Kodak DX6490 or Minolta Z2

[Fredy Lee]

Kodak DX6490 or Minolta Z2

I'm hesitating between DX6490 and Z2, can you give me some suggestion? Thanks.

Fredy

[Fredy Lee]

DiMAGE Z2 Specifications

Number of effective pixels Approx. 4.0 million
CCD 1/2.5-type interline primary-color CCD Total pixels: 4.2 million
Camera sensitivity Auto, ISO 50, 100, 200, 400 equivalents

Lens construction 11 elements in 7 groups (includes two elements with three aspheric surfaces)

Maximum aperture f/2.8 - f/3.7

Focal length 6.3 - 63mm (35mm equivalent: 38 – 380mm)

Minimum focusing distance Wide: 0.5 m (1.6 ft.)

Telephoto: 2m (6.6 ft.)

Minimum macro distance Super Macro; 1.2 inches at 11.1mm

Macro Wide: 7cm (2.6 in.)

Macro Telephoto: 100cm (39.3 in.)

Maximum magnification 0.12x (Equivalent to 0.79x in 35 mm format)
Area covered at maximum magnification: 33 x 44 mm / 1.3 x 1.73 inch (approx.)

LCD monitor 1.5 inch (3.8cm) low-temperature polysilicon TFT color with anti- reflection coating

Total number of pixels: 113,000

Automatic monitor amplification

Field of view Viewfinder: Approximately 98%

LCD monitor: Approximately 100 %

Display mode switch Viewfinder display, LCD-monitor display Switch Finder system allows the monitor to be viewed directly or through the viewfinder.

Diopter control - 3 ~ +1m-1

Eye relief 18.8mm

Shutter CCD electronic shutter and mechanical shutter
Shutter speed range 4 - 1/1000 second in programmed-AE and aperture-priority modes.
15 - 1/1000 second in shutter-priority and manual exposure modes.
2 - 1/1000 second in auto-recording and Digital Subject Programs
Bulb (maximum 30 seconds)

Autofocus system Rapid AF: a combination of a passive AF sensor with the video AF system
Autofocus areas 3-Point Wide Focus Area
Spot focus areas with Focus Area Selection
Focus modes Single-shot AF
Continuous AF with predictive focus control

Full-time AF

Manual focus
Focus lock By pressing shutter-release button partway down.

Metering
Multi-segment (256 segments)
Center-weighted
Spot

Exposure modes
P (Programmed AE) (with program shift), A (Aperture priority),
S (Shutter priority), M (Manual).
Digital Subject Programs Portrait, Sports action, Landscape, Sunset, Night portrait. Automatic and manual selection.
Exposure compensation +/- 2 Ev in 1/3 increments
AE lock By pressing shutter-release button partway down
Flash metering Pre-flash TTL
Flash range Wide: Approximately 0.8 - 20 ft. (0.23 - 6.1 m) from CCD

Telephoto: Approximately 4.1 - 15 ft. (1.27 - 4.6 m) from CCD
(Camera sensitivity: auto)

Flash modes
Autoflash, Autoflash with red-eye reduction, Fill flash, Slow-shutter sync. Autoflash not available with aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual exposure modes.
Flash cancel by pushing the built-in flash down.
Flash recycling time Approx. 5 seconds
Flash compensation ± 2 EV in 1/3 increments
Flash synch speeds All shutter speeds
External flashes Auto-flash metering with Program/Maxxum Flash 2500 (D), Program/Maxxum 3600HS (D), Program/Maxxum Flash 5600HS (D)

Continuous advance - UHS (Ultra High Speed) continuous advance:
Approximately ten 1280x960 frames in one second
- Standard continuous advance:
Approximately 1.5 frames per second
* Actual speed may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings.
Approximate number of frames that can be captured at one time with the continuous-advance drive modes:

UHS continuous advance (1280x960)
Fine: 10 frames
Standard: 10 frames
Economy: 10 frames

Standard continuous advance
2272x1704 1600x1200 1280x960 640x480
Fine 5 frames 8 frames 13 frames 42 frames
Standard 10 frames 16 frames 24 frames 67 frames
Economy 19 frames 30 frames 42 frames 94 frames
Actual number of images may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings.


Progressive capture Maximum number of images that can be recorded with the Progressive Capture mode:
UHS: 12 frames
Standard: 5 frames
Exposure bracketing Three frame bracket in 1.0, 0.5, 0.3 EV increments
Self-timer Approx. 10 seconds
Movie Recording time dependent on memory card capacity, image size, and frame rate.
Frame rate: 15 frames per second, 30 frames per second
Fast forward and rewind control.
With and without monaural audio with playback volume control.
Jogging

Movie frame capture
Night movie (automatic selection or disabled)
White balance control Automatic, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash), Custom
Digital Effects Control Contrast compensation, Sharpness
Contrast compensation Three levels (Low, Normal, High)
Sharpness settings Three levels (Soft, Normal, Hard)
Color modes Natural Color, Vivid Color, Black and White, Sepia
Noise reduction User selectable dark noise reduction
Digital zoom Maximum 4x in 0.1x increments
Copy function To copy single or multiple images to the same or another memory card.
E-mail Copy function Creates a compressed 640x480 or 160x120 JPEG image for transmission.
Date imprinting Year/month/day (Format can be changed.) Imprinting can be disabled
Key customization The function activated by the flash-mode button can be changed.

Image quality modes
Fine, Standard, Economy
Number of recorded pixels
(still images) 2272 x 1704
1600 x 1200
1280 x 960
640 x 480
1280 x 960 in UHS continuous-advance mode
Number of recorded pixels
(Movie clips) 800x600
640x480
320x240
160x120
Recording media Secure Digital (16MB supplied)

Storage capacity* (16MB)
(approx.) 2272x1704 1600x1200 1280x960 640x480
Fine 7 frames 14 frames 22 frames 69 frames
Standard 14 frames 27 frames 39 frames 100 frames
Economy 27 frames 47 frames 69 frames 150 frames
* Numerical value may vary depending upon the subject.


File formats JPEG, Motion JPEG (MOV): with audio.
DCF 2.0-compliant
DPOF-compliant (Supported by printing functions in version 1.1) Exif 2.21
Printing output control Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching II, PictBridge
Direct print USB Direct-Print

AV output NTSC, PAL (selected on the camera)

Batteries Four AA Ni-MH or alkaline batteries (Use of Ni-MH batteries is recommended.)

Battery performance (approx.)
(playback) Approximate continuous playback time: 300 min. with alkaline batteries.
Battery performance (approx.)
(recording) Approximate number of recorded images: 250 frames with alkaline batteries, LCD monitor on, Full-size images (2048x1536), Standard image quality, No instant playback, No full-time AF, Flash used with 50% of the frames.

External power source 6V DC with specified AC adapter

Interface Full-speed 12Mbps USB 1.1

Dimensions (WxHxD) 109.5 x 77.5 x 80 mm / 4.31 x 3.05 x 3.15 inch

Weight 305 g / 10.8 ounce without batteries or recording media

Standard accessories
Neck Strap NS-DG6000, Lens Cap LF-242A, Accessory Shoe Cap SC-1000, AV Cable AVC-400, 16MB SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card, USB Cable USB-500, DiMAGE Viewer, ArcSoft VideoImpression 2 CD-ROM (for windows only), Four AA Alkaline batteries

Optional accessories
AC Adapter AC-1L, Camera Case CS-W20, Leather Neck Strap NS-DG1000, External High Power Battery Pack Kit EBP-100, Wide Converter Kit ZCW-100, Adapter ring for attaching filter/converter ZCA-100, Konica Minolta Program Flash 3600HS (D), 5600HS (D), and 2500(D)

DX6490 Specifications

CCD resolution 4.23 MP (2408x1758 pixels)
image resolution 4.0 megapixel (2304x1728 pixels)

image quality
4.0MP - best (print, enlargement 20" x 30")
3.5MP - best (optimized ratio for 4" x 6" prints, 3:2)
2.1MP - better (small print)
1.1 MP - good (e-mail)

zoom lens Schneider Kreuznach Variogon
10X optical zoom, 6.3-63.2mm (35mm equivalent: 38-380mm)
3.0X Advanced Digital Zoom

focus
auto-focus, Multi-zone, center-spot

focus distance
wide std. - 0.6m (2 ft.) to infinity;
tele std. -- 2m (6.6 ft.) to infinity;
wide/tele infinity: 20m (65.6 ft.) to infinity

display LCD
2.2" (5.6cm) 153k pixels, Indoor/Outdoor display;

aperture f/2.8 - 8.0 (wide); f3.7 - 8.0 (tele)

shutter speed 16-1/1700 sec.

ISO equivalent Automatic - (80 - 160);
Selectable - 80/100/200/400/800

white balance auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent
flash mode automatic, fill, red-eye, off; external flash synch available

flash range wide - 0.5 - 4.9m (1.6 - 16.1ft.); tele - 2.0 - 3.7m (6.6 - 12.1 ft.)

viewfinder electronic - 1.1cm (.44 in.), 180K pixels (800x225)

self-timer 10 seconds

scene/other modes automatic, sport, portrait, night, landscape, close-up, program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual
color mode color, black and white, sepia, saturated, neutral, sharpness (sharp, standard, soft)

macro/close-up mode wide - 12 - 70cm (4.7 - 27.6 in.); tele - 120-210cm (47.2 - 82.7 in.)

