Konica Minolta Dynax DYNAX 5D Manual

Guide Book

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INTRODUCTION
The Dynax 5D is a digital SLR equipped with state-
of the-art technology. The camera combines high
image quality with versatile advanced features and
easy, intuitive operation.
We would like to introduce the most popular
photographic topics and provide tips with regard
to camera settings and use of the Dynax system
accessories so that you can get the most out of
the Dynax 5D.
You obtain more info on Konica Minolta Cameras
and accessories on
www.konicaminoltaphotoworld.com
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6 MILLION PIXEL RESOLUTION
The ideal basis for excellent image quality is the
large, high resolution 6.1 Megapixel CCD (23.5 x
15.7mm). The high resolution provides impressive
large format prints up to a size of 30 x 50cm.
2.5 INCH LCD MONITOR
The 2.5-inch (6.3cm) LCD monitor’s large screen
makes it easy to check the details of images you’ve
taken. Capable of simultaneous image and
histogram display, the large LCD monitor also
guides you through the intuitive camera
menu.
CONTENT..................................Page
Introduction....................................1
Features ...........................................1
Photo Subjects
Landscape ............................3
Portrait ..................................4
Sport/Action..........................6
Macro ....................................8
Architecture.........................10
Night Portrait / Sunset .........11
Photoknowledge
White Balance............................12
Zone Matching...........................13
Special lenses ............................14
Anti-Shake ...................................16
Accessories
Lenses............................................18
Program Flashes.......................22
System Accessories................24

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COMPACT DESIGN AND INTUITIVE OPERATION
The Dynax 5D combines sophisticated features
and intuitive handling in a very compact camera
body. Further functions are located on the camera
back for intuitive control of the Dynax 5D.
SOPHISTICATED AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS
In addition to extensive manual controls the
camera also offers advanced automatic functions,
which benefit from the centuries of Konica Minolta
experience. Automatic exposure modes enable
a novice to photography to take expressive
portraits, impressive landscape shots and exciting
shots of sporting events.
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EXTENSIVE ACCESSORY RANGE
An extensive range of system accessories of the
Dynax series, including Program and Macro
flashes, remote cable, camera bags, angle finder
and more, expand the creativity the photographer.
All lenses*1)of the Konica Minolta AF series can
be used with the Dynax 5D and are compatible
to the Konica Minolta Anti-Shake System.
KONICA MINOLTA ANTI-SHAKE SYSTEM
What sets the DYNAX 5D’s Anti-Shake apart from
all other camera-shake compensation systems
is its exclusive CCD-Shift mechanism.
It’s so effective you can shoot at shutter speeds
two or three steps slower than what you could
use without it. And because the mechanism is
integrated directly into the camera’s body, it works
with virtually any Konica Minolta Dynax AF lens*1).
*1) With the AF Macro Zoom 3X - 1X and some special lenses
the Anti-Shake-System is turned off.

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Portraiture is one of the classic genre of
photography. An expressive portrait is not just
beautiful to look at, knowing a few photographic
techniques will turn a photo into a masterpiece.
The Dynax 5D is equipped with a special portrait
subject program mode. By turning the function
wheel to the portrait mode, the camera
automatically chooses a large aperture to achieve
a small depth of field.
SMALL TELEPHOTO LENS
Using a short telephoto lens (85mm or more)
narrows the angle of view and the portrait conveys
a more flattering expression. With a longer focal
length the depth of field decreases as well.
A short focal length (smaller than 50mm) should
be avoided.
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LARGE APERTURE
The use of a large aperture (e.g. f/2.8) enables a
narrow depth of field, so that the person is
distinctly separated from the background. The
depth of field can be so small, that only the eyes
are perfectly sharp and the tip of the nose and
the ears are slightly defocused.
The aperture determines the depth of field
Aperture 2.8
Aperture 11
1m 2m 3m 4m
PHOTO SUBJECTS – PORTRAIT

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TIP: With the Dynax 5D it is possible to choose
individual AF sensors, so it is easy to place
one of the AF sensors right on the person's
eye.
SOFT ILLUMINATION
Hard illumination, e.g. a flash coming from the
front is very unflattering. Wrinkles and little
imperfections of the skin become emphasised
by the hard illumination and the face seems
expressionless. By pointing the flash to the ceiling
or using a flash diffuser to achieve a softer light.
The results will be more pleasing, especially to
the model!
Accessory softeners like the Konica Minolta
Portrayer P filter set provide a smooth and
harmonic reproduction of skin tones.
WIRELESS FLASH
The Program Flashes 3600HS (D) and 5600HS
(D) can be controlled by wireless with the Dynax
5D. This enables the photographer to position
the flash to the side to achieve a more natural
illumination. The flash could also be positioned
behind the person to create what's known as a
headlight.
TIP: The Dynax 5D also offers a portrait sRGB
colour space for extra smooth and detailed
rendering of skin tones (The portrait colour
mode has to be set in the camera menu).
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The picture on the left which was shot with direct flash, the
picture on the right was shot with indirect flash.
Program Flash 5600HS (D)

