Minolta DiMAGE 2300 (2000)

The Minolta DiMAGE 2300 is a 2.1-megapixel digital compact announced in June 2000. As DPReview put it, Minolta "sneaked" it in without much fanfare. It was a fully automatic point-and-shoot built around a fixed 38mm-equivalent lens, which put it at a disadvantage against the zoom-equipped competition. According to ephotozine.com, the thing that made it stand out was price. It was one of the most competitive two-million-pixel models of its moment, even if the fixed lens "may put many off."

The camera used a 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor (2.30 effective megapixels, capturing 1792 x 1200 or 800 x 600 images). Exposure was programmed auto, with center-weighted TTL metering by the CCD and a top shutter speed of 1/500 sec. White balance options were daylight, fluorescent, tungsten, and automatic. A 1.8-inch rear LCD sat alongside an optical viewfinder, and a built-in flash and macro mode were included. It stored images on CompactFlash cards and ran on four AA batteries. The body measured 114 x 65 x 40 mm and weighed 210g.

Reception was lukewarm. ephotozine.com noted that while Minolta had the film scanner and APS camera markets sorted, "their consumer digital cameras are a little lacking." Documentation on the DiMAGE 2300 is thin today. No original retail price, ISO range, or detailed flash specs have surfaced. The cheapest current market reference found is $90.00, and Kamerastore lists it as out of stock.

Known specs: