Home > Consumer Reviews > Minolta Dimage X Digital Camera [2.0MP 3xOptical]

As a first-time buyer of a digital camera i went for the ultra-compact choice. Pictures from the Dimage X are sharp and it does both jpeg and tiff compression. The buttons are small, like the whole camera, but the way it is designed makes it easy to use.
I would highly recommend getting more memory when you purchase this camera as the 8mb supplied is only enough for a few pictures, but with a 32mb upgrade it will shoot 65 big pictures (1600x1200px) at normal quality rate.
The camera comes with a lithium battery that is rechargable. This will save you money over normal batteries and the recharge time from empty is only an hour and a half.
All in all, a superb little camera that is more than adequate for the price range within which it is placed. Highly recommended.

This camera is simply excellent. It's tiny, easy to use and takes great pictures. The small size is due to the fact that the optical zoom is fitted vertically in the camera meaning that the camera doesn't need the lens to stick out a long way at the front. This economy of size also has speed benefits as the camera doesn't need to activate the zoom when it powers up, so you can get in you first picture very quickly after turning it on.
But it does have some minor problems; because it is so small it's quite hard to avoid getting stray fingers and thumbs in the shot at first. But with a bit of practice you'll get used to it and start taking some fantastic photos.
I agree with the first reviewer that extra memory is needed, but if you are only taking photos using the smallest picture size (which is still 640x480 - easily good enough for a web page) you can fit over 300 on a 32MB card. So one card should last a whole holiday.
The battery on the other hand won't. Although the recharge time is very fast - it's easy to recharge every evening if you are on holiday - I've found that it can also run down pretty quickly. Make sure you've got a fully charged spare with you and you shouldn't have too many problems.
Although this camera has video and audio capabilities don't expect too much from them. The camera will only take 19 seconds of video at a time, and a 32MB card will only store about 35 seconds in total. The audio quality isn't great - as you would expect with only a tiny microphone/speaker, but it is useful if you want to add spoken captions to your images.
Changing the camera's settings is fairly easy and intuitive, it isn't a problem to change the image size, quality and flash settings, all can be done quickly. The time taken for the camera to start up is very short meaning that it is much easier to photograph wildlife when out for a walk or to 'capture the moment' at a party or event. I had no trouble connecting the camera to my PC and accessing the images, just plugged in the USB cable and I could copy the images immediately. Some of the older digital cameras that I have used were a pain when it came to accessing the images on them.
Finally the camera looks great. Because it is so tiny everybody will want a look and maybe go with it, so if you like to show off your new toys this camera is a must.

This is one of the best products of any kind that I have bought in the last ten years. It does what it's supposed to to, quietly and without hassle. Its form factor is perfect for everyday use. It is both unobtrusive and beautiful at the same time.

I use a new Nikon D100 for "serious" digital work, but who other than a professional photographer can carry such an object in everday life? I am *never* without my Dimage X and after a few months of use, I have dozens of great images that I would never have captured if I did not own it.

The optical zoom is cleverly concealed. The lens cover operates automatically. Build quality appears (touch wood) to be excellent. The results are more than acceptable - certainly at the size of normal postcard prints. I have enlarged quite a few of my better ones and they are also pretty good.

The only disadvantage is that it is such a "cool" device that everyone who sees it wants to play with it. I am sadly not very photogenic, but now have lots of photographs of myself that friends and colleagues took while playing with the Dimage X.

Also the name is pretty stupid, but that's Minolta's problem not mine!

I have got consistently better pix from this camera than I did with my old film compact. There is an inevitable trade-off between features and size, and this lacks some of the more advanced features that you get on larger cameras, but has the major advantage of being small enough that you can take it anywhere in your pocket. The menus are easy enough to use, but some fairly fundamental options like movie / still image are irritatingly hidden away under layers of menu. It needs a nice big selector dial like many of its rivals. I find the battery life acceptable - with a spare in your pocket you're not going to run out in a weekend.
Basically a very cute, clever and effective camera for the not-too-serious photographer.

This is a fantastic camera, very high quality pictures, amazingly powerful flash and it is extremely small and light.
The underwater casing available means that it can be used at up to 30m and I have been surprised by just how good underwater pictures can be using it.