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With a slower shutter speed a very dynamic effect
can be achieved. A slower shutter speed needs to
be set on the camera (e.g. 1/60), then the
photographer has to follow the moving subject and
during this movement the shutter has to be released.
TIP: To get good results under difficult light
conditions or with lenses with smaller
apertures, a high ISO number (e.g. ISO 800)
should be set on the camera. For short or
medium distances (up to 25 m) a Program
Flash can be used.
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Taking images of fast moving subjects is a great
challenge for both the photographer and the
camera equipment. Releasing the shutter at the
right moment is crucial for capturing an expressive
image.
SPORTING EVENTS
Filling the image area with the subject from a
distance requires lenses with a longer focal length
(over 100mm). Telephoto lenses or zoom lenses
with a large aperture (e.g. AF 100-300mm f/4.5-
5.6 APO (D)) are most suitable, so that shooting
with fast shutter speeds is still possible when the
light conditions are not perfect. This enables the
photographer to “freeze” a fast movement. The
narrow depth of field that results from the large
aperture separates the main subject from its
background for even greater emphasis.
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Lens AF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO (D)
PHOTO SUBJECTS – SPORT/ACTION

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IMAGES OF KIDS
Zoom lenses with a medium focal length – such
as the AF 28-75mm f/2.8 (D) (equivalent to 42-
113mm in 35mm format) – are perfectly suited to
most shooting conditions and they allow the
photographer to adjust the magnification very
quickly. The Autofocus of the Dynax 5D should
be set to “C” (Continuous AF) to be able to release
the shutter at any time.
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Lens AF 70-200mm/2.8 Apo G (D) SSM
CONTINUOUS ADVANCE
Thanks to the high speed Continuous Advance
of the Dynax 5D the decisive moment of even a
fast-moving subject can be captured easily. The
photographer can capture a sequence of pictures
of a moving subject , then select the best shot
afterwards.
TIP: The pre-flash for the "Red-Eye-Reduction"
has to be turned off, as otherwise an
unavoidable time lag occurs from pressing
the shutter release button to the picture being
taken. That makes a snapshot nearly
impossible. To reduce red eye on photos, the
use of a Program Flash is recommended (e.g.
3600HS (D)). Due to the larger distance from
the flash to the optical axis, the chance of
redeye is greatly reduced.
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The continuous auto focus mode of the Dynax 5D makes for
easy shooting of moving objects.

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(with the Dynax 5D an area of 23,5 x 15,7 mm
can be captured full frame) whilst remaining a
distance to the subject.
Lens AF 100mm f/2.8 Macro (D)
The extensive accessory range of the Dynax 5D
is perfectly suited capturing impressive images
of tiny objects. Not only insects and flowers can
be captured in extraordinary perspectives that
are usually concealed to us in every day life. Full
frame images can be taken of nearly everything
you can think of, such as watches, jewellery,
coins, stamps etc.
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
When you are photographing small animals like
insects, the photographer needs to keep a
distance from the subject to avoid disturbing
them or casting a shadow across the scene. A
macro lens with a long focal length (AF 100mm
f/2.8 Macro (D) or AF 200mm f/4 Macro Apo G)
offers a maximum magnification of 1:1
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PHOTO SUBJECTS – MACRO

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TIP: Due to the small depth of field in macro
shots, it is recommended to use a small
aperture (e.g. f/16). The Anti-Shake
System of the camera can effectively reduce
shake that results from the use of longer shutter
speeds.
MACRO FLASH
To achieve the best illumination conditions at
close distances and to freeze subject movement,
two special System Flashes can assist the
photographer: the Macro Ring Flash 1200 and
the Macro Twin Flash 2400. Both flashes can be
controlled automatically by the camera in all
exposure modes.
The four separately controllable flash tubes of
the Macro Ring Flash 1200 provides a constant
illumination over the whole image without the
loss of a three-dimensional impression.
The Macro Twin Flash 2400 offers nearly unlimited
flexibility and illumination options for close
distance shots. Two independent reflectors can
be positioned anywhere around the subject.
Ring Flash 1200 and Twin Flash 2400
The macro flashes perfectly control the illumination of even
small objects.

