This camera requires a commitment of time trying different things, I have found a few settings that seem to work well for certain instances and 1 or 2 that work well for most instances. The anti shake technology is wonderfull, and the menu is easy to navigate all in all it's a great camera that takes great pictures and requires a lot of practice to use.

i've shot maybe 2000 exposures (almost all RAW) w/A2 in everything from desert heat to the English moors. The best things about it are the responsive handling (for a digicam) with RAW & the ELV finder. Carefully exposed you can approach 35mm quality w/half the weight. Use the histogram & stabilization! Bad things are some human factors issues (the buttons are small & closely placed) & flare. Arg: the worst flare i've seen in 25 years & no shade will cover it. Also,the ELV still ain't an F100 view, but that's the price of the weight.

I like the lightness of this camera...I hate the heavy cameras...and I don't like to use or lug tripods around all the time (before you ask, I already invested in a mini tripod) and I have been using the anti-shake mode alot. I find I have difficulty with the macro...I get good shots, but NOT the detail I would like for a macro shot...I want SHARP DETAIL in the folds of flowers, insects, etc. I recently was doing macro shots of bees and by the time the camera (macro mode) focused in...Mr. Bee had flown away. I'll read the manual again and see if I am doing something wrong, but I don't think so. I will have to give credit though, I have gotten some fantastic distance shots, not as close as I would like, and the auxiliary telephoto lens only takes you so far and at times captures more in your framing than you would like, but still good. I think my biggest problem is the delay in focus...and sometimes when working with F stops (A mode or M mode) it focus in, and then goes blank in the viewfinder. BIG question, YES good camera, not heavy, good photos...Focus delay.

Had a bit of a focusing problem at first, sent it in to Minolta and they fixed it (replaced the focusing motor—one week turnaround time), no problems since then. Extremely versatile and flexible camera with all sorts of adjustments. Easily accessible controls. Produces first-rate pics. I am constantly amazed by the subtlety and refinement of the pictures. Straight out of the camera they may look a bit subdued and soft, but with a touch of sharpening and color tweaking they are first-rate. Minolta seems to favor this approach, which I have come to appreciate. You can fine tune the results much more this way, rather than through in-camera settings. The battery gives me about 300 pictures and the reserve batteries don't run down (self-discharge) quickly, like NiMH batteries are prone to do. You can use it in the automatic or P modes, but this camera is more like a fine artistic instrument that also responds to more skillful handling. HIghly recommended

Overall, this is an excellent camera. The bells and whistles never seem to end. It does, from time to time, however, put the date stamp on a photo when I have expressly excluded it and I find that highly irritating. That being said, the tilting LCD viewfinder is great, but it would be much better if it tilted down below 20 degrees. I've also noted that when I am shooting high resolution shots (TIFF and RAW) that the camera is really hard to focus and won't promptly respond to a focus lock and allow the shutter release to take the photo. All of that being said I wouldn't change it for anything - it has wonderful versatility and a phenomenal capacity for taking a huge range of photos.

The main reasons I bought this camera was for the manual zoom lens, the tilt adjustable viewfinder
(the only camera I know of that has this great feature), the anti shake feature and the ability to shoot RAW & JPEG at the same time. This camera has many more features and adjustments which can overwhelm some people. If all you want is to put your camera in program or auto mode and shoot, then this camera is not for you. I had a few of the focusing and quality problems some other reviewers reported but after spending allot of time reading the manual thoroughly twice and reading on-line comments and suggestions from other owners and trying different adjustments I've managed to improve the focus and exposure quality of my photos. This is a very good camera. My only complaints are I wish it could take advantage of high speed flash memory because it is relatively slow at writing data to the card. A 2" LCD that could tilt down at least 45 degrees would have been excellent. A little more powerful flash and a better histogram display. Remember, this camera demands that you invest a bit of time to fully appreciate it and to get the best from it.

i never had a dig cam....then i reviewed this one and found a great price on ebay. i was afraid at first but the pictures are terrrriffic. had trouble figuring out some things but with help from dig cam user friends it all became easy.pictures are never blurry and zoom enlargements are awesome..crystal clear. i print my own now. the antishake is great!!i have the mega battery and it lasts and lasts. easy to down load to computer .recommend it

Picked up this camera used for a bargain price. Having only ever used "idiot cameras" in the past I was concerned that I would have problems with this, I was wrong. Although the camera has a lot of features, all the controls are placed so well that with only a little practice operation becomes intuitive. You really do need to read the manual to make the most of it, and to avoid some of the pitfalls others have mentioned. For example, I was confused for all of 1 hour by the viewfinder turning black and white until I read in the manual and discovered that this is a deliberate function to aid visibility in low light conditions which can be easily turned off in the straightforward menu. Read the manual!

I bought this camera as a supplement to my Canon Digital SLR. I use it when I don't want to take my heavier equipment. It has come through every time for me. One thing people should be aware of that there is a firmware fix for this camera which will solve the visibility decrease in the LCD and even will correct the out of focus phenomenon. EVF is hard to get used to, but the primary objective is to get great pictures and this camera will get you there.

Its is a great camera I was a pro photographer for 26 years with still 35mm and this is my first quality digital. It does more than I most probably ever use. the image quality is better than using the 400asa film that I normality use. The only problem that I have is that when it is on "motor drive it is a bit slow.(2.5 per sec approx.)

For the money this camera was certainly a disappointment. The pictures can be wonderful, or completely awful, with no rhyme or reason. When compared to the same photos taken with an Olympus C765 (my Moms) the Minolta was second rate. Not as sharp and the color was washed out. I have used Minolta SLRs for 20 years and have loved them, unfortunately I will be using them again while I shop for a new digital.

Had this camera about six months - going to send it for repairs - thought it was me not setting it properly but it just doesn't work right - very few if any properly focused pictures - taken about 2000 - focus shift thing has a fit every once in a while and buzzes and chatters like its going to blow up! -viewfinder switches to B&W negative in low light! I have to work on almost every picture in editing software to get good results - have owned digital cameras Sony 3.2 meg for a long time and bought my first 35 mm in 1962 - canon A1's and F1 - Minoltas and others I have done darkroom work for 25 years. so I am no beginner this camera sucks!

Great to use! bells and whistles are almost too much. Reading the manual is a must. Not for the beginning photographer

Well you can read a lot about camera but this is one feature that ONLY the A2 has in the non-dslr category: An evf that can tackle difficult conditions. If you plan on using your camera's manual focus this is key. In real world settings the evf and other features (great ergonomics, anti-shake, very good lens) make this camera the best of the bunch as of 12/04. Read reviews from real photographers-- the A2 gets the shots. I think too much emphasis is put on certain web sites that over emphasize lab tests (the A2 does good here). You wouldn't test drive a car on a dynamometer would you??-- Take the same approach when considering your camera...does it fit your hand...

With so many positive features, it's too bad the manufacture couldn't get several basics right. 1. After one month, the first one I bought had the viewfinder randomly quit -- just go blank - in the middle of setting up a photo op. After trading it in for another one, the second one does the exact same thing. 2. In the middle of setting up the photo, quite often the view finder goes from color to black and white. While there is an option to do this on the camera, the option was doing it by itself. Makes the camera look like an "el cheapo" when showing some else what the photo looks like. 3. After my 16 years of PERFECT Minolta SLR photojournalistic experience, it is not clear why the autofocus on the Dimage A2 "let's a person down" when doing a series of photos. 4. Upon calling Minolta tech help in New Jersey about the above problems, they merely said, "send it to us." How long for turn around? 3 to 4 weeks. All unacceptable. I'm returning the second one for a refund.

A great camera for such a small sensor. I was initially worried about 8mp being crammed onto such a small sensor. The only problem I've encountered is a little too much noise at 400 ISO and 800 ISO which I expected anyway. I shoot mainly landscapes and this camera really performs at 64 ISO and 100 ISO. IS is fabulous and I use my tripod only rarely now, just have to remember to turn off IS when using the tripod. Minolta have once again produced a quality camera with the A2.