With 8-megapixels and 7x optical zoom, the Dimage A2 is the concurrent of Nikon Coolpix 8800. Unlike Coolpix, Dimage A2 works with a 28-200mm equivalent with lens and manual zoom and focus rings, magnesium-alloy body also. Just like Coolpix, it allows control over the exposure, contrast, sharpness and color saturation; it uses popup flash with Advanced Distance Integration flash metering and the possibility to use external flash and records date, time and descriptive info on images and good redeye performance.
Dimage A2 uses three metering modes: 300-segment, center-weighted and spot. Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 users may also expect outstanding image quality (still lower than Coolpix), but when it comes to macro, its not that powerful as Coolpix (a minimum of 13 cm instead of 3 cm). Images are slightly noisy and soft, some out-of-focus. However, it starts up faster. Dimage A2 beats Coolpix with the easiness of operating the menu. If Nikon puts the accent on image results, Konica Minolta appears to concentrate on operability, bouth cameras being good quality digital cameras. Lets not forget that Dimage A2 received a DIWA Gold Award in 2004.
Technical Data:
• 1.8 inch LCD with 308.000 pixels is more powerful than Coolpixs 8800 LCD
• ISO Sensitivity: 64 – 800
• Shooting speed: 0.4 seconds
• Engage speed: 2 seconds
• 2,1 images/second in continuos mode
• Anti-Shake function for sharp images at low shutter speed or long focal lengths
• CCD-RAW, TIFF, RAW+JPEG, Extra Fine JPEG file modes
• Uses Compact Flash (CF)
• Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and Manual modes, plus Scene Mode (Portrait, Sports, Night Portrait/Night View and Sunset)
• Color modes: Natural Color (sRGB), Vivid Color (sRGB), Adobe RGB, Embedded Adobe RGB, B&W (Neutral and Toned), Solarization
• Exposure Compensation: -2EV to +2EV in 1/3EV increments
• White balance: Auto, preset, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent, cloudy, speedlight, shade
• Metering: Matrix, spot, center-weighted, spot AF area
• Li-ion battery (280 pictures) and Optional battery grip that holds two Li-ion packs or 6xAA batteries
[tags]7x optical zoom, 8MP, camera, digital camera, external flash, flexible camera, image stabilisation, nikon, Nikon Coolpix 8800, noise reduction, picture quality, konica minolta, Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2, dimage[/tags]
