Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product A1 Minolta
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INSTR UCTION MANU AL 9222-2782-11 SY -A306 ME-0306 E.
2.
Thank you f or purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through this instruction manual so you can enjo y all the features of y our new camer a. Check the pac king list before using this product. If any items are missing, immediately contact y our camera dealer .
F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE FOR PROPER AND SAFE USE 4 NP-400 LITHIUM-ION BA TTERIES This camera operates on a po werful lithium-ion battery . Misuse or abuse of the lithium-ion batter y can cause damage or injury through fire, electric shock, or chemical leakage.
5 GENERAL PRODUCT W ARNINGS AND CA UTIONS W ARNING • Only use the battery specified in this manual. • Only use the specified charger or AC adapter within the v oltage range indicated on the unit. An inappropriate adapter or current may cause damage or injury through fire or electric shock.
6 F OR PROPER AND SAFE USE.
7 CA UTION • Do not use or store these products in a hot or humid environment such as the glo ve compartment or trunk of a car . It may damage the camera, charger , and batter y which may result in b ur ns or injuries caused by heat, fire , explosion, or leaking battery fluid.
8 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Names of par ts ....................................................................................................................................14 Camera body ...................................................................
9 Advanced recording .............................................................................................................................45 Display-inf or mation button - changing the display ..................................................
10 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Recording menu ...................................................................................................................................80 Navigating the recording-mode menu .............................................
11 Advanced pla yback ............................................................................................................................115 Playing bac k voice memos ...........................................................................
12 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Data-transf er mode.............................................................................................................................146 System requirements .............................................................
13 This device complies with P ar t 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the follo wing two conditions: (1) This device ma y not cause harmful interference , and (2) this device m ust accept any interf erence received, including interference that ma y cause undesired operation.
* This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surf aces clean. Please read the care and storage instructions in the back of this manual (p . 162). 14 N AMES OF P ARTS CAMERA BOD Y Data panel (p . 17) F ront control dial Shutter-release button F ocusing ring (p .
/ 15 Display mode s witch (p. 39) Menu button Controller AE lock button (p . 50) Eyepiece sensors* Magnification button DC/Remote-control terminal cover (p . 25, 57) Access lamp QV/ Delete button (p . 40) Main switch and mode s witch Playbac k mode (p .
16 N AMES OF P ARTS Function button Macro release (p . 49) F ocus-mode s witch (p. 46) Diopter-adjustment dial (p . 29) Tr ipod socket Memory set (p. 72) Metering modes (p. 69) Drive modes (p . 61) White balance (p . 70) Camera sensitivity (p . 74) Function dial (p .
17 DA TA P ANEL Camera-sensitivity indicator (p . 74) Battery-condition indicator (p. 24) White-balance indicator (p . 70) Image-quality display (p . 82) Image-size displa y (p . 82) Flash-compensation indicator (p . 59) Single-frame adv ance (p. 33) Located on the top of the camera body , the data panel shows the status of the camera.
7. Shar pness display (p . 97) 18 N AMES OF P ARTS MONIT OR DISPLA Y - RECORDING MODE 2. Flash-mode indicator (p. 61) 5. Flash-compensation display (p . 77) 8. Color-saturation-compensation display (p . 77) 9. Contrast-compensation display (p . 77) 17.
19 MONIT OR DISPLA Y - QUICK VIEW & PLA YBACK MODE 7. Fr ame number/ total number of images 5. Lock indicator (p . 121) 6. Pr int indicator (p. 126) 11. Image size display (p . 82) 10.Image quality indicator (p. 82) 2. Time of capture 1. Mode indicator 4.
20 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING GETTING UP AND RUNNING This section cov ers the preparation of the camera. This includes the changing of batter ies and mem- ory card as well as the use of external power supplies.
21 AT TA CHING THE LENS HOOD Slide the hood onto the end of the lens and turn it 90° clockwise until it clicks and the circular dimple is aligned with the focal-length inde x (2). When mount- ed correctly , the large petals of the lens hood should be to the top and bottom.
22 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING CHARGING THE BA TTER Y Before the camer a can be used, the lithium-ion batter y must be charged. Before charging the battery , read the safety w arnings on page 4 of this manual. Only recharge the batter y with the supplied bat- tery charger.
INST ALLING AND CHANGING THE BA TTER Y Open the battery-chamber door by sliding the batter y-chamber lock to the open position. Inser t the batter y with the batter y contacts first. Inser t the bat- tery so that it slides past the batter y latch in the chamber.
24 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING BA TTER Y CONDITION INDICA T OR Full-battery indicator - the batter ies are fully charged. This icon is dis- play ed f or five seconds on the monitors when the camera is turned on. The icon remains on the data panel. Blinking low-battery warning - displayed on the data panel with no other icons.
25 EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEP ARA TEL Y) The AC Adapter allo ws the camera to be pow ered from an electrical household outlet. The AC Adapter is recommended when the camera is interf aced with a computer or during per iods of heavy use.
26 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING INSER TING AND CHANGING A MEMOR Y CARD A memory card must be inser ted for the camera to operate . If a card has not been inser ted, a no-card warning will be displayed on the monitors . T ype I and II CompactFlash cards and IBM Microdrives are compatible with this camer a.
