The Dimage X1 is Konica Minolta's latest compact 8 megapixel camera. This is a brief summary of how it performs in the underwater housing (MC-DG1) when tested in a swimming pool.

Firstly, it must be noted how small this setup is; it will easily fit in a BCD pocket, and you needn't be worried about it taking up your valuable luggage allowance.

Button space is at a premium given the small size of the X1 and I found each of the buttons in the main housing cluster needed precise depression in order to activate the correct camera control.

The camera produces nice pictures; colours are bright and pictures are quite sharp. As with most compact cameras, it is wise to stay at lower ISOs or else sensor noise can become visually intrusive.

Shutter lag is apparent, again a failing common to many digital point and shoot cameras. When it comes to macro shots I found the X1 performed well, this can be put down to Konica Minolta's anti-shake function that helps eliminate the blurry pictures that often result from murky macro compositions.

In conclusion, the X1 would be well suited to divers needing a ultra compact digital camera and housing package who are particularly keen on photographing macro subjects, or are not interested in the improvements provided by an external flash.