Only see bright light effect in viewfinder and LCD

Probably a problem with the chip - this model had a recall and free fix...contact the manufacturer for details

is your lens cover open for sure?

Hello, the problem in your camera can be the CCD. Please contact your nearest Sony dealer (they are now in charge for KonicaMinolta cameras. Please ask the dealer for the repair price estimate. Best regards, Arpi If you want more info, please advice.

well perhaps you forgot to switch it to the playback mode (red switch on the power ) in the record mode you have to choose between lcd and viewfinder . further more it is possible to switch the display off .

the camera needs enough power i reccommend 2500 NIMH
accu's

This is not a problem. This is how the camera is designed to work. It is an SLR and you must view the picture you are taking through the small viewfinder not the LCD. It simply reflects the camera settings,etc. I too was thinking it was a "viewfinder" and a bit disappointed that it wasn't. Oh well.

CCD sensor on its way out: sometimes still outputs ok but sometimes it does not. This problem only gets worse and you should have another sensor put in. Find out if Minolta repairs this particular fault on this model free of charge because many manufacturers do.

it is a common problem with them. sony has a recall on ccd imager for this model. call sony and they will fix it for free

Is the lens cover completely retracted? Look at it.

With this function, you can adjust exposure, contrast, and saturation through the viewfinder itself, prior to image capture. You can check how your adjustments will look using either the viewfinder or the LCD monitor. This feature makes it easy to get the unique images you want in many different shooting situations. DiMAGE 7i is capable of setting contrast, color saturation and filter in the following increments. Contrast: In seven levels from -3 to +3 Color Saturation: In seven levels from -3 to +3 Filter: In seven levels ranging from warm (reddish) to cool (bluish) colors.

DiMAGE Z3 does not employ the Switch Finder that was employed in the Z2. Frame rate is 50 fps in both models, and smooth real motion monitor can be obtained. Specifications are as follows: Viewfinder : 0.3 inch, approx. 11.8 million pixels LCD monitor : 1.5 inch, approx. 7.8 million pixels