Fusing high-quality digital imaging technology with versatile tools that help express your creativity and solve visual problems, the SLR-type Minolta Dimage A1 is built for the demanding digital photographer. It features a 5-megapixel resolution, 7x optical zoom lens, an anti-shake function, ultra-quick shutter speed, and many more professional features. It also has the world's fastest autofocus speed among SLR-type digital cameras with a non-interchangeable lens (as of July, 2003).

Optics and Resolution
The Dimage A1 is built around a high-precision electro-optical system designed to maximize image quality, featuring a 5.3 megapixel primary-color CCD with 5.0 million effective pixels for fine high-resolution images. It captures up to 2592 x 1944 pixel images for up to 13 x 17-inch enlargements (at 150 dpi). It also offers 1600 x 1200 (2 MP), 1280 x 960 (1 MP), and 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution modes.

The Dimage A1 features new image-quality and image-size settings. The extra-fine image-quality option joins the fine and standard settings to produce a high-quality JPEG file with little compression or loss of detail. The new 2080 x 1560 image size gives the photographer the ability to switch between 5 MP, 3 MP, and 2 MP images smoothly to match the final use of the image with the optimum resolution to maximize storage space on the memory card. A 640 x 480 (VGA) image size is also available for web images.

The f/2.8–3.5, 7x optical zoom is an apochromatic (APO) lens employing anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to minimize chromatic aberration at all focal lengths and produce sharp, high-contrast images. With a focal range of 7.2–50.8mm, it is equivalent to a 28–200mm zoom lens in the 35mm format. This lens encompasses the most used focal lengths in photography today, ranging from wide angle for landscapes and interiors to telephoto for portraits and details of distant landmarks. The 2x digital zoom gives the Dimage A1 a zoom ratio of up to 14x, equivalent to a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Movie Mode
In addition to taking digital still images, the Dimage A1 also captures video with sound in multiple formats:

• Standard QVGA (320 x 240) color movies and monochrome night movies up to 15 minutes with audio
• The night-movie mode can make recordings under extreme low-light conditions
• The interval function can produce a series of still images taken at regular intervals or it can combine the images into a 640 x 480 time-lapse movie (which can be played back at 4 frames per second)

More Features
The new anti-shake function minimizes the blurring effect of handheld camera shake to provide the sharpest images possible. This system is especially valuable when shooting at long focal lengths or in low-light conditions without a tripod, enabling the camera to be handheld with shutter speeds eight times longer than usual.

The Dimage A1 is the first digital camera to employ CxProcess II, Minolta's new image-processing technology, which controls the image qualities of color, contrast, and sharpness while minimizing noise. Brilliant, saturated color remains vibrant without becoming unnatural or flat, while subtle contrast is rendered to retain the richness and depth of the subject and preserve details in the highlights and shadows.

The Dimage A1 has a top shutter speed of 1/16,000 second, a major advantage in sports photography. The continuous-advance modes make it possible to capture the action as it unfolds.Three JPEG or five 5-megapixel RAW images can be captured at a rate of 2 frames per second.

The 1.8-inch low-temperature, high-contrast color LCD monitor can be tilted from –20 to +90 degrees. It has an extended color gamut, contrast, and dynamic range, plus a wide-viewing angle so that the camera does not need to be held perpendicularly to clearly view the live image. The redesigned Digital Hyper Viewfinder gives the Dimage A1 the same feel as a 35mm SLR. It can be tilted between 0 and 90 degrees for comfortable shooting at low angles or in confined spaces. Because the viewfinder LCD is shielded, it provides clear images even when working under bright light.

Other features include:

• Direct Manual Focus (DMF), which is found in professional-level 35mm film cameras like the Minolta Maxxum 7, enables manual fine-tuning of the focus after the AF system has locked onto the subject
• With continuous autofocusing, the Dimage A1 uses the new 3-D Predictive Focus Control to track the subject right up to the moment the exposure is made, ensuring optimum focus
• The real-time histogram shows the luminance distribution of the image before it is captured
• Data imprinting allows the date or time to be printed on the image as well as text and serial numbers

Storage and Transfer
The Dimage A1 is compatible with both Type I and II CompactFlash cards, which means that you can also use MicroDrives. A 16 MB CompactFlash card is included; it will store approximately 10 images at 2592 x 1944 at standard resolution. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-400). It measures 4.6 by 3.3 by 4.5 inches and weighs 19.8 ounces excluding the batteries or 22.5 ounces when loaded with the battery.

What's In The Box
Dedicated Lithium-ion Battery NP100, Lithium-ion Battery Charger BC-400, Neck Strap NS-DG4000, Lens Cap (49mm) LF-1249, Lens Shade for DiMAGE A1 DLS-A1,Accessory Shoe Cap SC-10, Ferrite Core FRC-100, AV Cable AVC-400,USB Cable USB-500,DiMAGE Software CD-ROM (Includes DiMAGE Viewer), CF (CompactFlash) Card (16MB)