Konica Revio KD-400Z 4.13MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Konica-Minolta

Product Details

Product Manual [4.09mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.6 x 3.2 x 1.5 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000069D6D
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,019 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 23, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Judging from the diminutive size of Konica's KD-400Z, most people assume it's little more than a digital toy. In reality, a whopping 4.13-megapixel CCD lurks within the camera's sleek stainless steel and silver plastic frame, capable of capturing images with outstanding detail. Currently, 4.13-megapixel cameras don't come much smaller than this.

The KD-400Z and its 3.2-megapixel cousin the KD-310Z are also the first two digital camera to incorporate both MMC/SD and Memory Stick slots, and it can use both types of memory simultaneously.

The camera has fewer buttons on the back than most digital cameras in this price range, but that's only because it is designed to be so easy to use. Most menus that appear on the crisp, color LCD screen are navigated using a small four-way switch, and a button next to that switch is used to activate highlighted menu items. Other buttons allow for the easy viewing and deleting of images and also to control the camera's 3x optical zoom. A digital zoom is also available, but we recommend against using it as it substantially reduces image quality.

Powering up the device is as easy as sliding back the protective lens cover on the front. The camera springs into action almost instantly, and zooming also works very quickly compared to most digital cameras. Pressing the shutter button down halfway activates the autofocus, and also causes a blue light on the front of the camera to illuminate so subjects know a picture is about to be taken.

Although there are no manual controls for things like shutter speed and f-stop settings, the camera does offer enough control to take it one step beyond a basic point-and-shoot camera. The four-way switch can be pressed right or left to turn the flash on or off, change to macro or landscape shooting mode, set the self-timer, apply red-eye reduction, or set up a combination of these things.

Image quality is excellent. The CCD captures details that lesser cameras simply can't resolve, and exhibits exceptionally accurate color reproduction. Outdoor shots look terrific with the exception of low-light and night shots, where the automatic-only shutter comes into play. Skin tones are accurate, and the camera takes good portraits, but red-eye is a big problem even with reduction enabled. We can only presume it is caused because the camera's flash is so close to the lens.

Regardless, this is an excellent automatic digital camera for those who don't want to fuss with manual controls at all, but who also want to capture more detail than point-and-shoot 2-megapixel cameras can handle. The included 16 MB SD memory card is skimpy for a camera that generates images at a native resolution of 2,307 x 1,704 pixels, and you'll probably want another set of rechargeable batteries, but otherwise the KD-400Z's price and performance offer very little to complain about. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Smallest 4.13-megapixel camera on the block
• Dual memory card expansion--SD/MMC and Memory Stick slots
• Also records short videos and captures pictures with sounds using the integrated microphone
• Case is rugged but still looks very slick

Cons:

• Needs a bigger memory card
• Some more manual controls would be nice considering the detail this camera can render
• Red-eye is nearly impossible to eliminate

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keen Konica Clad in Steel, September 4, 2002

By 

A. Saunders (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Konica Revio KD-400Z 4.13MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

It's tiny (little bigger than a credit card and beautifully finished in two-tone stainless alloy and yet this point and shoot digital really packs a punch. Minimalistic, with only seven buttons and a shutter, most functions are intuitive and the controls are surprisingly ergonomic and solid for a camera of this size - allowing it to be used even by those with Gulliver-like hands. The KD-400Z's main claim to fame is in its ability to house two flash cards - SD and MS and it is possible to shift data between them. A 128 mb MS holds around 176 high quality pics at 4 megapixels and 76 in uncompressed mode and of course this can be doubled with a second card.

The camera leaps into action upon liding its steel lens cover to one side within just over a second - greeting you with a Windows like sound from its built-in speaker. Pictures are generally outstanding on wide angle - although there is a tendency to blur on telephoto - particularly with non-static subjects. Macro goes down to 4 inches. The camera is limited to 15 second at a time videos with sound(of very basic quality) irrespective card size. The zoom lens is virtually silent, responsive and lightening fast. The menu system comes in three colours and is generall easy to follow - offering a choice of detailed or basic options and it is possible to review pictures without turning the camera on.An index menu allows 9 images and pictures may be scrolled and zoomed into up to 12x. Some menu items like spot metering and exposure shift are embedded a little deeply in the menu system.And date imprint settings are extremely difficult to master.