27 To eject a card, open the card-slot door (1), and press and release the card-eject lev er to extend it (2). Press (3) the card-eject lev er to eject the card (3). The card can now be pulled out. T ake care when removing the card as it becomes hot with use.
28 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor , grip the camera firmly with your right hand while suppor ting the body with the palm of your left hand. Keep your elbo ws at your side and y our feet shoulder-width apar t to hold the camera steadily .
29 The EVF has a built-in diopter that can be adjusted between –5.0 to +2.0. While looking through the EVF , tur n the diopter- adjustment dial until the viewfinder image is sharp. The electronic viewfinder can be tilted between 0° and 90°. Simply grip the finder between your fingers and mo ve it to the position desired.
30 G ETTING UP AND RUNNING SETTING THE D A TE AND TIME After initially inser ting a memor y card and batter y , the camera’ s clock and calendar must be set. When images are recorded, the image data is sav ed with the date and time of recording. Depending on the region, the menu language ma y also hav e to be set.
31 Use the right controller key to highlight the 2nd tab at the top of the menu. Use the down k ey to highlight the date/time-set menu option. Press the central button to displa y the date/time setting screen. Use the left and right keys to select the item to be changed.
32 B ASIC RECORDING SETTING THE CAMERA TO RECORD IMA GES A UTOMA TICALL Y EVF AND LCD MONIT OR DISPLA Y Set the exposure dial to the prog ram (P) position (1). Confir m the mode switch is in the recording position (2). All camera operations are no w fully automatic.
33 BASIC RECORDING OPERA TION Place the subject within the focus fr ame. For off-center sub- jects, use the f ocus-lock function (p . 34). The subject must be within the f ocus range of the lens: 0.5m (1.6ft) - ∞ .F or subjects closer than 0.5m (1.6ft), use the macro function (p .
34 B ASIC RECORDING FOCUS LOCK The focus-loc k function is used when the subject is off-center and outside the f ocus frame. Focus lock ma y also be used when a special f ocusing situation prev ents the camera from f ocusing on the subject. Place the subject within the focus fr ame.
This digital camera has a quick, accur ate autofocusing system. The focus signals in the low er right corner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the focus status. For more information on autof ocus modes, see p . 46. FOCUS SIGNALS SPECIAL FOCUSING SITU A TIONS The camera ma y not be able to f ocus in cer tain situations.
36 B ASIC RECORDING USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH FLASH RANGE - A UT OMA TIC OPERA TION To use the flash, simply pull up the unit by the tabs on each side . The flash position must be set manually , and once up , the flash unit will alwa ys fire regardless of the amount of ambient light.
/ ANTI-SHAKE SYSTEM 37 When Anti-shake is off , the white indicator appears to warn the shutter speed is too long for the camer a to be safely handheld. The yello w indicator appears when the Anti-shake system is activ ated, but the shutter speed is too slow f or it to be effectiv e.
Movie files are recorded at appro ximately 522KB per second. A 16MB Compactflash card can store about 19 seconds of digital video with audio . Actual time depends on the subject and the amount of free space on the memory card. F or more on movie recording, see page 112.
/ 39 DISPLA Y MODE SWITCH A uto displa y - the camera will automatically change between displa ying the live image in the EVF or on the LCD monitor . The EVF’ s ey e sensors moni- tor if the EVF is being used and switches the displa y location accordingly .
To view images from the pla yback mode, turn the mode s witch to the pla yback position. To view images from the recording or mo vie recording modes, press the Quic k View / delete b utton. 40 B ASIC PLA YBA CK SINGLE-FRAME PLA YBACK AND HIST OGRAM DISPLA Y Date of capture Fr ame number/ total number of images Image size (p .
41 To return to a recording mode from Quick View , press the menu b utton. VIEWING IMA GES AND HIST OGRAM To delete a display ed image, press the QV/delete b utton; a confirmation screen will appear. The display ed image can be deleted. Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered.
42 B ASIC PLA YBA CK The display-inf or mation button controls the display f or mat. Each time the b utton is pressed, the dis- play cycles through to the ne xt format: full displa y , image only , index pla yback.
43 ENLARGED PLA YBACK In single-frame pla yback, a still image can be enlarged f or clos- er examination from 1.2X. The degree of maximum magnifica- tion depends on image size: 8X for 2560X1920, 6.4X f or 2080X1560, 5X for 1600X1200, 2X f or 640X480, and 4X for 1280X960 digital-zoom images.
44 A DV ANCED RECORDING Movies can be pla yed bac k on the camera. Movie files are indicated by an indicator at the bottom of the display . Press the center of the controller to play bac k the file.
45 The display-inf or mation button controls what information is displa yed with the live image . Each time the button is pressed, the display cycles to the next f or mat: standard displa y , real-time histogram, f ocus frame, and live image only . The real-time histogram sho ws the approximate luminance distribution of the liv e image.
46 A DV ANCED RECORDING FOCUS-MODE SWITCH Single-shot AF (Autof ocus), continuous AF , and manual f ocus is set with the f ocus-mode switch. Slide the switch to select the appropriate focus mode. Single-shot AF - a general purpose autofocusing mode. Its operation is described in the basic recording section.
DIGIT AL ZOOM The digital zoom doub les the lens magnification. The digital zoom cannot be used with RA W image quality or in movie recording. Press the magnification button on the bac k of the camera. The effect is immediate and X2.0 is displa yed in top right cor ner of the live image .
