Minolta Dimage S404Dimage technology and optics in a compact, stylish four megapixel design<<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & FlashReview First Posted: 1/30/2002 |
Exposure
The S404 offers very flexible exposure control, with a range of exposure options and special shooting modes available to choose from. The Mode dial sets the camera's main operating mode, and includes both Auto and Manual record mode settings, referring to the amount of exposure control available. In Auto mode, for example, the camera remains in control of shutter speed and aperture settings, as well as the White Balance, Color, Sharpness, Light Sensitivity (ISO), etc. The Manual record mode setting provides the full range of exposure features, plus allows you to select from Program, Aperture Priority, and Manual exposure control options. 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. Finally, Manual exposure mode puts the user in charge of the exposure completely. Shutter speeds on the S404 range from 1/1,000 to 4 seconds, with a Bulb setting allowing exposures as long as 15 seconds.
Two exposure metering options are available through the settings menu in Manual record mode, Spot and Multi-Segment. Spot metering mode takes the exposure reading from a very small area in the center of the frame, and is useful with subjects that are much brighter or darker than the background. Alternatively, Multi-Segment metering divides the image into 270 areas which are measured separately for luminance and color. The resulting information is then combined with the distance reading from the camera's autofocus system to determine the best overall exposure. An Exposure Compensation button on top of the camera allows you to 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 takes three images at different exposure settings in rapid succession. Activated by pressing the Drive Mode button until the Bracketing icon appears on the LCD monitor, this mode snaps one image at the normal exposure, one image overexposed slightly, and one underexposed slightly. Through the settings menu, you can set the exposure step for the bracketing to 0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 EV units.
White Balance can be set to Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or Custom to adjust the color response of the camera to match the ambient lighting. The Custom option bases the color balance on a white card held in front of the camera, and accommodates the widest range of lighting conditions at some cost of convenience. The S404 also provides an extensive array of image adjustment controls, including Sharpness, Saturation, Contrast, and Color (which offers Full Color and Black and White options). The S404 features an adjustable sensitivity setting, with an Auto mode as well as 64,100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents.
Flash
The S404 is equipped with a built-in flash unit, which operates in one of five modes: Auto, Fill, Flash Cancel, Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, and Fill with Red-Eye Reduction. The Flash button on top of the camera controls the flash mode, and the corresponding icon appears in the LCD monitor. Auto mode lets the camera choose when to fire the flash, based on existing light levels, while Fill mode fires the flash with every exposure (regardless of lighting conditions). Flash Cancel simply disables the flash. The two Red-Eye Reduction modes fire two small pre-flashes before the full flash, making the pupils of your subjects' eyes contract, reducing the red reflection from their eyes (known as the Red-Eye Effect). Minolta estimates the S404's flash as effective from 1.6 to 11.5 feet (0.5 to 3.5 meters). (I'll test the flash range once I receive a final production unit for testing.)
Self-Timer / Remote Control Mode
The Drive Mode button on top of the camera accesses the Self-Timer / Remote Control mode, as well as the Continuous Shooting and Auto Exposure Bracketing modes, when pressed sequentially. When set to the Self-Timer mode, the S404 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 infrared remote control accessory, which allows you to control the camera from as far away as 16 feet (5 meters).
Continuous Shooting
Also accessed through the Drive Mode button, Continuous Shooting mode captures
a rapid succession 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 1.3 frames per second. (I measured a production model
S404 at a frame rate of 1.25 frames/second, very close to Minolta's claimed
1.3 fps rating.)
Recording Movies and Sound
Through the Movie record mode (set via the Mode dial), the S404 records moving images with sound. Movies are recorded at a 320 x 240 frame size, although the actual "live" area is 284 x 211 pixels. While the manual seemed to indicate that movies longer than 60 seconds in duration could be recorded, our prototype unit was restricted to 60 seconds of recording time. Movie mode also works with the accessory remote control. Macro mode and Exposure Compensation are the only functions available in Movie mode. White balance and sensitivity default to automatic, and both flash and digital zoom are disabled. You can zoom the lens before you start recording, but once a movie is in progress, no further zoom adjustment is permitted. No specification is given by Minolta for the frame rate of the S404's movie recording mode.
Through the record settings menu, the S404 also allows you to record short clips of sound to accompany images. Voice Memo mode records either five or 15 seconds of audio per image.
Preset Scene Modes
The Subject Program button on top of the camera (adjacent to the status display panel) selects between a range of preset "Scene" shooting modes, including Macro, Portrait, Landscape, Night, Text, and Text with Macro. These modes optimize the camera for a range of common shooting conditions. As we discussed in the Optics section, Macro mode alters the focus range of the lens for closer, smaller subjects. In Macro mode, focus ranges from 6.2 to 23 inches (0.16 to 0.6 meters). Portrait mode employs a larger lens aperture setting, which reduces the depth of field, throwing the background out of focus to increase the prominence of the main subject. Alternatively, Landscape mode uses a smaller aperture setting, which keeps both the foreground and background in clear focus. The Night setting shifts the autoexposure system to prefer longer shutter speeds, producing brighter pictures. Night mode also synchronizes the flash for night portraits, balancing the exposure of the subject and the background. In Text mode, the S404 increases the contrast to accurately capture black text on top of a white background. Text with Macro mode works along similar lines, though it changes the focus range for the macro area.
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