Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Digital Camera Review |
Digital Camera Review by: Michael Gazzola
On opening the packaging my first impressions were, the camera looked like a SLR should and weighed in nicely for even balance. It's black exterior finish covering a solid aluminium body also gives the camera a solid feel. The 7Hi's comfortable handling and easily accessible control panel on the back would satisfy most 'prosumers' in the maket.
The main LCD and viewfinder screens are both bright and light adjustable, loading up very quickly at startup. The menu system is reletively easy to navigate, although there seems to be too many steps within some options, such as the simple task of deleting one or all images... Furthermore, it's USB connectivity relies on the user instigating the connection on the menu, rather than making an instant 'real-time' connection when plugged into a computer.
The colour balance produced within the images were quite good although the sharpness of the lens was a little disappointing, even on the 'sharpest' setting. Overall, the 7Hi will satisfy most entry level users of the 'prosumer' market but may find it tough competing for the attention of professional photographers who are looking to buy within this range...
Appearance rating |
3.5 stars |
Functionality rating |
3 stars |
Image quality rating |
2 stars |
Value for money
|
2 stars |
RRP (AUD)
|
|
 |
|
Effective Pixels |
5.0 Million mega pixels |
Image Sizes |
4 Sizes / 5 quality modes |
Lens - zoom wide [mm] |
7.2mm (35mm equivalent to 28mm) |
Lens -zoom tele [mm] |
50.8mm (35mm equivalent to 200mm) |
Resolution Settings |
From 640 x 480 to 2560 x 1920 |
Modes |
6 Individual. Plus auto. |
Manual Focus |
Yes |
Auto Focus |
Yes |
Focus Range [cm] |
50cm |
Aperture Range |
F2.8 - F8.0 |
Aperture Priority |
Yes |
Macro |
Yes |
Macro Range [cm] |
13cm |
Shutter Speeds |
Bulb (30 sec max). 15 seconds - 1/4000 |
Shutter Priority |
Yes |
ISO |
5 Options. 64 - 400. Plus auto. |
LCD Monitor |
Yes |
LCD Size |
1.8 Inch TFT colour monitor |
Viewfinder |
Yes. Optical real image zoom. |
Flash |
Built In. 4 mode options. Plus auto. |
Hot Shoe |
Yes. Minolta.. |
White balance |
5 options. Plus auto. |
Self Timer |
Yes. 10 Seconds approx. |
Movie Options |
Yes. Up to 60 seconds. |
Audio Options |
Yes. Up to 60 seconds. |
Video Out |
Yes. AV out. NTSC / PAL |
Storage Type |
Compact Flash |
Storage Included [Mb] |
16Mb Compact Flash |
Image / Audio Formats |
Tiff & Raw |
Connectivity |
USB. |
Power Source |
6V DC or AC 4x Standard AA Re-chargable. |
Dimensions |
117mm x 91mm x 113mm |
Weight |
650g Without battery |
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