Minolta DiMAGE RD 3000 | $954.95 | |  |
The Dimage RD 3000 offers amazing 2,700,000 pixel resolution, for unsurpassed image quality that's ideal for professional applications. A compact and lightweight SLR digital camera, it also offers various creative controls in an ergonomically comfortabledesign. Furthermore, you get a variety of high-performance interchangeable lenses and accessories to choose from, and wide-angle viewing. It all adds up to greater versatility and ease of use. Dimâge RD 3000: the digital SLR for true professional quality.
High resolution with 2.7 million pixels
The Dimage RD 3000 delivers an ultra-high resolution of 2.7 million pixels (1,984 x 1,360 ) for sharp, clear prints to large as 16.8 x 11.5 cm (6-5/8 x 4-1/2 inch) at 300 dpi. With the resolution-enhancement setting, you can even get clear prints of up to A4-size .
Hybrid Seamless Imaging System (Dual CCD)
Minolta's new imaging system employs two 1.5 million pixel CCDs with a half mirror prism. The prism splits the image into left and right halves, each of which is projected onto its own CCD. The two images are then seamlessly rejoined by Minolta's Image Stitching technology, becoming a single 2.7-million pixel high-resolution, high-quality image.
Infrared Reduction Mirror
To downsize the part where the light passes through from the condenser lens to the half-mirror prism, three mirrors are included to bend the path three times. The second and third mirrors eliminate unnecessary infrared rays, without affecting the CCD's visible light sensitivity.
Low-Pass Filter
Minolta's unique relay optical system allows light to pass through a low-pass filter at the optimum angle to suppress rainbow moiré artifacts to a minimum.
The Dimage RD 3000 offers the functionality and operational ease you expect from a high quality SLR. Its wide range of sophisticated control features lets you set the camera to match a variety of shooting conditions and objectives.
High-quality interchangeable lenses
A number of high quality interchangeable lenses significantly enhances the overall performance capabilities of the Dimage RD 3000. Through the use of such features as an aspheric lens for aberration compensation and size reduction, Minolta has achieved high resolution that provides outstanding image clarity. Available in a variety of viewing angles, Minolta V series lenses can be used in diverse situations. The focal lengths of these lenses are approx 1.5 times longer when compared to 35mm film usage.
Versatile creative controls
Create exactly the photographs you intended by controlling shutter speed and exposure to precisely match your purpose or situation.
You can use Autofocus, or Manual focus when fine adjustment is required. With predictive focus control, even fast-moving subjects come clearly into focus.
For convenient exposure control in different situations, four exposure modes are available. Programmed AE mode automatically selects the optimum exposure and shutter speed for your subject.
The 14-segment honeycomb-pattern metering provides precise exposure for the main subject, by accurately reading the complex light patterns of various compositions or settings.
In Aperture Priority mode, you can select the aperture setting to precisely control the depth-of-field for your subject, while shutter speed is automatically adjusted to its optimum level.
Ideal for fast moving subjects, Shutter Priority mode allows you to control shutter speed while exposure is set automatically. With slow shutter speeds, images can be captured with artistic effects -- the running flow of a river, for example.
TTL system ensures parallax-free shooting
With compact, lens-shutter type cameras, the image viewed through the finder is not 100% same as the one captured by the lens. This difference, called parallax, is avoided by the RD 3000 thanks to its TTL ( "through the lens" ) system which captures the image as it is viewed through the finder. This is particularly useful for close-up shots.
A variety of accessories
In addition to interchangeable lenses, you can use a variety of existing accessories for Minolta SLR cameras for 35mm and Advanced Photo System. With the use of the external flash, for example, RD 3000 will become an ideal digital camera for indoor photography, such as in professional photo studios.
Compact and Lightweight, yet durable
The compact and lightweight design makes the RD 3000 ideal for both handheld and mounted shooting, and the flat bottom adds extra convenience. Although lightweight (approx. 1kg), the camera body is sturdy and durable, with a tough magnesium alloy exterior that provides protection from shocks without adding weight. The interior is reinforced with stainless steel. A strong metal lens mount ensures stable mounting of the lens.
Wide viewing angle
With conventional digital SLRs that employ smaller CCDs, achieving a wide viewing angle has been difficult because large CCDs would make the camera too bulky. The RD 3000, however, uses Minolta's Hybrid Seamless Imaging System (Dual CCD) with compact relay optics and V-lenses to achieve a wide viewing angle. Even with its compact body, the camera's aspect ratio is approximately 2 : 3 (vertical : horizontal), the same as a conventional 35mm camera. With the V 17mm f/3.5 RD, a wide-angle lens developed exclusively for the RD 3000, viewing angle becomes even wider -- ideal for studio photography with its approx. 25mm focal length (35mm film equivalent).
Versatile white balance settings
Three types of white balance settings are available:
Auto activates a sensor that detects the color temperature of the light source and adjusts the setting.
Manual offers Outdoor, Indoor and Flash modes.
Custom Setting allows you to re-calibrate the white balance set by the Auto mode.
Convenient interfacing with your computer
You can use either CompactFlash Card Type I or Type II. With IBM Microdrive (340MB), up to 44 images can be stored as uncompressed data. JPEG (Exif2.0) image file formatting is employed and for higher quality images TIFF (Exif2.0) is also available in Super Fine mode. Both can be opened with Adobe Photoshop™ and other common image manipulation software. SCSI-II interface ensures fast image transfer and enables remote shutter release from the computer.
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