48 A DV ANCED RECORDING FLEX FOCUS POINT The Flex F ocus Point (FFP) is a po werful tool f or off-center subjects. It can be mov ed to any point in the image area. The FFP cannot be used with the digital zoom or movie recording. Use the controller’ s f our-wa y keys (1) to mo ve the Fle x Focus P oint in the live image .
49 The macro mode is used for close-up photog raphs of small objects. The built-in flash cannot be used with macro mode. The use of a tripod is recommended. Align one of the arrows on the zooming ring with the inde x next to the macro switch and slide the s witch forward.
50 A DV ANCED RECORDING EXPOSURE LOCK EXPOSURE-MODE DIAL The exposure-mode dial is used to select tr aditional exposure mode as w ell as subject programs that optimiz e camera settings to specific shooting condi- tions. Camera settings sav ed in the camera can also be recalled with this dial.
51 PROGRAM - P Program e xposure is set with the e xposure-mode dial (p. 50). The program AE uses luminance and f ocal-length inf or mation to calculate exposures. This allows the photographer to shoot without worry- ing about exposure settings . The shutter speed and aper ture values of the e xposure are display ed on the monitors and data panel.
52 A DV ANCED RECORDING AU TO RECORDING A uto recording is set with the e xposure-mode dial. A uto recording is the same as the program e xpo- sure mode (p . 51), except that when the camera is on if the e xposure mode dial is turned to or from the auto position, the auto exposure mode is reset.
53 Instant pla yback Off p . 100 V oice memo Off p. 101 Color mode Natural color (sRGB) p . 102 Shar pness Nor mal p . 97 Noise reduction On p. 103 Monitor amplification A uto p . 104 Monitor amplification - Manual e xp . Exposure prior ity p . 104 DSP setup DSP (Digital subject programs) p .
54 A DV ANCED RECORDING Aper ture prior ity is set with the e xposure-mode dial (p . 50). The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets the appropri- ate shutter speed to ensure the correct exposure . When A mode is selected, the aper ture display on the monitors turns blue.
55 Shutter priority is set with the exposure-mode dial (p . 50). The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets the appropriate aper ture to ensure correct exposure . When S mode is selected, the shutter speed display on the monitors turns blue.
56 A DV ANCED RECORDING Manual e xposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speeds and apertures. This mode over- r ides the exposure system giving the photog rapher total control ov er the final exposure . Manual expo- sure is set with the exposure-mode dial (p .
57 Use the front control dial to decrease the shutter-speed until “b ulb” is display ed. Use the rear control dial to set the appropriate aper ture required for the exposure . To take the picture , press and hold the shutter-release button f or the duration of the e xposure.
58 A DV ANCED RECORDING DIGIT AL-SUBJECT -PROGRAMS Digital subject programs optimiz e the camera’ s e xposure, white-balance, and image-processing systems for specific conditions and subjects . Simply tur n the e xposure mode dial to select the appropriate subject progr am.
59 EXPOSURE AND FLASH COMPENSA TION The ambient light and flash exposure can be adjusted bef ore the image is captured to make the final picture lighter or darker . Exposure can be adjusted by as m uch as ±2Ev in 1/3 increments (p. 111). The exposure and flash compensation will remain in eff ect until it has been reset.
60 A DV ANCED RECORDING USING THE FUNCTION DIAL The memory function, meter ing mode, drive mode, white balance , and camera sensitivity are con- trolled by the function dial. The custom position is for a designate menu function that can be set in section 2 of the setup menu.
61 The drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Indicators indicating the selected drive mode appear on the data panel and monitors. The drive mode is set with the function dial (p . 60). DRIVE MODES Continuous adv ance - to take a series of images when the shutter-release but- ton is pressed and held (p .
62 A DV ANCED RECORDING BRA CKETING This drive mode makes a three image br ack et of a scene. Brack eting is a method of taking a series of images of a static subject in which each image has a slight variation in e xposure. Contrast, satura- tion, and filter brack ets can also be made.
63 To make a flash brac ket, set the contin uous-advance or single-frame adv ance brac keting drive mode and raise the camera flash. The bracket will not adv ance automatically; the shutter-release button m ust be pressed f or each exposure . The ambient exposure is not br acketed.
64 A DV ANCED RECORDING Continuous-adv ance mode allows a series of images to be captured while holding down the shutter- release button. Continuous advance acts like a motor driv e on a film camera. The number of images that can be captured at one time depends on the image-quality setting; five with RA W images, and three with the other options.
65 Compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p . 33). Press and hold the shutter-release button all the wa y down (1) to begin taking pictures. If the shutter- release button is continuously held do wn after the series, a new series of images will be capture after a shor t delay .
66 A DV ANCED RECORDING INTER V AL The interval mode makes a series of still or moving images ov er a per iod of time. Similar to time- lapse photograph y , a ser ies of images of a slow moving e vent can be taken: the blossoming of a flower , the construction of a building.
67 The camera will stop recording images and reset to the first frame when the number of fr ames set has been taken, or when the memory card is full. The use of an AC adapter is recommended when recording with long intervals or a large number of frames.
