Digicams: the Minolta Dimage G400 part I (Patreon)

This is our next digicam; a small Minolta Dimage G400 from 2003.

Didn't know this existed, but I'm glad it did because this might be my favorite so far. 

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/8777538346/minoltadimageg400

CCD sensor with 4.2 megapixels, but who's counting. It's so small and so cute, reminds me of the MJU series with the sliding lens cover, this one does that with the little tiny lens sticking out, very satisfying. 

The one I got is like brand new, it came wth the original box and everything. Paid 40$, but I don't mind since it's in so good condition. It's seriously great for street photography because it's quick, it's small, has manual settings and it has focus distance setting (alleluia) which is a must for street photography especially with these cameras from the past which are not the fastest anymore. 

Low light is garbage of course, like any camera from that time.

But still, gotta love that lo-fi look. Sometimes, I gotta tell you, it almost looks like film, I mean film from disposable cameras you know, there I said it. I'm beginning to see it, the CCD fever, they claim colors from those censors are film like, I'm seeing it! 

Fact is, we live in a time where we want more & more pixels, we want sharpness, we want perfection, and some feel we are distancing ourselves from reality. With modern cameras, sometimes I feel like the output is too clinical, too sharp, not imperfect enough, it needs more soul and it's easier too achieve a certain look with cameras with character, like film cameras, the look of 35mm, the look of toy cameras, distinct stuff, anyway I digress. What I'm saying is that these digicams came at a time of transition, they are far from perfect, they are slow, they are not performant, they have major flaws, in a way they feel like film because maybe they still had that mind set when they started creating these little gems. 

Retail price of this bad boy was 300$ originally, I bet it was worth it because it is packed with a lot of features and feels well built. I only have 1 battery for this and I'm having a hard time to find another one at a decent price. 

Part II will contain more black & white pics straight from camera. 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure nobody sees an interest in these except me hehe, but maybe some will at a certain point. Thanks for reading !