Minolta Dimage 7i User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUALE9222-2779-11 HA-A205

10TABLE OF CONTENTSPlayback mode – viewing and editing images ...105Si

The lens aperture controls not only exposure, but also depth of field; the area between the closestobject in focus and the furthest object in focus. T

101The shutter controls not only exposure, butalso the ability to stop motion. Fast shutterspeeds are used in sport photography to stopaction. Slow sh

Up to sixty seconds of digital video with or without audio can be recorded. The motion JPEG image is320 X 240 pixels (QVGA). The effective image area

Function DialExposure mode (p. 48)Digital zoom (Electronic magnification)White balance (p. 62)Metering mode (p. 47)Digital Effects Control (p. 67)Came

Once a setting is made, the cursor returns to the menu options and the new setting is displayed. Toreturn to the movie mode, press the menu button.The

105PLAYBACK MODEVIEWING AND EDITING IMAGESSINGLE-FRAME PLAYBACK AND HISTOGRAM DISPLAYThe black area of the histogram shows the luminance distribution

106Simply turn the mode dial to the playback-mode position to access images and audiotracks. Image and audio files can be deleted, locked, and copied

107Standard, Night, Time-lapse, and UHS continuous-advance movies can be played back on the cam-era. Movie files are indicated by an icon at the botto

ENLARGED PLAYBACKIn single-frame playback, a still image can be enlargedfor closer examination. Images can be magnifiedbetween 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X i

109In the center of the display switch, the display-information button controls the display format. Eachtime the button is pressed, the display cycles

11Data-transfer mode...136Qu

12PlayBasic Custom1 Custom2DeleteFormatLockIndex format–––9 framesActivate the playback-mode menu with the menu button (1). The “Basic” tab will be hi

111Refer to the following sections fordescriptions of the menu optionsand their settings.Pressing the down key of the controller willcancel the slide

112PLAYBACK MODEFRAME-SELECTION SCREENWhen a marked-frames setting is chosen on a menu, the frame selection screen will appear. Thisscreen allows mult

113Deleting permanently erases the image. Once deleted, an image cannotbe recovered. Care should be taken when using the delete function.Single, multi

114FORMATTING COMPACTFLASH CARDSWhen a CompactFlash card is formatted, all data on the card is erased.The formatting function is used to erase all dat

115Single, multiple, or all images in a folder can be locked. A locked image cannot be deleted by eitherthe playback-mode menu functions or the QV/del

The custom 1 section of the playback-mode menu controls the slide-show function. This functionautomatically displays all still images in a folder in o

To select all the images in the folder to be displayed in theslide-show presentation.117Slide showMenu optionsPlaybackDurationSettingsEnterRepeatAll

118The 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.

119When the this-frame or all-frames setting is chosen, a screen will appear requesting the number ofcopies of each image; a maximum of nine copies ca

* This camera is a sophisticated optical instrument. Care should be taken to keep these surfacesclean. Please read the care and storage instructions i

120COPYING IMAGESImage files can be copied from one CompactFlash card to another. Up to 15MB of data can be trans-ferred. Every time the copy function

121<101MLTCP>OKWait until the copy-completed message is highlighted. A new screenwill appear to indicate the name of the new folder containing t

122VIEWING IMAGES ON A TELEVISIONIt is possible to view camera images on your television. The camera has a video-out terminal whichcan be used to conn

123This section contains detailed information on controlling the camera’s functions and operation as wellas creating and selecting folders. The naviga

124The “Basic” tab will be highlighted. Use the left/right key of the controller to highlight theappropriate menu tab; the menus will change as the ta

125Please refer to the following sections for descrip-tions of the menu options and their settings.Choosing “Yes” on the confir-mation screens will ex

126SETUP MODEEVF AND LCD MONITOR BRIGHTNESSThe brightness of the EVF and LCD monitor is set independently of each other. Brightness is con-trolled in

127VOLUMEThe volume of the audio signals and sound effects can be increased or decreased in the basic sec-tion of the setup menu (p. 124). This affect

128SETUP MODEFOLDER NAMEAll recorded images are stored in folders on the memory card. Folder names comein two formats: standard and date.Standard fold

129NEW FOLDERThis allows the creation of new folders. The folder-name option in the custom 1 section of the setupmenu must be set to standard form in

13Accessory shoeDisplay mode switch Display information button(p. 34, 109)Electronic viewfinder*(EVF) (p. 73)LCD monitor* (p. 16)Menu button Controlle

