Konica Minolta Dynax 5D review

Owning a digital SLR camera is no longer just a pipe dream for amateur photographers, and there are excellent models such as Nikon's D50 available for under £500.

The latest contender is Konica Minolta's Dynax 5D. On the surface it's very similar to the D50. Both cameras have a top resolution of 3,008x2,000 pixels. They both weigh around 850g, and their plastic bodies feel solid, durable and equally comfortable to use. And just a few pounds separate their prices.

However, there are some notable differences between the two models. Kit lenses bundled with digital SLRs tend to be fairly basic, but the 5D's zoom range is 18-70mm, compared with the D50's 18-55mm. Its 38cm shortest macro focus isn't that much to get excited about, but the camera body will work with any lens that uses the Minolta A Mount.

Rather than using a second, passive LCD screen to show camera settings, the 5D displays them on its sizable rear-mounted 2.5" LCD. This makes sense as the SLR screen can't be used for composing shots because light passing through the lens is sent to the optical viewfinder rather than the CCD. However, the LCD depletes the battery faster than a passive screen would. The onscreen text is re-oriented when the camera is held in portrait position, and it even switches off to avoid distracting your view when you bring the camera up to your eye.

Manual controls and options are comprehensive and quickly accessible from a generous set of dedicated buttons. The Dynax 5D is quick to react, too, with near-instantaneous startup, a 2fps continuous mode and blisteringly fast browsing of pictures stored on the card. However, USB transfers are painfully slow at just 0.35MB/s. We'd advise you to budget for a card reader as well as a CompactFlash card, as no card is supplied with the camera.

The Dynax 5D's most unusual feature is optical image stabilisation, which reduces the blur caused by camera shake. Furthermore, the mechanism is built into the CCD rather than the lens so you don't lose the feature when you swap lenses. We found that we often - but not always - achieved sharper pictures with the feature switched on, so it's useful but not particularly reliable.

As we'd expect from a camera that costs nearly £500, image quality was extremely high throughout our tests. Colours had a purity and subtlety that you simply don't get from cheaper compact cameras. The flash performed impeccably at close range and when illuminating an entire room.

In dark conditions without the flash, ISO settings of up to 800 produced shots with minimal image noise, while ISO 1600 photos still looked smooth when printed at 6x4". Even ISO 3200 gave serviceable results, although areas of solid colour looked grainy. It was usually necessary to switch the white balance to Tungsten for indoor shots, but a dedicated dial makes this easy to achieve. However, direct comparison to the Nikon D50 revealed that the D50 tended to capture more flattering colours on Auto settings. High-contrast subjects were the Dynax 5D's biggest hurdle, occasionally blowing out highlights and giving a slight blue cast to pictures.

The image stabilisation, large screen and extended zoom range are all compelling reasons to choose the Dynax 5D over the Nikon D50. However, the Nikon's superior colour accuracy just gives it the edge.