Konica Minolta Dimage X1

Konica Minolta has managed to pack a whopping 8-megapixel CCD within a body that is not only aesthetically pleasing, it is also a sight to behold. However, upon closer scrutiny, the glossy mirror finish actually works against it with its high tendency to retain fingerprints. The X1 is definitely a looker, but the performance in our opinion is at best average and can't justify the high-resolution pictures the unit is supposed to take.

Design
If not for the fingerprint evidence left on its mirror finish, Konica Minolta has a looker on its block. This compact camera is the pioneer in the X-series, equipped with 8 megapixels within its 95 x 68 x 19.5mm futuristic body. Together with the battery and Secure Digital (SD) card, the whole unit weighs approximately 155g -- bordering over the weight limit for breast pockets. Like the Olympus Mju Digital 800, the microphone, flash unit and lens get front row seats on the camera's body.

By the time we got to the rear of the unit, we were faced with a barrage of fingerprints. Looking from the side, the camera's back appears to be nearly flat except for the four screws on its border. There are no protruding dials so it is slightly more difficult to access the buttons. Like other compact shooters, the X1 sports a four-way directional control with four smaller buttons -- Record/playback, Display, Menu, Delete/flash. Above these, the W and T mark the spots for zoom functions.

The four-way directional control with its accompanying buttons looks vaguely like Mickey's ears when half-covered.

The X1 accepts both SD and MMC memory cards, sharing the same compartment as the battery.

A slider with grooves -- presumably for better grip -- allows the user to select either the Still, Scene or Movie mode. The power and shutter button lie quietly to its side. The compartment for the battery and the memory card -- the unit accepts both SD and MultiMediaCards -- is on the right of the camera. All the way to the left, almost separate from everything else in an inconspicuous corner, is the speaker. The camera itself also has a built-in receptacle for tripods so there is no need to lug the cradle -- for connection to the AC adapter and the USB cable -- around on that night out.

Features
Joining in the competition for anti-shake capabilities, the X1 employs a new system that moves the lens unit according to the handshake that can result from handheld shooting. As with other cameras that sport such features, it is definitely an added advantage welcomed by any user. What sets the X1 apart from its competitors is its yellow illuminated Anti-Shake wording that lights up when the system is in use and disappears from sight under the crystal-clear protective screen when not.

This camera does not have an optical viewfinder so it relies entirely on its 2.5-inch LCD for framing shots. Although the LCD is protected by an acrylic panel that claims to reduce scratching, our pressing issue is the amount of fingerprints that linger on the panel which we have to constantly wipe away before we can view our images clearly. Most users would not think of carrying a dedicated cleaning cloth, and as a result, people tend to resort to using their shirts or pants. Prolonged "cleaning" of such a nature would wear down the surface more rapidly.

We like the optical zoom feature during movie recording which does not degrade the pixel quality of the recorded video. However, what we feel can be improved is its 20fps for motion image recording when many competitors are already offering 30fps in their cameras.

The X1's burst mode is disappointingly limited to 15 images in a single take at 640 x 480 pixels and not the capacity of the memory card.

The good thing about not being an ultracompact is the availability of space for a built-in metallic tripod receptacle on the X1, so there is no need to lug the connectivity cradle around.

Performance
We were pleased with the fast startup under 1 second, but it was a disappointing 3 seconds wait for the camera to shut down. The zoom function gave off a "zing" sound that was barely audible in outdoor situations. However, we did not have the option to turn it off in quieter surroundings since it was the result of the internal mechanism.

There was a fair bit of lag -- slightly under 2 seconds -- from the time the shutter was depressed till the image was recorded. This could pose a problem for framing and shooting consecutive shots when not in burst mode. The same lag was also experienced when we were using the continuous burst mode.

The LCD screen did not do justice to the 8-megapixel camera and images on the display were grainy. It was difficult to gauge the clarity of our pictures even when we digitally magnified the photo in playback mode.

Autofocusing in most situations generally took 2 seconds -- which was neither impressive nor could we fault it. The camera would give off a beep when the focus is clear and the unit is ready to take the shot. Battery life was average with us managing to take approximately 100 pictures with flash on and off and the usual playback and deleting of images before we were down to one remaining bar.

The camera took clear macro shots but general pictures taken using auto mode were somewhat disappointing. Our pictures turned out to be clear under low ISO levels, but upon magnification, noise was clearly evident in most of our shots above ISO 100.

Though the X1 replicated the colours correctly as per our shooting subject, they turned out to be slightly dull. The images had some noise, but we did not witness any purple fringing in our pictures.

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