130SETUP MODEDISPLAY MODEStandard display Focus frame onlyLive image onlyReal-time histogramScaleGridSetupBasicCustom1Custom2File # memoryFolder nameS

131DIRECT MANUAL FOCUSDirect manual focus allows manual adjustments to be made after the AF system has locked onto thesubjects. Direct manual focus is

132SETUP MODEImage qualityRESET DEFAULTUnlike the pro-auto button (p. 41), this function affects not only the recording mode, but also themovie, playb

EVF auto switch133AE holdSharpnessColor modeData imprintingInstant playbackIndex playback formatDuration (Slide Show)Repeat (Slide Show)Index printLCD

134SETUP MODESETTING THE DATE AND TIMEIt is important to accurately set the clock. When a still image or a movie clip is recorded, the date andtime of

135SETTING THE DATE FORMATThe date format that is displayed or imprinted can be changed: YYYY/MM/DD (year, month, day),MM/DD/YYYY (month, day, year),

136DATA-TRANSFER MODECONNECTING TO A COMPUT-ERRead this section carefully before connecting the camera to a computer. Details on using andinstalling t

137For the camera to be connected directly to the computer and used as a mass-storage device, thecomputer must be equipped with a USB port as a standa

Set the mode dial to the data-transfer position.• The data-transfer menu will be displayed.CONNECTING THE CAMERA TO A COMPUTER138DATA-TRANSFER MODESta

139When the camera is properly connected to the computer, a drive icon will appear. When usingWindows XP, the removable-disk window will open. If the

14Function button Macro release (p. 77)Focus-mode (AF/MF) button (p. 94)Digital-effects switch Diopter-adjustment dial (p. 73)Tr ipod socketMemory (p.

140CONNECTING TO WINDOWS 98 / 98 SECOND EDITIONThe driver needs only to be installed once. If the driver cannot be installed automatically, it can bei

141Choose the recommended search for a suitabledriver. Click “Next.”Choose to specify the location of the driver. Thebrowse window can be used to indi

142The add new hardware wizard will confirm thelocation of the driver. Click “Next” to install the dri-ver in the system.• One of three drivers may be

143CONNECTING TO MAC OS 8.6To download and install this software, follow the instruction on the Apple web site. Always read theattached terms and con

144COMPACTFLASH CARD FOLDER ORGANIZATIONDATA-TRANSFER MODEOnce the camera is connected to the computer, image and audio files canbe accessed by double

145Image and audio file names begin with “PICT” followed by a four-digit file number and a tif, mrw, jpg,mov, or thm extension. Voice-memo files have

DISCONNECTING THE CAMERA FROM THE COMPUTER146WINDOWS ME, 2000 PROFESSIONAL, AND XPConfirm that the access lamp is not lit. Turn the mode dial to anoth

147The hardware devices to bestopped will be displayed.Highlight the device by clicking onit then click “Stop.”Confirm that the access lamp is not lit

148CHANGING THE COMPACTFLASH CARD (DATA-TRANSFER MODE)Care should be taken when changing CompactFlash cards while the camera is attached to the com-pu

149APPENDIX

15DATA PANELDigital-subject-program indicators (p. 42)Camera-sensitivity indicator (p. 65)Exposure-mode indicators (p. 48)Battery-condition indicator

150A variety of Minolta accessories can be used with this camera to extend its performance. For moredetails on the items listed below and in other sec

151Close-up Diffuser CD-1000Used directly on the camera with the built-in flash to provide soft lighting for close-up photography.WHAT IS AN EV? WHAT

152TROUBLESHOOTINGProblem SymptomCauseSolutionThe camerawill not work.Nothing dis-played on thedata panel orthe monitors.The batteries are dead.The ba

153Pictures arenot sharp.Focus signal isred.Subject is too close.Make sure the subject is withinthe autofocus range (0.5m – ∞/ 1.6 ft – ∞) or use the

154TROUBLESHOOTINGIf the camera does not function normally, turn it off, remove and reinsert the batteries, or unplug andreconnect the AC adapter. Alw

1551.Insert a memory card in the camera and connect it to the computer with the USBcable. Other devices must not be connected to the computer during t

156CARE AND STORAGECLEANING• If the camera or the outside of the lens is dirty, gently wipe it with a soft, clean, dry cloth. If the camera orlens com

157OPERATING TEMPERATURES AND CONDITIONS• This camera has been designed for use in temperatures from 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F).•Never leave the came