burst mode 3 fps, up to 6 pictures

light metering method TTL-AE (menu selectable: multi-pattern, center weighted, center spot
exposure compensation +/- 2.0 EV with 0.33 EV step increments
exposure control program AE aperature priority, shutter priority, manual

click to capture 0.65 seconds
shot to shot <2 seconds

movie mode continuous digital video with audio capture, audio playback on camera
movie image resolution 320 x 240 pixels at 20 fps

movie length up to 80 minutes, limited by capacity of external memory card

capture mode capture always ready

auto-orientation auto picture rotation

delete dedicated delete button

review dedicated review button

share dedicated share button

review mode 2X or 4X magnify, picture info, slide show, multi-up, fast scroll, protect, albums

video out NTSC, PAL (user-selectable)

software Kodak EasyShare software v3.1

interface Dock Compatibility - Kodak EasyShare camera dock 6000, Kodak EasyShare printer dock 6000

storage internal storage: 16 MB internal memory

external storage: MMC/SD card expansion slot

power options Kodak EasyShare 3.7V 1700mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery (KLIC 5000 or KLIC 5001)

Kodak EasyShare camera dock 6000 (included)

optional 5V adapter

optional Kodak EasyShare printer dock 6000

image file format still: JPEG/EXIF v2.2; movie: Quicktime

interface USB 2.0 compatible, Kodak EasyShare camera dock 6000 and Kodak EasyShare printer dock 6000 compatible

lens protection lens cap tethered to camera body

tripod mount 1/4 in. standard

weight 337g / 11.9 oz. (without battery and memory card)
dimensions WxHxD 99.6 x 79.9 x 81.2mm
3.9 x 3.1 x 3.2 in.

warranty one year

[brianhare]

Freddy,,,,I left you a response under the firmware thread..

Brian

[Fredy Lee]

If you are interested in both Z2 and Kodak DX6490, please show your idea here, I'm waiting for your advice...

[brianhare]

Freddy,,i think your poll speaks for itself...if you have a direct question you need answered then ask us,,,i don`t own a minolta and don`t intend on buying one..



Brian

[Cold Snail]

I wasall setto buy the Z1 as it looked good in the reviewsBUT have you felt one? It feels all plastic. (as does the Fujifilm S5000)
I see that the Z2 is almost identical except for the increased pixels. I assume the purple fringing is still there and thelow *********s are still tricky to take, the plus side is using a Minolta for action photography, but then, the Kodak does well when you've worked out how the camera works.



My plan is to use my DX for a couple of years and head off on the DSLR route, (when the pixels go up and the price comes down) I may have to wait a while but I sure am enjoying my DX6490 along the way.

[rizorith]

you're idea to hang onto the kodak for a few years and upgrade to a Dslr in the next couple of years is right on with what i was thinking. Except I haven't decided on what to get for now. My main gripe with the kodak is the lack of manual focus.

Do you know of any work around for this? is there some sort of focus lock? I assumed I could just point my focus brackets on what I WANT to focus on, lock the focus there and then center my camera on another subject. Now I'm not so sure. What happens if you want to focus on something other than what is in the center of the focus brackets?

[Cold Snail]

The Kodak's lack of manual focus is a problem to some, but not to me. When you set the camera up you can use multi-zone focus which moves the targets around for you.

With my racing shots I found it easy to pre-focus on the tarmac and lift up slightly as a car came into the area.

But you could always cheat like I didon my panning shot and just put the camera into Landscape mode.

All the best

Paul.

[Robb]

My main gripe with the kodak is the lack of manual focus.

Do you know of any work around for this? is there some sort of focus lock? I assumed I could just point my focus brackets on what I WANT to focus on, lock the focus there and then center my camera on another subject.

The 6490 has the same sort of basic focus/exposure lock as most cameras: half-press the shutter button, hold it in that position as you recompose, then press it fully to expose the sensor. So far as I have been able to determine, it offers no way to lock focus and exposure separately (other than setting exposure in manual mode), and no way to maintain focus lock after releasing the shutter button. A pity. And often a PITA.

Still, I don't know of any non-DSLR, or for that matter any camera/lens combination selling for less than about $1200US that offers a comparable combination of zoom range and low-light performance. I think the 6490 is an amazing camera.

You can set focus to "center zone", so the focus frame lines won't move around, but this only works in PASM mode.
And as Paul pointed out, you can lock focus at infinity by shooting in Landscape mode.

[rizorith]

thanks for the info Robb. I ended up purchasing the 6490 and I figured out the focus lock the same day you posted about it. What is the deal with the speed of the film? In manual you can't change it but in other modes you can. I get the impression that kodak looks at film speed as being higher quality the slower it is.

On a side note, is there a good website you know of that gives tips and has discussion specifically for this camera? Or maybe just a more active message board? Now that I have the camera I want to learn all I can.

I'll be posting my first pics this weekend - so far I went to the beach here in LA and got a few shots of some dolphins swimming about 100 meters off the beach.