Home > Consumer Reviews > Remanufactured Minolta Dimage Xt 3.2 MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

This camera is easier to use than an old Kodak Brownie, but with several generations of electronic improvement. Don't need a bulky camera bag and the assesories that go with it. Takes great pictures, and lots of them with an additional 256mb sd card. Well written intruction manual explains all the easy to use functions and great capability of this camera. I have owned many cameras, Leica, Cannon, a couple of digitals, etc., over my years as an airline pilot. This small but capable Dimage xt drops in any pocket and when a photo op comes up it is ready and more than able to take a quality picture. Very pleased.

I love the camera, but was disappointed to find that the Viking memory card, which was listed as a "recommended" accessory for the camera, is not compatible with the camera. I discovered this after the camera continually "froze up" and refused to reset itself. I actually sent the camera back to the factory to be serviced, but it was sent back with a note saying that the technicians could find nothing wrong with it. When I called tech support again, an alert tech asked me what type of memory card I was using, and the Viking card was found to be the cause of the problem. I tried a Sandisk, and it worked perfectly.

Be sure to check the memory card compatibility for ANY digital camera before buying one. There appears to be great variance in what works and what doesn't.

I just bought this camera to take with me to Harley-Davidson's 100year anniversary celebration in Milwaukee. I already had a Fuji Finepix 4700 digital camera, but wanted something smaller & easier to carry. I also chose the Dimage Xt because of it's 3X optical internal zoom which works with the Minolta Marine Case (MC-DG200). I also wanted to take the camera kayaking and underwater.

The Dimage Xt appears to have many features which I have yet to use. I found taking regular snapshots easy. However, changing settings was not as quick as on my Fuji. The small built in flash is not the best. Even group shots at night caused the shutter to be too slow and the resulting photos shakey. But we have to make compromises for the advantages that the size of this camera provides. Its so easy to slip into a pocket and have with you for those "non-Kodak moments". Quality of daylight photos were very good.

Overall, I recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a pocket-size camera that will take sharp enough pictures for most purposes. Add the Marine Case if you want to turn it into a nice underwater digital camera that you can take down to 100 feet. Add an extra battery too. You'll need it.

I bought the Dimage about 6 months ago. For the most part I have been very pleased with its performance. It is very easy to use....The controls and settings are very self explanatory and doesn't require a computer science degree to figure out. In fact, I didn't even open up the manual to learn how to use it. The construction quality is sound and seems to be pretty rugged. (Yes I have dropped it at least twice and it still works). The image quality is decent. On the TIFF mode, you can't beat it, but at other settings...well let me say I have seen better. I call it my "snap shot camera" I wouldn't use this camera if I were a professional.
I choose this camera primarily for its size. It is awesome! Put it in your jacket pocket and go. Its light and small. (almost too small if you have big hands) For those of you that remember the Kodak disc cameras...the Dimage is very similar in feel. For the "on the go" folks or outdoors types, I highly recommend this camera. If you are interested in "professional" or "artsy" photos...this is not the camera for you.

Here are the pros:
light, easy, decent quality shots, rugged (and it always seems to be a conversation piece because of its size, if that is impt to you). Battery life...I have taken a number of long weekend trips without difficulty. The battery does gripe a little when its cold out...but what battery doesn't.
Cons:
--the viewfinder..useless. Use the LCD--mayber for smaller hands it might be more useful, but the mits I have always block the lens when I bring the camera to my face.
--The Flash...works great in low or medium light...not great in very low light situations. The images come out blurry. If you plan on taking shots in darkness, take a pen light so the camera has something to focus on.
--Shutter delay...seems long. I have had to redo a number of pics because the subjects thought they had waited long enough and walked away mid-shot.

The true test would be to ask if I would buy this camera again? I would!

I've owned a Fuji F401 for over a year and been very happy with it. I decided to get another digital camera and picked this one due to it's even smaller size and the fact that the video length is only limited by the size of the memory card. Also, it uses SD memory, which I prefer due to it being cheap and available in sizes up to 512MB.

I've found that in spite of it's small size I have no trouble operating it. I am very happy with it's features and quick response time when navigation menus and managing (reviewing, deleting, etc.) photos and videos. I don't mind the small LCD and I manage not to get my finger in the way of the lens.

My only major disappointment is the picture quality. I find it very challenging to take a nice picture. I get blurred, dark or poorly colored shots much of the time. While the Fuji doesn't have the control over Exposure, White Balance, etc. this one has, I could just fire away with it and get pictures that were brighter with better color and in focus more of the time. Many of the pictures I take are indoors, which seems to be a particular challenge with the Dimage Xt. The video quality is worse than the photo quality in low light situations. Much worse than my Fuji in the same conditions.

Also, althought the startup time is short, there is a long delay between when you push the button and the picture actually takes, at least when using the flash. This has caused me numerous missed shots of my rapidly moving 2 year old.

Maybe I will learn the best settings for each type of shooting I do and improve the percentage of good photos I take, but I'd prefer not to have to do this. I will only use this 3.2MP camera as a backup to my 2MP Fuji.