Minolta Unveils Slim and Trim Digital Camera

LAS VEGAS -- Minolta will soon be selling a digital still camera with 3X optical zoom in a package less than an inch thick, the company revealed on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show here.

The 2-megapixel Dimage X weighs 4.8 ounces and measures 3.3 inches by 2.8 inches by 0.8 inches, making it the most compact 3X optical-zoom digital still camera on the market, according to a statement from Minolta. Its inner-zooming system allows the camera to keep its flat shape for close-up shots, it says.

"Many makers are now unveiling smaller digital still cameras for users on the move," says Akihisa Maruyama, a spokesperson for Minolta. "However, according to our research, users still don't find those cameras compact [enough] to carry everywhere. So, we wanted to develop a camera that is slim and light enough for users to have the same feeling as if they are carrying cell phones or MD [MiniDisc] players, which they find handy to carry around all the time."

The camera boots in 1.8 seconds from turning the switch on to recording images, according to the statement.

The camera has a 1.5-inch color LCD and a USB interface, and runs for 2 hours on its rechargeable battery, the statement says.

It stores images on Secure Digital Memory Cards or MultiMediaCards. An 8MB card holds 13 still images of 1600 by 1200 pixels, or 19 seconds of moving images, according to the statement.

Minolta will roll out the product on February 6 at $542 in Japan, North America, and Europe, and later in other Asian regions, Maruyama says. The company plans to manufacture 50,000 units in the first month of its production, the statement says.