vehicle operators. It may cause a distraction or temporary blindness which may lead to an accident.

• Do not use the monitor while operating a vehicle or walking. It may result in injury or an accident.

• Do not use this product in a humid environment, or operate this product with wet hands. If liquid enters the product, immediately remove the batteries or unplug the AC adaptor and discontinue use. The continued use of a product exposed to liquids may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock.

• Do not use the product near inflammable gases or liquids such as gasoline, benzine, or paint thinner. Do not use inflammable products such as alcohol, benzine, or paint thinner to clean the product. The use of inflammable cleaners and solvents may cause an explosion or fire.

• When unplugging the AC adaptor, do not pull on the power cord. Hold the adaptor unit when removing it from an outlet.

• Do not damage, twist, modify, heat, or place heavy objects on the AC adaptor cord. A damaged cord may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock.

• If the product emits a strange odor, heat, or smoke, discontinue use. Immediately remove the batteries taking care not to burn yourself as the batteries become hot with use. The continued use of a damaged product or part may cause injuries or fire.

• Take the product to a Minolta Service Facility when repairs are required

• Do not use or store the product in a hot or humid environment such as the glove compartment or trunk of a car. It may damage the product and batteries which may result in burns or injuries caused by heat, fire, explosion, or leaking battery fluid.

• If batteries are leaking, discontinue use of the product.

• The camera temperature rises with extended periods of use. Care should be taken to avoid burns.

• Burns may result if the CompactFlash card or batteries are removed immediately after extended periods of use. Turn the camera off and wait for it to cool.

• Do not fire the flash while it is in contact with people or objects. The flash unit discharges a large amount of energy which may cause burns.

• Do not apply pressure to the LCD monitor. A damaged monitor may cause injury, and the liquid from the monitor may cause inflammation. If liquid from the monitor makes contact with skin wash the area with fresh water. If liquid from the monitor comes in contact with the eyes, immediately rinse the eyes with plenty of water and contact a doctor.

• The rim of the lens hood can cause injury.Take care not to accidentally strike anyone with the camera when the lens hood is attached.

• When using the AC adaptor, insert the plug securely into the electrical outlet.

• Do not use if the AC adaptor cord is damaged.

• Do not cover the AC adaptor. A fire may result.

• Do not obstruct access to the AC adaptor; this can hinder the unplugging of the unit in emergencies.

• Unplug the AC adaptor when cleaning or when the product is not in use.

CAUTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Names of parts

Camera body...........................................................................................................................10

Data panel ...............................................................................................................................13

EVF and LCD monitor display.................................................................................................14

Getting up and running.........................................................................................................................15

Camera-shake warning ...........................................................................................................15

Attaching the camera strap .....................................................................................................16

Removing the lens cap............................................................................................................16

Attaching the lens hood...........................................................................................................17

Inserting batteries....................................................................................................................18

Inserting the CompactFlash card ............................................................................................18

Handling the camera ...............................................................................................................19

Turning on the camera and displays .......................................................................................19

Taking pictures.........................................................................................................................20

Using the built-in flash.............................................................................................................21

Flash range - automatic operation...........................................................................................21

Viewing and deleting pictures in quick view............................................................................22

Basic operation ....................................................................................................................................23

Changing batteries ..................................................................................................................24

Battery condition indicators .....................................................................................................25

Auto power save ......................................................................................................................25

External power supplies (sold separately)...............................................................................26

Changing the CompactFlash card...........................................................................................26

Setting the camera to record images automatically ................................................................28

EVF and LCD monitor display.................................................................................................28

Basic recording operation........................................................................................................29

Focus lock................................................................................................................................30

Focus signals...........................................................................................................................31

Special focusing situations ......................................................................................................31

Display controls - recording mode...........................................................................................32

Quick view ...............................................................................................................................34

Deleting images in quick view.....................................................................................35

Recording mode - advanced operation................................................................................................36

What is an Ev? What is a stop?..............................................................................................36

Pro-auto button........................................................................................................................37

Digital-subject-program button.................................................................................................38

Setting the function dial...........................................................................................................40

Image size ...............................................................................................................................42

Image quality ...........................................................................................................................43

About super-fine and RAW image quality...................................................................44

Image-file size and CompactFlash card capacity....................................................................45

Exposure modes......................................................................................................................46

Program - P ................................................................................................................47

Program shift....................................................................................................47

Aperture priority - A ....................................................................................................48

Shutter priority - S.......................................................................................................49

Manual exposure - M..................................................................................................50

Drive modes ............................................................................................................................51

Continuous advance ...................................................................................................52

Self-timer.....................................................................................................................53

Bracketing...................................................................................................................54

Exposure bracketing ........................................................................................54

Digital Enhanced Bracketing............................................................................55

Interval ........................................................................................................................56

White balance..........................................................................................................................58

Automatic white balance.............................................................................................59

Preset white balance ..................................................................................................59

Custom white balance ................................................................................................60

Camera sensitivity - ISO..........................................................................................................61

Digital Effects Controller..........................................................................................................62

Exposure compensation .............................................................................................63

Contrast compensation...............................................................................................64

Color-saturation compensation...................................................................................65

Autofocus areas and control....................................................................................................66

Flex Focus Point ......................................................................................................................67

Autofocus modes.....................................................................................................................68

Macro mode.............................................................................................................................69

Digital zoom.............................................................................................................................70

Manual focus ...........................................................................................................................71

Electronic magnification (DiMAGE 7 only)...............................................................................71

Electronic viewfinder................................................................................................................72

Diopter adjustment......................................................................................................72

Automatic monitor amplification (DiMAGE 7 only)......................................................72

AF/AEL button .........................................................................................................................73

Metering modes.......................................................................................................................74

Flash metering.........................................................................................................................75

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Flash modes............................................................................................................................76

Flash compensation ................................................................................................................78

Flash range..............................................................................................................................79

Attaching a Minolta accessory flash (sold separately) ............................................................79

Navigating the recording-mode menu .....................................................................................80

Recording-mode menu - Basic................................................................................................82

Recording-mode menu - Custom 1 .........................................................................................83

Recording-mode menu - Custom 2 .........................................................................................84

Memory - storing camera settings...........................................................................................85

Sharpness ...............................................................................................................................86

Color mode..............................................................................................................................86

Data imprinting ........................................................................................................................87

Electronic keyboard.................................................................................................................88

Instant playback.......................................................................................................................89

Movie recording.......................................................................................................................90

Bulb exposures........................................................................................................................92

Attaching a remote cord (sold separately) ..............................................................................92

Playback mode - viewing and editing images......................................................................................93

Viewing pictures ......................................................................................................................94

Viewing movies........................................................................................................................95

Deleting images.......................................................................................................................95

Single-frame playback display .................................................................................................96

Movie playback display............................................................................................................96

Histogram display ....................................................................................................................97

Display controls - playback mode............................................................................................98

Enlarged playback.................................................................................................................100

Navigating the playback-mode menu....................................................................................102

Playback-mode menu - basic ................................................................................................104

Deleting images ........................................................................................................104

Locking images.........................................................................................................105

Changing the index playback format ........................................................................105

Playback-mode menu - Custom 1 (Slide Show)....................................................................106

Playback-mode menu - Custom 2.........................................................................................108

About DPOF .............................................................................................................108

Creating a DPOF print order.....................................................................................108

Ordering an index print .............................................................................................109

Canceling a DPOF print order ..................................................................................109

Copying images ........................................................................................................110

Frame-selection screen.........................................................................................................111

Viewing images on a television .............................................................................................112

Setup mode - controlling the camera’s operation...............................................................................113

Navigating the setup menu....................................................................................................114

Setup menu - basic ...............................................................................................................116

EVF and LCD monitor brightness.............................................................................116

Formatting CompactFlash cards...............................................................................116

Auto power save .......................................................................................................117

Beep..........................................................................................................................117

Language..................................................................................................................117

Setup menu - Custom 1 ........................................................................................................118

File number memory.................................................................................................118

Select folder..............................................................................................................118

New folder.................................................................................................................119

Setup menu - Custom 2 ........................................................................................................120

Reset default.............................................................................................................120

EVF auto switch........................................................................................................121

Setting the date and time..........................................................................................122

Setting the date format .............................................................................................122

Video output..............................................................................................................122

Data-transfer mode.............................................................................................................................123

Connecting the camera to a computer..................................................................................124

Connecting to Windows 98....................................................................................................126

Automatic installation................................................................................................126

Manual installation ....................................................................................................127

Connecting to Mac OS 8.6 ....................................................................................................129

QuickTime 4.1 system requirements.....................................................................................129

CompactFlash card folder organisation.................................................................................130

Auto power save (Data-transfer mode)..................................................................................131

Disconnecting the camera from the computer ......................................................................132

Changing the CompactFlash card (data-transfer mode).......................................................134

Appendix ..................................................................................................................................135

A short guide to photography ................................................................................................136

System accessories...............................................................................................................138

Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................................139

When using filters with the DiMAGE 7 .....................................................................141

Care and storage...................................................................................................................142

Technical specifications/NOTE ABOUT BATTERIES ............................................................146

* This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surfaces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p. 142).

NAMES OF PARTS

CAMERA BODY

Data panel (p. 13)

Pro-auto button (p. 37)

Control dial

Shutter-release button

Focusing ring (p. 71)

Focal-length index

Zooming ring

Lens*

Card-slot door (p. 26) The USB port is located behind the card-slot door.

Self-timer lamp (p. 53)

Built-in flash (p. 21)

Digital-subject-program button (p. 38)

Strap eyelet (p. 16)

1. The focal-length scale on the zooming ring is given in 35mm focal-length equivalents. Both cameras have a 7.2 - 50.8 mm Minolta GT lens, but because of the CCD size the DiMAGE 7 has an equivalent zooming range of 28 - 200mm and the DiMAGE 5 has an equivalent of 35 - 250mm. For more on equivalent focal lengths, see page 135.

Accessory shoe

Display mode switch Display information button

(p. 32, 98)

Electronic viewfinder* (EVF) (p. 72)

LCD monitor*

(p. 14)

Menu button

Controller

DC/Video-out terminal cover (p. 26, 112)

AF/AE lock button

(p. 73)

Battery-chamber lock (p. 24)

Eyepiece sensors*

(p. 32)

Magnification button

Remote-control terminal cover (p. 92)

Access lamp

QV/ Delete button (p. 34)

Dial release

Main switch/Mode dial

Playback mode (p. 93)

Recording mode (p. 29)

Movie mode (p. 90)

Setup mode (p. 113)

Data-transfer mode

(p. 123)

CCD plane

NAMES OF PARTS

Function button

Macro release (p. 69)

Focus-mode (AF/MF) button (p. 71)

Digital-effects switch

Contrast compensation (p. 64)

Diopter-adjustment dial (p. 72)

Tripod socket

Image size (p. 42)

Image quality (p. 43)

Exposure modes (p. 46) Drive modes (p. 51)

White balance (p. 58)

Camera sensitivity (p. 61)

Digital-effects button

Color-saturation compensation (p. 65)

Exposure compensation (p. 63)

Function dial (p. 40)

Digital Effects Controller (p. 62)

DATA PANEL

Subject-program indicators (p. 38)

Aperture/Exposure-compensation/

Flash-compensation display

Camera-sensitivity indicator (p. 61)

Exposure-mode indicators (p. 46) Shutter-speed/

Camera-sensitivity display

Battery-condition indicator (p. 25)

White-balance indicators (p. 58)

• Daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, cloudy, and Custom.

