Released by Konica Minolta:

Konica Minolta Introduces 8 Megapixel Single Lens-Reflex (SLR)-Type Digital Camera With Body Integral Anti-Shake Technology

New DiMAGE A2 features ultra-fast operation and high-speed start-up as well as several professional-type functions

Las Vegas, NV (February 12, 2004) – Konica Minolta introduces the DiMAGE A2 SLR-type digital camera, a camera that inherits the excellent image quality and performance of the original DiMAGE A1 while being able to provide photographers with quality digital photographs comparable to an SLR camera. The DiMAGE A2 incorporates a high-quality 8-megapixel CCD and Super Fine Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) outperforming the previous model’s resolution by 4 times to achieve extremely clear VGA-level images when both shooting and viewing.

Featuring a fast, innovative new 3D autofocusing (AF) system (1.5 times faster than the DiMAGE A1) with 3D Predicative Focus Control and Movement tracking, a fast built-in f/2.8 – 3.5 7x optical zoom lens, Anti-shake function for still images and VGA quality movies, CxProcess II Image Processing technology, the world’s first VGA-resolution Viewfinder (approximately 922,000 pixels), UHS Continuous Advance rate of 7 frames per second, high-speed USB 2.0 support and compatibility with portable and studio flash systems, the DiMAGE A2 provides the tools digital photographers need to express their creativity and solve visual problems. In addition, Konica Minolta has also introduced new remote imaging software for use with the DiMAGE A2, the new DiMAGE Capture software, for enhanced creative capabilities.

“The new DiMAGE A2 digital camera represents a new generation of high-end digital camera quality and performance from Konica Minolta,” said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president of marketing, Konica Minolta’s Camera Division. “The DiMAGE A2 provides creative digital photographers with excellent image quality in virtually any photographic situation. And multiple professional-type functions which fully utilize the camera’s optical and image-processing technologies will please even the most demanding photographer.”

The DiMAGE A2 comes equipped with an 8-megapixel 2/3-inch progressive primary-color CCD with 8.0 million effective pixels for super-high-resolution, making even individual hairs or the threads of a suit stand out in sharp detail. The 7x optical Konica Minolta GT APO lens ensures that light reaches the CCD sensor with maximum fidelity. Plus, Konica Minolta’s CxProcess™ II image-processing technology ensures that the colors reproduce just the way the photographer sees them.

The DiMAGE A2’s Super Fine electronic viewfinder (EVF) is sharp and clear thanks to a high-density display composed of 922,000-pixels, 4 times as many as the previous model. The EVF has also evolved to make digital photography even more of a pleasure. Precise focusing is amazingly easy, allowing the photographer to see the tiniest details in the most realistic colors. Switching into Smooth Mode provides 60 frames per second, making it a easy to focus on fast moving subjects.

As in the DiMAGE A1, the new DiMAGE A2 is equipped with an Anti-Shake function. The camera incorporates CCD shifting technology to minimize the effect of camera shake up to 800%. Konica Minolta’s proprietary Anti-Shake function delivers a highly effective way to take high-quality images with hand-held shooting under telephoto and low lighting situations, even when a relative novice is handling the DiMAGE A2.

The DiMAGE A2’s fast f2.8 – f3.5 7x optical zoom lens features an advanced apochromatic (APO) lens design employing anomalous dispersion (AD) glass to minimize chromatic aberration at all focal lengths and produce sharp, contrasty images. With a focal range of 7.2mm to 50.8mm, it is equivalent to a 28mm to 200mm zoom lens in 35mm format.

Konica Minolta’s 3D AF provides seamless subject tracking as it focuses on moving subjects to capture sharp, high-quality images, even when they are coming straight toward the camera along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of the picture frame. Pressing the shutter release button launches the 3D Predictive Focus Control, which calculates exactly where the subject will be and accurately focuses on that point at the time of exposure. The AF speed outstrips anything in its class for any SLR-type digital camera with non-interchangeable lens 5x or greater optical zoom.* The 3D AF and the focus speed combine to give hassle-free focusing.
*As of December 1st, 2003

The DiMAGE A2 also features high-quality movie recording at 544 x 408 pixels with audio at 30 frames per second, a resolution that looks great even when viewed on a TV screen. And the bundled video editing software turns users into movie makers.

About Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc.
Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Mahwah, NJ, is the North American sales and marketing subsidiary of Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). On August 5, 2003 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. was formed to enhance both the competitive business capabilities and earning capacities of Konica Corporation and Minolta Co., Ltd.

Consumers around the world have come to know and trust the Konica and Minolta brands for all their imaging needs. Since the earliest days of the photo industry, Minolta and Konica have applied their talents and resources to create products and services that are essential to the world of imaging. Today, these efforts concentrate on the most important aspects of imaging: the quality of the images, the tools and methods for creating images, and the creation of environments for the application of images.

This focus on the essentials of imaging ties together the company’s key business and consumer product lines. Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of 35mm and Advanced Photo System film, single-use cameras, digital and 35mm film cameras, accessory lenses, binoculars, photographic and color measurement meters. In addition the company offers color print photo papers, Inkjet photo paper, digital minilabs, digital film scanners, optical instruments, software and advanced imaging and sensing technologies. Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. also provides wholesale photofinishing services and Internet imaging services. It is a complete imaging company, from input through output.

For more information about Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., its products and services, visit www.ph.konicaminolta.us.

Specifications

Number of effective pixels	8.0 million
CCD	2/3-type interlaced primary-color CCD Total pixels: 8.3 million
A/D conversion	12 bit
Camera sensitivity	Auto, ISO 64, 100, 200, 400, 800 equivalents
Focal length	7.2 – 50.8mm (35 mm equivalent: 28 - 200 mm)
Lens construction	16 elements in 13 groups (includes two AD glass elements and two aspheric elements)
Maximum aperture	f/2.8 – f/3.5
Minimum focus distance	1.6 ft. (0.5m) from CCD
Macro focus range	At 7.2mm: 11.8 – 23.6 in. (30 – 60 cm) from CCD 8.3 – 20 in. (21 – 51 cm) from front of lens At 42.7 – 50.8mm: 9.8 – 23.6 in. (25 – 60 cm) from CCD 5.1 – 19.7 in. (13 – 50 cm) from front of lens
Maximum magnification	0.177x (1: 5.65) Equivalent to 0.7x (1: 1.43) in 35mm format
Area covered at maximum magnification	2.05 x 1.54in. (52 x 39 mm)
Optical zooming control	Manual zooming ring
Filter diameter	49mm
Viewfinder type	EVF (Electronic viewfinder) Variable-position: 0-90º
Viewfinder LCD	11mm (0.44 inch) TFT liquid-crystal microdisplay Total pixels: 922,000 pixels
LCD monitor	46mm (1.8 inch) low-temperature polysilicon TFT color Variable-position: -20- 90º Total pixels: 118,000
Automatic monitor amplification	Activates in low light.
Field of view	EVF: Approximately 100% External LCD monitor: Approximately 100%
Display-mode switch	Auto-display, Electronic-viewfinder display, External LCD-monitor display
Diopter control	– 3.5 ~ +1.5 m-1
Eye relief	19.5 mm at -1 m-1
Shutter	CCD electronic shutter and mechanical shutter
Shutter speed range	30 - 1/4000 seconds Bulb (maximum 30 seconds)
Autofocus system	Video AF
Autofocus areas	Wide focus area, Spot focus point Flex Focus Point control is available with the spot focus point.
Focus modes	Autofocus: Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, Full-time AF, Subject Tracking AF. Manual focus with 3.3x or Flex Digital Magnifier (FDM) with 3.3x
Full-time AF	With the spot focus point or Flex Focus Point. Full-time AF can be disabled.
Subject Tracking AF	With continuous AF. Subject Tracking AF can be disabled.
Focus lock	By pressing shutter-release button partway down.
Subject lock	With Subject Tracking AF by pressing shutter-release button partway down.
Metering	Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot (center or with Flex Focus Point)
Multi-segment metering	300 segments
Exposure control range	Programmed AE and aperture-priority modes: Wide: EV –1.7 – 20 Telephoto: EV –1.2 – 20.7 Shutter-priority and manual modes: Wide: EV – 2 – 19 Telephoto: EV – 1.4 – 19
Exposure modes	Programmed AE (with program shift), Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual
Digital Subject Programs	Portrait, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait
Exposure compensation	± 2 EV in 1/3 increments
AE lock	With AE-lock button or by pressing the shutter-release button partway down
Flash control	ADI, Pre-flash TTL, Manual flash control
Flash range	Wide: Approximately 1.6 – 12.5 ft. (0.5 - 3.8m) Telephoto: Approximately 1.6 – 9.8 ft. (0.5 – 3.0m) (Camera sensitivity: auto)
Flash modes	Fill-flash, Red-eye reduction, Rear flash sync, Wireless/Remote flash
Flash recycling time	Approximately 5 seconds
Flash compensation	± 2 EV in 1/3 increments
Flash-sync speed	All shutter speeds
External flashes	Auto-flash metering with Program/Maxxum Flash 2500 (D), 3600HS (D), 5600HS (D), Macro Twin Flash 2400,* Macro Ring Flash 1200.* *Macro Flash Controller is necessary. Non-dedicated off-camera flash units can be used using the camera’s flash-sync terminal.

