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Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5

By: Dave Etchells & Mike Tomkins

Konica Minolta existing Z3 model gets an updated sensor, larger LCD and slightly updated control layout.

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Page 10:Camera Modes & Menus

Review First Posted: 03/28/2005

Camera Modes and Menus

Record Mode: In Record mode, the camera can capture still images, with a range of options available through the settings menu. The Exposure Mode dial sets the exposure control mode, while the LCD menu provides the following exposure options (some options are not available in all modes):

  • Record 1
    • Drive Mode: Sets drive mode to Single, Self-Timer, Continuous, Progressive, or Bracketing. The Continuous option calls up a display where you can select either Continuous Advance (indicated by three large overlaid squares) or UHS (Ultra-High Speed) Continuous Advance (indicated by five small overlaid squares).
    • Image Size: Adjusts the image resolution to 2,560 x 1,920; 2,048 x 1,536; 1,600 x 1,200; or 640 x 480 pixels.
    • Quality: Specifies the JPEG compression level for still images. Options are Fine, Standard, or Economy. In Movie mode, options are 640 x 480 Fine; 640 x 480 Standard; and 320 x 240 Standard.
    • Frame Rate: (Movie mode only.) Sets the movie recording frame rate to 15 or 30 frames per second.
    • White Balance: Adjusts the overall color balance of the scene. Options include Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, and Flash), Custom Set (manual adjustment), and Custom Recall.
    • Movie Mode: (Movie mode only.) Sets the movie recording mode to either Standard or Night Movie. (Night Movie mode uses slower shutter speeds to cope with dim lighting conditions, but as a result will produce blurred images of quickly moving objects.)
    • Focus Mode: (Scene modes only.) Selects either Autofocus or Manual focus.
    • Anti-Shake: Enables the Anti-Shake mode, which minimizes blurring due to camera movement when the lens is at full telephoto or during long exposures. You can opt for the effect to appear live in the LCD monitor when the Shutter button is half-pressed to assist with framing, or enable only during image capture to save battery life. You can also turn Anti-Shake off.
    • Auto DSP: (Auto mode only.) Enables or disables the camera's Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection feature, which attempts to select the appropriate scene mode for you. When disabled, the camera functions as if in Program mode, but Program mode options such as exposure compensation are not available.

  • Record 2 (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual and Movie modes only)
    • Focus Mode: Selects either Single, Continuous, or Manual focus control.
    • Color Mode: (Movie mode only.) Chooses whether the camera records images in Natural Color, Vivid (highly saturated) Color, Black and White, or Sepia tones.
    • Full time AF: Turns the Full time AF option on or off. If on, the camera adjusts focus continuously whenever the camera is in a capture mode.
    • Flash Mode: Sets the flash mode to Auto, Auto Red-Eye Reduction, Fill, Fill with Red-Eye Reduction, or Slow Sync modes.
    • Flash Compensation: Adjusts flash power from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in 1/3 increments.
    • Metering Mode: Designates how the camera meters the exposure. Options are Multi-Segment, Center-Weighted, and Spot.

  • Record 3 (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual modes only)
    • Sensitivity: Sets the camera's sensitivity to Auto, or to 50,100, 200, or 320 ISO equivalents. When using the Auto setting, the camera selects an ISO sensitivity of 50 - 160 automatically.
    • Color Mode: Chooses whether the camera records images in Natural Color, Vivid (highly saturated) Color, Black and White, or Sepia tones.
    • Sharpness: Adjusts the in-camera image sharpening. Options are Normal, Hard, and Soft.
    • Contrast: Controls the level of image contrast, with choices of Normal, High, and Low.
    • Key Function: Assigns a function to the Flash key. Options are Flash Mode, Drive Mode, White Balance, Focus Mode, Color Mode, and Sensitivity.