Red-eye reduction indicator (p. 76) Manual-focus indicator (p. 71)

Image-quality display (p. 43)

Image-size display (p. 42)

Contrast indicator (p. 64)

Flash-compensation indicator (p. 78)

Color-saturation indicator (p. 65)

Frame counter (p. 42)

Digital-subject-program icons (p. 38)

Drive-mode indicators (p. 51)

• Bracketing

• Self-timer

• Single-frame advance

• Continuous

advance

NAMES OF PARTS

EVF AND LCD MONITOR DISPLAY

a. Flash-mode indicators (p. 76)

d. Flash-compensation display (p. 78) e. Sharpness display (p. 86) f. Contrast-compensation display (p. 64)

g. Color-saturation-compensation

display (p. 65)

h. Exposure-compensation display (p. 63) i. White-balance indicators (p. 58)

o. Camera-sensitivity (ISO) display (p. 61)

j. Exposure-mode/Digital-subject-program

indicators (p. 46/38)

k. Metering-mode indicators (p. 74)

n. Camera-shake warning (p. 15)

l. Shutter-speed display m. Aperture display

p. Manual-focus indicator (p. 71)

t. Macro-mode indicator (p. 69)

s. Drive-mode indicators (p. 51)

q. Focus signals (p. 31)

r. Frame counter (p. 42)

x. Digital-zoom (Electronic-magnification)

indicator (p. 70)

w. Image-size indicator (p. 42)

v. Image-quality indicator (p. 43)

u. Battery-condition indicator (p. 25)

c. Mode indicator

b. Flash signals (p. 21)

1. Focus frame

2. Spot metering area (p. 74)

3. AF sensors (p. 29)

4. Flex Focus Point (p. 67)

If the shutter speed falls below the point where the camera can be hand held safely, the camera-shake warning will appear in the EVF and LCD monitor. Camera shake is slight blurring caused by subtle hand motion and is more pronounced at the telephoto setting of the lens than at the wide-angle setting. The warning appears at approximately the reciprocal of the focal length used; if the lens is set at 100mm, the camera shake warning will appear at 1/100 second. Although the warning appears, the shutter can still be released. If the warning appears, the following steps can be taken:

• Place the camera on a tripod.

• Use the built-in flash (p. 21).

• Increase the camera sensitivity (ISO) (p. 61).

• Zoom the lens towards the wide-angle position.

GETTING UP AND

RUNNING

This is a quick reference guide so that the camera can be used as soon as possible. However, it is recommended that the entire manual be read to properly operate the camera and to achieve the best results.

CAMERA-SHAKE WARNING

GETTING UP AND RUNNING

ATTACHING THE CAMERA STRAP

REMOVING THE LENS CAP

Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the inside or outside tabs of the lens cap to remove.

• When the camera is not in use, always replace the lens cap.

Attach the camera strap to the strap eyelets as shown.

• Always keep the camera strap around your neck incase you drop the camera.

ATTACHING THE LENS HOOD

To mount the lens hood, align the rectangular raised line on the rim of the hood with the focal-length index on the top of the lens barrel

Slide the hood onto the end of the lens and turn it 90° clockwise until it clicks and the circular raised dot is aligned with the focallength index.

• When mounted correctly, the large petals of the lens hood should be to the top and bottom.

• Never force the lens hood. If it does not fit, check its orientation.

• To detach the lens hood, turn it 90° counterclockwise and remove.

The lens hood can be reverse mounted when the camera is not is use.

With one of the large petals to the top, slide the hood onto the end of the lens. Turn it 90° clockwise until it clicks.

• The lens hood can be attached or removed with the lens cap on the camera.

• To detach the lens hood, turn it 90° counterclockwise and remove.

The lens hood is used to control stray light from entering the lens and causing flare. When using the camera under bright light, the use of the lens hood is recommended. The lens hood should not be used with the built-in flash as it can cause a shadow.

GETTING UP AND RUNNING

Open the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamber lock to the open position .

INSERTING THE COMPACTFLASH CARD

INSERTING BATTERIES

Insert the CompactFlash card (2) and fold down the card-eject lever.

• Insert the card so that the face is toward the front of the camera. Always push the card in straight, never at an angle. Never force the card. If the card does not fit, check its orientation.

Insert the batteries.

• Make sure the positive and negative battery terminals are orientated as illustrated on the diagram in the battery chamber.

Open the card-slot door (1).

While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor, grip the camera firmly with your right hand while supporting the body with the palm of your left hand. Keep your elbows at your side and your feet shoulder-width apart to hold the camera steadily.

The EVF can be tilted between 0° and 90°. This is useful for low-level camera positions.

HANDLING CAMERA

TURNING ON THE CAMERA AND DISPLAYS

While pushing in the dial release (1), turn the mode dial (2) to the still-image recording position.

Display switch

The display switch at the back of the camera controls which display will activate during camera operation. Turn the switch to the auto-display position (A); the display will alternate between the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor automatically.

TAKING PICTURES

GETTING UP AND RUNNING

With the mode dial set to still-image recording, the camera will be on and the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor will activate.

The zooming ring can be used to frame your subject. The effect of the zoom is immediately displayed on the EVF and LCD monitor.

Compose the image in the EVF or on LCD monitor taking care to place the subject within the focus frame.

Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take the picture.

• The access lamp will glow indicating the image data is being written to the CompactFlash card. Never remove the CompactFlash card while data is being transferred.

USING THE BUILT-IN FLASH

In low-light conditions or indoors, the flash is needed to illuminate the subject and reduce blurring through camera shake. The flash can also be used as a fill light in direct sunlight to soften harsh shadows.

FLASH RANGE - AUTOMATIC OPERATION

To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side. Icons will appear in the upper left corner of the EVF and LCD monitor (see chart below).

• The flash position must be set manually.

• The flash will always fire regardless of the amount of ambient light.

• Always remove the lens hood when using the built-in flash. The hood may cast a shadow if mounted.

The camera will automatically control the flash output. For well-exposed images, the subject must be within the flash range. Because of the optical system, the flash range is not the same at the lens’ wide-angle position as it is at the telephoto position.

Wide-angle position Telephoto position

0.5m ~ 3.8m (1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft.)

0.5m ~ 3.0m (1.6 ft. ~ 9.8 ft.)

Flash warning. In backlit situations, the icon will appear to recommend the use of the flash.

When pressing the shutter-release button partway down, the white flash icon indicates the flash is ready to fire.

When pressing the shutter-release button partway down, the red flash icon indicates the flash is charging.

After taking the picture, a blue flash icon will appear if the flash properly exposed the subject.

Controller

QV/delete button

Menu button

VIEWING AND DELETING PICTURES IN QUICK VIEW

Captured images can be viewed in recording mode. Simply press the QV/delete button to access the images, and use the controller to scroll through the pictures on the CompactFlash card.

Press the QV/delete button to playback the recorded images.

Use the left/right keys of the controller to scroll through the images.

To delete the displayed image, press the QV/delete button.

• A confirmation screen will appear.

Pressing the controller will delete the image.

GETTING UP AND RUNNING

Use the left/right keys to highlight “YES.”

• Choosing “NO” will cancel the operation.

Press the menu button to return to the recording mode.

In quick view, images can also be deleted. Care should be taken when deleting image; once deleted it is impossible to recover the picture. When selecting an image for deletion, a confirmation screen will appear before the operation is executed. For more information about quick view, see page 34.

BASIC OPERATION

This section covers the basic operation of the camera. Please thoroughly familiarise yourself with the operations in this section before moving on to other sections in the manual.

CHANGING BATTERIES

BASIC OPERATION

Open the battery-chamber door by moving the batterychamber lock to the open position .

Insert the batteries.

• Make sure the positive and negative battery terminals are orientated as illustrated on the diagram in the battery chamber.

This digital camera uses four AA-size batteries. Ni-MH batteries can be used, and are recommended as they will offer longer life. When using Ni-MH batteries, fully recharge them with a battery charger suitable for Nickel Metal Hydride cells. Please consult your vendor about an appropriate charger.

When replacing batteries, check that the mode dial is in the off position.

Close the battery-chamber door and slide the lock lever to the close position .

BATTERY-POWER INDICATORS

Full-battery Icon - The batteries are fully charged. This icon is displayed for five seconds on the monitors when the camera is turned on. The icon remains on the data panel.

Blinking low battery icon - When displayed on the data panel with no other icons, power is insufficient for camera operation. The shutter will not release. Replace the batteries immediately.

Low battery warning - Battery power is very low, but all functions are operational. The battery should be replaced as soon as possible. This warning automatically appears and remains on the display until the batteries are changed.

AUTO POWER SAVE

To conserve battery power, the camera will turn off displays and unnecessary functions if an operation is not made within a certain period. The LCD monitor will turn off after thirty seconds. The EVF and data panel turn off after one minute. To restore the displays, press the shutter-release button partway down or press the displayinformation button. The length of the auto-power-save period for the EVF and data panel can be changed in the basic section of the setup menu (p. 114).

This camera is equipped with an automatic battery-condition indicator. When the camera is on, the battery-condition indicator appears on the data panel and monitors. The monitor icon will change from white to red when battery power is low. If the data panel and monitors are blank, the batteries may be dead or installed incorrectly.

EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEPARATELY)

CHANGING THE COMPACTFLASH CARD

BASIC OPERATION

The AC Adaptor allows the camera to be powered from an electrical household outlet. During periods of heavy use, the AC Adaptor can conserve battery power. Its use is recommended when the camera is interfaced with a computer. AC Adaptor model AC1L is for use in North America, and AC-2L is for use in all other areas.

The External High-power Battery Pack Kit EBP-100 is a portable source of power for the camera. This battery pack will significantly extend the operating time of the camera.

Insert the mini plug of the AC adaptor or battery pack into DC terminal.

Insert the AC adaptor plug into an electrical outlet.

Do not change the power supply while the camera is on. Always turn off

the camera before changing between power supplies.

Remove the DC terminal cover by using the notch on the right.

• The cover is attached to the body to prevent loss.

Always remove exhausted batteries before connecting an external power supply!

A CompactFlash card must be inserted for the camera to operate. If a card has not been inserted, a “no-card” warning will automatically be displayed on the monitors. IBM Microdrives are compatible with this camera. For recording media care and storage, see page 143.

Open the card-slot door in the direction indicated (1).

Insert the CompactFlash card into the card slot until the card-eject lever pops out (4).

• Insert the card so the face is toward the front of the camera. Always push the card in straight, never at an angle. Never force the card. If the card does not fit, check that it is orientated correctly.

Fold the card-eject lever down as shown (5) and close the card-slot door.

To eject a CompactFlash card, lift (2) then press (3) the card-eject lever.The card can now be pulled out.

• Take care when removing the card as it becomes hot with use.

If the card-not-recognised message appears, the inserted card in the camera may need to be formatted. A CompactFlash card used in another camera may need to be formatted before being used. If the “unable-to-use-card” message appears, the card is not compatible with the camera and should not be formatted. A card can be formatted in the basic section of the setup menu (p. 116). When a card is formatted, all the data on the card is permanently erased.

12345

Always turn off the camera and confirm the access lamp is not lit before inserting or removing a CompactFlash card otherwise the card may be damaged, and data lost.

BASIC OPERATION

SETTING THE CAMERA TO RECORD IMAGES AUTOMATICALLY

EVF AND LCD MONITOR DISPLAY

While holding in the dial release (1), turn the mode dial to still-image recording. Press the pro-auto button (2) to reset the programmed and automatic functions.

All camera operations are now fully automatic. The autofocus, exposure, and imaging systems will work together to bring professional results effortlessly.

Metering-mode

indicators (p. 74)

Shutter-speed display

Aperture display

Drive-mode indicators (p. 51)

Focus signals (p. 31)

Frame counter (p. 45)

Image-size indicator (p. 42) Image-quality indicator (p. 43)

Mode indicator

Focus frame

Exposure-mode/Digitalsubject-program indicators (p. 46/38)

BASIC RECORDING OPERATION

Place the subject within the focus frame.

• For off centre subjects use the focus-lock function (p. 30).

• Make sure the subject is within the focus range of the lens: 0.5m - ∞. For subjects closer than 0.5m, use the macro function (p. 69).

Press the shutter-release button partway down (1) or press and hold the AF/AEL button (2) to lock the focus and exposure.

