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Despite its high resolution, the camera took below-average pictures
exhibiting an overall lack of sharpness and with solid-colored areas that
were marred by lots of noise. It isn't possible to change ISO settings
manually to compensate, so this is definitely a snapshot camera. It is
capable of taking macro shots from an extremely close distance, and in
many cases we were able to get it to focus on objects that were a little
over an inch from the lens.
This
camera would be a dream for those who need to capture close-up details,
such as for selling products at Internet auction sites and such, but
everyone else save the most casual user should look elsewhere for a
5-megapixel camera that lives up to its specifications sheet. --T. Byrl
Baker
Pros:
Cons:
Amazon.com Product Description
The Konica Revio KD-500Z is the world's smallest camera in the
5-megapixel, 3x optical zoom class (as of January 2003). Its classic dark
grey stainless-steel alloy exterior provides a contemporary appearance,
while its ultraslim profile enhances portability. It also features one of
the fastest start-up times found in current digital cameras--1.4 seconds.
Optics and Resolution
Konica's KD-500z has a 5.23-megapixel sensor that creates pictures at a
resolution of up 2,592 x 1,944 pixels, sharp enough for prints up to
poster size. The 3x Hexanon optical zoom (equivalent to 39-117mm on 35mm
film camera) has a 4x digital zoom enhancement for bringing objects up
close.
The
KD-500Z's new key custom modes, such as AE Lock and AF Lock, bring it even
closer to an SLR camera in terms of spontaneity and ease of use. It also
offers manual settings for exposure correction and white balance. Other
added features include monochrome photo and continuous shot functions. The
Macro mode allows shots as close as 6cm from the subject.
Storage and Transfer
The KD-500z has a 2 MB internal memory and includes a 16 MB Secure Digital
(SD) card, but the memory slot is also designed for compatibility with
Memory Sticks.
Movie Mode
A movie mode captures video clips with sound. Depending upon resolution
(up to 320 by 240 pixels), these clips can last up to 30 seconds. The
limited length and resolution of these clips guarantee that this feature
won't replace your camcorder, but it's perfect for when you just want to
capture a quick movie and e-mail it to a friend or relative.
More Features
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1.5-inch LCD preview monitor with green LED indicator
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Multimode flash with red-eye reduction
-
Night Portrait mode uses a slow shutter speed and slow sync flash to
capture shots in dimly lit environments
-
Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements photo editing software
Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (included). It
measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.2 inches and weighs 7.8 ounces. This package
includes the Revio KD-500z digital camera, 16 MB SD card battery and
battery charger, USB and AV cables, hand strap, Adobe Photoshop Elements
imaging software, and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.
________________________________________________________________
Product Reviews:
Small, but not enough camera for the price, September 26, 2004
Reviewer: Bill Staley
I bought a KD500Z in 2-02 for $500, used it for a year, lost it in the car
for several months, bought a Sony DSC-V1 for $500 to replace it, found the
Konica and let my niece use the Konica for her very active summer.
The KD500Z is small and easy to carry. It takes a memory stick and an SD
card. It can't take action shots and it can't take good photos in low
light. The infrequently used options are not very easy to use. With that
said, we took a lot of great photos with it (and a few short movies) and
loved having it at hand. I use a card reader to download the photos to the
computer. We don't miss the hassle of getting film developed, but
sometimes we miss the crisp glossies.
The Sony is a better at action shots and in low light, its controls are
easier to understand and it takes better movies. But the Sony is a little
bigger and takes only one memory stick. (With a 256 memory stick, the
battery becomes the limiting factor. I have not run out of memory or
battery in either camera. You do need to learn to pace your use. It helps
to bring on vacation a laptop with a memory stick slot. During a vacation
it would not be a bad idea to archive the downloaded photos to the web or
to a CD or DVD. I had to reformat a hard drive after a recent vacation
with my laptop.) The Sony battery does not seem to last as long as the
Konica, but that is purely subjective. I like the Sony much better.
I have not used all the capabilities of either camera. I got another 5MP
camera only because I like being able to crop out a lot of the original
photo and still have good resolution. (I do not otherwise need poster-size
photos). I use Photoshop Elements to touch up every photo and am happy
with it. We keep the photos in the "My Pictures" folder, a subfolder for
every day, and set the screensaver in XP to "My Pictures Slideshow" at
full screen and let it randomly select and display digital photos.
After spending the summer with my niece in her tiny purse, the Konica
would not start when the lens cover slid open and needed repairs
(outsourced by a good local camera store) costing $172, which I am told is
a flat rate for repairing digital cameras!
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