68 A DV ANCED RECORDING Used for self-portraits, the self-timer will dela y the release of the shutter after the shutter button is pressed. A ten second and two second self-timer is av ailable. SELF-TIMER With the camera on a tripod, compose the picture as described in the basic recording section (p .
69 METERING MODES Metering mode indicators are display ed on the monitors only . T o lock the exposure while pressing the shutter- release button partway do wn, the AE lock option in sec- tion 4 of the recording mode menu should be on. If the luminance lev els of the scene are outside the meter ing r ange, the metering indicator turns red.
70 A DV ANCED RECORDING WHITE BALANCE 3 White balance is the camera’ s ability to make different types of lighting appear natural. Any changes are imme- diately visible on the monitors . Tu rn the function dial to the white-balance (WB) mode position (1).
71 Custom-white-balance function allows the camera to be calibr ated to a specific lighting condition. Three setting can be stored in the camera and used repeatedly . Custom white balance is especially useful with mixed-lighting conditions or when critical control ov er color is needed.
72 A DV ANCED RECORDING MEMOR Y - ST ORING CAMERA SETTINGS To sav e the current camera settings, turn the function dial to the M SET position and press the function button to open the register- selection screen; the current camera settings are display ed.
73 MEMOR Y RECALL Camera settings sav ed with the function dial are recalled with the expo- sure-mode dial. Simply tur n the exposure mode dial to the memory recall (MR) position (1); the register-selection screen will open.
74 A DV ANCED RECORDING CAMERA SENSITIVITY - ISO The auto setting automatically adjusts the camera sensitivity to the light conditions between ISO 100 and 200. When any other setting than auto is used, “ISO” will appear on the data panel, and “ISO” and the set value will be displa yed on the monitors.
75 FLASH RANGE AND CAMERA SENSITIVITY Flash range (wide angle) ISO setting AU TO 100 200 400 800 0.5m ~ 3.8m / 1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft. Flash range (telephoto) 0.5m ~ 3.0m / 1.6 ft. ~ 9.8 ft. 0.5m ~ 2.7m / 1.6 ft. ~ 8.8 ft. 0.5m ~ 3.8m / 1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft. 0.
The flash sync terminal allows a studio or location flash system to be connected to the camera with a standard PC cord. The terminal is compatible with both center positive (normal polarity) and center negative (positiv e polarity) flash units with a voltage of 400V or low er .
Tu rn the Digital Eff ect switch (1) to the image char acter- istic to be adjusted. Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combination. Adjustments remain in effect until manually reset. When set to any value other than z ero , an indicator and value will be displa yed on the monitors as a warning.
78 A DV ANCED RECORDING FIL TER The contrast of a scene can be adjusted within ele ven le vels (±5) with the Digital Effects Controller (p . 77). The contrast must be set before the image is captured. When changing the contrast setting, an indicator is display ed to show an increase (+) or decrease (–) in contrast.
79 Filter lev els with color images Filter settings with blac k and white images. FIL TER EXAMPLES +2 +1 +3 +4 +5 –1 –2 –3 –4 –5 ±0 On February 20th, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Ear th. On board his Fr iendship 7 spacecraft was a Minolta Hi-matic camera to record that historic ev ent.
Use the left/right keys of the controller to highlight the appropri- ate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. 80 R ECORDING MENU In recording mode, press the menu b utton to activate the men u. The menu button also closes the menu after making settings.
81 Image size 2560x1920 Quality Fine Flash mode Fill-flash Flash control ADI flash AEL button AE hold Reset – DSP set DSP Tr acking AF On AE lock On Spot AE area Center spot Direct MF Off Int. set – Bracket set 0.3Ev Data imprint Off Imprint to Image + Exif Inst.
82 R ECORDING MENU Image size and quality must be set bef ore the picture is taken. Changes are displayed on the LCD monitor and data panel. Image size and quality are set in section 1 of the recording menu (p .
83 TIFF Extra fine Fine Standard 112 1 5 247 3 5 58 1 4 47 10 14 23 63 Appro ximate number of images that can be stored on a 16MB memor y card. Quality Size 2560 X 1920 2080 X 1560 1600 X 1200 640 X 4.
84 A SHORT GUIDE TO PHO T OGRAPHY In the RA W image-quality mode, the image siz e is set at full and cannot be changed. The image size will not be display ed on the monitors. The digital zoom, enlarged playbac k, data imprinting, and print functions cannot be used.
85 NO TES ON IMAGE SIZE AND RESOLUTION 640 X 480 (Full image area) 1600 X 1200 (Cropped) 2080 X 1560 (Cropped) 2560 X 1920 (Cropped) Image size changes the number of pix els in the image.
86 FLASH MODES The flash mode can be changed in section 1 of the recording menu (p . 80). For the flash to fire, the b uilt-in unit must be man ually lifted. The flash will fire in the selected mode regardless of the amount of ambient light. When the flash is used, the camera sensitivity is automatically set between ISO 100 and 200.
87 Rear flash sync is used with long exposures to mak e trailing lights or blurring appear to f ollow rather than proceed the subject. The effect is not apparent if the shutter speed is too f ast and stops the subject’ s motion. When the shutter is released, a pre-flash will fire.
88 R ECORDING MENU WIRELESS / REMO TE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash allows the camera to control an off- camera Minolta 5600HS(D) and 3600HS(D) flash unit with- out the need of a cable . Single or multiple flash units can be placed around the subject to create different lighting effects .