• The focus signals (p. 31) in the monitors will confirm that the image is in focus. If the focus signal is red, the camera was unable to focus on the subject. Repeat the previous steps until the signal is white.

• When the focus is set, an AF sensor symbol will briefly appear on the live image to indicate the point of focus.

• The shutter speed and aperture value will change from white to black indicating the exposure is locked.

Press the shutter-release button all the way down (3) to take the picture.

• The access lamp will glow indicating the image data is being written to the CompactFlash card. Never remove a CompactFlash card while data is being transferred.

With the mode dial set to still-image recording, the camera will be on and the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCD monitor will activate.

BASIC OPERATION

FOCUS LOCK

The focus-lock function is used when the subject is off-centre and outside the focus frame. Focus lock may also be used when a special focusing situation prevents the camera from focusing on the subject.

Focus lock can be controlled one of two ways. The shutter-release button can be pressed and held partway down or the AF/AEL button at the back of the camera can be pressed and held.

Place the subject within the focus frame. Press and hold the shutter-release button partway down or press the AF/AEL button.

• The focus signals will indicate that the focus is locked. The shutter speed and aperture value will change from white to black indicating the exposure is locked.

• When the focus is set, an AF sensor will briefly appear on the live image to indicate the point of focus.

Without lifting your finger from the shutter-release button or the AF/AEL button, recompose the subject within the image area. Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take the picture.

The function and operation of the AF/AEL button can be changed in the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). The Flex Focus Point can also be used for off-centre subjects (p. 67).

FOCUS SIGNALS

SPECIAL FOCUSING SITUATIONS

This digital camera has a quick, accurate autofocusing system. The focus signals in the lower right corner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the focus status. For more information on autofocus modes see p. 68.

Focus confirmed.Focus icon: white

Focus icon: red

The camera may not be able to focus in certain situations. If the autofocus system cannot focus on a subject, the focus icon will turn red. In this situation the focus-lock function can be used to focus on another object at the same distance as your main subject, and then the image can be recomposed to take the picture.

The subject in the focus frame is low in contrast.

The subject is too dark. Two subjects at differ-

ent distances overlap in the focus frame.

The subject is near a very bright object or area.

Cannot focus. The subject is too close or a special situation is preventing the AF system from focusing.

• The shutter can be released even if the camera cannot focus on the subject.

• When the AF system cannot focus, the focus is set to infinity. When the flash is in use, the focus is set between 3.0 and 3.8m. In this case, focus lock can be used with an object at the same distance as the main subject or the camera can be focused manually (p. 71).

BASIC OPERATION

DISPLAY CONTROLS - RECORDING MODE

Auto display - the camera will automatically change between displaying the live image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor. The EVF’s eye sensors monitor if the EVF is being used and switches the display location accordingly.

EVF display - the live image will only be displayed in the electronic viewfinder. Under bright-light, the image is easier to see in the EVF than on the LCD monitor.

LCD monitor display - the live image will only be displayed on the LCD monitor.

Located on the back of the camera, the display-mode switch and the displayinformation button controls on which monitor the image is displayed and what information is included in the display. The three position switch allows the choice between automatic display and setting the display to the EVF or LCD monitor.

If battery power is a concern, have the eye sensor activate the EVF when in use, but not the LCD monitor. The auto-display function can be changed in the Custom 2 section of the setup menu (p. 114).

In the centre of the display switch, the display-information button controls what information is displayed with the live image. Each time the button is pressed the display cycles to the next format: full display (shooting data, warnings, and focus frame), warnings and focus frame, live image only.

Full display Warnings and

focus frame

Live image only

• A warning will be displayed if battery power is low, autofocus cannot lock, or exposure is beyond the aperture and shutter-speed range.

Captured images can be viewed in recording mode. Simply press the QV/delete button to access the images, and use the controller to scroll through the pictures on the CompactFlash card. Images can be displayed with various information: date, frame number, printing status, and lock status. A histogram of the image with shooting data can be displayed. For more information on the histogram display, see page 97.

QV/delete button

Press the QV/delete button to play back the recorded images.

Use the left/right keys of the controller to scroll through the images.

BASIC OPERATION

QUICK VIEW

To return to the recording mode, press the menu button .

Controller

Menu button

Press the up key to see the histogram of the displayed image.

• Pressing the down key returns to quick view.

To delete a displayed image, press the QV/delete button.

• A confirmation screen will appear.

In quick view, the displayed image can be deleted. When selecting an image for deletion, a confirmation screen will appear before the operation is executed.

Pressing the controller will execute the command on the confirmation screen.

• The camera will return to quick view.

QUICK-VIEW DISPLAY

Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered. Care should always be

taken when deleting images.

DELETING IMAGES IN QUICK VIEW

Use the left/right keys to highlight “Yes.”

• “No” will cancel the operation.

Confirmation screen

Date of capture

Frame number/ total number of imagesLock icon (p. 105)

Print icon (p. 108)

Image size (p. 42) Image quality (p. 43)

Time of capture

Mode indicator

To view the histogram of the displayed image, press the up key of the controller (p. 97).

Delete this frame?

NoYe s

RECORDING MODE

ADVANCED OPERATION

WHAT IS AN EV? WHAT IS A STOP?

Ev stands for exposure value. Stop refers to click stops in mechanical cameras. A change of one Ev or one stop will adjust the exposure calculated by the camera by a factor of two. Adjustments to exposure in the A, S, and M exposure modes are made in 1/2 stop increments or 0.5 Ev.

Change in Ev

Change in stops Adjustment to exposure

+2.0 Ev +1.0 Ev

0.0 Ev –1.0 Ev –2.0 Ev

+2 stops

+1 stop

Calculated exposure

–1 stop

–2 stops

4X as much light 2X as much light

1/2 as much light 1/4 as much light

This section contains detailed information on the camera’s recording functions and operation. Read the sections pertaining to your interest and need. The ‘setting the function dial’ (p.40), Digital Effects Controller (p. 62), and the ‘navigating the recording-mode menu’ (p. 80) sections cover setting most of the advanced features in this camera. Each of these sections are followed by detailed descriptions of the settings.

Flash mode (p. 76)

Colour-saturation compensation (p. 65)

Exposure mode (p. 46)

PRO-AUTO BUTTON

Simply pressing the pro-auto button (1) resets the camera to programmed and automatic functions. The camera’s systems work together to bring professional results leaving the operator free to concentrate on aesthetic decisions.

The pro-auto button only affects functions in the recording mode. The button has a limited effect in the movie mode; exposure, contrast, and colour-saturation compensation as well as the focus mode is reset.

Drive mode (p. 51)

White balance (p. 58) Metering mode (p. 74) Exposure compensation (p. 63)

Flash compensation (p. 78)

Focus mode (p. 68, 71) Autofocus area (p. 66)

Program Single-frame advance

Auto white balance Multi-segment metering

0.0

0.0 Fill or red-eye reduction*

Single AF Wide

* The flash mode is reset to whichever of the two modes was set last.

Digital subject program (p. 38) Cancelled

Flash metering (p. 75) ADI metering

Contrast compensation (p. 64) 0

Sharpness (p. 86) Normal

RECORDING MODE

DIGITAL-SUBJECT-PROGRAM BUTTON

The subject-program button (1) optimises the camera’s performance for various conditions and subjects. Exposure, white-balance, and imageprocessing systems work in unison for beautiful results.

Pressing the subject-program button cycles through the modes: portrait, sport action, sunset, night portrait, text, and the original exposure mode. A pointer will indicate the active subject program. The subject program will remain in effect until it is changed.

Portrait

Sport action

Sunset

Night portrait

Tex t

Optimised to reproduce warm, soft skin tones and a slight defocusing of the background.

Used to capture fast action by maximising shutter speeds and tracking subjects with continuous AF.

Optimised to reproduce rich, warm sunsets.

For deep, subtle night scenes. When used with flash, the subject and background are balanced.

For the crisp reproduction of black text on white backgrounds.

While camera performance is optimised for each shooting condition, some changes can be made to camera settings when using subject programs. The autofocus mode can be changed (p. 80). The sport action mode uses continuous AF, the other modes use single AF. The digital effects controller can be used to compensate exposure, contrast, and colour saturation (p. 62). White balance can be changed in all modes except sunset and night portrait (p. 58). Sharpness can be changed in the sport action, sunset, and text modes (p. 80). The metering mode cannot be changed.

Portrait - Most portraits look best at long focal lengths. Features are not exaggerated and the background is softer because of a shallower depth of field. Use the built-in flash with strong direct sunlight or backlight to reduce harsh shadows.

Sports action - When using a flash, make sure the subject is within the flash range: 0.5 - 3.0m (telephoto). The flash range can be extended by changing the camera sensitivity (p. 79). A monopod is more flexible and compact than a tripod when shooting events.

Sunset - When the sun is above the horizon, do not point the camera toward the sun for prolonged periods of time. The intensity of the sun could damage the CCD. Between exposures, turn off the camera or cover the lens.

Night portrait - When taking pictures of a landscape at night, use a tripod to eliminating blurring from camera shake. The flash can only be used with close subjects such as with a portrait of a person. When using the flash, ask your subjects not to move after the burst; the shutter will still be open for the background exposure.

Text - When taking pictures of small text on a sheet of paper, the macro mode (p. 69) can be

used. Use a tripod to eliminate camera shake and ensure the sharpest images.

Shooting tips

RECORDING MODE

SETTING THE FUNCTION DIAL

Image size, image quality, exposure modes, drive modes, white balance, and camera sensitivity are controlled by the function dial. Making changes with the function dial is simple. The function dial can only be used for still photography.

Turn the function dial to the mode to be changed (1).

While pressing the button in the centre of the function dial, turn the control dial near the shutter-release button to change the mode (2). Release the function button to set the mode.

• Changes are displayed on the monitors and data panel.

ISO

DRIVE

P.A.S.M.

QUAL

SIZE

Camera sensitivity

White balance

Drive modes

Exposure modes

Image quality

Image size Controls the pixel resolution (p. 42).

Controls the rate of compression (p. 43).

Changes exposure mode (p. 46).

Changes drive mode (p. 51). Changes between automatic, preset, and

Custom white balance (p. 58). Changes camera sensitivity (p. 61).

Function Dial

SIZE

QUAL

P.A.S.M.

DRIVE

ISO

Display

P A S

100, 200, 400, 800.

Setting

2560 X 1920 (2048 X 1536) 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 RAW Super fine Fine Standard Economy Program Aperture priority Shutter priority Manual Single-frame advance Continuous advance Self-timer

Interval

Bracketing

Automatic white balance Daylight Tungsten Fluorescent Cloudy Custom setting Custom calibration Automatic gain

Preset camera sensitivity in ISO equivalents.

Page

42 42 42 42 43 43 43 43 43 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 59 59 59 59 59 60 60 61

EVF & Monitor Display

2560 (2048) 1600 1280 640 RAW S. FIN FINE STD ECON

Numbers in brackets are for the DiMAGE 5. Display for the data panel, EVF and LCD monitor are the same unless indicated.

(No display when set)

ISO value

is displayed

(No display when set)

RECORDING MODE

IMAGE SIZE

Changing image size affects the number of pixels in each image. The greater the image size, the larger the file size. Choose image size based on the final use of the image - smaller images will be more suitable for web sites whereas larger sizes will produce higher quality prints.

Image size must be set before the picture is taken. Changes made to image size are displayed on the data panel, EVF, and LCD monitor. Image size must be reset manually. See setting the function dial section on page 40.

Data panel

EVF and

LCD monitor

2560 (2048)*

1600

1280

640

Number of pixels

(hor. X vert.)

2560 X 1920

(2048 X1536)*

1600 X 1200

1280 X 960

640 X 480

Image size

FULL

UXGA

SXGA

VGA

* The number in brackets indicates the value for the DiMAGE 5.

