Suhit Gupta
05-26-2004, 08:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.cnet.com/Konica_Minolta_Dimage_A2/4505-6501_7-30732519.html?tag=pdtl-img' target='_blank'>http://reviews.cnet.com/Konica_Minolta_Dimage_A2/4505-6501_7-30732519.html?tag=pdtl-img</a><br /><br /></div>"With an 8-megapixel CCD and an improved electronic viewfinder (EVF), the Konica Minolta Dimage A2 surpasses its highly regarded predecessor, the 5-megapixel Dimage A1. The new model retains the A1's high-quality 7X zoom lens, top-notch performance, and comprehensive feature set, and its new EVF is the best we've yet seen. Though the A2's images aren't the greatest for its class, the sum of its parts adds up to more than any of its competitors."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/30732519-2-200-camera+on-1.gif" /><br /><br />"The Konica Minolta Dimage A2 offers a daunting list of features. The A2's most prominent among them is the camera's 7X apochromatic GT zoom lens, which covers a multipurpose range of 28mm to 200mm (the 35mm-film equivalent) and opens to a variable maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/3.5. The A2's unique Anti-Shake image-stabilization system, which works by shifting the CCD rather than using the more typical arrangements that combine gyro sensors with movable lens elements, is also big news. Like the A1, the A2 can capture TIFF, JPEG, and RAW files, but the A2 can also capture RAW+JPEG simultaneously, a work-flow enhancement hitherto available on only a handful of pro dSLR cameras."<br /><br />Other notable points from the review - The A2 used the same body design as it did for the Dimage A1, which, though a bit clunky, is a good thing. They like the lens's manual zoom ring and the ability to manually adjust white balance, as well as the EVF's ability to tilt between 0 and +90 degrees by one-touch. Overall, the camera has an enormous number of features, a great lens, and takes fantastic pictures. It has good battery life and because of all these great points, C|Net gives it an 8.2/10, a great score for this prosumer camera.