Minolta DIMAGE 7I - SOFTWARE User manual

www.minoltaeurope.com The essentials of imaging
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• Succesor of Popular DiMAGE 7
• Highest Image Quality –
5.24 Megapixel (total) 2/3 in CCD
• Complete Flexibility –
Minolta GT Lens 28 - 200 mm*
and Full Range of System
Accessories
• Fast Convenient –
Improved AF System
• Improved Digital Technology
• Attractively Designed
* Equivalent to 35mm format

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Recording Art
Business
Play
Mobile
users
People who make use of
images for business pur-
poses
Users whose profession is
creating and processing
images
Home
users
Picture-ori-
ented PC
users Photography
buffs
Intelligent
early
adopters
Target Consumers
Hobbyists

www.minoltaeurope.com The essentials of imaging
MAIN TARGET USERS:
Picture-oriented PC users who care about
picture quality and functions
(general consumer market)
SUB TARGET USERS
Photo enthusiasts and hobbyist
People who make use of images for business
purposes (business user market)
Main purposes: presentations, image databases,
reports, and printing (simplified
printing)
Business field: medical specialists, R&D centres,
factories, magazines, news
media, government offices, and
general companies
Characteristics of target users:
• Most users have conventional cameras for silver-
halide film material and feel a sense of closeness
to photography.
• They use computers for various applications and
have some knowledge of image editing software.
• They find great value in using digital images
(speed, cost, convenience).
• They have a strong desire to take high-level
pictures, and thus rather than compactness, they
place more emphasis on functions including
picture quality, controllability, flexibility with
scenes and prefer a large number of manual
mode functions.
• Hobbyist aged 30 to 60 who is willing to spend
money (choosing performance rather than price)
and has selective tastes.
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Target Consumers

Selling Arguments
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Highest Image Quality
5.24 Megapixel 2/3in CCD
Newly Developed Image Process System
CxProcess (“Clear and Excellent Images“)
12 bit A/D (Analogue to Digital) Converter
Based on LSI (Large Scale Integration) Chip
for Super Fast Image Processing
User benefits:
• Fine print quality.
It is possible to create enlargements up to approx.
A3 size (ink-jet printer resolution), with DiMAGE 7i
• Vivid reproduction of colours, close to the limit
of the human eyes’ colour perception
• Clearer images at high-frequency ranges.
Suitable for landscape photography and far
away objects
• 12 bit A/D processing - discriminates 4096
levels of R, G, and B for each pixel
8bit Output 8bit Output
12bit Input 10bit Input

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Improved version of Minolta´s proprietary
Image Process System CxProcess
(“Clear and Excellent Images“)
The CxProcess takes advantage of the high-reso-
lution CCD to effortless perform edge treatment
achieving sharp and high-contrast images with
good quality. It also provides a fine representation
of shaded area and it reproduces colours extremly
faithfully.
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Selling Arguments
Resolution
Contrast Clear
Reproduction of
shaded areas
Sharp ColoursNoise
Sharpness: Reproducing of full details of the
object. Providing a sense of dimensionality by
increasing low-frequency contrast.
Colour reproduction: Rendering colours like
human skin or the green of trees as faithfully as
possible. Colours are rendered without flashiness,
but with a vividness that fixes them in the memory.
Yellow Area: CxProcess
Gradation: Skin tones are presented smoothly.
Images are given a lucid, transparent clarity. Sufficient
range of reproduction from dark areas to bright areas
Noise: The actual feel of the scene is presented,
without letting the noise run wild yet not simply glos-
sing it over.

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Highest Image Quality
Ultra High Resolution Minolta GT 7X APO
zoom lens
Two AD (Anomalous Dispersion) glass
lenses and two dual aspheric glass ele-
ments
NEW: Dual-focal Macro System (used at
telephoto and wide-angle position)
Aspheric lens (moulded glass aspheric lens)
Anomalous dispersion glass
Optical System
greatest telephoto
widest angle
User benefits:
• Details can be kept sharp by suppressing
chromatic aberration
• Megapixel compatible lens can provide clear
images to a 7 million pixel 2/3in type CCD
16 elements in 13 groups
Selling Arguments

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Complete Flexibility
Minolta GT Optical 7X Zoom with
One Touch 2X Digital Zoom
7X Optical Zoom + 2X Digital Zoom
= 14X Zoom Ratio
28mm (Wide Angle) to 400mm (Telephoto)*
Super Macro up to 13cm from lens
Max. Magnification: 0.7X*
NEW: Dual-Focal Macro system can be
used in at both telephoto and wide angle
Large Aperture f2.8 (28 mm) - f3.5 (200 mm)
* Equivalent to 35mm format
User benefits:
• Suitable for a variety of applications ranging
from landscape photos to travel, sports events
and business purposes
• Improved motion dumping function to reduce
blurring
• Ideal for applications which use telephoto, such
as athletic meets
• Macro performance makes it suitable for shoot-
ing insects as well as flowers
• Real wide angle with 28 mm, which is not usu-
ally to build in conventional DSCs
• Even with the Digital Zoom, images are cap-
tured at a high resolution of 1.3 Megapixels
Selling Arguments

