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Minolta DiMAGE F100 Minolta builds a compact, stylish 4 Megapixel model with sophisticated autofocus. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet DiMAGE F100 Photo Gallery! DiMAGE F100 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on DiMAGE F100 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & Flash Review First Posted: 04/18/2002, Updated: 05/29/2003

Exposure

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The F100 has a broad range of exposure modes and features, providing an unusual level of flexibility in this area. The Mode dial on top of the camera controls the main operating mode, with options of Auto, Manual, Playback, Movie, Audio, and Setup. Within the recording modes, however, a range of exposure modes and controls can be found in the LCD menu system. Put simply, Auto mode does exactly what you'd expect, placing the camera in control of just about everything, from aperture and shutter speed to white balance and ISO.

A new feature to Minolta digicams (and possibly the first on any digicam), is an Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection option. What this means is that the camera automatically adjusts the exposure settings depending on the type of subject or scene it thinks is being photographed. When the camera is in Auto mode, it automatically determines if the subject fits into Portrait, Night Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, or Sports Action. An icon in the LCD monitor lights to inform you which mode has been selected. (You can also manually specify which "Scene" mode you want to use by pressing the Digital Subject Program Selection button until the correct icon lights. The mode remains in effect until changed.) The automatic system activates when the Shutter button is halfway pressed. You can adjust the flash mode and exposure compensation, depending on the mode selected. This could be a great tool for novice photographers, who may not yet know a lot about photography, but still want the best exposure possible. (Remember that you might need a tripod for some shots, as the camera may use a slower shutter speed. The LCD monitor will flash a camera shake warning, or shaky-hand symbol, in such cases.) My assistant Stephanie reported good results with the auto program selection, but my own experience with it was rather spotty. - I'll revisit this topic once we can test a production model of the F100.

The Manual record mode setting on the Mode dial provides the full range of exposure features, letting you select from Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure control options (set through the Record menu). In Program AE, the camera controls both shutter speed and aperture settings, while you maintain control over Exposure Compensation, White Balance, Metering Mode, Contrast, etc. Aperture Priority mode means that you control the lens aperture setting, while the camera chooses the best corresponding shutter speed. Shutter Priority works just the opposite, as you set the shutter speed from 1/1,000 to four seconds while the camera picks the aperture. Finally, Manual exposure mode puts the user in charge of the exposure completely, and increases the shutter speed range to include a Bulb setting, for shutter times as long as 15 seconds. In all three manual adjustment modes, if the camera's internal metering system disagrees with your shutter speed and/or aperture choice, the exposure settings will turn red on the display.

Two exposure metering options are available through the settings menu in Manual record mode, Spot and Multi-Segment (default). Spot metering mode takes the exposure reading from a very small area in the center of the frame, which works well with high-contrast subjects. (A good example is a backlit portrait shot, where the subject's face is in shadow. Spot metering will let you expose just for their face, without the meter being confused by the surrounding brighter background.) Alternatively, Multi-Segment metering divides the image into 270 areas which are measured for both brightness and color. This information is then combined with the distance reading from the autofocus system to determine the best overall exposure. An Exposure Compensation button on top of the camera lets you adjust the exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments. In situations where you're not sure what the best exposure is, the Auto Exposure Bracketing mode automatically takes three shots at different exposure settings. Activated through the LCD menu, this mode snaps one image at the normal exposure, one image that's overexposed slightly, and one that's underexposed slightly. You can set images to vary by 0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 EV steps, by pressing the right and left arrow keys while in the mode. An ISO setting adjusts the camera's sensitivity to light, offering an Auto setting as well as 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO equivalents. I was somewhat disappointed that the higher ISO settings produced very high noise levels when shooting with longer exposure times. Minolta recommends exposures of no more than eight seconds at the higher ISOs, as the camera's internal noise reduction system has trouble reducing the image noise with longer exposure times.

White Balance choices include Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or Custom to correct the overall color balance. The Custom setting bases the color balance on a white card held in front of the camera. The F100 also provides an extensive array of image adjustment controls, including Sharpness, Saturation, Contrast, and Color (which offers Neutral Color, Vivid Color, and Black and White options). You can instantly check the most recently captured image by pressing the Quick View / Erase button in any record mode, and most of the Playback mode options are available.

Flash

The F100's onboard flash operates in one of four modes: Auto, Fill, Flash Cancel, and Redeye Reduction Auto. A Flash button at the top of the camera's back panel controls the flash mode, and the corresponding icon appears in the LCD monitor. Auto mode lets the camera decide when to fire the flash, based on existing light levels and the amount of backlighting, while Fill mode fires the flash with every exposure (regardless of lighting conditions). Flash Cancel simply disables the flash. Redeye Reduction Auto fires two small pre-flashes before the full flash, reducing the red reflection in the subject's eyes (known as the Redeye Effect). Minolta estimates the F100's flash as effective from 1.6 to 9.5 feet (0.5 to 2.9 meters), depending on the lens zoom setting.

A feature I appreciated is that the exposure compensation adjustment also controlled the flash power. This means you can adjust the brightness of the flash, rather than being stuck with whatever it puts out, as on some cameras.

Self-Timer / Remote Control Mode

Through the Drive setting of the Record menu, you can set the camera's drive mode to Self-Timer / Remote Control, Continuous Advance, and Auto Exposure Bracketing. When set to the Self-Timer / Remote Control mode, the F100 provides a 10-second delay between the time the Shutter button is fully pressed and when the shutter actually opens. A small LED lamp on the front of the camera lights to indicate that the timer has started, and then blinks a couple of seconds before the shutter fires. This mode also works with the optional remote control accessory, which allows you to control the camera as far as 16 feet (five meters) away. The camera automatically changes the AF mode to Single Shot whenever you select the self-timer option, so the camera will lock focus on the subject when you trip the shutter release to begin the self-timer countdown.

Continuous Advance Mode

Continuous Advance mode captures a rapid series of images for as long as the Shutter button is held down (or as long as the memory card has available space). While shot-to-shot cycle times will vary with the image resolution and quality settings chosen, the maximum speed is approximately 1.2 frames per second (with the shutter sound switched off in the Setup menu). In my own tests, I found that the F100 could grab frames as fast as 1.54 frames/second when using its smallest image size. (640x480) The actual number of images you can capture in a series depends on the image size and quality settings, and ranges from approximately four frames in large/fine mode to 156 frames in small/basic mode.

Recording Movies and Sound

Through the Movie record mode (set via the Mode dial), the F100 records moving images with sound for as long as 35 seconds. (Movie length also depends on the amount of memory card space available, or course.) Resolution is set to 320 x 240 pixels, and the amount of available recording time appears on the LCD monitor. Movie mode also works with the accessory remote control. Flash and digital zoom are disabled in this mode, but Exposure Compensation and Macro mode can be adjusted. No menu functions are available in this mode.

Indicated on the Mode dial with a microphone symbol, Audio mode records a maximum of 30 minutes of continuous sound, regardless of memory card size, at approximately 8KB per second. If you have a small card or less memory available on a longer one, the maximum recording time may be shorter. As with Movie mode, the amount of recording time available appears in the LCD monitor.

You can also record short clips of sound to accompany still images, through the Voice Memo option. In Auto mode only, this option appears in the Record menu and records either five or 15 second clips, also as selected in the Record menu.