Editorial Review:Product Description:Dressed in an elegant metal case, the DiMAGE G500 is a stylish and versatile companion, packing high-quality 5 megapixel images and powerful imaging controls in a compact body. Measuring only 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.2 inches, the G500 can be easily slipped into a pocket, purse, or fanny pack. And weighing a mere 7 ounces, this camera will not be a burden.Despite its small size, the DiMAGE G500 is packed with image-making features. Exposures can be set manually. Color saturation, contrast, and sharpness can be controlled to create the picture you want. And a maximum 9X zoom ratio provides powerful photographic potential.
Amazon.com Product Description:Housed in an elegant metal case and weighing just 7 ounces, the compact Minolta Dimage G500 can be easily slipped into a pocket or fanny pack while on vacation. It blends powerful automated features with a host of manual controls (such as color saturation, contrast, and sharpness) and offers a 5-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, compatibility with SD cards and Memory Sticks, and a movie mode with sound.
Optics and Resolution The Dimage G500's precision electro-optical system is built around a 5.36-megapixel interline primary-color CCD with 5 million effective pixels for beautifully crisp, high-resolution images. It captures up to 2592 x 1944 pixel images for up to 13 x 17-inch enlargements (at 150 dpi). It also offers 2048 x 1536 (3 MP), 1600 x 1200 (2 MP), and 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution modes.
With its high-quality 3x aspheric optical zoom lens, the Dimage G500 has a focal range of 8–24mm (equivalent to a 39–117mm zoom on a 35mm camera). It also has a smooth 3x digital zoom for a 9x total zoom. The maximum aperture of f/2.8–4.9 allows the camera to be used in less than ideal lighting conditions without flash.
Movie and Audio Modes The Dimage G500 captures up to 30 seconds of video with sound at a 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The camera can also record audio on its own, either as an audio-only file (up to 30 seconds) or as an image caption.
More Features With a fast 1.3-second startup time, you can capture the action at a moment's notice. Plus, the ergonomic control layout makes settings quick and simple; the three most used controls are conveniently placed on the top of the camera body for quick, one-touch access.
The e-mail copy function creates a 640 x 480 or 160 x 120 JPEG copy of an image on the memory card so that it can be easily transferred over the Internet.
The Dimage G500's versatile flash modes let you shoot in a variety of lighting situations with confidence. In automatic mode, the flash fires whenever it's needed. If the main subject is backlit, you can select fill-flash for additional subject illumination.
Other features include:
- 1.5-inch LCD with optical real-image viewfinder
- Image adjustment control settings include saturation, contrast, sharpness, and color balance as well as ISO-equivalent sensitivity and flash compensation
- Manual exposure mode allows you to adjust the lens aperture and shutter speed (from 1/1,000 to 15 seconds ) independently
- Macro mod can get as close as 2.4 inches in both telephoto and wide angle shooting
Storage and Transfer The Dimage G500 features a dual card slot system for expanded image storage; Memory Sticks and Secure Digital (SD) memory cards can be used alone or in combination. A 16 MB SD card is included with the Dimage G500, and it can store approximately 11 images shot in Normal, 5-megapixel mode. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Power and Size The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-500). It measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.2 inches and weighs 7.1 ounces excluding the batteries or 8.3 ounces when loaded with the battery.
What's In The Box This package contains the Dimage G500 digital camera, 16 MB SD memory card, lithium-ion battery (NP-500), battery charger (BC-500), USB cable (USB-800), hand strap (HS-DG130), Dimage Viewer CD-ROM, instruction manual CD-ROM, and quick-start guide.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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~GR8 CAMERA, GR8 PICS, EASY 2 USE!~
I love this camera. The Minolta Diamge G500 was my first digital camera and it was used and abused. However, it still works today. The camera has more weight than most newer digital cameras but us still compact. It doesn't feel like cheap plastic. Since owning this camers I have purchased a Fuji S700 and a S3IS, none of these have ever taken the quality photos that come from my Dimage. Nor do they stand up to the durability of the Diamge. I have dropped it on an ice skating rink, cement, and it was used weekly for ebay pics. My dimage is still kicking and taking better photos than my fuji and canon. On top of all this, this camera has a very easy to use menu and can be used to just point and shoot. I know it is very functional and durable with great photos.
Rating: -
Great Camera
This camera works beautifully. It is very simple to use. Close up images are clear and without glare; the red eye reduction works well, too. Nice!
Rating: 
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holding up okay, shaky about the minolta name
this thing is okay, i love the camera don't get me wrong, but it's minolta that has me scared, i used to love them, until i experienced the reliability first, and then when i had to deal with the slow and unsteady service team, it was terrible, all my other minolta products turned out to be crap. i'm not telling you which brand i switched to because they all seem to be pretty good, except minolta. if you want more details send me an email, im sure it's on my amazon profile or something.
Rating: 
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Nice small camera, problems with on/off switch
I hae owned this camera for about a year and have taken some great shots with it. It is good basic a point and shoot vacation camera.
What I like:
-Small size and solid construction, except for the on/off switch
-Good quality output/pictures for the most part
-Good battery life and multiple card options (SD and Memory stick, although I only use one)
What I don't like:
-Switch on cover that slides back and forth to both turn off and on as well as protect lense is now broken and renders the camera unusable
-Poor low light capability and performance
-Poor lcd quality and small size
-Poor movie mode that only caputes 320X240 movies
-Menus are confusing and not useful
Would I buy again? I would not buy given what I know about the camera and the other better options out there right now.
Rating: -
Excelent even issues are not a real issue
I have read in some of these other reviews about the delay in taking pictures. There seems to be an easy way around this that I have found takes away this one issue in this otherwise nearly perfect product. When you are about to take a picture simply depress the shutter button part way. Do not press it all of the way down so that it takes a picture, just part way. This will prime the camera and you will be able to take a picture instantly when you want.
