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Konica Minolta Dynax Maxxum 7D

At long last, Minolta SLR owners have a *very* worthy body to use with their lens collections!

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Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus

Review First Posted: 11/27/2004, Updated: 02/01/2005

Camera Modes and Menus

Capture Mode: When powered on, the camera is automatically placed into Record mode. The Exposure Mode dial on top of the camera sets the main shooting mode, with the following options:

  • Manual: Provides complete user control over the exposure, including both aperture and shutter speed settings. A Bulb shutter setting also becomes available in this mode, allowing variable length exposures for as long as you hold down the shutter button.
  • Shutter Priority: Allows the user to set the shutter speed, from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds, while the camera selects the most appropriate aperture setting.
  • Aperture Priority: The opposite of Shutter Priority, this mode puts the user in control of the aperture setting while the camera selects the best shutter speed. (The aperture range will vary with the lens in use.)
  • Program AE (Program Shift): This mode places the camera in control over both aperture and shutter speed, while the user has access to all other menu functions. Turning either the Front or Rear Control dials while half-pressing the Shutter button cycles through a range of equivalent exposure settings, enabling the Program Shift mode.
  • Full Auto: This mode places the camera in control entirely of the exposure, though the user can adjust the exposure compensation and determine the flash mode.
  • Memory Settings (1, 2, and 3): The three Memory settings on the Exposure Mode dial call up a set of saved camera settings.
Playback Mode: The Playback button on the rear panel accesses Playback mode, where you can review captured images. The left and right arrow keys scroll through the images on the card, and the up arrow displays a histogram and information display and the down arrow rotates the image. You can enlarge captured images or display them in an index format for quick viewing.

Camera Menus
Pressing the Menu button provides access to the camera's full menu system. The following options are available in most camera modes as menu tabs at the top of the display:
  • Record 1:
    • Image Size: Sets the pixel dimensions of captured still images. Choices are 3,008 x 2,000 pixels (Large); 2,256 x 1,496 (Medium); and 1,504 x 1,000 (Small).
    • Quality: Specifies the compression level of still images. Options are RAW, RAW& JPEG, Extra Fine, Fine, and Standard. RAW is a proprietary format, for use with Konica Minolta's DiMAGE Viewer software only. (It captures the data directly from the CCD, and losslessly compresses it). RAW & JPEG simultaneously records both a separate RAW and JPEG version of each image as it is captured. (Note though, that RAW + JPEG mode is quite slow, as the camera apparently has to wait for each shot to write to the memory card before it can capture the next one.)
    • Color Mode: Selects the color mode. Choices are Natural (sRGB), Natural Plus (sRGB), and Embedded Adobe RGB. Note that the two sRGB modes and Adobe RGB are completely different RGB color spaces. (Use the sRGB modes unless you're working in a color-managed environment that supports Adobe RGB.)
    • Digital FX: Accesses the Digital Effects screen, which adjusts image Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, and Hue from -2 to +2 arbitrary units.
    • Record Mode Reset: Resets the record mode settings to their defaults.

  • Record 2:
    • Flash Mode: Choose from Fill-Flash, Red-Eye Reduction, Rear Flash Sync, and Wireless. Rear Flash Sync is a slow-sync option that combines slower shutter speeds with the flash. The "Rear Flash" refers to what is commonly known as rear-curtain sync, in which the flash fires just before the shutter closes, rather than just after it opens. With rapidly moving subjects, this produces motion blurs that trail the sharp, flash-exposed image, rather than preceding it. The Wireless setting allows the flash to work with wireless and remote slave units, with four available channels. Wireless operation with Konica Minolta's excellent 5600HS[D] flash unit is very smooth.
    • Flash Control: Selects the flash metering method. Options are ADI Flash, which uses distance information from the autofocus system together with a pre-flash to determine flash exposure, or Pre-flash TTL, which uses only the preliminary metering flash to gauge exposure before the shutter opens. The Manual option lets you control the flash output directly, and enables the following menu option.
    • Power Ratio: (Available only when Manual is selected above.) Manually adjusts the flash output to Full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16 power.
    • Bracketing Setup: Establishes the number of frames and the exposure increment for Auto Exposure Bracketing mode. Choose between either three or five frames, and 0.3 or 0.5 EV step sizes.
    • Flash Bracketing Setup: Offers the same options as above, only for the flash exposure bracketing.
    • Bracket Order: Designates the order of bracketed exposures, placing the default exposure either first or in the middle of the series.

