Does anyone have any experience with Minolta Dimage cameras and the software that does or doesn't come with them?

I have a friend who uses Win XP and just got herself a Minolta Dimage camera (I don't know the model but it's one of the little ones) and she says it's not mounting properly on the computer and the CD doesn't have any useful software with it.

I've done a search of the net and it looks like the Dimage viewer software is an add-on package for another $100. I think she'd be better off with PhotoShop Elements.

I'm going to go over tomorrow and see if I can figure anything out. Does anyone have any experience with Minolta??

Thanks, Margaret

(I have the new Konica-Minolta A2. It is a wonderful camera.) The Dimage Viewer is required only if your friend makes images in a RAW format. The viewer is needed to convert the RAW file to JPEG or TIFF. Otherwise, it has some fairly advanced image processing utilities that I sometimes use before working on an image in Photoshop. If your friend shoots everything in JPEG then Photoshop Elements will work well for her.

Dave

The following Dimage camera formats are supported directly by Photoshop RAW:

DiMAGE A1
DiMAGE A2
DiMAGE 5
DiMAGE 7
DiMAGE 7i
DiMAGE 7Hi

More details:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html

Here's a $20 plugin that claims to do all Dimage files with a free demo:
http://www.dalibor.cz/minolta/plugin.htm

I got to see the camera and the CD that came with it last night and sorted it all out - in my mind at least.

The camera is a Minolta Dimage XT (tiny little thing) and the Dimage Viewer software was on the CD - she had told me over the phone that there was nothing on the CD :question:

Got it installed and got her started. Sadly most of her challenges will relate to her lack of computer savvy but that's another story.

I was impressed with the tools available in the Viewer software, but it lacks layers, doesn't have a crop tool and doesn't seem to be smart enough to update itself after you safe a file - you have to shut down the program and start it again before you can see the file you just saved.

Take care, Margaret

I bought a DiMage Z6 and after reading the DiMage Viewer manual, I see no reason to install it.

It does much less that HP Image Zone and Firehand Ember.