Konica Minolta DiMAGE X60 Digital Camera Announced

[Ben Stafford]

Konica Minolta has announced the latest camera in their "X"-series, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE X60.  Boasting the quicket start up time in its class (3x optical zoom cameras as of April 2005), the X60 is sure to garner some attention.

The DiMAGE X60 is a 5 megapixel camera and features a 2.5 inch LCD, 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and 15 MB of internal memory.  Another feature is that the lens does not protrude, allowing the approximately 0.5 second start up time (and shutter lag is approximately 0.08 seconds).  The sliding lens cover protects the lens when you slip this slim (3.3 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches) camera into a pocket or your purse.

This camera includes the Konica Minolta CxProcess(TM) III image processing technology "to provide photographers with high quality images -- pictures that reproduce the natural colors as faithfully as they see them with their own eyes".

There are two macro modes - the regular Macro, which is "automatic" lets you get as close as 4 inches, then the Super Macro feature lets you get as close as 2 inches.  Other "subject programs" include:  Portrait, Sports action, Landscape, Sunset, Night portrait* and Text mode*.

There is a 5-point AF system and users can select the manual spot focus mode allows the photograher to select the focus.  The metering system is a 256 "Multi-segment" system can choose the best exposure for the full frame and Spot metering chooses the best exposure for the subject in the middle of the frame.

The Konica Minolta DiMAGE X60 will be available at the end of May for an estimated street price of $349.99.

Full specifications

[Brian]

This sounds pretty hot actually. At first I was thinking yet another Sony T series copy, but the foucs system and super macro sound appealing. I don't like the slider though, that was one thing that bugged me with the Sony T1 and I'm glad they did away with in the T33, though it's in the T7, who knows. Anyway, at $350, this might be a great ultra compact option.