Minolta Dimage G500 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Minolta

Product Details

Supplementary Guide [910kb PDF]

|

Product Manual [2.46mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 3.7 x 2.2 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000BYO7U
• Item model number: 2731-131
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,147 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 3, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Housed in an elegant metal case and weighing just 7 ounces, the compact Minolta Dimage G500 can be easily slipped into a pocket or fanny pack while on vacation. It blends powerful automated features with a host of manual controls (such as color saturation, contrast, and sharpness) and offers a 5-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, compatibility with SD cards and Memory Sticks, and a movie mode with sound.

Optics and Resolution
The Dimage G500's precision electro-optical system is built around a 5.36-megapixel interline primary-color CCD with 5 million effective pixels for beautifully crisp, high-resolution images. It captures up to 2592 x 1944 pixel images for up to 13 x 17-inch enlargements (at 150 dpi). It also offers 2048 x 1536 (3 MP), 1600 x 1200 (2 MP), and 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution modes.

With its high-quality 3x aspheric optical zoom lens, the Dimage G500 has a focal range of 8–24mm (equivalent to a 39–117mm zoom on a 35mm camera). It also has a smooth 3x digital zoom for a 9x total zoom. The maximum aperture of f/2.8–4.9 allows the camera to be used in less than ideal lighting conditions without flash.

Movie and Audio Modes
The Dimage G500 captures up to 30 seconds of video with sound at a 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The camera can also record audio on its own, either as an audio-only file (up to 30 seconds) or as an image caption.

More Features
With a fast 1.3-second startup time, you can capture the action at a moment's notice. Plus, the ergonomic control layout makes settings quick and simple; the three most used controls are conveniently placed on the top of the camera body for quick, one-touch access.

The e-mail copy function creates a 640 x 480 or 160 x 120 JPEG copy of an image on the memory card so that it can be easily transferred over the Internet.

The Dimage G500's versatile flash modes let you shoot in a variety of lighting situations with confidence. In automatic mode, the flash fires whenever it's needed. If the main subject is backlit, you can select fill-flash for additional subject illumination.

Other features include:

• 1.5-inch LCD with optical real-image viewfinder
• Image adjustment control settings include saturation, contrast, sharpness, and color balance as well as ISO-equivalent sensitivity and flash compensation
• Manual exposure mode allows you to adjust the lens aperture and shutter speed (from 1/1,000 to 15 seconds ) independently
• Macro mod can get as close as 2.4 inches in both telephoto and wide angle shooting

Storage and Transfer
The Dimage G500 features a dual card slot system for expanded image storage; Memory Sticks and Secure Digital (SD) memory cards can be used alone or in combination. A 16 MB SD card is included with the Dimage G500, and it can store approximately 11 images shot in Normal, 5-megapixel mode. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-500). It measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.2 inches and weighs 7.1 ounces excluding the batteries or 8.3 ounces when loaded with the battery.

What's In The Box
This package contains the Dimage G500 digital camera, 16 MB SD memory card, lithium-ion battery (NP-500), battery charger (BC-500), USB cable (USB-800), hand strap (HS-DG130), Dimage Viewer CD-ROM, instruction manual CD-ROM, and quick-start guide.

Product Description

MD) CL) MIN DIMAGE G500 DIGITAL CAM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST pic quality, BEST menus,BEST compact design, BEST VALUE, October 22, 2003

By 

Jeremy Bates (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minolta Dimage G500 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

i've researched Canon 400S Elph, Sony Cybershots, Minolta F100 - all that jazz (see dpreview.com, cnet.com and steves-digicams.com for thorough reviews) and nothing pocketable held up to this Minolta G500 (Olympus left out for consistently poor image quality and construction). Why is the G500 the best?

For starters, 5MP vs. 4 - not always the main concern, but it's easily the finest 5MP in its price range. Sure, Sony has some new 5MPs out that are only about $50 more (although the ones as small as the G500 are around $100 more) but they feel cheap, have inferior reviews, and lack the picture quality of this Minolta. The only real competition for high-res digicams that are highly-pocketable is the Canon Elph 400S, but this Minolta is at least comparable in every respect, and of course it has 25% more megapixels.

Makes fun camera shooting sounds when you snap pics. Gorgeous displays and intuitive controls. Quick and easy... start-up with cool green light on front. Zoom very quick - zips open and shut. great weight to it - not too heavy by any means, but feels solid in your hands - nice ergonomics. I spent $350 - nothing else around that price point compared. Buy it. Peace!

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great point-and-shoot, November 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Minolta Dimage G500 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

This is a great point & shoot digital. It is very small, fits in your pocket. The lens cover is very convenient. It takes great pictures at 5 megapix. Start up time and time between pics is very fast. The movie made allows you take 30sec audio/vid clips which is very cool and convenient and they come out great. Its nice for those times when you don't have / or dont feel like getting your camcorder out.

My only issue is the red-eye - which seems to happen on all small point and shoots. Most photo software packages allow you to zap out the redeye pretty effectively with the click of a mouse - so it's not a big deal.

Battery life is awesome. I've taken about 15 vids and 100 pics and the battery indicator still reads full-charge; and I always the display (not the viewfinder). My old camera used to chew through 4 AA's after some 30 pictures.

I was going to get the canon s40 which is very comparable but the price is better on this + its 5 megapixle + there is a 25$ credit towards memory card upgrade. You'll need to get a bigger mem card.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart little camera, October 23, 2003

By 

Tom (new york, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minolta Dimage G500 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

There are a couple of other cameras that rank right next to the g500 in features, size and quality. But they rank $150-200 higher in price. There ends some of the debate.

It's usability and the final product (in this case, the pictures) that attest to the thought that goes into a gem like this. All control butons are well-placed, and clearly defined. The interface is very intuitive - you'll be shooting away long before you have to turn to the cd-rom manual (thankfully - would it be so costly to provide a printed book?) The default settings on this camera are excellent - but if we must, there are manual choices available.

My tip on that long strap: adjust the slide to create a wrist length, knot the cord above that and cut it off. As for a case, I'm using a neat leather cell phone case for a "flip" type phone. There are lots of them around: carry the camera with you and try some out till you get one that fits.Or maybe a vintage cigarette pack slip case.

Utlimately, this is a beautiful camera with features (like 5mp) that belie it's easy to handle price.