This is essentially a sophisticated point and shoot camera with focus lock, exposure control, slow synch, flash settings and spot metering options being the sole overides - but at least they are useful. It is a pity that setting a fast speed manually is not available as this would avoid shake on moving targets - so easy with diminutive cameras.

Despite near instantaneous startup, it takes around 4 seconds to produce subsequent shots and around a second longer with flash. A novel three LED blue panel flashes on startup, self-timer and as pictures are taken. Battery life is reaasonable @ 60 plus pictures with average use of TFT screen and zooming, although a card reader would be useful and a second battery essential. Konica supply an optional case which is jazzy and compact with a pocket for spares, but charge a high price for what it is.

Turning the camera off seems to require a gentle touch since the lens cover is only a quarter of an inch from the 2.8 lens.

Overall, if you are prepared to forego some manual options and risk blurred shots on moving subjects, this is both a gem and an object of stainless desire, sold at a price which easily beats the competition. Photographs have superb colour rendering, exposure,resolution and are accurate and there is very little color noise at low light levels. Highly recommended and beautiful too.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well built and great pictures, March 11, 2003

By 

John Chan (Cheshire) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Konica Revio KD-400Z 4.13MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I head an Engineering department, and we have been through a fair few cameras. The KD-400Z is very well-built, great value for money and produces excellent pictures. The sharpness and details of the images are amongst the best I've seen from a sub-$... camera.

Its diminutive size and tank-like build, makes it ideally suited for travelling and every-day use.

On the down side:- plastic tripod fixing, very few manual override settings and limited range of accessories, are some of the things that may bug you.

Overall though, the positives far outweighs the negatives. For the price, I don't think there's a better point-and-shoot camera.

Update:

After nearly two months of use, the camera is performing very well. Our heavy-handed engineers tend to throw it into their brief cases and tool-boxes (despite the fact that we bought it for its ability to fit into pockets!) but the KD-400Z does its job and produces consistently good results.

I would like to comment on some of the "problems" stated in a couple of previous reviews:

"Focus problem" - The KD-400Z, like all compact digital cameras, does not have an active infra-red focus like some larger cameras. Instead, it relies on image processing of real-time images. This means that the focus can be fooled, especially in low light conditions and low-contrast scenes. In these cases, you should focus on a high-contrast object of equal distance away, and lock the focus before taking the picture. Given these limitations, the focus on the KD-400Z is as good as it gets.

Aother thing that is often mistaken for mis-focus, is camera shake. We found that one of our engineers always seem to take more out-of-focus pictures than others (with all our cameras!). We actually found that this was due to him moving the camera as he pressed on the shutter button.

"Cannot review pictures without opening lens cover" - With cover closed, just press and hold the play the button, it's in the manual!

"Cover knocks the lens when closing" - On our KD-400Z, this simply is not possible. No matter how hard you close the cover, it always stop just before the lens. Once the lens have retracted, then the cover can be closed fully.

"Picture quality" - We can not fault the excellent pictures. Colours are vibrant and spot-on. At maximum resolution, the sharpness from the Hexanon lens, coupled with the 4M CCD, is good enough for a full page picture in one of our brochures! Beware thought, the CCD does not have high gain for low-light scenes. The flash however, is suprisingly powerful for its size.

In conclusion, it's well-built, easy to use, and produces excellent pictures. We are very satisfied and have bought another two KD-400Zs.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Ultracompact in the market right now, February 28, 2003

By 

shyguy (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Konica Revio KD-400Z 4.13MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

This is the best ultracompact for your money. Four megapixels for a price lower than 3 megapixel Canon's S230. It's lighter, the same size, and has a 3x optical zoom, superior to the S230, and even better specwise than the 3x of the S330. The camera is very durable, has an excellent design to protect the lense (no lense shutter which can stop functioning). Startup time is excellent. In two seconds of opening the shutter, the camera is ready to take a photo. Compare this to say, the Minolta F-100, where you'd have to wait up to 7 seconds once you turn it on.

Low light pictures are good, although red eye is a problem if you use flash. You'll want to either go for a slow exposure, or correct red eye corrected with Photoshop Elements, which is included in the package (the best software package included with any digital camera). You may want to update your firmware software to improve low light shooting and inbetween flash times. Go to the "Other digicams" forum at dpreview.com and read up on how. The KD-400Z is one of the top rated cameras out there, and a well kept secret.