Rating: 
Summary: One caveat on this camera
Review: In general, this camera is good at feature and value. But one caveat is very bothersome. The viewfinder and LCD were not sealed well by the manufacture and the dust was accumulated underneath after 10 days use. I got a replacement for this problem. But new one seems to have the same problem.
Rating:
Summary: Minolta S414
Review: I like the rating 4.5 stars, instead of whole numbers (I chose 4). I've had it now for about 2 months. When you consider the price, its performance capabilities and 4 megapixels, it is clearly the best buy. What do I think of it? I'm going to buy another one for a member of the family. One caveat is that you do need 2 sets of metal halide AA batteries.
Rating: 
Summary: minolta dimage S414 Digital camera
Review: Bought a Minolta Dimage S414 digital camera,took about 2 weeks to understand all the features of the camera. Then all I could get on the camera display was Err message. Installed new batterys,memory card and still did not work. Called Minolta and they had me send it back to be repaired. Still waiting for camera.
Think twice before buying one.
Rating: 
Summary: Digicamaphobia: Cured! Minolta s414
Review: I researched digital cameras for several months to find THE one for me, a digicamaphobe. THE camera is - the does it all AND at a reasonbable price - Minolta s414. I considered Canons, the G2, the Elph s230, various Olympus cams, and the easy,cheesy Sony. The elph was easy to use, but small, awkward, and distance shots were blurry and pixilated. I tried a friend's Olympus, but it was kind of complicated for me, downloading seemed a pain...My sis emailed me Sony pics she took, but the quality wasn't there...In April, while shopping, a friend pointed out the Minolta s414, 4 megapixels and 4 times zoom with movie and sound. So, I researched it...From reviews and info about the s414 I learned it was truly awesome with options galore. Additionally it was considered "user friendly"... I showed my boyfriend the info I'd found...An amateur photographer, he'd had never thought digicams could produce the quality of his NIKON, but he was impressed with the research I showed him; so he bought one. He was immediately blown away with the quality from the moment he started using it. His first macro shot of flowers with the s414 convinced him to set aside his Nikon. Then he had me try he camera...and had trouble wresting it away from me, because the Minolta s414 REALLY IS USER FRIENDLY. I had to have the s414, and we went to buy mine...In addition to "user friendly", we found "sold out" at three stores... At the fourth stop, we bought the demo... along with rechargeable batteries, a 256 picture card and card reader... Sunday, June 8, armed with our s414s, my boyfriend and I went to a dance recital and took some stupendous pictures in sepia and black and white as well as color ...EASY. ..After downloading the pics, we were amazed as we zoomed in on an eye to see the outline of my daughter taking the picture was reflected in the pupil!!! I took 100 pictures and made three quick films, plus reviewed and downloaded the pics before needing to recharge the batteries...Now how awesome is that? This camera RULES...
Rating:
Summary: Best Price for the Best 4MP Camera
Review: This camera feels, operates and shoots like an expensive camera for a very low price. I never imagined it would have this many manual adjustments and still be able to point and shoot for the non-pro. For my multi settings mode I keep it on black and white and then can switch on the fly. The macro is good, yet doesn't zoom. The settings and options menus are easily learned and to navigate. The CPU flies. The flash is strong and far-reaching. The LCD is a little small but the camera is a little bulky so who knows what it could have been with a giant LCD. It would not accept my 128MB flash card so that was a disappointment. The manual just tells that if the error message appears that you can't use the card. I can't say as of yet why. But I would warn against buying older CF. I really think this product is great overall and I bought one for my friends and they are leaping with joy. Do yourself a favor and go to where it is being sold and get it in your hand and see if you can handle its size and feel. If so, you have in your hand a really full-featured camera for the price.
Rating: 
Summary: could not get it to operate
Review: After purchasing this camera, I installed the supplied AA alkalines and promptly got the low battery alarm and nothing else. Installed a fresh set of batteries, the camera came on then
shut off and gave me a low battery alarm. Tried one more set with the same result. Went on Minolta's website hoping to ask for help. Other than their frequently asked questions, there was no way to email for help. I returned the camera and will buy
a different brand.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Value but I'd like a bit more...
Review: I bought the S414 a week ago. Overall, I am happy with the camera. I like the "no shutter lag" the best. I also have a F-100 and I find the two hard to compare. While the F-100 takes crisper and more life like pictures, the shutter lag (about 2 secs) is a damper.