The frame counter indicates the approximate number of images that can be stored on the CompactFlash card at the camera’s image quality and size settings. If the settings are changed, the frame counter adjusts accordingly. Because the calculation is based on average file sizes, the actual image may not change the counter or may decrease it by more than one. The frame counter cannot exceed 999. When the number of recordable images exceeds this, 999 will be displayed. The frame counter will continue to count down when the number of recordable images falls below one thousand.

ABOUT THE FRAME COUNTER

Data

panel

IMAGE QUALITY

This camera has five image quality settings: raw, super fine, fine, standard, and economy. Always select the desired setting before taking the picture. See ‘setting the function dial’ section on page 40.

Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no effect on

the number of pixels in the image.The higher the image quality, the lower the rate of compression and the larger the file sizes.The super-fine mode will produce the highest quality image and the largest image files. If the economical use of the CompactFlash card is important, use the economy mode. Standard image quality is sufficient for normal usage.

File formats vary with the image quality setting. Super fine images are saved as a TIFF file. The fine, standard, and economy settings are formatted as a JPEG file. Super fine, fine, standard, and economy files are saved as 24-bit colour or 8-bit monochrome images. RAW creates a file format that can only be read with the DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility software.

If the image quality is changed, the data panel will display the approximate number of images that can be recorded at that setting on the installed CompactFlash card. One CompactFlash card can contain images with differing qualities.

RAW

S. FIN

FINE

STD

ECON

Economy - the smallest file sizes.

EVF and

LCD monitor

RAW - unprocessed image data. Super fine - the highest quality image. Fine - high quality image. Standard - the default setting.

RECORDING MODE

Because super-fine and RAW data files are so large, the continuous-advance mode (p.52) cannot be used with these image-quality settings. If the continuous advance is used with either of these settings, only one image will be captured when the shutter-release button is pressed and held. With the bracketing drive mode, the continuous advance is cancelled and the shutter must be released manually for each frame of the bracket. When capturing super fine and RAW images, a delay of between thirty to forty seconds can occur as the image is saved to the CompactFlash card; the monitors will be blank and the access lamp will glow during that period.

In the RAW image-quality mode, the image size is set at full and cannot be changed.The image size will not be displayed in the monitor. The digital zoom, enlarged playback, and data imprinting cannot be used.

Unlike the other image-quality modes, RAW image data is unprocessed and requires image processing before it can be used. To view the RAW data, the DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility software is required. The utility software can reconstruct the image and apply the same image processing controls as the camera. RAW data is saved as a 12-bit file; the DiMAGE Viewer Utility software can convert this data into 48-bit TIFF files.

When the camera is set to RAW image quality, the camera’s image processing controls alter the live image displayed in the EVF and on the LCD monitor in recording mode, but have no effect on the stored image. When the image is played back on the camera, image processing is not applied and the colours of the image can look unnatural. When viewed on a computer using the DiMAGE Image Viewer software, the natural colours will be restored.

A RAW image is stored with a file header that contains white-balance information, changes made to contrast and saturation with the digital effects controller, any image processing applied in a subjectprogram setting, and changes to sharpness. The colour mode has no effect on the final image; a raw image taken in the black and white mode can be restored to a colour picture.The changes in camera sensitivity are applied to the RAW data; ISO values can be manually set to control noise (p. 62).

ABOUT SUPER-FINE AND RAW IMAGE QUALITY

If JPEG or TIFF files are retouched and overwritten with image processing applications that do

not support Exif files such as Adobe Photoshop, they can not be read or displayed in the DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility (an error message "File not supported" appears).

Note

IMAGE-FILE SIZE AND COMPACTFLASH CARD CAPACITY

The number of images that can be stored on a CompactFlash card is determined by the size of the card and the file size of the images. The actual file size is determined by the scene; some subjects can be compressed further than others. The tables below list approximate file sizes based on average file sizes.

Image quality

Image

size

2560 X 1920

(2048 X 1536)*

1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480

RAW

Super fine

Fine Standard Economy

1 (2) – – – 1 (1) 2 (2) 4 (4) 16 (16)

7(9) 17 (15) 28 (23) 80 (57) 15 (16) 33 (26) 50 (38) 115 (81) 22 (27) 46 (41) 67 (54) 135 (104)

Approximate number of images that can be stored on a 16MB CompactFlash card.

Image quality

Image

size

2560 X 1920

(2048 X 1536)*

1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480

RAW

Super fine

Fine Standard Economy

9.5MB (6.1MB) – – –

14.1MB (9.1MB) 5.6MB 3.6MB 0.96MB

2.1MB (1.6MB) 1.0MB 0.66MB 0.27MB

1.1MB (0.9MB) 0.6MB 0.41MB 0.2MB

0.65MB (0.59MB) 0.38MB 0.29MB 0.15MB

Approximate file sizes.

* The figures in parentheses apply to the DiMAGE 5 only.

RECORDING MODE

EXPOSURE MODES

Program

Aperture priority

Shutter priority

Manual exposure

The camera controls both the shutter speed and aperture.

The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appropriate shutter speed.

The photographer selects both the shutter speed and aperture.

The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets the appropriate aperture.

LCD monitor

Data panel

The four exposure modes allow extensive control over image making. Programmed AE gives carefree operation, aperture and shutter priority allow photographers to maximise exposures in different situations, and manual exposure provides complete freedom in controlling the final image. See setting the function dial section on page 40.

All exposure mode icons on the data panel have been shown for clarity.

Exposure modes

Shutter speed

Aperture

PROGRAM - P

The programmed AE exposure control uses luminance and focal-length information to ensure perfect exposures. The sophisticated exposure system allows the photographer the freedom to shoot without having to worry about the technical details of exposure settings. The shutter speed and aperture value of the exposure are displayed on the monitors and data panel.

The program line adjusts with the changes in focal length of the zoom lens. The camera is programmed to maximise depth of field in the wide-angle range to provide sharp landscape pictures, and to maximise shutter speed in the telephoto range to minimise camera shake and blurred images.When the shutter speed falls below an acceptable limit for the camera to be hand held, the camera-shake warning appears in the lower left corner of the monitors (p. 15).

PROGRAM SHIFT

Although exposure calculations can be left to the camera, photographers can still have control over the final exposure with the program-shift function. As described in the basic recording operation (p. 29), press the shutter-release button partway down (1) until the shutter speed and aperture value is displayed. The control dial (2) can then be used to shift the shutter speed and aperture combination; each combination will give the optimum exposure.

The built-in flash cannot be used with program shift. The camera gives priority to the flash exposure; once the flash is raised, any changes made will the program shift will be cancelled. Pressing the function button will also reset the program shift.

The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appropriate shutter speed to ensure correct exposure. When A mode is selected, the aperture value on the monitor and EVF will turn blue.

Turn the control dial (1) to set the desired aperture value. Press the shutter-release button to activate the exposure system (2); the corresponding shutter speed will be displayed.

The aperture values can be changed by half stop increments between f/2.8 and f/8 at the lens’ wide-angle position and f/3.5 to f/9.5 at the lens’ telephoto position. If the aperture value is beyond the shutter-speed range, the shutter-speed display will blink on the data panel and turn red on the monitors.

When the shutter speed falls below an acceptable limit for the camera to be hand held, a warning appears in the lower left corner of the EVF and LCD monitor.When the warning appears, decrease the aperture value until the warning disappears or place the camera on a tripod.

Because the shutter speeds can be adjusted in fine steps, the same shutter speed maybe displayed when the aperture is changed. With the camera sensitivity (ISO) set to auto, the shutter speed may not change when the aperture is adjusted.

APERTURE PRIORITY - A

RECORDING MODE

The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets the appropriate aperture to ensure correct exposure. When S mode is selected, the shutter speed on the monitor and EVF will turn blue.

Turn the control dial (1) to set the desired shutter speed. Press the shutter-release button to activate the exposure system (2); the corresponding aperture will be displayed.

The shutter speeds can be changed by half stop increments from 4 seconds to 1/2000. If the shutter speed is beyond the aperture range, the aperture display will blink on the data panel and turn red on the monitors.

SHUTTER PRIORITY - S

For 35mm photographers, an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/8 does not seem impressive. However, because of the CCD size and the actual focal length of the lens, the apertures on this digital camera give significantly more depth of field at any given angle of view with any given aperture than a 35mm camera. So even with the minimum aperture of f/8, the depth of field will

give the coverage needed to create beautiful, sharp images.

Camera Notes

Manual exposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speeds and apertures. This mode overrides the exposure system giving the photographer total control over the final exposure. The shutter speeds and aperture values can be changed in half stop increments. The value that is being set will turn blue on the monitors.

As changes are made to the exposure, the effect will be visible on the monitors. The shutter-speed and aperture display will blink on the data panel and turn red on the monitors, if the image extremely under or overexposed. If the monitors are black, increase the exposure until the image is visible; decrease the exposure if the monitors are white.

In manual mode, the auto camera sensitivity setting will be set to ISO 100. The camera sensitivity can be changed with the function dial (p. 40). Bulb exposures can made in M mode, see page 92 for more information.

RECORDING MODE

MANUAL EXPOSURE - M

To set the aperture:

• Set the digital effects switch (2) to the exposurecompensation position.

• While pressing the digital effects button (3), turn the the control dial (1) to set the desired aperture value.

To set the shutter speed:

• Turn the control dial (1) to set the desired shutter speed.

The drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Icons indicating the selected drive mode appear on the data panel and LCD monitor and in the EVF. See ‘setting the function dial’ section on page 40.

DRIVE MODES

Single-frame advance

Continuous drive

Self-timer

Bracketing

Interval shooting

To take a single image each time the shutter-release button is pressed.

To take multiple images when the shutterrelease button is pressed and held.

To delay the release of the shutter. Used for self-portraits.

To take a series of images with differing exposure, contrast, and saturation.

To take a series of images over a period of time.

LCD monitor

Data panel

All icons have been shown for clarity. The single-frame advance and continuous drive indicators occupy the same area of the data panel. All the drive-mode icons appear in the lower right corner of the monitors.

Continuous-advance mode allows a series of images to be captured while holding down the shutter-release button. Continuous-advance acts as a motor drive on a film camera. The number of images that can be captured at one time and the rate of capture depends on the image-quality and image-size setting. The maximum rate of capture is 1.1 fps (1.3 fps for DiMAGE 5) with full-size images with manual focus in manual-exposure mode.The continuous-advance mode is set with the function dial (p.

40).

When the shutter-release button is pressed and held, the camera will begin recording images until the maximum number has been taken or the shutter button is released. This mode cannot be used with super-fine or RAW image (p. 44).The built-in flash can be used, but the rate of capture is reduced because the flash must recharge between frames.

Compose the picture as described in the basic operation section (p. 29). Press the shutter-release button partway down to lock the exposure and focus for the series; if the autofocus mode is set to continuous AF, the lens will continually focus during the series (p. 68). Press and hold the shutter-release button all the way down to begin taking pictures.

The following chart lists the maximum number of images that can be captured with different image-quality and image-size combinations.The numbers in brackets refer to the DiMAGE 5.

RECORDING MODE

CONTINUOUS ADVANCE

Economy

Standard

Fine

2560 X 1920

(2048 X 1536)

Image Quality

Image

Size

1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480

5 (8)

7 (12)

12 (19)

8 (12) 12 (18) 18 (28)

11 (17) 17 (26) 24 (36)

25 (38) 35 (53) 44 (68)

The self-timer can be used to minimise camera shake with long exposures.When using the camera on a tripod, photographs of static subjects (landscapes, still-life, or close-up photographs) can be made with the self-timer. Because no contact is made with the camera during

exposure, there is no risk of camera shake caused by the operator.

Shooting tips

Used for self-portraits, the self-timer will delay the release of the shutter for approximately ten seconds after the shutter is released. The self-timer is set with the function dial (p. 40).

