There were many `races` in the compact camera market back when they were selling like hotcakes. From resolution to zoom, manufacturers were constantly trying to one-up each other. Another area in which they were competing was just how small a camera could be. One of the smallest was the ultra-thin Minolta DiMAGE X, released way back in 2002.
The DiMAGE X`s dimensions were 84 x 72 x 20mm (3.3 x 2.8 x 0.8in) - yes, less than an inch thick - so it easily fit into a shirt picket. How did they do it? Folded optics.
While we`re not 100% certain, it`s likely that the DiMAGE X was the first digital camera to use folded optics. Light comes through the lens, hits a 90-degree prism and then heads downward where it passes through the various elements until it his a 2 Megapixel CCD. As you can probably tell from the design of the camera, all of the zooming and focus takes place in the `downward` portion of the lens.
As noted in Phil Askey`s review, two other things that allowed the DiMAGE X to be so thin was its compact lithium-ion battery and `tiny` MMC/SD cards (which is funny, considering that the way-too-small microSD format was just a few years away). One tradeoff to having such a compact body was the camera`s tunnel-type viewfinder - you might as well just use the 1.5` LCD.
While the camera was a snappy performer, its image quality was less impressive. Phil Askey noted that photos were very `video like - soft with some visible ghosting artifacts.` Vignetting was also an issue. Its measured resolution was the lowest of any 2 Megapixel camera DPReview had tested at the time. Phil suggests that most of these issues are due to the folded optics design that made the DiMAGE X so unique.
Despite its unique optical design and ultra-compact body, the DiMAGE X didn`t win over Phil (mainly due to image quality), earning it a `Below Average` award - a rarity on DPReview.
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