Minolta Dimage 7

Bugs and Tips

[ Version française ]

 

A firmware update is available for download since jan 2002 (three versions : US, Europe and Japan).

I bought one of the first Dimage 7 available in France. My firmware version is A1v021e.A175 (to know your's, go to setup mode and press the subject-program button).

A new firmware upgrade 2.00 is available (not free), it add some capabilities of the dimage 7i to the dimage 7.


Tips :

  1. AF is usually slow to very slow at long focal (between 100 and 200mm), the night portrait subject-program mode (character with a star icon) limit autofocus between 2m and infinity, focusing is then a lot faster.
    The AF/AEL button can help for quickly focusing (I set it to AF/AE toggle) instead of half pressing shutter-release.

  2. Use nothing less than 1600 mA NIMH batteries. And 1800 mA or 2000 mA are recommanded.
    If your Dimage 7 heats a lot, the battery may be in cause, so you can try different onces.
    I use nimh 1800mA GP batteries and I can take nearly 200 pictures (in the same day) without heat problem.

  3. To optimise battery usage, set the "EVF autoswith" option to "EVF auto on". The right thumb area will also be cooler.

  4. Use the DIVU program to get true and vibrant colors. But always keep you original shots for archival.

  5. When I need to use 800 iso sensibility, I found the noise to be more acceptable by setting the "Color mode" to "B&W" (black and white), or reducing image size to 1600x1200.

  6. I set "sharpness" on "soft" to get less artifacts and more compact files.

  7. Set the "File # memory" option to "Yes" if you want the D7 to remember the number of the last picture taken and name new shots with that number + 1.
    Use the "Delete" "All Frames" option of the D7 playback menu to delete shots from compact flash card after saving them to computer, do not delete them from the computer.

Bugs (with advices) :

  1. I bought a 3600 HS optional flash. High speed sync is supported, but not remote flash.
    The bug is that with bounce flash, the D7 overexpose greatly.
    Tips => To get correct exposure with bounce flash, set the flash to 35mm or 50mm focal dist, go to manual exposure mode and choose for example 1/30 speed and f4 aperture.
    This bug is corrected by the firmware upgrade 1.21.

  2. My D7 seldom lock itself. Buttons don't respond any more. It occurs by switching from recording mode to playback mode, and then quickly coming back to recording mode (with red del lighting). The only solution is then to open and close the battery door. It didn't occured since I upgraded to 1.21 firmware.

  3. Occasionally, just after taking a picture, my D7 seems to shut off for some seconds, and then turn on again as if the camera had rebooted !

  4. Manual focusing distance is lost when the D7 turn automatically off. Setting the "power save" time to "10 min" can help.

  1. Sometimes, my D7 greatly overexpose (picture nearly white).
    As if the choosen speed or aperture wasn't applied.
    My solution was to shift the program and try again, a F0.5 step shift often give a correct exposure.
    I set an "instant playback" of "10 sec" to check if the exposure was correct.
    I eventually found that setting my camera in A mode, at F4.5, the exposure is always correct.
  2. My D7 underexpose a lot at 1/45 speed (with or without flash). Avoid that speed setting. Unfortunately, this speed is often selected in P mode with flash, so a good choice is to use S exposure mode with flash. Closing the aperture make things better.
  3. If I set the focal to 28mm, set the exposure mode to M, choose a F 2.8 aperture and 1/125 speed, pop up the flash and take a picture ! You can see a totally black frame. Once again, avoid full aperture with that speed setting.

Those three bugs appeared after approximately 1000 shots in nov 2001, and the problem went worse with time.
I put some samples on the web (overexposure bug)
In march 2002, my camera was repaired by Minolta France. They said they had adjusted exposure. Now it works fine, the exposure is always good.

 

 

Wishes :


Conclusion

A good camera.

The firmware upgrade make things better.

Contact me : Email


Links :

 

 

last update 11 august 2003