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Focal lengths from 28 mm to 50 mm are
suitable for wide angle photos, especially
architecture.
Mid-range focal lengths and short telepho-
to are the best choice for shooting portraits
without standing too close to the subject.
Telephoto lenses bring the objects closer and make good nature and sports photos (200 mm and more). In
special cases the digital zoom should be activated. This Super Telephoto lets objects appear even closer.
28 mm 35 mm 50 mm
100 mm 115 mm 140 mm
200 mm 222 mm 285 mm 308 mm 400 mm
optical digital DiMAGE 7i 28-200mm (digital up to 400mm)
optical digital DiMAGE X 37-111mm (digital up to 222mm)
optical digital
optical digital DiMAGE F100 38-114mm (digital up to 285mm)
DiMAGE S404 35-140mm (digital up to 308mm)
28mm 35mm 50mm 100mm 200mm 300mm 400mm 500mm
All focal lengths correspond to 35mm format.
Selling Arguments

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Complete Flexibility – Improved AF
High precision 3-point wide AF supported
by automatic monitor amplification
NEW: Faster Autofocus
NEW: DMF (Direct Manual Focus)
Flex Focus Point (FFP) = Movable AF
Cross Hair
NEW: Grid and scale displays
NEW: Real-time Histogram
User benefits:
• Autofocus possible with a light source as low as
Bv 6 (Ev -1, ISO 100)
• SLR-type focussing screen allows selection of
the desired image, for easier composition
• With the Real-time Histogram exposure can be
checked before shooting
Selling Arguments
Flex-Focus-Point (FFP)

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Complete Flexibility –
High Performance AE
Multi Segment Metering with 300 segments
Centre Weighted Average
Spot Metering
P/S/A/M Modes with ”P” Reset
Program Shift
NEW: Exposure time from 4 s to 1/4000 s
bulb exposure up to 30 s
ISO setting Auto/100/200/400/800
User benefits:
• Taking impressive pictures easily
• The presets for Sunset, Night Portrait, Portrait,
Sports/Action and Text allow the photographer
to concentrate entirely on framing the pictures
he wants
Selling Arguments
Complete Flexibility –
Digital Functions
Digital Subject Programm Selection
• Sports, Portrait, Sunset, Night Portrait, and Text
White-Balance
• Auto, Custom, Preset (daylight, cloudy, tung-
sten, fluorescent)

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Complete Flexibility –
Flash Functions
NEW: Improved Flash metering (for macro)
If macro lever is switched or while the macro
flash is mounted, the aperture adjustment
interval is enlarged, and when the sensitivity
is on auto, sensitivity is automatically set to
ISO 100.
NEW: Flash modes added (Wireless Flash)
Wireless /Remote flash mode in addition to
Autoflash, Fill Flash, Red-Eye Reduction
and Rear Flash Sync
NEW: PCT-100 for cord synch
This cord synch adapter allows to activate
studio flashes via cable.
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NEW: Flash Control
For manual flash operating (with external or
older flashes) the pre-flash is omitted from
the sequence to shorten the shutter-release
time lag. The guide number of the internal
flash can be changed to activate a slave
flash without pre-flash.
Selling Arguments

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Complete Flexibility –
Full range of system accesory
Compatible with Dynax Accessories
• External High Power Flash
(3600HS-D and 5600HS-D)
• External Macro Flashes*
(Macro Ring Flash 1200, Twin Flash 2400)
• Remote Cords (RC-1000S/L)
External Battery Pack
49mm Filter Thread
NEW: PC Flash Adapter
• Mounting flash with sync cord and it facilitates
the connection of flashes (studio flashes to
Dimage 7i/7/5).
User benefits:
• Higher photographic potential and more free-
dom of expression by combining the camera
with accessories
• Improved productivity and picture quality in the
professional field
• Although designed for amateurs, the Digital Still
Camera (DSC) also allows professional shoot-
ing (e.g. macro photos with flash in the medical
field)
• Flash attachment turns consumer DSC into a
studio-quality camera, suitable for product pho-
tos or medical use.
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Selling Arguments

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Fast Convenient – Improved AF
System & High Speed Operations
NEW: Faster Processing
• Raising the clock frequency of the image pro-
cessing LSI chip to 90 Mhz (from 70 Mhz)
NEW: Faster Autofocus (twice of the
DiMAGE 7)
• Edge Width Sensing for faster Autofocus
• Adjustable CCD readout in AF mode
• Faster stepping motor
NEW: Reset of focus in manual mode
NEW: Shorter time lag for shutter release
NEW: UHS continous advanced
• Five times faster than continous advanced
(approx. 7 fps )
User benefits:
• Improved tracking enables fast and accurate
focussing
• In the UHS continous advanced the DiMAGE 7i
uses a progressive SXGA readout to photo-
graph fast scenes
Selling Arguments
Power management
• Although the clock frequency is raised, the
power consumption is less than the DiMAGE 7.
• During non-operational periods the clock fre-
quency decreases
• A new digital-digital converter provides a lower
voltage level where batterie exhaustion shuts
down the camera