I am quite disappointed with the S414's picture quality. The "auto" white balance feature in S414 is severely lacking. Under indoor lighting, the camera takes pics that have a slight, but discernable yellowish tinge. I have to tweek the white balance (manual mode) to the right light conditions to get comparable quality pics with the F100 (doesn't work all the time).
The video quality in S414 definitely gets more points than the F100. Overall, I think it's a decent value for the money. But if you do have a choice between buying either the F100 or the S414, close thy eyes and grab the F100.
Rating:
Summary: WOW - What a Great Camera
Review: This is the first Digital Camera we have bought. We did extensive research before purchasing the DImage S414. It is a super camera. The pictures have been super and the ease of use of the camera is most welcome. We just took it on a trip to California and captured some of the best pictures ever. You do need to upgrade the CF card, 16 mb is too small. I would suggest the Monster 2000 rechargeable batteries and you will definitely benefit by purchasing a Compact Card reader. No complaints about this camera at all.
Rating:
Summary: What you will need
Review: The camera eats alkaline batteries, so buy a charger and batteries like the Monster Power Cells (I have two sets of batteries). These batteries will keep the camera going a long time after you would use up a few sets of alkaline batteries (or regular Duracell batteries).
The camera only comes with a 16 meg memory card. I bought a Viking 256 meg card that can store from 20 to 800+ images depending on the image size and quality. I also purchased a memory reader which makes managing photos easy. I am using Windows 98, and the camera, card reader and memory cards are all working flawlessly. The connection is via the usb port, and I had to install the driver (a couple minutes) for the card reader. I did not install the Minolta cd, I already have some freeware to manage image files. I also bought a small camera case. The Tamrac 5694 works well. It is about 1.5 inches too deep, but otherwise snug. It accomodates the camera, Monster Power Cell charger and an extra card. It will attach to a belt, or over the shoulder with a detachable shoulder strap.
My "package" was as follows:
Minolta Dimage S414 $349.00
Viking Intelliflash 6 in 1 USB flash Memory Reader $26.99
Viking 256 MB CompactFlash Card $56.99
Monster Cable Ultra High Capacity Power pack
(charger with 4 NiMH batteries) $39.84
Set of extra Monster NiMH batteries $19.95
Camera case $20.00
Total $512.77 With other 4-5 MB, 4x zoom Digital cameras selling for $400 - $500+, this seems like a decent deal. The other cameras will also require an outlay of a few $$ more to make them really "usable".
The camera takes a good quality image. It has plenty of useful features for both a snapshot enthusiast, or serious hobbyist. I fall into the serious hobbyist catagory. I like the manual mode and macro options among other things.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera, good value, is software OK
Review: This is my second digital camera and it represents a significant improvement over the first (HP 215). I've had the camera about a month now and haven't begun to test the limits f the camera. My criteria included 3-4 mega pixel, 3-4X optical zoom, reputable manufacturer, a menu system the was easy to navigate and a unit that felt good in the hands. The camera I looked at included the Canon A70, Fuji FinePix 3800 and the Olympus C-4000 all met my basic criteria. All had the mega pixels and optical zoom I was looking for. I also wanted a camera that used the more popular media formats (compactflash or smartmedia) for price and availability reasons. The Canon caused me brief pause because it uses a proprietary battery and I wanted to be able to use AA alkaline batteries if a got caught short on power. These are all camera manufacturers that numerous reviews speak highly of. I've owned or used a couple of Minolta products (SLRs) in the past and thought they were very good for my purposes. The menu system on the Minolta took a little while to understand but it wasn't bad particularly once I spent a little time working with the camera and the manual in hand. The camera feels good in your hands, which was one of the criteria I had for a camera. Part of this criteria included the ability to handle the camera in one hand and if need be snap a shot that way. I upgraded the flashcard immediately which I'd recommend to anyone really wanting to use this camera at its limits (the 16MB is only good for 7 shots). A 256MB card gave me some room to play even a 4MB per shot. The only items that caused me some concern were the stated battery life (from other reviews of other Minolta models) and the software bundle. On the first item, I really haven't had much to complain about. I purchased rechargeable NiMH (1800mA) batteries with the camera and they've provided 30-50 shots depending on use (flash, previewing shots etc.). On the second count I was disappointed but I must admit I didn't go in with high expectation. Most cameras are sold with limited or LE (light) versions of software. This Minolta was no exception. I'm in the process of looking for a good software package (leaning towards Adobe Net, net I think that for the going price ... it was and is one of the best consumer cameras out there with some excellent specifications!
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