Customer Reviews

Konica Minolta Dimage X31 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When I opened the box, I was excited from getting my latest gizmo. After all, the specs and the camera look great. I liked it immediately for it's extremely pocketable size, use of standard AA batteries, 3.2MP resolution, sleek design, and low price. Trying it out, I noticed that it was fast and had very little shutter lag. In addition, the camera was easy to use (though it lacked manual controls being a point-and-shoot camera). I quickly found myself taking snapshots left and right while playing with my new 'toy'. However, my excitement quickly turned to extreme disappointment:

The image quality was horrible.

Once I took a look at the pictures I took, I immediately realized the that designers got a lot of things right but skimped on what matters most in a camera: the image quality. Almost all of my images turned out to be extremely grainy. The only ones that were half-way decent were outdoor shots in bright sunlight. All my other shots (mostly indoor with moderate lighting) turned out to be unacceptably noisy. Even then there was a fair amount of noise in all my shots. Adding to the problem was the extreme lack of fine resolution. Normally smooth edges appeared jagged and blurry and noise is evident even in good lighting conditions.

Looking online at sample pictures, I noticed that other people had the same results. Apparently, my camera wasn't defective. Compared to pictures I took using other cameras (the Olympus 2100 Ultra Zoom, Nikon Coolpix 2100, and Canon SD110) and the sample pictures of many 'budget' cameras from respectable camera review sites, the image quality of the x31 is clearly inferior.

It didn't take long for me to decide to send the camera back. I had to pay a restocking fee but that's better than having a camera that I don't want to use because of poor image quality.



Conclusion
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Overall, if you just want a cheap ultra-compact for use in broad daylight only and you're not too concerned about a bit of noise and lack of fine resolution, then the DiMage x31 might suit your needs. Otherwise, you will find much better image quality with just about any other digital camera out there (including those with lower megapixel ratings).


Summary:
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Pros:

Good price (>$200)
3.2MP rating
Small size
Standard AA batteries
Standard Media (SD/MMC)
Sleek design
3x optical zoom
Fast startup
Low shutter lag


Cons:

Image quality is terrible
Poor low-light performance

As the owner of a bigger, more complicated digital camera for "serious" photography, I purchased this camera to bring along with me in my pocket to parties, happy hours, etc. BIG MISTAKE. This camera will not focus AT ALL in low light. I sent it back for exchange, thinking I had a lemon, and received a replacement that was just as bad. I called the manufacturer to complain, and was told "a camera at this price has limitations." Like being unable to focus?!?! I would expect this from a cheesey, no-name brand, but not from Konica Minolta (who now, in my opinion, rank with the cheesey no-name brands).

I bought the X31 to replace a dimage X that I had used real hard over the last couple years. Great sized-camera, and it took amazing photos! The dimage X was awesome, but couldn't handle the rough usage I put it through, with the lens cover finally wearing out. The lithium battery life was also lame. I finally had to replace it and made the mistake of buying the dimage X31.

The only good thing about the dimage X31 is the use of standard AA batteries, although the batteries don't last long. The exposure/focus is just horrible as compared to the dimage X. The silly toggle switch is lame. The menu is just plain difficult compared to the dimage X. Also, the toggle switch between the video mode and still mode is placed in a stupid location.

DONT BOTHER!

I have a Dimage Xt as does about 5 other people I know. We all love them. So, I recommended the X31 to a friend. That was the biggest mistake I have ever made.

The X31 is a piece of trash. It is unable to take focussed pictures inside a dimly lit bar. My Xt had no problems taking pictures in the same situation.

If you want a camera that takes pictures in focus, you should avoid the X31.

I bought this camera for my mother, but seeing as how technical things tend to go by her I wanted to try it for my self first. After a week of testing it I decided to return it.

I found the canera easy to use and all the features were very nice. I liked that it had on board memory and that you could even take video with it, and while the video was not spectacular, it was darn good, especially since usually when something says it will do both it is usually sucky on both or really good taking pictures and sucks on video.

However the digital zoom was a little "clunky" that it was not very good, I can't give a better description than clunky, sorry. But the biggest reason I returned it is that the focus was horrible. This camera only wanted to focus when the object was already brightly lit, escentially making the flash useless, and trying to take night pictures a pain in the posterior. Also it seemed to go through batteries awfull quick, it took about 50 pictures for the batteries that came with it to die.

So unless you live in florida or the South West and only plan on taking day shots and you can afford to buy new batteries every 50 pictures you need to find a different camera.

I have had this camera for over a year. I bought it because I read some reviews (from people who obveously hadn't used the camera for a long time) that said the shutter lag was great. I also liked its size. I knew the video was not going to have sound, so while inconvenient, it was not anything unexpected. I also loved the fact it took AA batteries.

However, this camera has ZERO durrability. The door that holds in the batteries broke in week 1 after the warrenty ended. Minolta will not replace it. It is a cheep peice of plastic, and they will not replace it unless I pay for repairs that cost more than the camera did when I bought it,

Also, and this was a big one for me, if you are in any lighting condition less than 'bright' you can forget about getting an in-focus shot. This thing can not take low light pictures.

Also, the ergonomics of this thing is all off. It was particularly bad because I am left-handed, but even for my right handed family members, it takes some getting used to NOT to hold this thing with 2 hands, and NOT having your shutter-finger get in the way of the lense.

Avoid this camera. Make sure to go to your local retail store and TEST your cameras before you buy them. Test them for shutter lag, batter door design, and low light conditions (put your hand over the lense, or bring sun-glasses).

I was hoping that when I pay a good amount of money for a product from a well known company which has a reputation in photgraphy, i'll get a camera that can take pictures. With the x31 that is hardly the case since the camera doesn't know how to focus. If you plan on taking pictures anywhere other than under glaring lights or the midday sun, buy another camera because the camera will just get confused and give you that little red dot telling you it can't focus.

The camera is easy to handle and therefore for people who just wanna make pictures. The camera needs some seconds to focus the object which makes snapshot almost impossible. It is really convenient because of its size and the inbuild lences. The camera is really good for daylight use, but if it gets darker outside or even inside you can not use the camera at all. The flash, needed to focus on something, is to weak.

The Seller was courteous and prompt. This little camera is amazing, I have one already that I paid over $175 for and I wanted a spare as they no longer make this model and I love it. It zooms in to take detailed close-ups, and takes great portraits and landscapes too. The slightly used one I purchased here was exactly as described and works perfectly.

I got some really good use out of this camera, I will treasure many of the beautiful pictures. However, I would not go with it again. While it provides some nice options and I love tiny design, it was often difficult to focus and the menu, while intuitive and simple, took time to adjust. Even with the case sold by minolta specifically for this camera, it did not handle bumps well at all. In addition, it takes too long to store a shot and let you take another one.
While my outdoor pictures were often stunning, indoors was a real problem. The flash is very strong and casts severe shadows, and I think the color is unauthentic as well. Sometimes you can do ok without the flash, but often the color is unauthentic anyway and often dark.
I caught on to the focusing system easily, but it became a problem when I wanted to be in a picture and have someone else shoot it. Almost never had good results. Also, forget about low light conditions-- even though the flash compensates perfectly, the lens doesn't focus and your pictures will be uselessly blurry.
Bottom line: Not reccomended. I'm sorry I let myself get talked into getting a more expensive (at the time) camera when I probably would have been equally satisfied with a cheaper camera and fewer options.