Customer Reviews

Minolta Dimage F100 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

After spending more than a year looking for just the right digital camaera, I chose the F100 and am very happy. With 4 megapixels, 3x zoom, and good optics, the camera is an excellent value for the price.

Most of all, I love the design and ergonomics (I'm an industrial designer and ergonomic engineer, so I'm fussy about these things). The camera is very sturdy and has a clean all-metal housing. It's very small as well, yet it's still quite easy to hold and operate with one hand. The controls make good sense too. Aesthetically, it's very smart looking without being over the top.

The area autofocus works well, though the subject tracking responds so slowly that It doesn't seem that helpful. No matter. All in all, it takes great pictures in Auto mode, and also has a "Multi" mode which gives you full manual control over focus and exposure, or you can choose to control some things and let the camera handle the rest.

Note that unlike some cameras, it doesn't include a rechargeable battery or charger, but it does take 2 AAs. You can buy a smart charger and 4 AA NiMH batteries--around the same cost as buying a second proprietary battery for rival cameras.

All in all, this is well designed and constructed fully featured camera in a small, elegant package.

Overall, a small, easy to carry feature packed camera. Subject Tracking AF and Area AF make it easy to stay locked onto a subject that's moving so you can take a clear picture. The 110,000 pixel LCD display provides a crisp clear image. The optional RC-3 remote control allows you to tripod mount the camera and take self-portraits--if you think being able to do that is worth the [money]for the remote.

A customer from San Diego, CA USA claimed that the F100 'did not have "time stamp" option which will allow customer to put date on picture automatically'. Actually it does. Under Manual mode, Menu->Custom 2 tab, there's an option called "date imprint". Turning it on sticks the date on the photo automatically. This option applies to manual mode, but you can still configure manual mode with the menus to be mostly automatic anyway. Why so many complain about features a device doesn't (appear to) have without bothering to read the manual first, eludes me. Besides, why ruin a good picture with a big DATE STAMP when the camera records all of the image details in the jpeg file? With the software included, it's very easy to see the time, date, capturing device settings and dozens of other jpeg properties after the fact without compromising the photo.

The fact that Minolta doesn't include an AC adapter is a kicker because the AC-6 adapter costs a hefty [amount]. If you happen to have a card reader which is a better option than the USB cable anyway (go ahead and buy the 6-in-1 type so you can read anything), the adapter really isn't that important unless you like putting up slide shows on TV with the included A/V adapter cable.

Minolta was one of the few companies who considered customer convenience in this design--they wisely chose to use AA batteries. Olympus is one of the few manufacturers to use AAs in most of their models. Most cameras I reviewed in the 4MP range use those ridiculously overpriced proprietary Li-Ion batteries. If you happen to be overseas without a charger that supports alternate voltages (a situation I'm in frequently), you'd better take a spare, and plan on paying around [money], or foot the bill for a dual-voltage charger if you can even get one. On top of that, you'll be lucky if you get 2 years out of the stupid things, and then you're out another [money] or so if the manufacturer even still makes them by that time. Minolta eliminated all of this pain by using standard off-the-shelf good old [inexpensive] AAs in the F100. Buy a few NiMH to carry around and keep a couple of lithium AAs with you to use if you run out of charged NiMH batteries. Worst case, stop at a gas station and load up on Alkaline AAs. They'll have a shorter life, but at least your camera still functions! If you're looking at cameras that use proprietary batteries, think long and hard about how you might wind up without the facilities to recharge before you buy. Sooner or later, it will be a problem.

The LCD is recessed which helps protect it from sharp objects sliding over the back of the camera--an unfortunate oversight on another brand which now has several scratches across the screen.

The lens retracts into the camera and a cover automatically closes to protect it. No lens cap to lose, no slide cover to forget to close. This lens cover design may not protect quite as well as a heavy sliding cover on other models, but given the price, I have no intentions of using my camera as a football anyway. Keep it in a padded carry bag.

One last pleasant surprise from the Minolta is the F100's ISO capability. Most cameras I've seen go up to 400, amd nearly all use 100-200 when left in auto--including the Minolta. In manual mode, the Minolta can go as high as ISO 800. This allows the camera to take photos in surprisingly low-light situations--often without the flash! There is a tradeoff though: just as with film, the higher ISO settings result in "granier" images. Still, if it's grainy or nothing, I'll choose grainy.

I bought this camera after my wonderful husband dropped and broke my Fuji Finepix 2400. I decided to upgrade to a 4 mp camera and after MUCH research, I chose the Minolta F100. I've had it for about a month now and absolutely love it! The pictures are brilliant and the prints from my printer are almost film photo quality. It is small enought to fit in your purse or pocket, and it has a feature that once you lock in on your subject, it'll follow it around and take a great picture - great for taking pictures of an active toddler! The trick is to press and hold the shutter button half way down to focus, and when you're ready, snap your picture! I haven't missed many shots this way!
The bottom line is that this is one of the best values for the money - it has better features than most of the 4 mp cameras in this class, as Minolta came late in the game of digital imaging and has to 'catch' up with the rest of the world, thus giving you great features, quality, and ease of use, for much, much less.