89 Press and hold the mounting-foot-release b utton (1) to dis- engage the safety catch to remo ve the flash unit from the camera. P osition the camera and flash around the subject. See the f ollo wing page for the camer a-to-subject and flash-to-sub- ject ranges.
90 R ECORDING MENU WIRELESS/REMO TE CAMERA AND FLASH RANGES Flash-to-subject distance Camera-to-subject distance The camera and flash must be within 5m or 16.4 ft of the subject. Aperture ƒ/2.8 ƒ/4 ƒ/5.6 ƒ/8 ISO 100 ISO 200 / A UTO ISO 400 ISO 800 Camera sensitivity setting 1.
91 NO TES ON WIRELESS/REMOTE FLASH Wireless/Remote flash performs best under subdued light or interior lighting. Under br ight light sources, the flash ma y not be able to detect the control signals from the camera’ s built-in flash.
92 R ECORDING MENU FLASH CONTROL Select the manual option from flash control in section 1 of the recording menu. With the built-in flash raised, press the e xposure compensation b utton (1). Use the rear control dial (2) to select the manual flash pow er ratio; the front control dial compensates the ambient exposure .
8 / 26 11 / 36 16 / 52 22 / 72 93 The char t lists approximate guide numbers f or manual flash calculations. The follo wing equations are useful in determining the guide number , aper ture (ƒn), or flash-to-subject distance required for e xpo- sure. Guide no.
94 R ECORDING MENU When the AEL button is pressed and held, the e xposure is lock ed. The e xposure remains loc ked after an image has been captured until the AEL b utton has been released (hold setting) or pressed again (toggle setting). How the b utton operates can be changed in section 1 of the recording menu (p .
95 RECORDING MODE RESET The recording mode functions can be reset in section 1 of the recording menu (p . 80). When select- ed, a confirmation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” resets the f ollowing functions and settings, “No” cancels the operation.
96 R ECORDING MENU INTER V AL SETUP The parameters f or the inter val drive mode (p . 66) are set in section 2 of the recording menu (p . 80). Int. set Bracket set Enter Select “Enter” in the inter val-set option in section 2 of the recording menu.
Soft Normal Hard 97 SHARPNESS The sharpness of the image can be altered. This must be set before the image is recorded. Sharpness is set in section 3 of the recording menu (p. 80). If any setting other than normal is select- ed, the sharpness indicator is displayed on the monitors .
Int. set – Bracket set 0.3Ev Data imprint T ext Imprint to Image + Exif Inst.playback Off Vo ice memo Off 98 R ECORDING MENU DA TA IMPRINTING Data can be printed on a still image and saved to the file’ s Exif data. The function must be activ ated before the image is tak en.
99 ELECTRONIC KEYBO ARD The electronic ke yboard is used to enter text f or impr inting data or for naming ne w folders . The key- board automatically appears when text needs to be entered.
R ECORDING MENU INST ANT PLA YBACK If the central button of the controller is pressed during the instant playbac k period, the display ed image(s) are sav ed immediately and the playbac k canceled. To delete an image during the instant playbac k, press the QV/delete button.
V oice memo allows up to fifteen seconds of audio to be recorded with a still image. The function is activated in section 2 of the recording menu (p . 80) and is used in unison with instant playbac k. When the function is active , the microphone indicator is display ed on the monitors.
102 R ECORDING MENU COLOR MODE The color mode controls whether a still image is color or blac k and white. This must be set before the image is recorded. The color mode is set in section 2 of the recording menu (p . 80). The live image on the monitors will reflect the selected color mode.
103 Adobe RGB has a larger color gamut than the more common sRGB. The size of the gamut limits the colors that can be reproduced; the larger the gamut, the more colors. If the image will be printed out with a high-quality printer , the use of the Adobe RGB color mode is recommended over the sRGB color modes of Natural and Vivid Color.
The monitor amplification options control the display of the liv e image. Monitor amplification has two settings: A uto - in low-light conditions when the camera-sensitivity gain has reached its limit, the automatic monitor-amplification function will intensify the monitor image.
Initially , the 2X magnification area is displayed. This can be mov ed in the live image with the f our-wa y ke ys of the controller (1). Pressing the center button of the controller returns the area to the middle of the image. Press the magnification button (2) to enlarge the image .
106 R ECORDING MENU DIGIT AL SUBJECT PROGRAM (DSP) SETUP DSP set DSP Tr acking AF On AE lock On Spot AE area Center spot Direct MF Off The memory registers used for camera settings can be assigned to the Digital Subject Program positions on the e xposure-mode dial.
SPO T AE AREA When using spot metering (p. 69) with the Flex F ocus Point (p . 48), the position of the spot metering area can be specified at the center of the live image or link ed to the Flex F ocus Point; the spot moves after the position of the FFP is set.
Photograph y can be a rew arding pursuit. It is a broad and disciplined field that can take years to master . But the pleasure in making photographs and the jo y of capturing a magical moment cannot be compared. The guide is an introduction to some basic photographic principles.
109 The shutter controls not only exposure , but also the ability to stop motion. F ast shutter speeds are used in spor t photograph y to stop action. Slow shutter speeds can be used to show the flow of motion such as water cascading ov er a waterfall.