With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic operation section (p. 29). Focus lock (p.30) or the Flex Focus Point (p. 67) can be used with offcentre subjects . Press the shutter-release button partway down or press the AF/AEL button to lock the exposure and focus. Press the shutter-release button all the way down to begin the countdown. Because focus and exposure is determined when the shutter-release button is pressed, do not stand in front of the camera when taking a self-timer image. Always confirm the focus with the focus signals before beginning the countdown (p. 68).

During the countdown, the self-timer lamp on the front of the camera will start to blink and is accompanied by an audio signal. A few seconds before the exposure, the self-timer lamp will blink rapidly. The lamp will glow steadily just before the shutter fires. To stop the countdown, press the pro-auto button or change the position of the flash (lift it or push it down). The audio signal can be turned off in the basic section of the setup menu (p. 114).

SELF-TIMER

After setting the drive mode to bracketing, turn the digital effects switch to the exposure-compensation setting.The order of the bracket series is normal exposure (as indicated by the shutter speed and aperture displays), underexposure, overexposure. The exposure bracket is set to 1/3 stop increments, but can be adjusted to 1/2 or 1 stop increments in the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80).

Compose the picture as described in the basic-operation section (p. 29). Press the shutter-release button partway down (1) or press the AF/AEL button (2) to lock the exposure and focus for the series; the camera will continue to focus during the series if set to continuous AF (p. 68). Press and hold the shutter-release button all the way down (3) to make the bracket series; three consecutive images will be captured.

RECORDING MODE

Exposure bracket

BRACKETING

Number of frames in bracketing series

Frame counter

This mode makes a three image bracket of a scene. Bracketing is a method of taking a series of images of a static subject in which each image has a slight variation in exposure. The camera is not limited to exposure brackets, but can also make contrast and colour saturation brackets. Only one image characteristic can be bracketed at a time. The bracketing mode is set with the function dial (p. 40).

EXPOSURE BRACKETING

After setting the drive mode to bracketing, turn the digital effects switch to the contrast or colour-saturation setting. Set the contrast or colour saturation to the desired level; the bracket series is from one unit under to one unit over the set level. Except for a RAW image, if the the contrast or colour saturation is set to the maximum or minimum level (±3), one bracket will be made at ± 4: +3, +2, +4. A RAW image cannot exceed the the maximum and minimum levels and will contain two identical brackets: +3, +2, +3. See the digital-effects-controller section on page 62 to set contrast and colour saturation.

If the CompactFlash card is full or the shutter button is released before the series has completed, the camera will reset and the entire bracket must be made again.

With super fine and RAW image qualities or when using flash, the bracket will not advance automatically; the shutter-release button must be pressed for each frame of the series. Once the series begins, the focus and exposure values are set and do not have to be made again. The remaining number of frames in the bracket series is displayed on the monitors next to the bracketing icon.

Colour-saturation bracket

Contrast bracket

DIGITAL ENHANCED BRACKETING

NOTES ON BRACKETING

Normal Over Under

Exposure bracket

The interval mode makes a series of still images over a period of time. Similar to timelapse photography, a series of images of a slow moving event can be taken: the blossoming of a flower, the construction of a building. The built-in flash can be used. Instant playback (p. 89) is disabled.

Use the function dial to set the drive mode to interval

(p. 40).The number of frames in

the series will be displayed on the monitors next to the interval icon.The number of frames can be set between two and ninety nine on the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). The interval period is also set on the recording-mode menu; 1 - 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, and 60 minutes.

After mounting the camera on a tripod, compose the image so that the subject area falls within the focus frames; the camera sets the focus, exposure, and white balance, and charges the flash just before each exposure. Continuous AF can be used. Settings locked with the AF/AEL button are canceled after the first frame (p. 73). To override the automatic systems, use manual focus (p. 71), manual exposure (p. 50), and manual white balance (p. 58).

Confirm the CompactFlash card has enough storage capacity for the series by comparing the number of frames in the interval series with the number of recordable images displayed on the frame counter. Image size and quality settings can be changed to

increase the number of pictures that can be saved on the CompactFlash card (p.

40).

RECORDING MODE

INTERVAL

Number of frames in the interval series.

Frame counter.

When creating a large series of images, the text and a serial number can be imprinted on the images. This aids editing the images and time calculations for specific images. For information on data imprinting, see page 87.

Shooting tips

Press the shutter-release button to begin the series. During the interval series, the monitors will be turned off to conserve power. “Int” will be displayed on the data panel and the data-panel frame counter will countdown the remaining frames in the interval series. The access lamp will glow when an image is being recorded.

To force the shutter to fire before the end of an interval, press the shutter-release button. The next interval will be timed from the new exposure. When the shutter is forced to fire, the EVF will activate for the duration of the auto-power-save period (p.

117) and the LCD monitor will activate for thirty seconds.

The camera will stop recording images and reset to the first frame when the number of frames set has been taken, or when the CompactFlash card is full. To cancel the interval series, turn off the camera.

The setting sun: 10 minute intervals

White Balance is the camera’s ability to make different types of lighting appear neutral. The effect is similar to selecting daylight or tungsten film, or using colour compensating filters in conventional photography.

When setting the white balance, “Auto” (data panel) and “AWB” (monitors) will be displayed to indicate the auto white-balance setting. An icon will be displayed on the data panel and monitors if a setting other than auto white-balance was chosen. See setting the function dial section on page 40.

For using the Custom white-balance setting.

RECORDING MODE

WHITE BALANCE

display

Fluorescent

Tungsten

Daylight

AUTO

Cloudy

Custom setting

For fluorescent lighting: office ceiling lights.

For incandescent lighting: household filament light bulbs.

For outdoor and sunlit subjects.

The AUTO setting will detect the type of light and adjust the white balance accordingly.

For overcast outdoor scenes.

For manual white-balance calibration.Custom calibration

AUTOMATIC WHITE BALANCE

PRESET WHITE BALANCE

The automatic white balance compensates for the colour temperature of a scene. In most cases, the AUTO setting will balance the ambient light and create beautiful images, even under mixed-lighting conditions. When the built-in flash is used, the white balance is set for the colour temperature of the flash.

The daylight and cloudy settings are primarily for outdoor shooting conditions. Daylight is used for sunny weather when the light is relatively warm. The light during overcast conditions is much cooler and requires a different white balance: cloudy. Office lighting will produce a strong green cast in photographs; the fluorescent setting restores the natural colour under these conditions. Traditional household light bulbs emit very yellow light, which can be corrected with the tungsten setting.

Auto and manual white balance will not change the colour of neon signs. White balance cannot correct high-energy vapour lighting: sodium-vapour (yellow highway lights), or mercury vapour. For portraits under these lighting conditions, the flash can be used to overpower the ambient light. With landscapes containing these types of lights, set the white balance to the preset daylight setting.

Shooting tips

Preset white-balance settings must be set before the image is taken. Once set, the effect is immediately visible in the EVF and LCD monitor.

The built-in flash can be used with preset white-balance settings, but will create a pinkish or blueish cast with the fluorescent and tungsten settings. The flash is daylight balanced and will produce excellent results with the daylight and cloudy settings.

RECORDING MODE

CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE

Custom-white-balance function allows a photographer to calibrate the camera to a specific lighting condition. The setting can be used repeatedly until reset. Custom white balance is especially useful with mixed-lighting conditions or when critical control over colour is needed.

To calibrate the camera, press the function button and turn the control dial until the Custom white-balance icon and “SET” appear on the data panel and red on the monitors. Select a white object and fill the image area with it; the object does not need to be in focus. Press the shutter-release button to calibrate the camera. If an error occurs during calibration, an error message will appear on the monitors. Press the controller to cancel the message, then recalibrate using a suitable reference target and the shutter-release button. This sequence can be repeated as many times as necessary.

The setting will remain until another calibration is made. If the Custom white-balance setting needs to be used again, while pressing the function button, turn the control dial until the Custom white-balance icon is displayed without the “SET” on the data panel and white on the monitors. The camera will use the last Custom setting.

The built-in flash can be used with the Custom setting. However, since the flash is daylight balanced, it will give an unusual colour cast to an image if the camera is calibrated to any other light source.

Calibration display

When making the calibration, the colour of the object used is critical. The object should be white. A coloured object will cause the calibration to compensate for the object colour rather than the colour temperature of the ambient light. A blank piece of white paper is an ideal surface and can easily be carried in a camera bag.

Shooting tips

CAMERA SENSITIVITY - ISO

Five settings can be selected for camera sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400, and 800; the numerical values are based on an ISO equivalent. ISO is the standard used to indicate film sensitivity: the higher the number, the more sensitive the film. See ‘setting the function dial’ section on page 40 to change the ISO setting.

The auto setting automatically adjusts the camera sensitivity to the light conditions between ISO 100 and 400. When the flash is activated and camera sensitivity is set to auto, the ISO value is set to ISO 200.When any other setting than auto is used, “ISO” will appear on the data panel and “ISO” and the set value will be displayed on the monitors.

Photographers can select a specific sensitivity setting. Like grain in silver-halide film that increases with speed, noise increases with sensitivity in digital imaging; an ISO setting of 100 will have the least noise and 800 will have the most noise. A change in ISO also effects the flash range (p. 79); the higher the ISO, the greater the range.

As the ISO value doubles, the camera sensitivity doubles; changing the ISO between 100 and 200, 200 and 400, or 400 and 800 changes the camera sensitivity by one stop or 1 Ev (p. 36). A change between 100 and 800 changes the camera sensitivity by a factor of 8 or three stops. High ISO settings (400, 800) will allow the photographer to hand hold the camera in low-light conditions without the need of a flash.

When making bulb exposures (p. 92), noise can be more pronounced because of the unusually long exposure times, especially at 400 and 800 ISO. When making long bulb exposures of 20 to 30 seconds, a camera sensitivity setting of 100 or 200 will produce excellent results. At higher ISO settings, using shorter exposure times (8 - 16 seconds) will reduce the effect of noise. With long exposures at high ISO settings, noise from interference may be noticeable.

Camera Notes

DIGITAL EFFECTS CONTROL

RECORDING MODE

Color-saturation compensation

Contrast compensation

Exposure compensation

1 2

Turn the digital effects switch to the image characteristic to be changed.

Press and hold the digital-effects button in the centre of the switch and adjust the setting by turning the control dial next to the shutter-release button. Release the digital-effects button to set the adjustment.

Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combination. Adjustments remain in effect until manually reset. When set to any value other than zero, an icon will be displayed on the data panel and monitors as a warning.

Operating the controller is very simple:

The Digital Effects Controller is a powerful tool. As well as being able to make adjustments to exposure, the controller can also change image contrast and colour saturation. The effect of any change is instantly visible in the EVF or on the LCD monitor before the image is captured. Since compensation is applied to the image before it is compressed and saved, image information can be maximised before leaving the scene. The digital effects controller can be used with movie recording.

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION

Data panel

EVF & LCD monitor

Display when adjusting exposure.

Exposure compensation warning after adjustment

Sometimes the camera’s exposure meter is deceived by certain conditions. Changing the exposure value can compensate for these situations. For example, a very bright scene, such as a snowy landscape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image. Before taking the picture, adjusting the exposure by +1 or +2 EV will result in an image with normal tonal values.

In this example, the dark scene appears bright and washed-out on the LCD monitor. By decreasing the exposure by –1.5 EV, the richness of the sunset is preserved.

Shooting tips

The exposure can be adjusted before the image is captured to make the final picture lighter or darker. Exposure can be adjusted by as much as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments (p. 36). The exposure compensation value will remain in effect until it has been reset.

The exposure compensation must be set before the image is

captured. When setting the exposure compensation, the change is shown on the data panel aperture display and next to the exposure-compensation icon on the monitors. After the setting is made, the shutter-speed and aperture displays will indicate the actual exposure. Because the shutter speeds can be adjusted in fine steps, the same shutter speed or aperture value maybe displayed after exposure compensation.