  • Record 3:
    • Instant Playback: Enables an instant review of the most recently captured image, or disables it. Display times include 10, five, or two seconds.
    • Setup: (Available only when Instant Playback is active.) Controls the type of display for image review. Options are Image Only, Image and Information, and Image and Histogram.
    • Noise Reduction: Turns the Noise Reduction function on or off.
    • Interval: Lets you setup the Interval shooting mode, or starts Interval shooting. This control sets the interval between exposures anywhere from 30 seconds to 60 minutes, in increments that vary from 30 seconds to 15 minutes over its range. You can also set the number of frames to be shot, from two to 240, and the delay time for starting the series, anywhere from no delay to 24 hours.

  • Playback 1:
    • Delete: Lets you delete the current photo, all photos, or only marked photos.
    • Format: Formats the CompactFlash card, erasing all files (even protected ones). There is an option to cancel, in case you select "Format" accidentally.
    • View Folder: Selects the folder on the memory card to view in Playback mode.
    • Folder Name: Selects the folder to be viewed, if "Single Folder" is selected above.
    • Lock: "Locks" captured images to prevent accidental erasure. (NOTE: This protects against "delete" operations, but not against card reformatting.) You can lock marked frames, all images in a folder, all images on the card, unlock the folder, or unlock the card.
    • Index Format: Lets you choose between four-, nine-, or 16-image thumbnail image displays.

  • Playback 2:
    • Slide Show: Initiates a slide show of photos on the memory card.
    • DPOF Set: Sets up photos for DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) printing on a compatible standalone printer. This selection lets you choose whether to print the current photo, all photos, or only marked photos.
    • Date Imprint: Chooses whether or not to print the date on all photos in your DPOF order.
    • Index Print: Chooses whether or not to include an index print of all photos in your DPOF order.
    • Cancel Print: Deletes all print orders on the card, or in the current folder.

Custom Menu Options:
The following menu options are available in any exposure mode, and are accessed through the Custom tab at the top of any menu screen.

  • Custom 1:
    • AF / Shutter Release Priority Setup: Designates the priority of the Shutter button as AF or Release. The AF option will not release the shutter unless focus is set, while the Release setting trips the shutter even if AF is not established.
    • Focus-Hold Button Setup: Sets the function of a lens' Focus Hold button. Options are Focus Hold (locks the lens) and Depth of Field Preview (previews the depth of field in the viewfinder).
    • AF/MF Button Setup: Customizes the operation of the AF/MF button on the rear panel. Options are Hold and Toggle.
    • AE Lock Button Setup: Through this option, you can set the operation of the AE Lock button to AE Hold (hold the button down to lock exposure, exposure lock is released when you let go of the button), AE Toggle (press and release to lock exposure), Spot AE Hold, or Spot AE Toggle.
    • AF with Shutter Release Button: If this function is set to on, the autofocus system activates with a half-press of the Shutter button.
    • Auto AF Setup: Designates the operation of the Auto AF focus mode selection on the Focus Mode dial. Auto AF automatically switches between Single and Continuous AF modes, while the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) mode lets you manually focus after an initial AF reading.