158CARE AND STORAGEBATTERIES• Battery performance decreases with temperature. In cold environments, we recommend keeping sparebatteries in a warm plac

159LCD MONITOR CARE• Although the LCD monitor is manufactured using high precision technology, there may occasionally be alack of color or bright poin

7. Color-saturation-compensation display (p. 71)16EVF AND LCD MONITOR DISPLAY2. Flash-mode indicator (p. 86)5. Flash-compensation display (p. 68)9. Sh

160TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONSNumber of effective pixels: 4.95 million (2568 X 1928) CCD: 2/3-type interline primary-color CCD with a total of5.24 millio

161Specifications are based on the latest information available at the time of printing and are subject tochange without notice.Batteries: 4 AA Ni-MH

This mark on your camera certifies that this camera meets the requirements ofthe EU (European Union) concerning interference causing equipment regula-

163

9222-2779-11 HA-A205Printed in Germany© 2002 Minolta Co., Ltd. under the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention.0-43325-53038-8

If the shutter speed falls below the point where the camera can be hand held safely, the camera-shake warning will appear on the monitors. Camera shak

18GETTING UP AND RUNNINGATTACHING THE CAMERA STRAPREMOVING THE LENS CAPUsing your thumb and index finger,pinch the inside or outside tabs ofthe lens c

19ATTACHING THE LENS HOODTo mount the lens hood, align the rectangular dimpleon the rim of the hood with the focal-length index onthe top of the lens

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20Open the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamberlock to the open position .INSERTING THE COMPACTFLASH CARDINSERTING BATTERIESInsert the

While using the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or LCD monitor,grip the camera firmly with your right hand while supporting thebody with the palm of your

22TAKING PICTURESWith the mode dial set to still-image recording, the camerawill be on and the electronic viewfinder (EVF) and LCDmonitor will activat

23USING THE BUILT-IN FLASHIn low-light conditions or indoors, the flash is needed to illuminate the subject and reduce blurringthrough camera shake. T

To delete the displayed image, press theQV/delete button.•A confirmation screen willappear.VIEWING AND DELETING PICTURES IN QUICK VIEWCaptured images

25BASIC OPERATIONThis section covers the basic operation of the camera. Please thoroughly familiarize yourself with theoperations in this section befo

26CHANGING BATTERIESBASIC OPERATIONOpen the battery-chamber door by moving the battery-chamber lockto the open position.Insert the batteries.• Make su

27BATTERY CONDITION INDICATORFull-battery – the batteries are fully charged. This icon is displayed forfive seconds on the monitors when the camera is

28EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES (SOLD SEPARATELY)CHANGING THE COMPACTFLASH CARDThe AC Adapter allows the camera to be powered from an electrical household o

29Open the card-slot door in the direction indicated (1).Insert the CompactFlash card into the card slot until the card-eject lever pops out (4).• Ins

Thank you for purchasing this Minolta digital camera. Please take the time to read through thisinstruction manual so you can enjoy all the features of

30EVF AND LCD MONITOR DISPLAYWhile holding in the dial release (1), turn the mode dial to still-image recording. Press the pro-auto button (2) to rese

1231BASIC RECORDING OPERATIONPlace the subject within the focus frame.•For off-center subjects use the focus-lock function (p. 32).• Make sure the sub

32FOCUS LOCKThe focus-lock function is used when the subject is off-center and outside the focus frame. Focuslock may also be used when a special focu

This digital camera has a quick, accurate autofocusing system. The focus signals in the lower rightcorner of the EVF and LCD monitor indicate the focu

34DISPLAY CONTROLS – RECORDING MODEAuto display – the camera will automatically change between displaying thelive image in the EVF or on the LCD monit

35In the center of the display switch, the display-information button controls whatinformation is displayed with the live image. Each time the button

Still images can be viewed in recording mode. Simply press the QV/delete button toaccess the images, and use the controller to scroll through the pict

To delete a displayed image, press the QV/delete button.•A confirmation screen will appear.In quick view, the displayed image can be deleted. When se

38BASIC OPERATIONIn the center of the display switch, the display-information button controls the display format. Eachtime the button is pressed, the

39ENLARGED PLAYBACKIn single-frame playback, a still image can be enlargedfor closer examination. Images can be magnifiedbetween 1.2X and 4.0X in 0.2X

Read and understand all warnings and cautions before using this product.Using batteries improperly can cause them to leak harmful solutions, overheat,

The spot-AE lock button below the main dial on the back of the body locks the auto-matic exposure system. This function allows the exposure to be set

Flash mode (p. 86)Color-saturation compensation (p. 71)Exposure mode (p. 48)41PRO-AUTO BUTTONSimply pressing the pro-auto button (1) resets the camera

42RECORDING MODEDIGITAL-SUBJECT-PROGRAM BUTTONThe subject-program button (1) optimizes the camera’s per-formance for various conditions and subjects.