Continuous advance	- UHS continuous advance: 7 frames per second (640x480) - High-speed continuous advance: Maximum 2.7 frames per second - Standard continuous advance: Maximum 1.8 frames per second Actual speed may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings. Approximate number of frames that can be captured at one time:
		3264x2448	2560x1920	2080x1560	1600x1200	640x480
	RAW	3 frames	-	-	-	-
	TIFF	-	-	-	-	-
	Extra fine	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames
	Fine	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames
	Standard	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames	3 frames
	*Actual number of images may vary depending upon the subject and camera settings.

Interval recording	2 – 240 frames Interval time: 30 seconds, 1 – 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes. Start time: 0-24 hours in 0.5 hour increments.
Exposure bracketing	Three-frame bracket in 0.5 and 0.3 EV increments
Digital Enhanced Bracketing	Three-frame contrast, color saturation, or filter bracket in fixed increments.
Self-timer	Approximately 10 seconds, 2 seconds
Movie	- Standard movie mode: Maximum 15 minutes at 30 frames per second with monaural audio - Night movie mode: Maximum 15 minutes at 30 frames per second with monaural audio Automatic selection function between standard and night movie modes available. - Time-lapse movie mode: no audio and played back at 4 frames per second
Audio	Voice memo: Maximum 15 seconds monaural audio with still image
Color modes	Natural Color (sRGB), Vivid Color (sRGB), Adobe RGB, Embedded Adobe RGB, Black and white (neutral and toned), Solarization
Camera color spaces	sRGB, Adobe RGB
White-balance control	Automatic Preset (Daylight, Tungsten, Shade, Cloudy, Flash, and Fluorescent settings) with fine adjustments in seven levels. Custom (three settings)
Sharpness settings	Three levels (Soft, Normal, Hard)
Digital Effects Control	Color saturation, Contrast compensation, Filter
Noise reduction	User selectable dark noise reduction
Digital zoom	2x with still images
Data imprinting	Year/month/day (Format can be changed.) Month/day/hour:minute Text Text and serial numbers Imprinting can be disabled.
Custom functions	Control dial customization. User-selectable function can be assigned to the function dial.
Image-quality modes	RAW, TIFF, Extra fine, Fine, Standard
Number of recorded pixels (Still images)	3264 x 2448, 3264 x 2176(in 3:2 mode), 2560 x 1920, 2080 x 1560, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480
Number of recorded pixels (Movie clips)	320 x 240 in standard and night movie modes 544 x 408 in standard and night movie modes 640 x 480 in time-lapse movie mode