* The aperture value for the exposure.

The contrast of a scene can be adjusted within seven levels (±3) with the Digital Effects Controller. If a scene is too contrasty, information will be lost; if a scene is flat, the image information is not optimised for the recording ability of the camera. Control over the contrast gives photographers the ability to optimise the image information at the scene.

The contrast must be set before the image is captured. When changing the contrast setting, an icon will appear on the data panel and in the live image. The data panel and monitors will indicate if an increase (+) or decrease (–) in contrast has been made. If contrast is set to any other value than zero, the icon will remain on the displays as a warning.

RECORDING MODE

CONTRAST COMPENSATION

High contrast scene

Flat scene

Data panel EVF & LCD monitor

Display when adjusting contrast.

Contrast compensation warning after adjustment.

After compensation After compensation

The colour saturation of a scene can be adjusted within seven

levels (±3) with the Digital Effects Controller. Colours can be

accented or subdued.

The colour saturation must be set before the image is captured.

When changing the colour-saturation setting, an icon will appear

on the data panel and in the live image. The data panel and monitors will indicate if an increase (+) or decrease (–) in saturation has been made. If colour saturation is set to any other value than zero, the icon will remain on the displays as a warning.

COLOUR-SATURATION COMPENSATION

Data panel EVF & LCD monitor

Display when adjusting colour saturation.

Color-saturation compensation warning

Unlike the display on a computer monitor, changes to contrast and colour saturation can be dif-

ficult to see in the EVF and LCD monitor. To ensure the optimum level of contrast or colour sat-

uration, make an automatic bracket (p. 55) or manual bracket of the scene.

Shooting tips

RECORDING MODE

AUTOFOCUS AREAS AND CONTROL

In still-image recording mode, the controller selects the focus area used and moves the spot-focus area within the image. The two focus areas, wide focus area and spot focus point, allow flexibility over a variety of situations.

The wide focus area is an array of local focus areas that work together to control focus. This system is especially effective with moving subjects or quick shooting in fastmoving events. When the focus is locked in single AF mode, one of the AF sensors within the wide focus area will briefly indicate the point of focus.The spot focus point gives critical control over focus. It can be used to single out an individual subject from a group.

Switching between the wide focus area to the spot focus point is simple. Press and hold the controller (1) until the wide-focus-area frame lines change to the spot-focus-point cross. Press and hold the controller again to return to the wide-focus-area frame lines.

Controller

Wide focus area

Spot focus point

AF sensor

FLEX FOCUS POINT - CONTROLLING THE SPOT FOCUS POINT

Once displayed, the spot focus area can be moved to any point in the image area.This Flex Focus Point is a powerful tool for off-centre subjects. The Flex Focus Point cannot be used with continuous AF (p. 68) or the digital zoom (p. 70).

With the spot-focus-area cross displayed, use the controller’s four-way keys (1) to move the focus point anywhere within the live image. Press the shutter-release button partway down or press the AF/AEL button to focus; the cross will turn red to confirm focus.

Pressing the centre of the controller (2) returns the focus point to the centre of the image area. To return to the wide-focus-area mode press and hold the controller until the frame lines appear.

RECORDING MODE

AUTOFOCUS MODES

This digital camera has two autofocusing modes.The single and continuous autofocus modes are selected in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80).

• Do not confuse these icons with the metering-mode icons (p. 74).

• The shutter can be released even if the camera cannot focus on the subject.

Single AF icon

Continuous AF icon

Focus icon: red

Cannot focus. The subject is too close or a special situation is preventing the AF system from focusing.

Focus confirmed.

Single AF - for general purpose photography and static subjects. When the shutterrelease button is pressed partway down the autofocus system locks onto the subject in the focus area and will remain in effect until the shutter button is released.

Continuous AF - for moving subjects.When the shutter-release button is pressed partway down, the autofocus system will activate and continue to focus until the exposure is made.

• When the AF system is unable to focus because of a special focusing situation (p. 31), the

focus is set to infinity. When using flash, the focus is set between 3 and 3.8m. In this case, focus lock (p. 30) can be used with an object at the same distance as the main subject or the camera can be focused manually (p. 71).

• When using continuous AF with the wide focus area (p. 66), the AF sensors will not appear to indicate the point of focus.

• The continuous AF mode may have difficulty focusing on extremely fast subjects. In this situation, use manual focus to focus on a point in the subject’s path and release the shutter just before the subject reaches that point; there is a slight delay between the time the shutterrelease button is pressed and the shutter opens.

The macro mode is used for close-up photographs of small objects.The minimum focusing distance is 25cm from the CCD or about 13cm from the front of the lens. The macro mode can be used with the digital zoom to increase the close-up effect. Subject programs and movie recording can be used with the macro setting. The built-in flash cannot be used with macro mode.

Turn the zoom ring to the telephoto setting.

• Align the arrow on the zooming ring with the arrow near the macro switch.

Slide the macro switch on the lens barrel forward.

• The camera is now in macro mode.

• Make sure the subject is within the macro focusing range:

0.25 - 0.6m from the CCD.

• To return to normal recording mode, slide the macro switch towards the rear of the lens.

• The macro icon is displayed in the lower right corner of the monitors.

Because of the high image magnification, hand holding cameras during

close-up photography is very difficult. When possible, use a tripod.

Use the Flex Focus Point (p. 67) to specify the area to be within focus. Because depth of field (the area in focus) is narrow in close-up photography, using focus lock with off-centre subjects can cause minor errors which are exaggerated at high magnifications.

The variable position EVF makes working in tight spaces and at low levels

easy. The EVF can be tilted between 0° and 90°.

Shooting tips

CCD plane

MACRO MODE

RECORDING MODE

DIGITAL ZOOM

The digital zoom doubles the lens magnification. The digital zoom cannot be used with RAW image quality or in movie recording.

Press the magnification button on the back of the camera. The effect is immediately displayed.

• The live image is enlarged on the LCD monitor and is cropped with a shaded border in the EVF.

• X2.0 is displayed in the monitors when the digital zoom is in effect.

• Pressing the magnification button a second time cancels the digital zoom.

• When using the wide focus area (p. 66), the AF sensor will not appear to indicate the point of focus.

Image size setting

Full 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480 DiMAGE 7 DiMAGE 5

1280 X 960 1280 X 960 1280 X 960 640 X 480 1024 X 768 1024 X 768 1024 X 768 640 X 480

When an image is taken with the digital zoom, the final image size depends on the image-size setting on the camera. The image is trimmed and then the total number of pixels are interpolated to produce an image with a pixel resolution shown in the chart.

EVF

LCD monitor

Manual control over focus is simple. The focus mode button (AF/MF) (1) toggles between automatic and manual focus.The MF icon is displayed on the data panel and monitors when the camera is in the manualfocus mode.

Use the focus ring (2) at the rear of the lens barrel to make a sharp image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor. The approximate distance from the CCD to the subject is displayed on the monitors. Manual focus can be used with movie recording and in macro mode.

The magnification button can be used to enlarge the centre of the image by X4 to aid manual focusing. This function has no effect on the final image size. This function is activated using the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80); activating this function disables the digital zoom. Electronic magnification can only be used to check manual focus. The magnified display cannot be used to set the exposure.

Press the magnification button on the back of the camera.

• The magnifier icon is displayed on the monitors when electronic magnification is in effect.

• Pressing the magnification button a second time cancels the function.

• When the shutter-release button is pressed partway down, the magnified display is cancelled showing the entire image area.

CCD plane

MANUAL FOCUS

ELECTRONIC MAGNIFICATION (DIMAGE 7 ONLY)

RECORDING MODE

ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER

The EVF displays 100% field of view. When using the camera outdoors or under bright lighting conditions, the viewfinder image is not affected by the ambient light and is bright and clear.

AUTOMATIC MONITOR AMPLIFICATION (DiMAGE 7 only)

In extremely low-light conditions when the camera-sensitivity gain has reached its limit, the automatic monitor amplification function will intensify the EVF and LCD monitor image. The live image will be brighter, however the display will be black and white.This will have no effect on the final colour image. When the automatic monitor amplification is in use, the electronic-magnification function cannot be used.

DIOPTER ADJUSTMENT

The electronic viewfinder can be tilted between 0° to 90°. Simply grip the finder between your fingers and move it to the position desired. Always store the camera with finder down against the body.

The EVF has a built-in dioptre that can be adjusted between –5.0 to +0.5. While looking through the EVF, turn the dioptre-adjustment dial until the viewfinder image is sharp.

When the shutter-release button is pressed partway down, the focus and exposure is locked. The AF/AEL button performs the same operation when pressed and held; the focus signals and exposure displays will confirm if the settings are locked. The operation of this button can be changed in the Custom-1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). Changing these settings has no effect on the operation of the shutterrelease button. Focus lock is disabled when the camera is set to continuous AF.

AF/AE LOCK BUTTON

Recording-mode

menu setting

AF/AE hold

The camera’s default setting. While pressing and holding the AF/AEL button, the focus and exposure are set and locked. These settings will remain in effect until the AF/AEL button is released.

AF/AE toggle

Pressing and releasing the AF/AEL button will set and lock the focus and exposure. The settings are cancelled when the AF/AEL button is pressed again.

AE hold

AE toggle

While pressing and holding the AF/AEL button, only the exposure is set and locked. This setting will remain in effect until the AF/AEL button is released or a picture is taken.

Pressing and releasing the AF/AEL button will set and lock the exposure only. The setting is cancelled when the AF/AEL button is pressed again.

Using the spot-metering mode with the AF/AEL button as an exposure-only lock allows exposure measurements to be made from a different object than the subject. The shutter-release button will continue to control focus, but the exposure can be set from an object that is not at the same distance or at the same position as the subject. This is extremely useful when the

colour or tone of the subject is very light or dark.

Shooting tips

• The autofocus and auto exposure settings will not reset after an image has been captured until the AF/AEL button has been released (hold setting) or pressed again (toggle setting).

• When the AE hold or AE toggle are used with the flash, the slow-shutter-sync flash mode will be in effect (p. 76).

RECORDING MODE

For precise measurements of a small area displayed on the monitors.

METERING MODES

Multi-segment

Spot

Centre weighted

An advanced metering system appropriate for almost all photographic situations.

Averages luminance values from the entire image area with a bias toward the centre of the image.

The icons indicating the metering mode are displayed on the monitors only. Do not confuse these icons with the focus signals (p. 68). The metering mode is changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). When centre-weighted or spot metering is selected, pressing the shutter-release button partway down will activate the exposure system, but will not lock the exposure; the AF/AEL button must be used.

Multi-segment metering uses 300 segments (256 segments for the DiMAGE 5) to measure luminance and colour. This data is combined with distance information to calculate the camera exposure.This advanced metering system will give accurate worry-free exposures in almost all situations.

Centre-weighted metering is a traditional metering method in silver-halide cameras. The system measures light values over the entire image area with emphasis given to the central region of the scene.

Spot metering uses a small area within the image to calculate the exposure. When this mode is selected, a small circle will appear in the middle of the live image indicating the measuring area. The spot allows precise exposure measurements of a particular object without being influenced by extremely bright or dark areas within the scene.

Spot metering display

FLASH METERING

Two flash-metering methods are available: ADI and pre-flash TTL. The flash meteringmode can be changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80).

ADI flash metering - Advanced Distance Integration. This metering mode combines distance information from the autofocusing system with information from a pre-flash exposure. Unlike conventional TTL flash metering, ADI is not influenced by the reflectance of the subject or background, ensuring optimum flash exposures.

Pre-flash TTL - calculates flash exposure with a pre-flash only. This mode must be used when using close-up filters or filters that reduce the amount of light entering the camera such as neutral density filters. Pre-flash TTL must be used when a diffuser is attached to the built-in flash or an external flash unit.