43While camera performance is optimized for each shooting condition, some changes can be made tocamera settings with subject programs. The autofocus m

44SETTING THE FUNCTION DIALThe memory function, metering mode, exposure mode, drive mode, white balance, and camera sen-sitivity are controlled by the

45Function DialMEMPASMDRIVEWBISODisplayPASM100, 200,400, 800.SettingMemory registers or the set-ting function are selectedwith a special menu dis-play

46RECORDING MODEMEMORY – STORING CAMERA SETTINGSThree sets of camera settings can be saved. This saves time under frequentlyrepeating conditions by el

47METERING MODESThe icons indicating the metering mode are displayed on the monitors only. Donot confuse these icons with the focus signals (p. 33). T

48PEXPOSURE MODESASMProgram – the camera controls both the shutter speeds and aperture.Aperture priority – the photographer selects the aperture and t

49PROGRAM – PThe programmed AE exposure control uses luminance and focal-length information to ensure perfectexposures. The sophisticated exposure sys

5•Keep batteries or small parts that could be swallowed away from infants. Contact a doctor immediately ifan object is swallowed.• Store this product

The photographer selects the aperture and the camera sets theappropriate shutter speed to ensure correct exposure. When A modeis selected, the apertur

The photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera sets theappropriate aperture to ensure correct exposure. When S mode isselected, the shutter

Manual exposure mode allows individual selection of shutter speedsand apertures. This mode overrides the exposure system giving thephotographer total

53To set the aperture value, turn the digital effects switch to expo-sure compensation (2) position. While pressing the digitaleffects button (3), tu

54RECORDING MODEThe drive modes control the rate and method images are captured. Icons indi-cating the selected drive mode appear on the data panel an

Continuous-advance mode allows a series of images to be captured while holding down the shutter-release button. Continuous advance acts like a motor d

56RECORDING MODEUHS continuous-advance mode allows a series of 1280 X 960 images to be captured at a rate ofapproximately 7 frames per second. The num

Used for self-portraits, the self-timer will delay the release of the shutter for approximately ten sec-onds after the shutter is released. The self-t

58BRACKETINGThis mode makes a three image bracket of a scene. Bracketing is a method of taking a series ofimages of a static subject in which each ima

59If the CompactFlash card is filled or the shutter button is released before the series has completed,the camera will reset and the entire bracket mu

6• Do not use or store the product in a hot or humid environment such as the glove compartment or trunk ofa car. It may damage the product and batteri

60INTERVALNumber of frames in the interval series.Frame counter.RECORDING MODEThe interval mode makes a series of still or moving images over a period

61Confirm the CompactFlash card has enough storage capacity for the series by comparing the num-ber of frames in the interval series with the number o

White Balance is the camera’s ability to make different types of lighting appearneutral. The effect is similar to selecting daylight or tungsten film,

63AUTOMATIC WHITE BALANCEPRESET WHITE BALANCEThe automatic white balance compensates for the color temperature of a scene. In most cases, theAUTO sett

Custom-white-balance function allows a photographer to calibrate the camera to a specific lightingcondition. The setting can be used repeatedly until

65CAMERA SENSITIVITY – ISOFive settings can be selected for camera sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400, and800; the numerical values are based on an ISO

66RECORDING MODEFLASH RANGE AND CAMERA SENSITIVITYFlash range (wide angle)ISO settingAUTO1002004008000.5m ~ 3.8m / 1.6 ft. ~ 12.5 ft.Flash range (tele

Adjustments can be made repeatedly and in combination.Adjustments remain in effect until manually reset. When setto any value other than zero, an icon

68EXPOSURE AND FLASH COMPENSATIONThe ambient light and flash exposure can be adjusted before the image iscaptured to make the final picture lighter or

Sometimes the camera’s exposure meter is deceived by certainconditions. Changing the exposure value can compensate for thesesituations. For example, a

7Names of parts...12

The contrast of a scene can be adjusted within seven levels (±3) with thedigital effects controller. If a scene is too contrasty, information will be

The color saturation of a scene can be adjusted within seven levels (±3) withthe digital effects controller. Colors can be accented or subdued.The col

72RECORDING MODEFilter levelswith color imagesWarmCoolFilter settings withblack and whiteimagesRedGreenMagentaBlue

73ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDERThe EVF displays 100% field of view. When using the camera outdoors or under strong lighting con-ditions, the viewfinder image

74AUTOFOCUS AREAS AND CONTROLIn still-image recording mode, the controller selects the focus area used and moves the spot-focusarea within the image.