110 A SHORT GUIDE TO PHO T OGRAPHY –2.0Ev –1.0Ev Calculated camera e xposure Sometimes the camera’ s exposure meter is deceiv ed by cer tain conditions. Exposure compensation can be used in these situations. For e xample, a very bright scene, such as a snowy landscape or a white sandy beach, can appear too dark in the captured image.
111 +2.0 Ev +1.0 Ev 0.0 Ev –1.0 Ev –2.0 Ev 4X as much light 2X as much light 1/2 as much light 1/4 as much light Calculated e xposure WHA T IS AN EV? Ev stands for e xposure value. A change of one Ev will adjust the exposure calcu- lated by the camera b y a f actor of two .
112 M O VIE MENU In movie mode, press the men u button to activ ate the menu. The menu b utton also closes the menu after making settings. The four-wa y ke y of the controller is used to mov e the cursor in the menu. Pressing the central button of the controller will enter a setting.
113 MO VIE MODE MO VIE RESET The movie mode option selects the type of movie recorded. Three options are av ailable on the movie menu: Standard mo vie - to record a color movie under normal lighting conditions. Night Movie - to record under low light le vels.
114 M O VIE MENU To make custom white-balance calibrations can only be made in the recording mode . Once made, the setting are av ailable f or movie recording.
115 PLA YING BACK V OICE MEMOS Press the central button of the controller to start the audio playbac k. V oice memos are indicated by the v oice-memo indica- tor display ed at the bottom of the monitor image. AD V ANCED PLA YBA CK This section cov ers how to pla yback v oice memos as well as the pla yback mode’ s menu functions.
116 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK Use the left/right keys of the controller to highlight the appropri- ate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. In playbac k mode, press the menu b utton to activate the men u. The menu b utton also closes the menu after making settings .
DPOF set – Index print Off Cancel print – Slide show – Playback All frames Duration 5 sec. Repeat No Delete – Format – View folder Lock – Copy – Index format 9 frames 117 To delete images on the memory card (p. 119). To for mat the memor y card (p.
118 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK FRAME-SELECTION SCREEN When a marked-frames setting is chosen on a menu, the fr ame selection screen will appear . This screen allows multiple files to be selected. The index f ormat of the screen can be changed in section 1 of the playbac k menu (p .
119 DELETE Deleting permanently erases the image. Once deleted, an image cannot be recovered. Care should be taken when using the delete function. This frame - The image displa yed or highlighted in pla yback mode will be deleted. All frames - All unlock ed images in the selected folder will be deleted.
120 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK FORMA T The formatting function is used to erase all data on a memory card. Before formatting a card, cop y the data to a computer or storage de vice. Locking files will not protect them from being deleted when the card is formatted.
121 Single, multiple , or all images in a folder can be loc ked. A locked image cannot be deleted by either the playbac k-mode menu functions or the QV/delete b utton. Impor tant images should be lock ed. T o lock images in other f olders, the f older must first be selected with the vie w-folder option in section 1 of the playbac k menu (p .
122 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK COPY Image files can be copied from one memory card to another. Up to 15MB of data can be transferred. Every time the copy function is used, a ne w folder is automatically created f or the image(s). This frame - T o cop y the image currently display ed.
123 W ait until the copy-completed message is highlighted. A new screen will appear to indicate the name of the new f older con- taining the copied images; press the central button of the con- troller to return to the playback men u. If the images were copied to a new card, the no-images message will be displa yed when viewed on the camera.
Section 2 of the playbac k menu controls the slide-show function. This function automatically displays all still images in a f older in order . 124 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK SLIDE SHO W Number of images display ed / total n umber of images in the presenta- tion.
To select all the images in the folder to be displa yed in the slide-show presentation. 125 Slide show Menu options Playbac k Duration Settings Enter Repeat All frames Marked Fr ames 1 - 60s. Y es / No To select specific images in the folder to be displa yed in the slide-show presentation.
126 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK The print menu option is used to set an order for standard prints from images in a specific folder . Single, multiple, or all images can be printed. If a memor y card has multiple folders, a printing file m ust be created f or each folder .
127 When the this-frame or all-frames setting is chosen, a screen will appear requesting the number of copies of each image; a maximum of nine copies can be ordered.
128 A DV ANCED PLA YBA CK VIEWING IMA GES ON A TELEVISION It is possible to vie w camera images on your tele vision. The camera has a video-out ter minal which can be used to connect the camera to a tele vision using the supplied A V cable. The camera is com- patible with the NTSC and P AL standards.
129 SETUP MENU The setup menu controls camera operations . The menu navigation section cov ers basic menu operation. It is follo wed by detailed descriptions of the menu settings.
130 S ETUP MENU Use the left/right keys of the controller to highlight the appropri- ate menu tab; the menus will change as the tabs are highlighted. See page 129 on how to open the setup menu. The four-wa y key of the con- troller is used to mov e the cursor in the menu.
Anti-shake Display + Exp Full-time AF On Grip sensor On Ctrl dial set Manual exp. Delete conf. “No” SS F/no. SS F/no. Reset default – A udio signals 1 Focus signal 1 Shutter FX 1 V olume 2 Po wer save 3 min. Custom set Color mode File # memory Off Folder Name Std.