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Improved Digital Functions –
for Easy Operation
Versatile electronic viewfinder (EVF)
• Colours reproduced in the EVF look closer to
the colours reproduced on a sRGB Monitor
NEW: Improved low-temperature poly-
silicon high-contrast LCD with wide
viewing angle
NEW: Vivid colour mode
NEW: Black and White toned colours by
using digital filter
NEW: Improved Digital Effects Control and
Digital Enhanced Bracketing
• New Fuction Filter is added to contrast, expo-
sure and colour saturation
NEW: Data imprinting function
• Text entry with French as German specials
(mounted vowels)
NEW: Grid and scale displays
• Comparable to L and S Type focussing screens
for SLR cameras
Selling Arguments
User benefits:
• Using filter opens a wide range of photographic
experience. Possible to adjust and check all
images as necessary through the viewfinder
before shooting.
• Well suited for mobile use
• Complete paralax-free viewing through the EFV
and seening 100% of the image

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Improved Digital Functions –
for using Movie Functions
Movie recording with sound
• 60 s (max.) with monoaural audio and image
size 320 x 240 Pixel
Time laps movie
• 4 fps with 640 x 480 Pixel
UHS continous advanced movie
• approx. 7 fps with 640 x 480 Pixel
16-bit WAVE sources for operating sounds
Voice Memo adds sound to still images
Voice Memo without a still image
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Selling Arguments
User benefits:
• Clear sound effects indicate each control and
shutter operation
• Voice memo recording can be changed or
replaced after shooting
• Added fun: Movies with sound
• Added experience: Interval and time lapse movies

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Design and Construction
Attractive and Durable Magnesium Alloy
Body
NEW: Pleasing metallic finish
NEW: Comfortable, easy-to-hold grip
Ergonomically Comfortable
NEW: New four-way controller design
• Centre of the controller and four-way key are
seperate
Small and Lightweight
NEW: Heat Countermeasures
• Optimal prevent of heat for CCD and CF-Card
User benefits:
• High-definition exterior matches its excellent
performance
• Lightweight yet highly durable to give a sense
of reliability
• Users feel it is fun and satisfying to own this
camera
Selling Arguments

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DiMAGE 7i DiMAGE 7
Number of pixels
(total/effective)
5.24 Megapixels/
5.0 Megapixels
5.24 Megapixels/
5.0 Megapixels
Software
CxProcess
Improved CxProcess:
Changed algorithm for
color processing to pro-
duce color with high
dynamic range.
Reworked near-infrared
cutoff filter
CxProcess to prevent
highly saturated sections
from jumping. Result
was that normal color
Saturation had some
loss of vividness
Digital Effect
• Contrast
• Exposure compensation
• Colour saturation
• Colour filter effect
(7 steps colour/11
steps B&W)
• Solarization
• Contrast
• Exposure compensation
• Colour saturation
Movie Function
• 15 fps, max. 60 s
• with sound
• UHS Movies (approx.
7 fps, 640 x 480 pixel
without sound)
• Time lapse movie (4 fps)
• 15 fps, max. 60 s
DiMAGE 7i DiMAGE 7
Software
Histogram
• Histogram in QV or
playback
• Realtime Histogram
• Histogram in QV or
playback
Flash
Compensation
• Flash compensation
over buttons
• Flash compensation
over menu
Text input
• Alphanumeric and
symbol input
• Full text input (soft key-
board) French and
German accents,
Japanese Katakana
• Alphanumeric and
symbol input

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DiMAGE 7i DiMAGE 7
Hardware
Autofocus
• Wide focus area
• Flex Focus point
• Adjustable CCD rea-
dout (30 or 60fps)
• Scanning speed 20
cycles per frame
• Returnes to the original
position in manual mode
• Edge width sensing
• DMF (Direct manual
focus)
• Grid and scale displays
(Comparable to L and S
Type focussing screens
for SLR cameras)
• Wide focus area
• Flex Focus point
• Readout 24fps
• Scanning speed 15
cycles per frame
• Reset of focus in
manual mode
Display
• Polysilicon color TFT
• 118,000 pixels
• wide angel view
• approx. twice as sharp
• 1.1 times better range
of color reproduction
• about 5 times better
response rate
• Amorphous-silicon
color TFT
• 122,000 pixels
EVF • EVF sRGB color match • Normal color display
DiMAGE 7i DiMAGE 7
LSI Chip
frequency
• 72Mhz to 90 Mhz auto-
matically changeble
• 72 MHz
Shutter Speed • 4-1/4000 s
• Bulb (max. 30 s)
• 2-1/2000 s
• Bulb (max. 15 s)
Flash metering • Manual flash control • only auto control
Drive Mode
• UHS continuous
advance: approx 7 fps
at 1280*960
• Standart continuous
advance: approx 2 fps
• Standart continuous
advance: approx 1.3fps
Audio
• Voice memo 15 s (max.)
• File format WAVE
• Sampling 16bit, 8kHz
• Audio signals
•