Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1

Konica Minolta’s DiMAGE X1 arrived in mid-2005 as what the company called „the ultimate digital camera for image quality, function, design, and size“—ambitious words for an ultracompact that packed 8 megapixels into a body just 19.5mm thick. Building on the innovative periscope lens design that made the original DiMAGE X so remarkably slim back in 2002, the X1 added Konica Minolta’s newly miniaturized Anti-Shake system to the mix. Today, its characteristic soft, slightly grainy output makes it a strong pick for anyone chasing that authentic vintage digicam aesthetic.

NO FILTER: SHOT ON DiMAGE X1

THE LOOKS

In brown (described as „wine red“ with a glossy mirror finish), the X1 has that distinctive early-2000s futuristic aesthetic with its rounded capsule-like all-metal body and smooth edges that fit naturally in your palm. At just 95 × 68 × 19.5mm and weighing only 135 grams, it genuinely disappears into a shirt pocket, while the 2.5-inch LCD dominates the flat rear panel behind a protective screen cover. The periscope lens sits behind a metal cover that keeps everything flush when powered down.

THE SPECS

The X1 uses an 8-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD sensor paired with Konica Minolta’s CxProcess III image processor. The innovative „non-protruding“ 3× optical zoom lens covers 37-111mm equivalent with a compact f/3.5-3.8 aperture range and focuses down to 5cm in super-macro mode. The newly developed Anti-Shake system provides up to 3 EV stops of stabilization, while the 2.5-inch LCD with 118,000 pixels handles all composition and playback.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• Periscope lens design: The 3× zoom lens mounted vertically inside the body with a 90-degree reflecting prism meant the camera stayed incredibly thin at 19.5mm—thinner than the original DiMAGE X that pioneered the design.
• First X-series with Anti-Shake: A newly miniaturized stabilization system specifically designed for the folded optics allowed handheld shooting at shutter speeds as slow as 1/6th of a second at wide-angle.
• Multifunction cradle included: The X1 was the first Konica Minolta compact to include a docking cradle for TV playback, PC downloads, direct printing via PictBridge, and simultaneous battery charging.

THE VERDICT

The DiMAGE X1 is a stylish ultracompact from Konica Minolta’s innovative X-series lineup. Its combination of genuinely slim design, 8-megapixel resolution, and built-in stabilization made it a distinctive option for photographers who valued both aesthetics and portability, even if image quality didn’t quite match the impressive specs on paper.