The camera will automatically switch from ADI metering to pre-flash TTL when a lowcontrast subject is preventing the autofocus system from focusing. If the autofocus system cannot lock on the subject, press the AF/MF button and manually focus; the ADI metering will remain in effect.

This camera does not have a preset flash sync speed. When calculating the exposure in program (P) or aperture-priority (A) exposure mode, the shutter speed will not fall below the camera-shake limit (p. 15). When using shutter-priority (S) or manual (M) exposure mode, any shutter speed can be used in the exposure.

For a list of compatible Minolta accessory flash units and for information on accessory flash operation, see page 138. Because both flash modes use a pre-flash, slave controlled flash units cannot be used.

RECORDING MODE

FLASH MODES

Data

panel

EVF &

LCD monitor

–

Fill-flash Red-eye

reduction Rear flash

sync

Used in low-light conditions and to reduce shadows under direct sunlight.

To reduce the red-eye effect with flash photographs of people and animals

Flash fires at the end of long exposures.

The flash mode can be changed in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p.

80). For the flash to fire, the unit must be manually lifted. The flash will fire in the selected mode regardless of the amount of ambient light. When the flash is used, the camera sensitivity is automatically set at ISO 200. This setting can be changed using the function dial (p. 40). The auto-white-balance setting will give priority to the flashes colour temperature. If manual white-balance settings are used, priority is given to the active settings colour temperature (p. 59).

Fill-flash can be used as the main or supplementary light. In low-light conditions, the flash will act as the main source of illumination and overpower the ambient light. Under strong sunlight or in backlit situations, the fill-flash can reduce harsh shadows.

FILL FLASH

Red-eye reduction is used when taking photographs of people or animals in low-light conditions. The red-eye effect is caused by light reflected from the retina of the eye. The camera will fire a pre-flash before the main flash to contract the pupils of the subject’s eyes.

RED-EYE REDUCTION

Rear flash sync is used with long exposures to make trailing lights or blurring appear to follow rather than precede the subject. The effect is not apparent if the shutter speed is too fast and stops the subject’s motion.

When the shutter is released, a pre-flash will fire. This pre-flash does not exposure the subject, but is used in the calculation of the flash exposure. The flash will fire again just before the shutter closes.

REAR FLASH SYNC

Slow shutter sync can be set in P and A exposure modes (p. 46). In low-light conditions, this flash mode controls the shutter to increase the ambient or background exposure.When photographing a subject outside at night, the camera and flash exposure will be balanced to bring out the details in the background. Because shutter speeds can be longer than usual, the use of a tripod is recommended.

1. Set the camera to the P or A exposure mode (p. 40).

2. Set “AE hold” or “AE toggle” in the Custom 1 section of the recording mode menu (p. 80).

3. Frame the subject on the monitors.

4. Press the AF/AEL button to lock the exposure.

5. Press the shutter-release button to lock the focus. Composed the image on the monitors.

6. Press the shutter-release button all the way down to take the picture.

Camera Notes

RECORDING MODE

The flash output can be controlled by ±2 Ev in 1/3 Ev increments. Flash compensation is set in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). If the flash compensation is set to any value other than 0.0, the flashcompensation indicator will appear on the monitors and data panel.

FLASH COMPENSATION

When using the fill-flash to reduce harsh shadows on the subject’s face caused by bright illumination or direct sunlight, flash compensation can be used to change the ratio between the highlights and shadows. The fill-flash will affect the darkness of the shadows without affecting the area illuminated by the main light source. By decreasing the flash output with a negative Ev setting, the shadows will receive less light than with normal fill-flash and be harder, but will bring out subtle details in the shadows that would not appear without the flash. Increasing the flash output by using a positive Ev setting will soften and can even nearly eliminate shadows.

Shooting tips

Positive compensation

No compensation

Negative compensation

FLASH RANGE

Flash range (wide angle)ISO setting

AUTO

100 200 400 800

0.5m ~ 3.8m (1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft.)

Flash range (telephoto)

0.5m ~ 3.0m (1.6 ft. ~ 9.8 ft.)

0.5m ~ 2.7m (1.6 ft. ~ 8.8 ft.)

0.5m ~ 3.8m (1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft.)

0.5m ~ 5.4m (1.6 ft. ~ 17.6 ft.)

0.5m ~ 7.6m (1.6 ft. ~ 25 ft.)

0.5m ~ 2.1m (1.6 ft. ~ 6.9 ft.)

0.5m ~ 3.0m (1.6 ft. ~ 9.8 ft.)

0.5m ~ 4.2m (1.6 ft. ~ 13.8 ft.)

0.5m ~ 6.0m (1.6 ft. ~ 19.6 ft.)

For correct flash exposures, the subject must be within the flash range. The flash range can be extended by changing the camera sensitivity (p. 40). When the camera sensitivity is set to auto, the ISO is set at 200. The flash range is measured from the CCD. Because of the optical system, the flash range is not the same at the lens’ wideangle position as it is at the telephoto position.

ATTACHING A MINOLTA ACCESSORY FLASH UNIT

Slide the accessory-shoe cap off as shown.

Mount the flash unit on the accessory shoe by sliding it forward until it stops.

• Always remove the accessory flash when the camera is not in use. Replace the accessory-shoe cap to protect the contacts.

To extend the versatility of the camera, an accessory flash unit (sold separately) can be mounted on the camera. See page 138 for a list of compatible flash units.

Activate the recording-mode menu with the menu button (1).The “Basic” tab at the top of the menu will be highlighted. Use the left/right keys of the controller (2) to highlight the appropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are selected and highlighted.

RECORDING MODE

NAVIGATING THE RECORDING-MODE MENU

In recording mode, press the menu button to activate the menu. The menu button also turns off the recording-mode menu after making settings.

The four-way keys are used to move the cursor in the menu. Pressing the centre of the controller will enter a setting.

When the desired menu section is displayed, use the up/down keys (2) to scroll through the menu options. Highlight the option whose setting needs to be changed.

With the menu option to be changed highlighted, press the right controller key; the settings will be displayed with the current setting highlighted.

• To return to the menu options, press the left key.

Use the up/down keys to highlight the new setting.

Press the controller to select the highlighted setting.

Once a setting has been selected, the cursor will return to the menu options and the new setting will be displayed. Further changes can continue to be made. To return to the recording mode, press the menu button.

Rec.

Basic Custom1 Custom2 AF mode Metering mode Flash mode Flash comp. Flash metering

AF-single MultiSegment Fill-flash 0 ADI flash

Basic

AF mode

Metering mode

Flash mode

Flash comp. Flash Metering

AF single AF continuous Multi-segment Centre weighted Spot Fill-flash Red-eye Rear flash sync ±2 Ev ADI flash Pre-flash TTL

Custom 1

Memory

Exposure bracket

Interval

Frames AF/AEL button

Magnification button

1 2 3 Store memory

0.3

0.5

1.0 1~10, 15, 20, 30,

45, 60 min. 2 ~ 99

AF/AE hold AF/AE toggle AE hold AE toggle

Digital zoom Elec. mag.

1 2 3

Store in

Custom 2

Sharpness

Color mode

Data imprint

Instant playback

Hard (+) Normal Soft (–) Color B&W No YYYY/MM/DD MM/DD/hr:min Te xt Text + ID# No 2 sec 10 sec

For more information about the electronic keyboard see page 88.

For DiMAGE 7 only

Please refer to the following sections for

descriptions of the menu options and their

settings.

RECORDING MODE

RECORDING-MODE MENU - BASIC

Menu option Settings Description

EVF and

LCD monitor

display

Data

panel

display

Multi-segment

AF mode (p.

68)

AF-single

Focus is calculated and set when the shutter-release button is pressed partway down.

AF-continuous

Camera continues to focus on a moving subject even when the shutter-release button is pressed partway down.

Centre weighted

Spot

Metering mode (p.

74)

Employs 300 segments (256 for the DiMAGE 5) over the image area to calculate exposure.

The exposure calculation is biased toward the the centre region of the image area.

The exposure is based on a small area in the centre of the image area.

Flash mode (p.

76)

Fill-flash

Red-eye

Rear flashsync

General purpose flash mode for low-light conditions and for reducing harsh shadows caused by direct sunlight.

Same as the fill-flash, but also fires a pre-burst to reduce redeye in portraits.

Flash fires at the end of a long exposure.

±2 Ev (1/3 Ev increments)

To compensate flash exposure.

Flash compensation (p.

78)

–

2 ~ 99 frames

Uses only pre-flash information to calculate exposure.

ADI flash

Pre-flash TTL

Uses distance and pre-flash information to calculate exposure.

Flash metering

(p. 75)

RECORDING-MODE MENU - CUSTOM 1

Continued on next page

1 ~ 3

Camera settings can be recalled from three memory channels.

Store memory

0.3 Ev, 0.5 Ev,

1.0 Ev

1 ~ 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 min.

To store camera settings in memory. When selected, the store-in-memory screen will appear.

Used with the bracketing drive mode to specify the exposure increment for the series.

Used with the interval drive mode to specify the duration of the interval between exposures.

Memory

(p. 85)

Exposure

bracket

(p. 54)

Interval (p. 56)

Frames (p. 56)

Used with the interval drive mode to specify the total number of frames for the series.

AE hold

AF/AE lock

button

(p. 73)

AF/AE hold

Focus and exposure are locked while pressing and holding the AF/AEL button.

AF/AE toggle

The AF/AEL button toggles between the focus and exposure being locked and unlocked.

AE toggle

Only exposure is locked while pressing and holding the AF/AEL button.

The AF/AEL button toggles between exposure being locked and unlocked.

–

Sets the degree of sharpness to be applied before the image is captured.

RECORDING-MODE MENU - CUSTOM 1 (CONT.)

Menu option Settings Description

EVF and

LCD monitor

display

RECORDING-MODE MENU - CUSTOM 2

Soft (–)

Sharpness (p. 86)

Hard (+) Normal

Color B&W

Disables the data imprinting function. Imprints date on image Imprints date and time on image

Color mode (p. 86)

Data imprint (p. 87)

YYYY/MM/DD MM/DD/hr:min

Te xt

Text + ID#

To imprint caption and serial number on image. Electronic keyboard appears when selected.

Instant playback (p. 87)

No Disables the instant playback function.

2 sec.

10 sec.

Images are played back for two seconds after they are captured.

Images are played back for ten seconds after they are captured. During playback the image can be deleted.

RECORDING MODE

Digital zoom

The 2X digital zoom is active.

Magnification button (p. 71)

(DiMAGE 7 only)

Electronic magnification

The 4X electronic magnification is active.

–

To imprint caption on image. Electronic keyboard appears when selected.

To record 24-bit colour or 8-bit monochrome images. These settings have no effect on RAW images.

–

MEMORY - SAVING CAMERA SETTINGS

Three sets of camera settings can be saved.This feature saves time under frequently repeating conditions by eliminating the need to set camera functions. Except for the AF/AEL button, subject programs, data imprinting, and instant playback settings, all recording-mode camera settings will be saved including the position of the Flex Focus Point, the Custom white balance setting and changes made with the function dial and digital effects control. Although the the bracketing drive mode setting can be saved, the type of bracket, exposure, contrast, or colour saturation, must be set again with the digital effects controller.

Camera settings are saved with the memory function in the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). Initially, each memory location contains the camera’s original settings.

To save the current camera settings, select the storememory setting from the memory option in the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu. The store-inmemory screen will appear.

On the store-in-memory screen, chose the memory register in which the camera settings are to be saved. Pressing the controller will complete the operation; the previous settings will be erased and replaced by the new ones.

To recall a setting, simply choose and enter the appropriate memory register from the memory option of the Custom 1 section of the recording-mode menu. The settings are instantly applied to the camera.

Camera settings cannot be deleted from memory by turning the camera off, using the pro-auto button (p. 37), or choosing the default function on the setup menu (p. 120).

Rec.