132 S ETUP MENU LCD BRIGHTNESS The brightness of the EVF and LCD monitor is set independently of each other . Select the display to adjust using section 1 of the setup menu; the corresponding monitor activates automatically and the brightness screen is display ed.
133 Scale Grid To display a g rid or scale over the displa y for mats, press and hold the function button (1) and press the display-inf or mation but- ton (2) to cycle through the options: grid, scale, and off . For more on the displa ys modes, see page 45.
134 S ETUP MENU Hold down the function b utton (1) and press the menu b utton (2) to open the setup menu. LCDbrightness – Shortcut help – T ransfer mode Data storage EVF auto swtch Auto EVF/LCD Video output NTSC Language English Hold down the function b utton (1) and press the QV/delete b utton (2) to reset the camera.
135 EVF A UT O SWITCH This option controls the auto-displa y function in the recording and movie mode (p . 39). T wo setting are av ailable: A uto EVF/LCD - the EVF’ s eye sensors s witch between the EVF and LCD monitor automatically . EVF auto on - the LCD monitor is tur ned off and the eye and grip sen- sors activate the EVF when in use .
136 S ETUP MENU CUST OM SETUP The one frequently used function can be allocated to the custom position on the function dial. The function is selected in section 2 of the setup menu (p .
FOLDER NAME All recorded images are stored in folders on the memory card. Folder names come in two f ormats: standard and date. Standard folders ha ve an eight char acter name. The initial folder is named 100ML T16. The first three digits are the folder’ s serial number, which will increase by one each time a new f older is created.
138 S ETUP MENU NEW FOLDER This allows the creation of ne w folders . The folder-name option on in section 2 of the setup menu must be set to standard f orm in order to use the new-f older function. When selected, the electronic ke yboard (p . 99) automatically appears so the folder name can be entered.
139 RESET DEF A UL T This option resets all camera modes: recording, movie, pla yback, and setup . T o reset the recording or movie modes, see pages 95 and 113. When selected, a confir mation screen will appear ; choosing “Y es” resets the follo wing functions and settings, “No” cancels the operation.
140 S ETUP MENU Data imprinting Off Imprint to Image + Exif p . 98 Instant pla yback Off p. 100 V oice memo Off p. 101 Color mode Natural (sRGB) p . 102 Shar pness Nor mal p . 97 Noise reduction On p. 103 Monitor amplification A uto p . 104 Monitor amplification (Manual e xposure) Exposure prior ity p .
141 F ocus signal 1 p . 142 Shutter FX 1 p . 142 V olume 2 p . 142 A uto power sa ve 3 minutes p . 142 Anti-shake Displa y + exposure p . 143 Full-time AF On p. 143 Grip sensor On p. 143 Control dial setup F ront: shutter speed, Rear : aper ture p . 144 Control dial setup (Manual e xposure) Front: shutter speed, Rear : aper ture p .
142 S ETUP MENU AU TO PO WER SA VE The camera will turn off the monitors to conser ve battery power if no operation is made within a cer- tain period. The length of this period can be changed to 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes. T o restore power , press the shutter-release button partway do wn or press the main switch.
143 ANTI-SHAKE When the Anti-shake system activ ates can be changed in section 4 of the setup menu. T wo options are a vailab le: Display + Exp .- when the shutter-release button is pressed par t- wa y down, the anti-shak e function will activate if on.
144 S ETUP MENU CONTROL DIAL SETUP The control dial setup option in section 4 of the setup menu changes the front and rear control dial operation in the P , A, and S e xposure modes . Exposure compensation (p. 59) can also be assigned to one of the control dials.
145 Each time a delete command is used a confirmation screen appears confirming the action to erase the image data. When this screen opens, the no b utton is highlighted. This function allows the yes b utton to be initially highlighted to make deleting images easier .
146 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE DA T A-TRANSFER MODE Read this section carefully before connecting the camer a to a computer . Details on using and installing the DiMAGE Viewer softw are are found in the supplied softw are manual.
147 CONNECTING THE CAMERA T O A COMPUTER 1. Star t up the computer. The computer must be on before connecting the camer a. 2. Open the A V out / USB por t cover . Attach the smaller plug of the USB cable to the camera. The plug should be fir mly attached.
148 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE CONNECTING TO WINDO WS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITION The driver needs only to be installed once. If the dr iver cannot be installed automatically , it can be installed manually with the operating system’ s add-new-hardware wizard; see the instructions on the f ollo wing page.
149 Choose the recommended search for a suitab le driver . Click “Ne xt. ” Choose to specify the location of the driver . The browse window can be used to indicate the driv er location. The driver should be located in the CD- R OM drive at :Win98USB .
150 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE The add new hardw are wizard will confir m the location of the driver . One of three drivers ma y be located: MNL VENUM.inf , USBPDR.inf, or USB- STRG.inf. The letter designating the CD-ROM drive will v ar y between computers.
151 AU TO PO WER SA VE (D A T A-TRANSFER MODE) If the camera does not receiv e a read or write command within ten minutes, it will shut down to sa ve power . When the camera shuts down, an unsaf e-remov al-of-device w ar ning may appear on the com- puter monitor .
152 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE MEMOR Y CARD FOLDER ORGANIZA TION Once the camera is connected to the computer , image and audio files can be accessed by doub le clicking on icons. Image folders are located in the DCIM folder . T o copying images and audio recordings , simply drag and drop the file icon into a location in the computer .
