Konica Minolta DiMAGE 7i Kit (5.24MP, 2560 x 1920, 7X Opt, 16MB CF) (MINOLTA-QMS-2779301)

Minolta DiMage 7i Review

by Tracey Capen

- WHAT'S HOT: The DiMage 7i, a refinement of the DiMage 7 we reviewed a year ago, has all of the same great features as its predecessor: extensive controls, 5-megapixel imaging, a 7X optical zoom that starts at a wide 28mm focal length (35mm equivalent), and a horizontally and vertically swiveling electronic viewfinder that automatically turns on when you place your eye to it. The most important new feature in the DiMage 7i is audio recording--something sorely missing in the DiMage 7. Not only do you get audio with your movie clips, but you can add audio notes of up to 15 seconds to your still images. Other improvements include a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second (up from 1/2000) and a new seven-frames-per-second continuous shooting mode. Called "UHS continuous advance," this setting has some limitations: You can take up to 15 shots at a the relatively low maximum resolution of 1280 by 960 and the JPEG compression set to "fine," but you cannot use the better "superfine" or RAW settings. (You can shoot bursts of up to four frames at 2560 by 1920.)