Basic

Custom1 Custom2

Exp. bracket Interval

T/F/C AF/AEL button

1 2 3 Store memory

Mag. button

Memory

RECORDING MODE

SHARPNESS

The sharpness of the image can be altered. This must be set before the image is recorded. Sharpness is set in the Custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p.

80).

If any setting other than normal is selected, the sharpness icon will be displayed on the monitors with the degree of sharpness. Sharpness must be reset manually.

COLOUR MODE

The colour mode controls whether the image is colour or black and white.This must be set before the image is recorded. The colour mode is set in the Custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80). The live image on the monitors will reflect the selected colour mode. The colour mode has no effect on image file size.The colour mode must be reset manually.

RAW images are not affected by the colour-mode setting. Although the monitors will display a black and white image, the utility software can recreate the original colour.

Recording-mode

menu settings

EVF and LCD

monitor display

Hard (+)

Normal

Soft (–)

Increases the sharpness of the image, accentuating details.

No filter applied.

Softens the details of the image.

–

DATA IMPRINTING

Data can be printed directly on the image. The imprinting function must be activated before the image is taken. Once activated, data will continue to be imprinted until the function is reset; a yellow bar is displayed behind the distance indicator and frame counter on the monitors to indicate the imprinting function is active. Data imprinting is controlled in the Custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80).

YYYY/MM/DD

MM/DD/hr:min

Tex t

Text + ID#

Recording-mode

menu setting

Data imprinting function disabled. Prints the year, month, and day the image was taken.The date format can

be changed in the Custom 2 section of the setup menu (p. 114).

Prints the date and time the image was taken. The date and time can be set in the Custom 2 section of the setup menu (p. 114).

Up to 16 characters can be printed on the image. When this setting is selected, the electronic keyboard will appear (p. 88).

Up to eight characters and a serial number can be printed on the image. As each successive image is captured, the ID number will increase by one. When this setting is selected, the electronic keyboard will appear (p.

88). The serial number is reset every time the setting is made.

The data is imprinted in the lower right corner of the image when viewed horizontally. Only one imprinting format can be employed at one time.The data is printed directly on the photograph, writing over the image information.

Every time a still image is recorded, it is stored with an Exif tag that contains the date and time of recording as well as shooting information. This information can be viewed with the camera in the playback or quick-view mode or on a computer with the DiMAGE Image Viewer Utility software .

Camera Notes

RECORDING MODE

ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD

The electronic keyboard is used to enter text for imprinting data or for naming new folders. The keyboard automatically appears when text needs to be entered.

To enter text, simply use the four-way keys of the controller to highlight the desired character and then press the centre of the controller to enter it. Entering the CapL key will change case; the change is immediately displayed on the letters of the keyboard. When complete, highlight the enter key and press the controller to enter the text and complete the operation. To cancel the operation, press the menu button.

To delete text, move the cursor into the text block at the top of the screen. Use the cursor to highlight the character to be deleted. Press the down key; the delete key will be highlighted. Press the centre of the controller to delete the character.

To replace a character, repeat the previous procedure, but when the delete key is highlighted, used the four-way keys to highlight the character to replace the one highlighted in the text box; press the controller to replace the character.

Text block Delete key Caps lock

Enter key

Controller

QV/delete button

INSTANT PLAYBACK

After an image is captured, it will be displayed on the monitors before being saved. When in continuous drive or bracketing mode, an index display is used.The instant playback function is set in the Custom 2 section of the recording-mode menu (p. 80).

2 sec

10 sec

Recording-mode

menu setting

Instant playback is disabled.

The captured image will be displayed for two or ten seconds. While displayed, the image can be deleted before being saved.

• If the centre of the controller is pressed during the instant playback, the displayed image will immediately be saved and the playback cancelled.

To delete an image during the instant playback, press the QV/delete button.

• A confirmation screen will appear.

Press the controller to delete the image.

• The live image will be displayed on the monitor.

Use the left/right keys of the controller to highlight “YES.”

• “NO” will cancel the operation.

: delete : store

Rec.

This camera can record up to sixty seconds of digital video. The motion JPEG image is 320 X 240 pixels (QVGA). The effective image area is 308 X 240 pixels; two thin lines will appear to the left and right of the image when played back.

Shooting digital video is simple. Set the main dial to movie recording (1). Frame the picture as described in the basic recording operation (p. 29). Press the shutter-release button once to start recording (2). The camera will continue to record until the recording time is used or the shutter-release button is pressed again. When recording, the data panel and monitor frame counters will countdown the remaining time.

RECORDING MODE

MOVIE RECORDING

Recording indicator Countdown in seconds

When the camera is not recording, the data-panel and monitor frame counters will show the maximum time in seconds that can be recorded with the next movie clip. A maximum of 60 seconds will be displayed until the amount of remaining time falls below one minute, then the remaining number of seconds that can be recorded will be displayed.

Total recording time for

the next movie clip

Disabled

The table below shows the approximate total recording time with various CompactFlash cards. Actual time depends on the subject and the number of still images captured.

8MB 16MB 64MB

36 sec. 70 sec. 290 sec.

44 sec. 90 sec. 363 sec.

DiMAGE 5

DiMAGE 7

Function Dial

Color-saturation compensation (p. 65)

Exposure mode (p. 47)

Digital zoom (Electronic magnification)

White balance (p. 58)

Metering mode (p. 74)

Exposure compensation (p. 63)

Camera Sensitivity (ISO) (p. 61)

Focus mode (p. 68, 71) Autofocus area (p. 66)

Program (fixed)

Disabled

Auto white balance (fixed)

Centre-weighted (fixed)

Available

Auto (fixed)

Disabled

Continuous AF or Manual Wide (fixed)

Digital-subject-program button

DisabledFlash

Disabled

Contrast compensation (p. 64) Available

Available

AF/AEL button

Macro mode (p. 69) Available

Recording-mode menu

Disabled

This table indicates which functions can be used, which are fixed, and which are disabled in movie mode. Manual focus can be used before or during movie recording.

To set the aperture value, turn the Digital Effects Controller to exposure compensation (2). While pressing the digital effects button (3), turn the control dial (1) until the correct aperture is displayed.

• The camera’s exposure system cannot be used to calculate bulb exposures.The use of a separate light meter is recommended.

RECORDING MODE

BULB EXPOSURES

ATTACHING A REMOTE CORD (SOLD SEPARATELY)

Bulb photographs can be taken in the manual-exposure mode (M) (p. 71). Exposures up to thirty seconds can be made by pressing and holding the shutter-release button. The use of a tripod and a remote cord is recommended for bulb exposures.

The optional remote cords (RC-1000S or RC-1000L) can be used to reduce vibrations from touching the camera during long exposures.

Remove the remote-control terminal cover.

• Use the notch on the left side of the cover.

• The cover is attached to the body to prevent loss.

Insert the plug of the cord into the terminal.

Use the control dial (1) to decrease the shutter-speed value below four seconds until “bulb” is displayed.

To take the picture, press and hold the shutter-release button for the duration of the exposure.

• Releasing the shutter button will end the exposure.

• The monitors will be blank during the exposure.

PLAYBACK MODE

VIEWING AND EDITING IMAGES

This section contains detailed information on the camera’s playback functions and operation. Read the sections pertaining to your interest and need. The sections on viewing pictures, viewing movies, deleting images (p. 94 - 95), navigating the playback-mode menu (p. 102), and frame-selection screen (p. 111) cover the use of most of the features for viewing and editing images.The navigating the playback-mode menu section is followed by detailed descriptions of the settings.

Still images and movie clips can easily be viewed and edited in playback mode. To set the camera to view images, turn the mode dial to the playback position (1).

Simply use the controller to scroll through the pictures on the CompactFlash card. Images are displayed with date, frame number, printing status, and lock status information. Still images can be displayed with a histogram and shooting data. The first frame of each movie clip is shown; a movie clip is indicated by the movie icon displayed with a thumbnail of the first frame.

QV/delete button

Use the left/right keys of the controller to scroll through the images.

VIEWING PICTURES

Press the up key to display the images histogram.

• Pressing the down key will return to the fullscreen display .

• The left/right keys are disabled when the histogram is displayed.

PLAYBACK MODE

Controller

To delete a displayed image, press the QV/delete button.

• A confirmation screen will appear.

In playback mode, the displayed image or movie clip can be deleted. When selecting an image for deletion, a confirmation screen will appear before the operation is executed.

Press the controller to delete the image.

Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered. Care should always be

taken when deleting images.

DELETING IMAGES

Use the left/right keys to highlight “YES.”

• “NO” will cancel the operation.

VIEWING MOVIES

Use the left/right keys of the controller to display the movie clip to be viewed.

Press the centre of the controller to play back the clip.

• Pressing the controller during playback will pause the movie clip; pressing the controller again will resume the playback.

• When the movie clip finishes, the first frame will be displayed.

To cancel the playback of a movie, press the down key of the controller.

Confirmation screen

Delete this frame?

NoYe s

PLAYBACK MODE

SINGLE-FRAME PLAYBACK DISPLAY

MOVIE PLAYBACK DISPLAY

Image size (p. 42) Image quality (p. 43)

Frame number/ total number of images in folder

Printing icon (p. 108)Lock icon (p. 105)

Date of recording

Time of recording

Frame number/ total number of images in folder

Date of recording

Time of recording Movie icon

Mode indicator

Playback time

Play

Pause Stop 23s

HISTOGRAM DISPLAY

Date of recording

Shutter speed Aperture value

White balance setting (p. 58) Camera sensitivity (ISO) setting (p. 61) Degree of exposure compensation

(p. 63)

Folder name (p. 130)

Thumbnail of image

The luminance distribution of the image

The black area of the histogram shows the luminance distribution of the recorded image from black (left) to white (right). Each one of the 256 vertical lines indicates the relative proportion of that light value in the image. The histogram can be used to evaluate exposure and contrast, but displays no colour information. A change in exposure would create an image whose histogram would be the same shape as a previous image, but would be shifted to the left (less exposure) or right (more exposure). Changing the contrast would contract (decrease in contrast) or expand (increase in contrast) the distribution of luminance values compared with a previous image of the scene.

Image size (p. 42) Image quality (p. 43)

Mode indicator

Folder number - image file number

PLAYBACK MODE

DISPLAY CONTROLS - PLAYBACK MODE

Auto display - the camera will automatically change between displaying the image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor. The EVF’s eye sensors monitor if the EVF is being used and switch the display location accordingly.

EVF display - the image will only be displayed in the electronic viewfinder. Under bright-light, the EVF is easier to see than the LCD monitor.

LCD monitor display - the image will only be displayed on the LCD monitor.

Located on the back of the camera, the display-mode switch and the displayinformation button controls on which monitor the image is displayed and the display format. The three position switch allows the choice between automatic display and setting the display to the EVF or LCD monitor.

In the centre of the display switch, the display-information button controls the display format. Each time the button is pressed the display cycles through to the next format: full display, image only, index playback.

Full display Image only

Index playback

In index playback, the left/right keys of the controller will move the yellow border to the next or the previous image. When the image is highlighted with the border, the date of recording, the lock and printing status, and the frame number of the images is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The highlighted image can be deleted using the QV/delete button (p. 95). When the display information button is pressed again, the highlighted image will be displayed in the single-frame playback mode. A nine or four image index can be displayed. The index-playback format can be changed in the basic section of the playback-mode menu (p. 102).

100

PLAYBACK MODE

ENLARGED PLAYBACK

In single-frame playback, a still image can be enlarged for closer examination. RAW and super fine images cannot be enlarged.

With the image to be enlarged displayed, press the magnification button.

• The degree of magnification is displayed in the EVF and on the LCD monitor.

• The image is magnified in a maximum of three steps. Each time the magnification button is pressed the image is enlarged. After the final step, the image is displayed at the original size.

When enlarged, the four-way keys of the controller can scroll the image.

Controller

Magnification button

Konica Minolta DiMAGE 5, DiMAGE 7 Instruction Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual