The DiMAGE X1 is the most resolute "X" series model we have seen from Konica Minolta (as of 9/2005), featuring an 8-megapixel imager with Anti-Shake technology, 3x internal optical zoom lens, large 2.5-inch LCD, all packed in a durable metal exterior. This is a diminutive point-n-shoot that offers fully automatic exposure control, with some manual adjustments for ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, metering, etc. There's also seven different scene modes (portrait, super macro, landscape, beach&surf, night scene, night portrait, or text) choosing from those allows users to capture great looking images in a wide variety of shooting conditions.

I was pleased with the X1's ergonomics. Although this is the smallest model we have worked with from Konica Minolta, I found it was easy to hold (even with large hands), and one-handed shooting was no problem at all. Its metal exterior helps ensure it will stand the test of time, however it's shinny finish is very prone to finger prints. Controls are arranged for quick and easy access and the menu system is logically organized. We especially like the ability to customize the Up/Down and Left/Right functions of the 4-way controller. Its large 2.5-inch LCD covers about 2/3 of the back side of the camera. Outdoors it works great with only a few angles that reflect the sun. However when shooting in low-ambient lighting the display fails to "gain up" making it difficult to see your subject in these conditions.

Shooting performance was below average for a camera in this class. From power up to first image captured measured about 3.5 seconds. Shutter lag was 1/10 of a second when pre-focused and 8/10 of a second including auto-focus. The shot to shot delay averaged 3.2 seconds without the flash and 4 - 6 seconds with the flash, depending on how far away your subject is. The X1 offers several burst modes to choose from (Continuous advance, UHS continuous, Progressive, UHS Progressive, Multi Frame.) Using Continuous advance, I was able to capture 4 images in about 6.6 seconds. UHS Continuous mode captured 15 640x480 sized images in only 1.6 seconds. Progressive mode allows you to capture images at about 1 frame per second, saving only the last two frames. UHS Progressive captures records at about the same rate as UHS Continuous, but it allows you to continuously capture images and then only saves the last 15 when you finish. Multi Frame captures 9 images in about 2.8 seconds and then saves them as a single 2048x1536 image. When using either of these modes, the LCD blanks out momentarily in between each frame, making it very difficult to follow a moving subject; this is when an optical viewfinder would come in handy. Our tests were done using a SanDisk Extreme III 1GB SD card, Program mode, preview off, flash off, with all other settings at default (unless otherwise noted.) Times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera settings, media, etc.

The image quality of its 8-megapixel Fine images was good, but not great. Outdoors it produced relatively sharp results, with the majority of our sample images being well exposed and showing good color saturation. The white balance and exposure systems did very well in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Noise levels were a little above average for a consumer digicam, and I noticed large amounts present in red subjects. You can see an example of this by looking at the red tractor photo on our samples page. The AF system did a good job focusing in low light situations, although it would benefit greatly from an AF-assist lamp. When shooting in a very dimly lit room, it will fail more often than not. Its Anti-Shake system really comes in handy, allowing you to capture images at slower than normal shutter speeds. Most users would ask "why anti-shake on a camera with such a small zoom?" Well, you have to take into consideration its very small size. We found it helped out best during movie recording, when holding a small camera steady is very difficult. The X1 records video at VGA (640x480) or QVGA (320x240) resolution with audio. Unlike most digicams that record sound, you may use the optical zoom during recording when the option is enabled via the menu. I found the zoom did OK when keeping up with moving subjects; just make sure you zoom very slowly if at all, presetting the zoom before hand always produces better results. There's a variety of options when using Movie mode, it allows you to adjust white balance, exposure compensation and color modes. I was pleased with our movie samples, they were sharp and showed the usual amount of compression artifacts.

When shooting indoors I was surprised by the power of its tiny flash. While it can't illuminate a large open room, you should be pleased with your individual and group portraits. Konica Minolta does not specify a range, but we found it worked well up to about 8 - 10 feet when using ISO Auto. The X1 did very well at macro photography. You can focus on a subject at about 4 inches (0.1m) from the lens or get as close as 2 inches (0.05m) with its Super Macro mode. It also controls the flash well by "throttling down" to ensure you don't overexpose the subject. This would be handy when shooting product shots of items for inclusion at online auctions.

Power comes from a small NP-1 Li-ion 3.7v 820mAh proprietary Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that is charged in-camera when seated in the supplied docking cradle. Minolta claims that you can capture up to 200 shots with a fully charged pack (based on CIPA Standards.) During our use we were able to capture about 90 shots and complete our other tests before it displayed a battery exhausted warning. As with most cameras that use a proprietary battery pack, we recommend you purchase a second battery and keep it charged just in case.

Bottom line - the Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1 will appeal to many users who are in the market for a stylish and durable digicam that features a high resolution imager. This ultra-compact model's size allows it to be carried in almost any size pocket, however, with its "so-so" performance, you'll have alot less chances of capturing those spontaneous moments. Although we were a little disappointed with the quality of its 8-megapixel images, they still produce pleasing prints up to 13x19-inches. With a MSRP of only $399 it offers a good value for an 8-megapixel consumer camera, however we feel you should take a look at some other manufactures models in this price range like Canon's Powershot SD500, Nikon's Coolpix 7900, or Sony's Cyber-Shot P200, just to name a few. Even though they might have less resolution, the quality of their images and speedy performance make up for it.