Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109510 in Camera & Photo
• Size: Medium Size
• Brand: Konica-Minolta
• Model: S304
• Released on: 2001-09-15
• Dimensions: 4.50" h x 2.60" w x 2.30" l, .93 pounds
• Memory: 16MB
• Display size: 1.8

Features

• 3.2-megapixel sensor captures 2,048 x 1,536 images for prints at sizes up to 11 x 14 inches
• 4x optical/2x digital (8x total) zoom lens with autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash card stores 15 images at default resolution
• Automatically connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses 4 AA batteries (alkalines included)

Amazon.com Product Description
Take your digital photography to a new level with the feature-packed and easy-to-use DiMAGE S304, which features a high-image-quality 3.34-megapixel 1.125-inch CCD. An all-glass lens, 7.15-28mm (35-140mm in 35mm equivalents), with 4X optical zoom, sets this camera apart from the competition with a combination rarely found in compact digital formats. An anomalous dispersion element and twin double-sided aspheric elements work together to minimize chromatic aberrations and reduce curvilinear distortion, giving you crisp, accurate, edge-to-edge imaging. Compose these images with the 1.8-inch, 122,000-pixel color LCD monitor or use the optical viewfinder for SLR-style shooting.

For professional results with the point-and-shoot style operation of the S304, you can choose from five pre-set modes: macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, and text. For more creative shooting, use a wide variety of adjustable features, including manual focus, selectable ISO, custom white-balance controls, exposure compensation and bracketing, and a digital-effects control that allows adjustment of color saturation, contrast, and sharpening. A movable focus point allows for off-center compositions. Multisegment metering technology provides accurate exposures. Four resolution modes cover the range from film quality photographs to images for e-mail. Movie mode allows 60 seconds of live action and a voice-memo feature helps identify your work.

The DiMAGE S304 comes complete with 16 MB CompactFlash card, A/V cable, USB cable, Minolta Image Viewer Utility CD-ROM, four AA alkaline batteries, lens cap, and neck strap.

Customer Reviews

Excellent camera
I purchased this camera after quite a bit of research. I looked at Sony, Canon, and Fuji cameras. The Minolta S304 had the features I wanted (plus some extras), for a great price.

The only negative is that it eats batteries like there is no tomorrow. But that is a problem with ALL digital cameras. You must get at least 2 sets of rechargeable batteries if you're going to take the camera out for a day of shooting. Don't use standard Alkaline batteries, they won't last 30 minutes.

One hint for improving battery life. The LCD screen is the major culprit for eating batteries. If you're used to taking pictures through the viewfinder, continue doing so with any digital camera. Turn off the LCD. The batteries will last at least twice as long.

Memory cards are very very cheap today. If you're going to spend $... on a camera, spend the $... for a 128 mb memory card. That way you'll have plenty of memory to take all the photos you want without having to delete the bad ones in the middle of your day to save card space. With the Minolta S304 set on Fine and an image size of 1200x800, I can take 172 photos on a 128 mb card. That is a LOT of pictures.

As for those people who have problems using the USB hookup. Why are you still using Windows 98?? It was the very first version of Windows to have USB support and it was beyond buggy. Upgrade to at least Windows 2000. I have Windows ME and the USB works flawlessly.

Great camera, great features, and it looks like a real camera.

A totally incredible camera!! !!
This camera is awesome, what makes it even more spectacular is the price. I could not be happier with it. First, it has great zoom capabilities. Second it is 3.3 megapixels for under $.... What more could you ask for?! Well, you may not be able to ask for a lot more, but you sure get it.

Before I bought this camera I did a lot of research. I even visited some of the local camera shops and electronics stores to get a feel for the different cameras before I ordered one on the net. Boy, it sure paid off. There were some that had a body made of plastic. I don't intend to spend $... on something that is made of plastic. Others were very small and were uncomfortable to hold. The Minolta is the perfect size and weight.

When I hooked it up to my system for the first time, I was able to upload pictures in minutes. Another nice feature is that you can take up to 60 Seconds worth of video, very nice. The video even loads up to the system easily.

In addition it uses a Compactflash card. These are pretty reasonably priced. A 16 MB card came with the camera. Most of the pictures I have taken so far are about 500K, so you can store quite a few pictures. I also purchased a 128 MB card at a good price here on ..., so I have plenty of space to store pictures before committing them to CD via my system.

I only have one warning. You need to buy Ni-MH batteries. Then charge them for at least 24 hours, the first time. If you don't the camera will keep coming back and telling you that your batteries are dead. When I called support they kept telling me that I had to buy a special brand of batteries. This wasn't the case, you just need to fully charge the batteries.

From what I have seen this is one of the best buys you are going to get on a camera.

Exelent picture quality (with minor problems).
I consider myself something like a "moderately advanced" amateur photographer. I ever used SLR cameras and professional films with good results. That is my first contact with a digital camera; so I belive some of my opinions may be shared with beginners in digital photography.
These are my impressions of Minolta S304 (1 month after purchase):

Pros:
- Very beautiful, small, solid and well constructed, giving impression of a durable machine;
- Ease of use in almost all situations;
- Very good control of important parameters like white balance, ISO sensitivity ("usable" ISO 800), sharpness and color;
- Good optical zoom (140mm);
- Good macro performance even with flash;
- Good pre-programmed scenes;
- Very good flash;
- Very responsive;
- Manual control;
- Good movie capability;
- Good connection with computer;
- Excelent picture quality (nothing is more important in a camera, isn't it true?).

Cons:
- Only two options of aperture;
- Moderate low light capability (larger aperture=3);
- Some autofocus problems in low light;
- No autofocus assist lamp;
- Poor optical viewfinder;
- LCD problems in low light and sunlight, sometimes you can't see what you are shooting (I think it is a common disappointing problem with digicams...);
- Dust can enter between LCD plastic cover and LCD itself, what is very difficult to clean up (I don't know if it is a problem with the camera I purchased or a commom problem with that model. If you have one, please let me know.).

My conclusion is that Minolta S304 is an exelent camera with some problems I can live with. For that price, I think there is no competition nowadays. As I mentioned above my final point is picture quality and this camera deliver very good samples.
If you want to see some of my samples, please go to (...)
Pictures were taken at 2048X1536 size, with fine or standard image quality, converted to sRGB and resized down to 800X600. No other "software manipulation" were made on original pictures.
I would apreciate any opinion. Please remember I am a beginner and if the pictures are not so good, don't blame the camera...
Thank you all and good luck!