Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 Digital Camera
Comment: I purchased this Dimage Z3 Digital Camera as a replacement for an identical one I had that got damaged beyond repair. My original had gone to places as far reaching as Churchill ,Canada to see the Polar Bears, and Africa on safari. The photos I have taken have been really excellent and often as good, or better, than some taken with much more expensive SLR cameras. The anti- shake technology works very well. I'm not a pro, but this camera makes me look like one.Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4MP Digital Camera with Anti Shake 12x Optical Zoom
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good for a grab-and-go
Comment: The Z3 is a great little camera; I bought it 3-4 years ago to tide me over until DSLRs came into my price range (which they did a couple of years before I had expected). Still I find the Z3 is a handy grab-and-go camera when I don't want to be bothered with my DSLR (maybe when I get an 18-250 lens for my DSLR the Z3 will be retired---maybe). I also like the ability to use it as a video camera, though the duration that will fit on the SD cards is not all that long.
The long zoom range (35mm equivalent of 35-420) makes it an incredibly versatile camera and with the anti-shake feature the telephoto range is usable. The camera provides a range of manual adjustments that rival those found on SLRs. The image quality is good. If the camera had an optical viewfinder rather than an EVF I would rate it 5 stars (the best that there is for its niche); as it is the EVF makes it hard to see the fine details in a shot sometimes. I don't use the LCD on the back for shooting since I don't like taking pictures with the camera at arms reach.
Customer Rating: Summary: Minolta Dimage Z3, 02-2008
Comment: Minolta Dimage Z3, 02-2008
This was exactly as indicated on the net and was received in a very timely fashion. Great Cooperation.
Customer Rating: Summary: Enjoyed camera - untill 2 yrs later - Repairs would cost $211
Comment: I used this camera a lot. It took great pictures. My wife is visually impaired and took great pictures ( this was the first camera she was able to do that with ). BUT two years later the zoom stuck in one position, sent it to Sony for repairs and was quoted $211 and some change. NO THANK YOU!!
Customer Rating: Summary: Great manual controls. Automatic lags.
Comment: If you like manual photography on a budget, this camera is for you. It's cheaper than a real SLR, but offers many of the same features.
In full manual mode, the shutter is lightning fast. There's no delay. You can use this for sports photography. The macro mode is amazing.
The downside? The flash is weak and the flash angle is bad. To make best use of the internal flash, use a diffuser (or bounce the flash using a bit of paper) and slow down your shutter.
The white balance needs to be reset whenever your lighting changes. Don't trust the auto mode.
Don't trust most of the automatic features for that matter unless your are taking photos in bright sunlight. They frequently choose the wrong settings and they add a lot of delay to your pictures.
The low light performance of this camera is amazing for its size (in manual mode). You can take flashless photos thanks to the large sensor size and anti-shake technology. I've handheld shots for a second or more with no visible blurring.
All in all, the manual controls are the only reason to get this cameral. If you like having control over your camera as much as I do, this camera is best in class. If you want to point-and-shoot in anything other than bright light, look elsewhere.