153 Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” follo wed by a f our-digit file number and a tif, mrw , jpg, jpe, mov , or thm extension. V oice-memo files have a w av e xtension and the file name corresponds to its image file. The thumbnail images (thm) are used in camera and DiMAGE Viewer operation.
DISCONNECTING THE CAMERA FROM THE COMPUTER 154 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE WINDO WS ME, 2000 PROFESSIONAL, AND XP Confirm that the access lamp is not lit. T ur n off the camera and then disconnect the USB cable. Nev er disconnect the camera when the access lamp is lit - the data or memory card may permanently be damaged.
155 The hardware de vices to be stopped will be dis- play ed. Highlight the device b y clicking on it then clic k “Stop . ” Confirm that the access lamp is not lit and then drag the mass-storage de vice icon and drop it into the trash. Disconnect the USB cable .
156 D ATA - TRANSFER MODE CHANGING THE MEMOR Y CARD (DA T A-TRANSFER MODE) Care should be taken when changing memory cards while the camera is attached to the computer . Data could be lost or damaged if the camera is not properly disconnected. Always confirm the access lamp is out before remo ving the memor y card.
157 1. Insert a memor y card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USB cable . Other devices m ust not be connected to the computer during this procedure. 2. Right click on the My-computer icon. Select “properties” from the drop-down men u.
158 T R OUBLESHOO TING Problem Symptom Cause Solution The camera will not work. Nothing display ed on the data panel or the monitors. The battery are dead. The AC adapter is not connected properly . Recharge batteries (p. 22). Check that the adapter is connected to the camera and a live electrical outlet (p.
159 Pictures are not sharp. F ocus signal is red. Subject is too close. Make sure the subject is within the aut- ofocus r ange (0.5m - ∞ / 1.6 ft - ∞ ) or use the macro mode (p. 49). The camera is in macro mode. Cancel the macro mode setting (p . 49).
160 T R OUBLESHOO TING If the camera does not function normally , turn it off, remov e and reinser t the batter y , or unplug and reconnect the AC adapter . Always turn the camera off using the main s witch otherwise the memor y card may be damaged and camer a settings reset.
161 AT TA CHING THE FERRITE CORE FRC-100 ABOUT THE LITHIUM-ION BA TTER Y CHARGER CORD The included AC cord is designed f or the current of the sales region.
162 C ARE AND STORA GE CLEANING • If the camera or the outside of the lens is dirty , gently wipe it with a soft, clean, dr y cloth. If the camera or lens comes in contact with sand, gently blo w awa y loose par ticles. Wiping may scratch the surf ace.
163 OPERA TING TEMPERA TURES AND CONDITIONS • This camera has been designed f or use in temperatures from 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F). •N ev er leav e the camera exposed to e xtreme high temperatures, such as in a car parked in the sun, or to e xtreme humidity .
164 C ARE AND STORA GE LCD MONIT OR CARE • Although the LCD monitor is manuf actured using high precision technology , there ma y occasionally be a lack of color or bright points on the LCD monitor . • Do not apply pressure to the surface of the LCD monitor; it may be permanently damaged.
165 BEFORE IMPORT ANT EVENTS OR JOURNEYS • Check the camera’ s operation; take test pictures and purchase spare batteries. • Minolta has no responsibility for an y damage or loss incurred by equipment malfunction.
166 I NDEX INDEX AC adapter , 25, 67, 147 Adobe RGB, 2, 102, 103, 152 A uto f ocus Continuous, 46 Flex F ocus Point (FFP) 48, 49, 107 Full-time, 143 Single-shot, 46 Subject T rac king, 46, 106 Signals.
167 Flash Attaching, 75, 76, 88 Compatible flash units , 75, 93 Compensation, 59, 110 Metering, 92-93 Range, 36, 75 Signals, 36 Te r minal, 76 Flash modes Fill-flash, 86 Manual, 92-93 Rear sync, 87 Red-ey e reduction, 86 Remote, 88-91 Slow shutter sync.
168 T ECHNICAL SPECIFICA TIONS Number of eff ective pix els: 5.0 million CCD: 2/3-type progressiv e pr imar y-color CCD with a total of 5.3 million pix els Camera sensitivity (ISO): A uto and 100, 200, 400, and 800 ISO equivalents Aspect ratio: 4:3 Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups Maximum aper ture: f/2.
169 Specifications are based on the latest information av ailable at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Batter y: One NP-400 lithium-ion batter y Batter y perf or mance (recording): Appro x.
170 The Battery Pack BP-400 is a portable pow er source for the camera. This accessory uses two NP-400 lithium-ion batter ies or six Ni-MH or alkaline batteries to power the camera. For more details on the Battery Pa ck BP-400 or other accessories listed in this manual, contact your local Minolta dealer .
171.
We offer suppor t f or our digital products 24 hours per da y on www .minoltasuppor t.com . Camera kno w-how , image composition, digital image editing: dis- cov er more about Minolta’ s new inter net world and visit www .minoltaphotoworld.com © 2003 Minolta Co .
An important point after buying a device Minolta A1 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Minolta A1 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Minolta A1 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Minolta A1 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Minolta A1 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Minolta A1, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Minolta A1.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Minolta A1. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Minolta A1 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
