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

I looked at a lot of digital cameras before I bought this one. I chose the Dimage Xt because it was the only ultracompact under $300 with all the features I wanted.

Pros
-Ultracompact size. Take it anywhere you go.
-SD card. Small, plenty of memory for the money, acts like a hard drive when you connect to a computer.
-Quick startup. You won't miss many pictures with this camera.
-Docking station gives you the option of charging battery in-camera (my preference) or by itself.
-Auto white balance. This feature seems to work very well.
-Auto ISO (50-160), ISO 400 selectable.
-3X optical zoom. Amazing for a camera this size.
-3.2 MP.
-Night mode. Works very well as long as you keep the camera still. Almost a necessity with the inadequate flash.
-Makes movies and can be used as an audio recorder.
-Reasonable price given all the above features.
-Controls are easy to use and understand. In minutes, I was more comfortable with this camera than with my 2 year old, 1.3 MP, Olympus D-460.

Cons
-Picture quality could be better for a 3.2 MP camera. I think it must be the folded lens.
-Flash is underpowered and does not cover wide angles. Night mode makes a big difference, but you have to tell the subjects to be still for a couple seconds after the flash.
-Autofocus could be quicker. Results in out-of-focus shots if you rush. Take time to compose your shots.
-Easy to take a picture of your finger if you use your left hand to hold the camera steady.

Overall, I'm quite happy with this camera. The picture quality could be better, but the small size, features, and ease-of-use make up for it. I will probably get a more advanced camera in the future to take better pictures, but I will probably keep this camera to carry around.

I love this camera's easy portability: tiny size fits in any pocket, which was my main criterion. I'm not very organized, so any camera that needs its own bag, supplies, etc., is just going to get left at home. This one is currently in my jacket pocket--I take it everywhere, and snap anything I want whenever the idea pops into my head.
I'm mostly a snapshot taker, so the quality is fine with me, although I have taken some nice nature pictures that came out very well. Mostly I use it for taking photos to email, which it does just fine, and the occasional video. I like the video feature: it has audio included, and the video can be as long as the memory card can handle (I did upgrade to a 256 MB card right after buying this, as the included 16 MB card is very small--a common problem with digicams). Obviously the picture quality for videos is not razor-sharp--but you can capture some nice baby playtime or surprise parties or whatever. By contrast, I used a friend's Optio for a weekend, and the video feature has a set length limit; a real drawback, in my mind.
I also like the four compression options, so you can choose rich detail for artsy landscape shots, or more compressed file sizes for taking huge numbers of snapshots.
Problems: As others have noted, the viewfinder shows a smaller frame than what is actually captured; no big deal to me. My lcd screen did get scratched also, which is a bigger annoyance but not crucial. I do think Minolta should include a fabric drawstring bag or something, just to slip over the camera and prevent this type of scratching.
Otherwise I love it. I have taken it skiing, where a bulky camera would not work, and like I said it goes with me everywhere without any special forethought. It's just what I wanted.

A terrific camera and much better than I thought it would be. It does more than my clunky Panasonic which is a great camera but such a bother to carry. The Minolta is very small and light, will fit into your purse or pocket although you want to get a case so you don't scratch it. I haven't used all the bells and whistles yet, but I can see it's very fast, shots are good quality and the guide book is easy to understand. You will be up and running within minutes of opening the box! You will never miss a shot with this baby! Charge the battery in the camera while on the stand (quickly) or by itself out of the camera (even faster charging). Be sure to get a larger memory card - the 16MB card that comes with the unit will not be enough if you want to use all the features. I must thank the customer review section as I found the comments most helpful in deciding to buy this camera. You will not regret it - especially if you are not a techie. Believe me, no one will ever know. Kudos, Minolta.

After testing about 45 digital cameras for over 5 weeks I must say that this little beauty comes out best (with the marine case that you can buy as an accessory).
It lasted longest (on battery) and preformed best and was one of the smallest (we only tested cameras between 3.0 and 3.5 MPixels).

i bought this camera as a birthday gift for my fiance in the military. he will be deploying again soon and i figured it would be smart for me to get him a camera he could use to add to email communication between us. i bought it at costco for a very reasonable price, and when he opened it we started playing with it right away.
it takes very sharp, high quality pictures, the flash works very well, and it is fast. it offers several ways to share your snapshots: it comes with a cable that can be connected directly to a printer, cables to connect to a TV, a memory card reader to connect to a computer, and a cable to connect the camera directly to the computer as well. it is compatible with both mac and pc (which is important to me as i use a mac and he uses a pc), and is very practical for it's price.
it will record about 30 minutes of audio which is really cool, and will also record short videos (i think we got it to do just under a minute). it fits comfortably in a pocket and has a quick startup time, so it's pretty much ready when you are.
definetly a great buy! it leaves me jealous! my toshiba is nice, but the minolta is so much better.
the only thing i can think of that would make it better would be if it came with a protective carrying case, but those can of course be purchased extra.