Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5By: Dave Etchells & Mike TomkinsKonica Minolta existing Z3 model gets an updated sensor, larger LCD and slightly updated control layout. <<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 9:Operation & User InterfaceReview First Posted: 03/28/2005 |
With only a handful of external camera controls and a well-organized LCD menu system, the DiMAGE Z5's user interface is straightforward and easy to grasp. The Mode dial on the rear panel controls the camera's main operating mode (as well as whether the LCD display's image is routed to the rear panel or the EVF eyepiece, image playback only being possible on the LCD), while the Exposure Mode dial sets the level of exposure control you have. Though only a few exposure options can be controlled externally, the Z5's efficiently laid out LCD menu system is easy to understand and relatively quick to navigate. Each menu is divided up into pages with tabs at the top of the screen, so you can quickly scan each page without scrolling through a long list of options. Given the camera's straightforward setup and user-friendly design, most users should be able to operate the camera right out of the box, referring to the manual only for more complex operations.
External Controls
Shutter Button: Angled down slightly on the camera's top panel, this button
sets focus and exposure when pressed halfway, and fires the shutter when fully
pressed.
Macro Button: Behind the Shutter button on the top panel, this
button controls the macro focus mode, cycling between normal AF, Macro, and
Super Macro modes.
Flash Button: Alongside the Macro button, this button cycles through the
available flash modes in any Record mode. Options include Auto, Red-Eye Reduction,
Fill Flash, and Slow-Sync. The pop-up flash is disabled altogether by lowering
it against the camera body.
Exposure Mode Dial: Sitting atop the back edge of the handgrip,
this ribbed dial selects the camera's exposure mode with the following options:
Auto:
Puts the camera in charge of all the exposure variables, including aperture
and shutter speed. The user controls only flash mode, zoom, macro mode, and
file size and quality settings.
Movie:
Indicated on the Exposure Mode dial by a black film camera icon, this mode
records moving images with sound.
Program
AE (P): This mode puts the camera in control of aperture and shutter
speed, the user retaining control over all other exposure variables.
Aperture
Priority (A): Here, the user controls the aperture setting, while
the camera selects the best corresponding shutter speed.
Shutter
Priority (S): The opposite of Aperture Priority mode, this mode lets
the user choose the shutter speed setting while the camera selects the lens
aperture.
Manual
(M): This mode provides complete user control over the exposure.
Night
Portrait: Marked on the Exposure Mode dial with an icon of a person
with a star above them, this mode sets up the camera for capturing portraits
in low-lit situations. Because the camera is using a slower shutter speed
here, a tripod is recommended for the best results.
Sunset:
Indicated by a beach scene with a setting sun on the Exposure Mode dial, this
mode adjusts the white balance system to preserve the warm colors of a sunset
without compensating for them. It also biases the exposure system to produce
a slight underexposure, to prevent the sky colors from being washed out.
Landscape:
This mode is indicated by an icon of a pair of mountains with a person in
front on the Exposure Mode dial. Here, the camera uses a smaller lens aperture,
so that both the background and foreground will be in sharp focus.
Sports
Action: Marked on the Exposure Mode dial by an icon of a running
person, this mode uses faster shutter speeds to "freeze" fast-paced
action.
Portrait:
An icon of a woman's head indicates this mode on the Exposure Mode dial. In
Portrait mode, the camera employs a larger lens aperture setting, which decreases
the depth of field. This produces a sharply focused image of the subject,
in front of a slightly blurred background.
Zoom Control: Crowning the top right corner of the rear panel,
just beneath the Exposure Mode dial, this two-way rocker button controls the
optical and digital zoom in Record mode. In Playback mode, this button controls
the playback zoom setting, digitally enlarging the image as much as 4x.
Four-Way Arrow Pad and OK Button: Roughly centered on the camera's rear
panel, this multi-directional rocker button and center fixed button serve
as the camera's main navigational tool. The multi-directional rocker button
navigates through settings menus, moving the selection up, down, left, or
right. The center button acts as the "OK" button, to confirm any
changes. In Manual exposure mode, the right and left keys adjust the aperture
setting, while the up and down keys change the shutter speed. In Aperture
and Shutter Priority modes, the up and down keys adjust the available exposure
variable, while the right and left keys adjust Exposure Compensation. In Program
AE mode, the right and left keys adjust the Exposure Compensation as well.
In Manual Focus mode, the up/down arrow keys adjust the focal distance of
the lens. Since the Manual Focus keys are the same as those used for Shutter
speed (in Manual exposure mode or Shutter Priority mode) or Aperture (in Aperture
Priority mode), in these modes the center button switches back and forth between
the up/down arrow keys being used to adjust Manual Focus or Shutter speed
/ Aperture as relevant.
In Playback mode, the right and left arrow keys scroll through captured images. The up arrow key calls up or dismisses a display screen showing a histogram of brightness values within the image, as well as detailed exposure information. The down arrow rotates the image, with the first press rotating it 90-degrees counter-clockwise, the second press rotating it 90-degrees clockwise, and the third press returning it to the original orientation. The rotation works courtesy of an orientation tag in the EXIF header of the image, so the actual image data remains unchanged and there is no potential degradation of the image quality - but only software that understands the tag will actually show the image in the orientation set by the camera. When an image has been enlarged, all four keys pan the view. When reviewing a movie file, pressing the center button begins movie playback, displaying a short menu across the bottom of the screen. During playback, the left arrow rewinds, the right arrow fast-forwards, the center button pauses playback, and the menu returns to Playback mode. When the movie is paused, the up arrow lets you capture a still frame to save as a separate image file, with resolution being identical to that of the movie.
Menu Button: Directly below the down arrow key and the first in a series
curving around the LCD monitor, this button calls up the settings menu in
both Record and Playback modes.
QuickView / Erase: Below the Menu button, this button activates
the QuickView image display in Record mode, which switches the camera temporarily
to playback mode - allowing you to quickly view the most recent image (all
playback functions except the Playback menu can be used, including browsing
through images, deleting them, etc.) Half-pressing the shutter button near-instantly
returns the camera to Record mode.
In Playback mode, this button displays the Single Image Erase menu, which lets you erase the currently displayed image.
Display (i+) Button: The final button in the series curving around the
LCD monitor, this button controls the LCD display. In Record mode, pressing
this button toggles the image information display on and off, and activates
a live histogram overlay.
In Playback mode, pressing the Display button displays or dismisses a limited information display. A third press switches to an index display of thumbnail images for rapidly reviewing photos in the camera, while a fourth press returns to the normal display.
Power Button: Located at the bottom left of the camera's rear beneath
the LCD monitor, this button turns the camera on and off.
Mode Dial: To the right of the Power button on the rear panel, this dial
sets the camera's operating mode and viewfinder display location. Options
are Record EVF, Record LCD, and Playback LCD.
Diopter Adjustment Control: Tucked on the side of the viewfinder
eyepiece, this tiny, notched dial adjusts the viewfinder display to accommodate
near- or farsighted users.
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