I just love this camera for the great combination of features it provides in ths small sleek take-everywhere package. But features alone wouldn't suffice without good picture quality, and the F100 delivers excellent pictures for an ultracompact. Nice sharpness throughout the entire lens, and natural well-balanced colors. Autofocus is fairly fast and reliable. Works on two AA batteries and gives only average battery life, but the convenience and cost-savings of being able to use rechargeable NIMH batteries is well worth the tradeoff. In fact, this was a big selling point for me. I have a [brand name] digital camera that uses a proprietary li-ion battery which is very expensive, though it does last long. But for an ultracompact like the F100, I much prefer the AA batteries. One other plus for the F100 is the 4 megapixels. Some other compacts,... , only give you 2 megapixels. For the most casual photographer, this may be enough. But when you end up cropping some shots, like I do, the extra megapixels are mandatory. There is a full range of manual controls for the more advanced shooters, plus a wide range of auto settings for complete point-and-shoot convenience. I'm glad I waited for this model to come out before going for one of the many other digital compacts out there.

A very attractive, solid-feeling little camera, as compact as one might wish. After about six months use, these shortcomings noted: (i) the menus are virtually invisible in outdoor light; (ii) the OFF position of the mode dial is not secure; the camera can be turned on and the lens turret extended in purse or pocket by inadvertant jostling, which may damage the mechanism; (iii) the autofocus feature lacks an infrared beam projector, making autofocusing inexact in poor light; (iv) the disparity between image capture via optic viewfinder and LCD frame is very large; (v) in common with many in its class, the camera's operation although extremely flexible is very complex.

After being a die-hard film photographer for the last 20 years, I finally took the plunge and bought a digital camera. After much research, I decided on the Minolta F100. This camera is the perfect size for backpacking and other trips. You will never have to worry about leaving it behind. I was a little disapointed that the camera did not come with an A/C adapter, but I bought an inexpensive SD/MMC memory card reader that connects to my computer via a USB cable. This way the camera does not have to be on in order to download pictures to your computer, thus saving wear and tear on the camera, and saving batteries. Speaking of batteries, I like the fact that the Minolta gives you the option of using AA batteries, which can be a real benefit if you run out of Lithium and/or rechargeable batteries.

Most importantly, the pictures are great! The camera is easy to use in automatic mode, but you have the option of complete control in manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority modes.

I've have bought both the Sony P7 and the Canon S230 in the past 3 weeks, and took them both back. The Minolta F100 blows them away! If you are considering either of these cameras, be sure to check out the Minolta first. It way more feature-packed.

The Sony had awful software (totally unusable) and the pictures were all fuzzy on the edges of the subjects - like I shot them with a softening filter. And having to charge the battery inside the camera with the bulky cords was a hassle.

The Canon, for a $400 camera, has no date stamp imprint! You have to apply it with their software! Sometimes I print right from my printer and don't even involve my PC. Completely unacceptable.

In comparison, the Minolta offers these added features:

*It's 4 Megapixels instead of only 3!

*A separate LCD display of camera settings and options, as well as having the option to display them in your main LCD too. Nice if you don't want your view to be cluttered with settings.

*I happened to find it alot cheaper online from a reputable major retailer than at the major electronics stores nearby. It came with an extra 64mb card and leather case for less than either the Sony or Canon! :-D

*It has a movie mode with sound, but you can also attach a voice message to any photo!

*I like the CR-V3 batteries. My Kodak had them and they don't drain as fast as everyone complains they do. They are not expensive...so just keep an extra handy.

*I have Windows XP, and had to download a software version updatefrom minolta.com to be able to transfer my photos, but it went smoothly.

*There are all manual settings too, for those that might want to have that control. My pictures on auto are fantastic.

*The only thing I don't like is that you have to have the camera in manual mode to have the date imprint. I don't really understand why, but it's a tiny tiny detail. I just put it in that mode but don't change any of the settings it already has - it works just fine.

You really need to give this camera a look! You won't be disappointed!

It is small, light, fits in my pocket or my wife's purse. I have owned mine 5 months and it has been trouble free. The autofocus works perfectly if you remember that the subject can move , not the camera AND the subject. Great flesh colors free of magenta or purple and as a matter of fact it is the first digital that I have owned that gives me great colors without going through Photoshop.At that price it deserves 5 stars.Caveat:The control button turns so easily that the camera turns itself on in your pocket or even in its case.

This is my second digital camera and I am thrilled with it! What I love about this camera is its manual settings which allow you to control f-stops and aperature. But it's also fully automatic, so I can snap a quick shot, or set up exactly what I want for a protrait of the night sky. The scene settings in the automatic mode are also very nice. I like the sunset one especially.

The video feature is uniqe because sound is included with video--great memory maker. I have not used the audio recording feature much, but on a 128MB card, I can record up to 30 minutes of audio at a time!

Minolta makes a great product; the optics are the highest quality. This camera is perfect for those who want to dive into the digital camera market at the top of the class and also for those who want a no-nonsense user-friendly product that takes maginficent photos. Five stars is not enough for this product!

This is a good camera for awesome still photos, but don't get too close; tend to be blurry. And even in macro mode, you have to be perfectly still (tripod) as well as your subject. The lens did get stuck once, but has worked fine since.
My biggest pet peeve is that the video only records in .mov format. Only RealOne can play that. I cannot use it with Windows Movie Maker, as only Macs can. I wish it could have an option to record in .avi or .mpg formats.
So, when my husband lost it a month ago, I was a bit upset, but glad that now I can get a camcorder that records in a Windows compatable format and that takes stills as well. I will not buy any Minoltas until they offer those formats. It is very important to me; I have 3 children that are growing fast.
And I also have one more pet peeve: everytime your batteries die or you remove them, you have to reset your date and time. VERY annoying! No memory battery to keep data you entered. This camera is good, but with a few minor improvements, it can be awesome.