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Documenting historical, famous or modern
buildings has always been a popular subject for
ambitious photographers . The landscape mode
of the Dynax 5D is perfectly suitable for this job.
A small aperture with low ISO setting delivers
great depth of field combined with high image
quality.
The AF 20mm f/2.8 provides a great depth of
field and an emphasized perspective.
Lenses with short to medium focal lengths,
especially fixed focal lenses, are a must-have
item for any architectural photographer. In addition
using a telephoto lens lets you capture small
details or take pictures of buildings in full from
further distance.
TIP: To avoid converging verticals (parallel
lines seeming to converge at a vanishing point)
the camera should only be tilted upwards to
a small extent when photographing tall
buildings.
Reflections on a window can be used as a creative
element, or can be minimised by employing a
polarizing filter if desired.
TIP: Photographing in the "blue hour" at dawn,
when the street lights are lit can induce
very interesting and unusual lighting
effects upon the architectural scenery or
subject. Thanks to the Anti-Shake function it
is often possible to take images in the "blue
hour" without a tripod.
Picture taken at the “blue hour”
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PHOTO SUBJECTS – ARCHITECTURE

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from the available light, because it is outside of
the range of the flash light.
Effective use of the built-in flash is only possible
within its range. To illuminate a large group of
people or larger objects, a more powerful Program
Flash (2500 (D), 3600HS (D) or 5600HS (D)) is
recommended.
They are all controlled automatically by the camera,
just like the built-in flash.
For best results a tripod or at least a stable base
(like a wall) should be used. The Remote Cables
RC-1000 S or L (and also the self timer) prevent
the camera from capturing any shake.
The Anti-Shake System of the camera
enables even longer shutter speeds to be
used in low light situations.
SUNSET
Sunset mode provides special settings that meet
the extraordinary light conditions of landscapes
at dusk and dawn. The mode is optimised to
reproduce the rich, warm colours of sunsets.
A specific white balance is employed that
accentuates several shades of red that are
characteristic of the atmosphere of such scenes.
NIGHT PORTRAIT
The Night Portrait mode of the Dynax 5D is well
suited to taking images at night or in dark
surroundings. This program optimises the balance
between the available light and the flash light.
A slower shutter speed is automatically set to
achieve the right exposure for the background
The ambient light and the flash light is balanced in the Night
Portrait mode. In normal flash mode the background of such
a scene would be totally black.
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PHOTO SUBJECTS – NIGHT PORTRAIT / SUNSET

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HIGH-KEY ZONE MATCHING
High-key mode provides fine highlight detail on
images that consist of mainly bright areas.
Exposure, sensitivity and gradation are adjusted
in the best possible way so that the hightlights
do not bleach out.
LOW-KEY ZONE MATCHING
Low-key mode achieves a wide graduation of
shadow detail – on images that predominantly
consist of dark areas – without showing noise in
the dark areas.
The atmosphere, character and message of an
image are quintessentially influenced by the
distribution of black and white areas in the tonal
values. In classic photography the specific
subject-related use of illumination is described
as high-key and low-key photography. In high-
key images bright, finely distinguished highlight
tones dominate and soft illumination is provided.
Low-key images, consist predominantly of dark
tones and harsher light is employed, which
provides a three-dimensional feel that is rich in
contrast and shadow detail.
The zone matching mode of the Dynax 5D
optimises all camera settings for high-key or low-
key images.
PHOTOKNOWLEDGE – ZONE MATCHING

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WHAT IMAGE SIZE IS THE BEST TO USE?
The maximum output size of an image (how large
it can be printed), depends on the amount of data
the file contains. An A4 size print for example
needs at least 3 million pixels. So if you already
know before shooting that you only want a small
print out of the image, or you want to display it on
the internet, you can reduce the image size in
order to save space on the memory card.
TIP: Record the image always in a higher size
than you need, because you can always re-
size images on the computer later. Usually the
maximum image size is used, so that images
can be used flexibly for a lot of different
applications.
QUALITY
The topic „Quality“ determines the data format in
which the image is saved on the memory card.
In the camera menu you find the topics “Image
Size” and “Quality”. The result of both is similar in
one way, but the way they work differs a lot. Using
those functions means, that choosing a higher
“Quality” or a larger “Image Size” leads to fewer
images on the memory card.
But why are there two settings?
IMAGE SIZE (RESOLUTION)
The function of the topic „Image Size“ is pretty
simple. The CCD chip, which produces the image,
consists of millions of tiny picture elements (pixel).
Using the maximum image size, all pixels of the
CCD are used. Reducing the image size means
that not every pixel gets used. Therefore the image
size can only be 3 or 1.5 million pixels instead of
the maximum 6 million pixels.
Small Resolution Medium Resolution High Resolution
PHOTOKNOWLEDGE – SIZE / QUALITY

