Details of Minolta Dimage S414 and Where to Find the Best Prices
The Minolta Dimage S414 is a lower to mid range digital camera. One thing that makes it stand out form other cameras towards the entry level of the market is the fact that it has four megapixels and a four times optical zoom lens yet still can be bought for around £260. The four megapixels means that the Minolta Dimage S414 is capable of producing high quality prints of around 12x16". You will certainly struggle to find many other digital cameras that offer that level of print quality within this price bracket especially when you take into account the four times optical zoom lens which is above the "standard" lens size for the price.
To help you take great photographs the Minolta Dimage S414 has a number of photographic modes to help you. They are macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, text, macro and text. There are also a number of manual settings that the photographer can define to give a level of creative control over the final picture. This includes three digital effects controls. These are for contrast compensation, sharpness and filter. The contrast compensation can be set to high, normal or low. Sharpness can be soft, normal or hard and the filter can be cool, normal or warm. Similar controls can be found for colour and white balance. The camera uses both multi segment (270 segments) and spot metering. The available exposure modes are programmed AE, aperture priority and manual. Short movie clips can be taken of up to 60 seconds. The movies are with sound.
The Minolta Dimage S414 runs on four AA alkaline or Ni-MH batteries, with Ni-MH batteries recommended.
It is not one of the smallest or most lightweight digital cameras around. That is not to say that it is big an bulky, but it highlights the fact that many digital cameras on the market are extremely small and if one of your main criteria is that the camera must be very small then there are better options elsewhere. The dimensions are 113.5(W) x 64.5(H) x 58.5(D) mm (approx. 4.47(W) x 2.54(H) x 2.3(D) in.) and it weighs 335g (11.8 oz.) (approx.) without batteries or recording media. Many people actually prefer the slightly larger size as it makes it easier to get a steady grip on the camera.
Pros
4x optical zoom lens.
4 megapixels.
Good picture quality.
Movie mode with sound.
Television playback..
Fully automated operation.
Cons
There are no real drawbacks to this camera.
If you are looking for an easy to use digital camera with some very advanced features, that won't break your budget then the Minolta Dimage S414 should come towards the top of you list. It is the subject of a number of positive consumer reviews and offers outstanding value for money for a digital camera in this category. If you would like to find a digital camera that was a little easier on you budget and with a few less features then take a look at Minolta's entry level model the Minolta Dimage E223. If you are looking for a digital camera with a higher specification then try the Minolta Dimage 7Hi.
Minolta Dimage S414 Announced Date - March 2003
Minolta Dimage S414
Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.
