Minolta DiMAGE X31 — 3.2MP slim digital compact with 3x zoom (36-108mm equiv.), 2004
The Minolta DiMAGE X31 is a slim digital compact from Konica Minolta, released in 2004 as a lower-cost sibling to the original DiMAGE X, Xt and Xg models. It kept the X series' pocketable shape while cutting cost by using a conventional retracting zoom instead of the earlier models' internal periscope lens.
It carries a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor behind a 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to roughly 36-108mm, with a maximum aperture of f/2.8-3.7. A 1.5-inch TFT LCD serves as the main viewfinder, images save to SD or MultiMediaCard media, and the camera weighs about 174g with battery and card fitted.
Dropping the earlier DiMAGE X's folded optics made the X31 cheaper but added a short startup delay as the lens extends, and its resolution and low-light performance are modest even for a mid-2000s compact. It remains a straightforward point-and-shoot with no manual controls.
As an early-2000s budget compact, the X31 now mainly interests casual buyers after a cheap digital camera. Check that the lens extends and retracts cleanly, the LCD is free of dead pixels or fading, the battery still holds charge, and the SD card slot reads reliably.