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RAW
Choosing RAW „Quality“, the image is always
recorded at the maximum resolution (full image
size). The RAW format saves the image data before
the actual calculations of colour, contrast, and
sharpness of the camera software start. Those
calculations have to be done afterwards on the
computer, using imaging software like the DiMAGE
Master Lite, or the optional DiMAGE Master. The
RAW format enables best image quality, but needs
some post-processing on the computer. Image
files recorded in RAW format can be very large
(approx. 8.8 MB); therefore it takes more time to
save them on the memory card.
EXTRA FINE, FINE, STANDARD
Choosing “Extra Fine”, “Fine”, or “Standard” under
the topic „Quality“, means, that images are saved
in JPEG format. In contrast to RAW, images are
compressed in JPEG format. The image size
remains the same, but the image file occupies less
space on the memory card. You can imagine
compressing an image as folding it, so that it
creases and the quality decreases.
As soon as the image is unfolded, it has its original
file size again.
„Extra Fine“, „Fine“, „Standard“ indicate how much
an image becomes folded (how much it is
compressed). The more an image is compressed,
the more image details get lost. Shooting objects
with a very fine structure, it is recommended to
use a low compression rate.
TIP: With most objects the setting “Standard”
is absolutely sufficient. The setting “Fine” or
“Extra Fine” should be used when subject
structures are very detailed.
Low JPEG Compression / High JPEG Compression

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THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF LIGHT
To expose a picture correctly a particular amount
of light is necessary. For that the camera has two
possibilities to control the amount of light. Either
the aperture can be changed or the exposure
time can be varied.
WITHOUT ANTI-SHAKE
Rule of thumb to calculate the longest safe shutter
speed without Anti-Shake:
For example, when taking a picture with a lens
of focal length 250 mm without Anti-Shake:
the longest safe shutter speed is =
1/250 mm = 1/250 s
Despite autofocus it is still possible that pictures
may be blurred. Often it is not the fault of the
autofocus system but rather the result of camera
shake. Unfortunately camera shake happens
frequently and it is a particular problem when
using slower shutter speeds and longer focal
lengths.
However, Konica Minolta’s Anti-Shake puts things
right. The high precision CCD-shift process applies
a unique stabilizing mechanism. A sensor detects
the degree of camera shake and the camera is
able to compensate for this shake by shifting the
CCD.
1
focal length (in mm) s
The Anti-Shake System instantly and precisely shifts the CCD
to compensate camera motion. (Shutterspeed example picture
1/30 sec)
The Anti-Shake unit compensates
the camera shake by shifting the CCD.
PHOTOKNOWLEDGE – ANTI-SHAKE

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MIRROR TELE LENS
Extreme telephoto capture are possible with the
AF 500 mm f/8 Reflex, the world’s first AF
telephoto mirror lens. Due to its compact and
light weight design it is extremely popular among
nature photographers.
Because of the special construction it is
equipped with a fixed aperture of f8 this
usually means a tripod is essential, but in this
case the Konica Minolta Anti-Shake System and
the high speed CCD of the Dynax 5D enable free
hand shooting in a lot of situations.
PROFESSIONAL LENSES
The SSM lenses are especially designed to fulfil
the highest quality demands of professional
photographers. The zoom lens AF 70 – 200 mm
offers a largest aperture of 2.8 over the whole
range of focal length and is the perfect tool for
a light to medium tele range.
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The high speed fixed focal length tele lens AF
300mm f/2.8 is due to its high image quality
not just a dream lens for ambitioned nature or
sports photographers.
These two brilliant lenses are perfectly
supported by the Anti-Shake System of
the Dynax 5D that shows all its power when
used in combination with a tele lens.
Both lenses with SSM functions are equipped
with the new super sonic motor that guarantees
fast and quiet focussing.
TIP: The focal length of the SSM lenses
can be extended with minimal loss of quality
using the dedicated Tele Converters AF
1.4X Apo (D) and AF 2X Apo (D).
The Anti-Shake System of the Dynax 5D
compensates the loss of light with ease.
KONICA MINOLTA - LENSES

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TIP: Discover the night sky and try out some
astrology photography. With the AF APO 600 mm
f/4 G for example, full format capture of the moon
are no problem with an effective focal length of
900 mm when mounted on the
Dynax 5D!
DT TECHNOLOGY
The lenses of the DT series (abbr. for Digital Technology)
are exclusively developed for the digital Dynax
cameras. The image circle of the lenses is adjusted
to the CCD´s size.
G SERIES
All of the G series` lenses feature high quality
components as for instance AD glass and multilayered
coating. The lenses of the G series are at the very
peak of the Dynax lens system.
FISHEYE LENS
The typical fisheye effect is perfecty suited for creative
landscape, architecture and indoor shooting. Attached
to the Dynax 5D an effective viewing angle of
approximately 120°is achieved due to the multiplying
factor of 1.5x.
TIP: Be creative and experiment with the effects
of extreme distorsion. When shooting landscape
from a straight camera position, only the
horizontal line is reproduced undistorted.
The AF 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens creates impressive pictures
with its extreme wide angle of view,
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Lens AF 16 mm f/2.8 Fisheye
Lens AF DT 11-18mm f/4,5-5,6 (D)
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