Playback Mode: This mode allows you to review captured images on the memory card, erase them, protect them, set them up for printing, etc. Pressing the Menu button displays the following options:

  • Playback 1
    • Delete: Erases the current frame, all frames, or marked frames from the memory card.
    • Format: Formats the SD/MMC memory card.
    • Lock: Write-protects the current image, all marked images or all images, preventing them from being manipulated or erased (except via card formatting). An option also exists to Unlock images.
    • Edit Movie: Lets you select a portion from the start, middle or end of movies to be discarded, preview changes, and save the results as a new file (with the option to delete the old file afterwards). (This option is only enabled if the currently selected file is a movie file.)
    • Copy: Lets you copy either the current image, or all marked images, from one Secure Digital card to another, via the camera's internal memory. You are prompted to change the card at the appropriate point. Up to 24MB of files can be copied in one operation.

  • Playback 2
    • Slide Show: Launches an automated slide show of all the images saved on the memory card.
    • Slide Show Playback: Specifies which images are played back in the slide show, either All Frames or Marked Frames. (The Marked Frames option lets you "mark" frames for playback.)
    • Slide Show Duration: Determines the interval length between images, from one to 60 seconds.
    • Slide Show Repeat: Sets whether the slide show repeats after the last image or not.

  • Playback 3
    • DPOF Set: Allows you to set up images for subsequent printing on a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)-compliant output device. You can select individual images, marked images, or all images on the card for printing. You can also cancel print settings.
    • Date Print: Turns the Date Print function on or off. If on, a DPOF printer will print the date on all images in the current print order.
    • Index Print: Turns the Index Print function on or off. If on, a DPOF printer will print an index page of all images on the memory card.
    • Email Copy: Makes a low-resolution copy of the selected image or marked images. You can make copies of either the current image alone, or of multiple images you've marked separately. Email copy images are stored in a separate "EM" folder on the memory card. (This is a fairly rare and very handy option, although I somewhat prefer Sony's implementation of it, in which the camera can be set to automatically make email-sized copies of all images as they're captured.)

Setup Mode: The following Setup menu options are accessible through both the Record and Playback menu screens, as a separate tab on the far right:

  • Setup 1
    • LCD Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the LCD display, with 11 steps of brightness adjustment possible.
    • Power Save: Sets the camera to shut itself off after 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes of inactivity.
    • Instant Playback: Turns the Instant Playback function on or off, which displays an image immediately post-capture. If enabled, the review time can be set to two or 10 seconds.
    • Lens Accessory: Specifies whether the Wide Converter lens accessory is in use.
    • Language: Changes the menu language to Japanese, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, or Swedish.

  • Setup 2
    • File # Memory: Specifies whether file numbering starts over when a card is reformatted, or a new card is inserted, or whether the numbering continues sequentially regardless of card status.
    • Folder Name: You can have the camera name the folders it stores its images in on the memory card using either the camera's standard scheme, or by Date. (The latter being a handy way to keep track of photos you've shot over a period of time.)
    • Date Time Set: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
    • Date Imprint: Turns the date imprint function on or off, overlaying the date on captured images when enabled.

  • Setup 3
    • Reset Default: Resets all camera settings to their defaults.
    • Audio Signals: Turns the camera's beep sounds on or off. You can select between a beep sound or a click sound.
    • Focus Signal: Turns the camera's focus sounds on or off. You can select between a long single beep or short double beep sound.
    • Shutter FX: Specifies the sound the shutter makes when the Shutter button is pressed, or disables the shutter sound. You can select between the sound of the Dynax / Maxxum 9 SLR, or the CLE compact rangefinder.
    • Volume: Sets the audio signal volume to 1 (low), 2, or 3 (high). Playback of movie sounds are not affected by this setting.

  • Setup 4
    • Video Output: Selects the video signal timing as either NTSC or PAL.
    • Transfer Mode: Selects either Data Storage or PictBridge USB transfer modes.
    • Digital Zoom: Turns the 4x digital zoom on and off. (Digital zoom only engages after the lens has been zoomed all the way to its max telephoto.)
    • Self-Timer: Sets the Self-Timer duration to two or 10 seconds.

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