Storage capacity	Approximate storage capacity of a 16 MB CompactFlash card:
		3264x2448	3264x2176	2560x1920	2080x1560	1600x1200	640x480
	RAW	1 frame	-	-	-	-	-
	RAW + JPEG	0 frames	0 frames	1 frame	1 frames	1 frame	1 frame
	TIFF	0 frames	0 frames	1 frame	1 frames	2 frames	15 frames
	Extra fine	1 frame	1 frame	2 frames	4 frames	7 frames	35 frames
	Fine	3 frames	4 frames	5 frames	8 frames	14 frames	47 frames
	Standard	6 frames	7 frames	10 frames	14 frames	23 frames	64 frames
	Movie	33 seconds with 320x240 images at 15 frames per second
	* Still images recorded without voice memo. ** Actual number of images may vary depending upon the subject and memory card used.

File formats	DCF 2.0-compliant DPOF-compliant (Supported by printing functions in version 1.1) Exif 2.21
Printing output control	Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching II
Recording media	Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards IBM Microdrive (170MB, 340MB, 512MB, 1GB)
Computer interface	USB (*2.0 High speed)
Direct print	PictBridge
AV output	NTSC, PAL (selected on the camera)
Batteries	One NP-400 lithium-ion battery
Battery performance (Playback)	Approximate continuous playback time: 240 minutes with NP-400 lithium-ion battery, External LCD monitor on, EVF off.
Battery performance (Recording)	Approximate number of recorded images: 280 frames with NP-400 lithium- ion battery, EVF off, External LCD monitor on, Full-size images (3264 x 2448), Fine image quality, No instant playback, No voice memo, Flash used with 50% of the frames.
External power source	6V DC with specified AC adapter (sold separately)
Dimensions (WxHxD)	4.61 x 3.35 x 4.47 in. (117 x 85 x 113.5mm)
Weight	Approximately 19.9 oz. (565 g) without batteries or recording media
Operating temperature	32-104 ºF (0-40 ºC)
Standard accessories	Neck Strap NS-DG4000, Lens Cap (49mm) LF-1349, Accessory Shoe Cap, AV Cable AVC-400, USB Cable USB-500, DiMAGE Viewer, ULEAD Video Studio 7 SE, Lens Shade DLS-2, Lithium-ion Battery NP 400, Lithium-ion Battery Charger BC-400
Optional accessories	AC Adapter AC-1L, Camera Case CS-DG7, Leather Neck Strap NS- DG1000, Holding Strap HS-2, Accessory Shoe Cap SC-1000, External High Power Battery Pack Kit EBP-100, Remote Cord RC-1000S, Remote Cord RC- 1000L, Step Up Adapter 49mm – 62mm, CompactFlash, Adapter for SD Memory Cards SD-CF1, Vertical Control Grip Battery Pack BP-400, Telephoto, Converter ACT-100, Wide-angle Converter ACW-100, DiMAGE Capture

System Requirements

IBM PC/AT compatible computers with Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, Windows Me, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 98*, or Windows 98 Second Edition* and with a USB port as standard interface.

Apple Macintosh computers with Mac OS 9.0 – 9.2.2, Mac OS X v10.1.3-10.1.5, or v10.2.1 – 10.2.8, v10.3 – 10.3.1 and with a USB port as standard interface.

• The computer and operating system must be guaranteed by their manufacturers to support USB interface.
• Problems may be encountered depending on what other USB devices are being used in parallel with this product.
• Only a built-in USB port is supported. Problems may be encountered when the camera is connected to a USB hub.
• Normal operation may not be possible even when all the system requirements are met.
* Users with Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition must install dedicated driver software included in the DiMAGE A2 package.
Specifications, accessories and system requirements are subject to change without notice.