The Konica website was unfortunately completely deluged in customers trying to download the 20 large sample images that were released alongside the announcement, and swiftly brought to its knees, figuratively speaking (not the best way to make potential customers happy - apparently Konica underestimated interest in their new announcement). We never managed to get the full spec page to load in before finally having to surrender at around 4am and get some sleep.

One has to wonder if Konica's hype will have earned them more sales, or frustration from customers however. Whilst they certainly attracted interest before their launch as evidenced by the server problems, feedback we're hearing from readers is that they'd expected a lot more camera. Where the teaser suggested a revolutionary new camera that would take its place in company history, what was actually announced was no more than a very minor update at best.

The KD-510Z features the exact same imager and lens used in its predecessor, and perhaps the most noticeable change is a slight restyling to the camera body - although that's not actually new either. The restyle is the same as that applied to the KD-400Z to arrive at the KD-410Z... So what is actually new about this camera, then?

• Focus can be locked at 1, 2 or 4 meters
• Longest exposure is now 15 seconds, up from 1 second. (These longer exposures aren't available in Program AE mode).
• Noise reduction on exposures longer than 1/2 second.
• Slow synchronisation mode added for flash.
• Exposure lock possible in Program AE mode.
• Manual exposures now possible, with 3EV step size.
• Exposure compensation now has 0.3EV step size for a total of 10 steps
• ISO sensitivity now user-selectable from a choice of 50, 100, 200 or 400
• Startup time improved by 0.1 second to 1.3 seconds
• User-adjustable flash strength
• User-adjustable image tone
• Adjustable LCD tone (brightness can be adjusted for red, green and blue channels)
• Bundled SD card increased from 16MB to 32MB

So really, other than a styling change, the camera is essentially identical to its predecessor, with the exception of the addition of some features in firmware. Whilst we'd always applaud a manufacturer who tries to improve their cameras and make them more useful, it is a shame that existing owners of the KD-500Z aren't seeing at least some of these improvements through a firmware update - and we'll leave it to readers to decide whether this list of updates is worthy of the hype Konica whipped up with its teaser campaign.

You can see 20 sample images from the Konica KD-510Z on Konica's website. Camera settings for all of the photos, which include the two that were posted before the camera's announcement, are noted on the popup pages you download the full images from. Note that the samples we looked at didn't contain any EXIF data; as always, it is impossible to tell if the images represent production camera capabilities, or if the images have been retouched in any way. At the very least, either the cameras are not yet tagging images with EXIF information, or the information has been stripped from the samples before uploading.

Konica Digital Revio KD-510Z
Type	Digital still camera with zoom lens
Record Resolution	5.0 megapixel
Image Sensor	1/1.8" 2,690 x 1,944 pixel (5.36 megapixel CCD)
Image Size	2,592 x 1,944 pixel 2,048 x 1,536 pixel 1,600 x 1,200 pixel 640 x 480 pixel Movie w/ sound (max. 30 sec.): 320 x 240 pixel
Compression	Fine / Normal
File Format	Still Image: JPEG (Exif v2.2) DCF* (Version 1.0); DPOF** (Version 1.1) Movie: AVI (MotionJPEG compatible) Sound: WAVE compatible
Storage Medium	Internal Storage: 2MB SD Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick
Lens	Hexanon Zoom Lens F2.8 (wide) / F4.9 (tele) 8 - 24mm (equivalent to a 39 - 117mm zoom lens on a 35mm film camera)
Aperture Range	F2.8 / 4.7 (wide angle); F4.9 / 8.2 (telephoto)
Focusing and Metering	CCD AF, center-weighted, spot. Focus can be fixed at 1, 2 or 4 meters.
Focusing Range	0.5m - infinity (wide angle), 0.8m - infinity (tele) Macro: 0.06m - infinity (wide angle), 0.5m - infinity (tele)
Exposure Control	Program Exposure (Wide: EV3 - EV15.5; Tele: EV4.5 - EV17). Exposure lock possible. Manual Exposure (3EV steps) Adjustable ISO sensitivity (Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400)
Shutter	Program AE: 1 - 1/2000 second. +/-1.5EV exposure compensation in 0.3EV steps. Manual Exposure: 15 - 1/1000 second (noise reduction on exposures longer than 1/2 second) Movie: 1/30 - 1/5000 second
Viewfinder	Real-Image Optical Zoom viewfinder
Flash	Built-in flash with automatic control of intensity, recharge time: approx. 5 sec., range approx. 0.5 - 3.5m (wide), 0.5 - 2.0m (tele); red LED in the viewfinder lights when charging. Slow synchro mode added.
White Balance	Automatic white balance; manual: Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent
Record Functions	Single (1.3 seconds between photos), Red-eye reduction, manual flash, night portrait, flash off, macro, infinity focus, self-timer (3 or 10 seconds), manual exposure (LCD on, displays shutter speeds), monochrome (black and white or sepia), fixed focus (1, 2 or 4 meters), digital zoom (2x, 3x), movie (320 x 240 pixels, max. 30 seconds with sound)
Customisation	ISO, flash strength, contrast, sharpness, tone, white balance, exposure compensation (10 steps)
LCD Monitor	1.5" Poly-silicon TFT LCD display with 118,000 pixels (low-temperature polysilicon), backlit. Brightness can be adjusted separately for red, green and blue channels to correct tone.
Playback	Single, Index, Slideshow, Digital Zoom; Movie, Audio, Copy Function, Format
Image Deletion	Single image, selected images, all images, format
LEDs	LED for self-timer, focus assist
Sound	Shutter, warning beep (can be disabled, front warning LED is also disabled)
Automatic Data Recording	Minute, Hour, Day, Month, Year, up to the year 2050
Power Supply	3.6V Lithium Ion Battery Pack, bundled AC adapter
Input / Output	USB
Operating Environment	0° - 50°C (Humidity: 20% - 80%)
Dimensions	94 x 56 x 29.5mm (excluding projections)
Weight	198 grams (without battery / flash card)
Standard Accessories	Lithium-Ion battery, charger, AC adapter, USB cable, strap, 32MB memory card
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