Rating: 
Summary: Dimage Xg a mixed upgrade to the Xt
Review: The Dimage Xg appears to be a mixed upgrade to the Xt.The Xt featured a charger stand that allowed for the battery to be charged while in the camera. Contrary to what the Wall Street Journal article claimed, on the Xg, the battery must be removed and placed in the charger. Ok, so not that big of a deal, but the charger is clunky with a thick external cord. For that much infrastructure it should be a charger stand like it was on the Xt. Or, on a camera where removing the battery to charge is a must, the charger should be compact with a flip out plug like that of the Canon Elph series. The Xg charger is the worst of both worlds. The Xg also lacks the TIFF file format setting and the A/V outputs of the Xt. There are some nice new features such as the Automatic Digital Subject Program Selection, but that appears to only work if one does not use the zoom. I suppose that if you have time to zoom you have time to select the proper Subject mode but that seems like an omission that could have easily been included. The best feature that the Xg has over the Xt is a drive mode where the camera takes 9 pictures in rapid succession and then produces a grid image with all 9 in one frame (albeit at lower resolutions for each discreet image). Overall it appears to be a mixed upgrade to the Xt. The gains are offset by some loss of convenience. If the Digital Subject Programs actually help it take better pictures then it will probably be worth it. More time with the camera will tell if the additional features are a worthwhile trade off for the loss of the charger stand.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Blend of Features and Quality
Review: This camera has the perfect blend of features and quality of photos. Like most people, I am only a casual photographer who wants to cature a few visual memories. I wouldn't even take with me a larger -sized camera, so those memories are lost. Because of this camera's small size, I take it with me quite a bit, so I am able to capture moments on "film" even if they aren't suitable for poster-sized framing. Still, the photos are very sharp and nicely colored for 5x7 prints, or even 8x10 if there isn't a lot of detail in the shot. Who prints 8x10s anyway? 5x7 or even smaller is all most people need. The price was fantastic, too. Small cameras like this aren't usually 3.2 MP, so that is a plus. I also really like the full-motion movie taking capabilities, WITH SOUND, too. This is very cool and affordable technology in a small, sleek form that will actually get used!
Rating: 
Summary: Minolta Accountant's Version of Xt
Review: This camera is essentially the same as Xt, except that it has lost some features: -no more charging stand! It's not even available as an option, since the charger contacts were removed all together. you will have to take your batteries out to charge, which is one of the design flaws on other ultralight cameras that drove me to Minolta's original design. Furthermore, the battery charger is just a slight variation of the original charging stand (which charged both camera and batteries), thus it is unnecessarily bulky (with wires galore) for its now reduced functionality.
-no more a/c adaptor port. to use the camera with a/c, you will have to buy a proprietary battery-replacing adaptor (a dummy battery with wires).. i.e. you'll have to take the battery out and replace it with the adaptor for it to work, and the wire coming out of a little sliding door next to the battery bay. the door becomes an extrangeous loose piece most of the time, for most people.
-lower resolution LCD monitor (85k vs 110k) but slightly larger (1.6" vs. 1.5").
-No more TIFF (uncompressed) format.
-No more video out (where you can play back pictures on TV).
-No more quick switching option between color modes through left-right toggles. It has gained a few things:
-programmed AE modes: it adds nothing to its photographic features. There's nothing that the camera couldn't do already with orignal set of controls, though some may find it easier to use.
-New Image Processor that reportedly improves color.
-Better battery life (resulting from the new processor. The camera as well as the Xt uses almost no current with LCD off: extremely efficient).
-Added 30fps movie mode (Xt has 15fps only) as well as night mode for movies.
-Some seemingly useless features: a paste-over feature where you can superimpose your pictures against some cartoon background; 9-in-1 picture mode, etc.
-Allows in-camera movie edit and picture cropping.
-it's priced higher. I mourn the demise of a great little combination. Xg feels almost like a downgrade rather than an upgrade. Seeing Xt's corners being cut off and its price jacked up worries me with the direction which Minolta is moving. Xt's a wonderful camera, and so is this nearly-identical Xg, especially now (supposedly) with better images and longer battery life. Yet it seems to me Xt's execution was done with more heart and less number crunching. my $.02
Rating:
Summary: Minolta Accountant's Version of Xt
Review: This camera is essentially the same as Xt, except that it has lost some features: -no more charging stand, not even as an option, since the charger contacts was removed all together. you will have to take your batteries out to charge, which is one of the design flaws on other ultralight cameras that drove me to Minolta's original design.
-no more a/c adaptor port. to use the camera with a/c, you will have to buy a proprietary battery-replacing adaptor.. i.e. you'll have to take the battery out and replace it with the adaptor for it to work, and the wire coming out of a little sliding door next to the battery bay. the door becomes an extrangeous loose piece most of the time, for most people. It has gained a few things:
-programmed AE modes: it adds nothing to its photographic features. There's nothing that the camera couldn't do already with orignal set of controls. It seems to only complicate matters.
-it's priced higher. I mourn the demise of a great little combination. Seeing Xt's corners being cut off and its price jacked up worries me with the direction which Minolta is moving. Xt may be the last of its kind. Xt's a wonderful camera, and so is this nearly-identical Xg. Yet it seems to me Xt's execution was done with more heart and less number crunching. YMMV. my $.02
Rating:
Summary: A Great Little Camera
Review: This camera rivals the quality of picture with my Canon G3. It doesn't have as many possible settings, but sometimes that's a real convenience. Quick to start up, fast saving of pictures, and great quality, color, and clarity. Plus it doesn't hurt that my laptop has an SD drive so it's easy to download the pictures instead of hooking up the adapter for Compact Flash. Lightweight, easy to use, great pictures at a very very low price. A winner in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Very satisfied with its compact design and quality
Review: This is the camera for people who'd want to unload the burden while travel. This is my first digital camera. I was attracted by its compact size, so I bought it and took it with me to China.
Am I glad I made the right choice. With its compact size, it fits in any of my packet so that I can take picture whenever and wherever. The quality is better than any fool-proof camera, and with my recently bought LCD Photo Frame, I can enjoy and share my good memory with my friends and family all the time! The only problem is that the flash seems to consume lots of power so remember to buy extra battery.
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