75FLEX FOCUS POINT Once displayed, the spot focus area can be moved to any point in the image area. This Flex FocusPoint is a powerful tool for off-ce

76RECORDING MODEDIGITAL ZOOMThe digital zoom doubles the lens magnification. The digitalzoom cannot be used with RAW image quality or in movierecordin

77The macro mode is used for close-up photographs of small objects. The macro mode can be usedwith the digital zoom to increase the close-up effect. S

12Activate the recording-mode menu with the menu button (1). The “Basic” tab at the top ofthe menu will be highlighted. Use the left/right keys of the

Digital zoom79Please refer to the following sections for descrip-tions of the menu options and their settings.AF mode2560 X 19201600 x 12001280 X 9606

8TABLE OF CONTENTSRecording mode – advanced operation ...4

80RECORDING MODEELECTRONIC KEYBOARDThe electronic keyboard is used to enter text for imprinting data or for naming new folders. The key-board automati

81AUTOFOCUS MODES• Do not confuse these icons with the metering-mode icons (p. 47).• The shutter can be released even if the camera cannot focus on th

82IMAGE SIZEChanging image size affects the number of pixels in each image. The greater the image size, thelarger the file size. Choose image size bas

83DatapanelIMAGE QUALITYThis camera has five image quality settings: raw, super fine, fine, standard, and economy. Alwaysselect the desired setting be

84Because super-fine and RAW data files are so large, the continuous-advance and UHS continuous-advance drive modes cannot be used with these image-qu

85IMAGE-FILE SIZE AND COMPACTFLASH CARD CAPACITYImagequalityImage size2560 X 1920 1600 X 1200 1280 X 960 640 X 480RAWSuper fineFineStandardEconomy1 –

86FLASH MODESData panelEVF & LCD monitor––Fill-flashRed-eyereductionRear flashsyncUsed in low-light conditions and to reduce shadowsunder direct s

87Red-eye reduction is used when taking photographs of people or animals in low-light conditions. Thered-eye effect is caused by light reflected from

88RECORDING MODEWIRELESS / REMOTE FLASHWireless/Remote flash allows the camera to control an off-camera Minolta 5600HS(D) and 3600HS(D) flash unit wit

89Press and hold the mounting-foot-release button (2) to dis-engage the safety catch to remove the flash unit from thecamera.Position the camera and f

9Autofocus areas and control...74Flex Focus Point ...

90RECORDING MODEWIRELESS/REMOTE CAMERA AND FLASH RANGESFlash-to-subject distanceCamera-to-subject distanceThe camera and flash must be with-in 5m or 1

91NOTES ON WIRELESS/REMOTE FLASHWireless/Remote flash performs best under subdued light or interior lighting. Under bright lightsources, the flash may

92RECORDING MODEFLASH CONTROLADI, pre-flash TTL, and manual flash controls are available. Flash control is changed in the basicsection of the recordin

93When the spot-AE lock button is pressed and held, the exposure is locked (p. 40). How the spot but-ton operates and what functions it controls can b

94RECORDING MODEManual control over focus is simple. The focusmode button (AF/MF) (1) switches between auto-matic and manual focus. The MF icon is dis

95DATA IMPRINTINGData can be printed directly on the image. The imprinting function must be activated before the imageis taken. Once activated, data

96COLOR MODEThe color mode controls whether a still image is color or black and white. This must be set before theimage is recorded. The color mode is

97SHARPNESSThe sharpness of the image can be altered. This must be set before the image is recorded.Sharpness is set in the custom 2 section of the re

Delete this frame?NoYe sINSTANT PLAYBACKAfter an image is captured, it can be displayed on the monitors for two or ten seconds before beingsaved. When

Voice memo allows a five or fifteen second audio track to be record-ed with a still image. The function is activated and the length of therecording ti