  • Custom 2:
    • Control Dial Setup: Controls the operation of the front and rear control dials in Full Auto, Program, and Manual exposure modes. You can set the Front and Rear Control dials to control either shutter speed or aperture.
    • Control Dial (Exposure Compensation) Setup: Assigns exposure compensation to either the Front or Rear control dial.
    • Control Dial Lock: When activated, this lock prevents you from making any exposure changes unless the exposure system has been activated by one of the camera controls. If inactive, you can adjust the exposure at any time.
    • Exposure Compensation Setup: Designates whether the main Exposure Compensation dial adjusts the ambient exposure only, or the ambient exposure and the flash (if flash is in use).
    • AF Illuminator: Enables the flash as an AF illuminator, for use in very dark shooting conditions.

  • Custom 3:
    • Shutter Lock: If enabled, this lock prevents the shutter from opening when a lens is not attached to the camera (protecting the CCD from dust).
    • AF Area Setup: Sets the length of time that the AF area is illuminated in the viewfinder display to either 0.3 or 0.6 seconds.
    • Monitor Display Setup: Designates whether the viewfinder eye sensors are active. If active, the viewfinder display only enables when your eye is in the viewfinder.
    • Recording Display Setup: Designates whether the camera automatically rotates vertically-shot images in Playback mode (Auto Rotate option), or displays them horizontally.
    • Anti-Shake Viewfinder Display: Activates or deactivates the Anti-Shake scale in the viewfinder.

  • Custom 4:
    • ISO Button Setup: Designates whether the ISO button controls camera sensitivity or Zone Matching. (Zone Matching is used for recording high or low key scenes.)
    • ISO Menu Setup: Sets the ISO range to end at 1,600 or 3,200 equivalent settings.
    • M Set Button: Assigns the function of the Memory Set button to Memory settings or Menu Shortcut.
    • Custom Reset: Resets the Custom menu options to their defaults.

Setup Menu Options:
Like the Custom menu, the following menu options are available in any exposure mode, and are accessed through the Setup tab at the top of any menu screen.

  • Setup 1:
    • LCD Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the EVF or LCD display, with eleven steps of brightness adjustment available for each.
    • Transfer Mode: Sets the data transfer mode to Data Storage or PTP (for PictBridge connection to compatible printers, or to Windows XP and Mac operating system utilities for digital cameras).
    • Video Output: Select either NTSC or PAL timing for the video output signal.
    • Audio Signals: Activates an audio confirmation of the AF system when the Shutter button is halfway pressed.
    • Language: Sets the language for menu screens to Japanese, English, Spanish, German, French, Swedish, Italian, or Chinese.
    • Date and Time Setup: Sets the camera's internal clock and calendar.

  • Setup 2:
    • File# Memory: Chooses whether or not to number images sequentially across memory cards. If set to "yes," the 7D will remember the last number used to name a file, even if a different card is inserted.
    • Folder Name: Selects the folder naming scheme as either Standard or Date format. Date format integrates the current date into the folder name, to help keep track of images on your computer later.
    • Select Folder: As an aid to organizing large numbers of photos, the 7D lets you set up separate folders on the memory card. If you have more than one folder defined, this menu selection lets you choose which you want to use to save photos in.
    • New Folder: Creates a new folder to save photos on the memory card, with a name of your choosing.

  • Setup 3:
    • LCD Backlight: Specifies the period of time before the LCD backlight turns off to conserve power. Times are 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds.
    • Auto Power Save: Sets idle delay before the camera shuts itself off to conserve power. Options are 1, 3, 5, 10, or 30 minutes.
    • Menu Section Memory: Sets the camera to remember which menu section was last opened, automatically returning to that section when the Menu button is pressed.
    • Delete Confirmation: Turns the delete confirmation screen on or off.
    • Clean CCD: Sets up the camera for cleaning the CCD, raising the mirror and opening the shutter for clear access. A confirmation screen appears to confirm the action. (Once opened, turn the camera off to close the shutter again.)
    • Reset Default: Resets all menu choices to their factory default values. (Very handy for getting back to "square one" after making a number of settings changes.)

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