Sony Cybershot R1

Sony Cybershot R1 digital camera review : The fact that Sony introduced the Cybershot DSC R1 should without a doubt be noted as both surprising and remarkable. Not only was a new Cybershot digital camera about to see the light of day, it is a camera that comes equipped with an entirely new high resolution image sensor of no less than 10+ Megapixels, which is certainly surprising. With the introduction of the Sony R1, Sony gives a renewed sign of life, especially in the high segment where they had seemed somewhat absent recently. Still, behind the scenes Sony have been keeping more than busy to prepare themselves for the increasingly developing digital reflex camera market. It is not without reason that Sony have engaged in co-operation with Konica Minolta to strengthen their position for a digital reflex camera under the name of Sony! Rumour has it that the summer of 2006 will be the time for the digital Sony reflex camera.

Cybershot R1 - Sony CMOS image sensor
The Sony Cybershot R1 leads the Cybershot series of digital cameras. The Sony R1 is equipped with a completely newly developed Sony CMOS image sensor offering a resolution of 10.3 Megapixels. Remarkable is that the CMOS sensor is just a tad smaller than standard APS-C format image sensors as also used in most digital reflex cameras. The fact that there is talk of a large format CMOS sensor, increases hope for noise free images with high ISO. Besides the high resolution the Cybershot R1 is equipped with an exceptionally nice zoom range, starting from 24mm to 120mm (equivalent of a 35mm camera).

Sony Cybershot DSC R1 - LCD display
Another remarkable feature is the 2 inch format LCD display located on top of the camera, that can be folded up and rotated approximately 270 degrees. Folded in with the display up, and holding the camera in front of your stomach, it almost seems as if you were photographing with a medium format camera. The Sony R1 housing comes in black and has a deluxe look to it. The camera reminds somewhat of the Sony DSC F828 camera, but it would not be fair to carry this comparison through too far, as the clever innovations used for this new camera far outnumber it.

Sony Cybershot R1 camera - High resolution
With the introduction of the Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 digital camera, Sony once again raises the bar another notch. The new image sensor opens up the way for an entirely new line of high resolution digital cameras that might benefit from the large format image sensor. Lately a lot of compact format 8+ Megapixel digital cameras have been introduced, most of which encounter an excessive amount of noise from 200 ISO. When Sony choose to make the image sensor available to their competitors, we will be likely to see more digital cameras with the same CMOS sensor. For now however, Sony is free to benefit from the position they have created for themselves. The Sony Cybershot R1 will get more than its fair share of attention.

Sony Cybershot DSC R1 review
For many years now, Sony have been enjoying a high ranking in the top 5 list of the most popular and bestselling camera brands. With the introduction of the Sony R1, they strengthen their position and, for now, apply sufficient counter-pressure to the strongly increasing uprising of digital reflex cameras. The Sony Cybershot R1 has most impressive specifications and will for many be an appealing alternative to the digital reflex camera. We have been in the position to test just how the Sony Cybershot R1 holds itself in practice. Our results can be read in the following Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 digital camera review.

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Specs

User review rating: Sony Cybershot DSC R1
Brand	Sony
Type	Cybershot DSC R1
Resolution	10.30 Mpixel
Maximum resolution	3882x2592
Minimum resolution	1296x864
Sensor size	21.5x14.4
Sensor type	CMOS
Optical zoom	Yes
Focal length multiplier	n/a
Zoom wide (mm)	24
Zoom tele (mm)	120
Digital zoom	Yes
Auto focus	Yes
Manual focus	Yes
Focus range (cm)	50
Macro focus range (cm)	35
Flash modes	anti red-eye auto fill in off rear curtin slow flash
Storage types	CompactFlash type I CompactFlash type II Memory Stick Memory Stick Pro Microdrive
ISO ratings	auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Aperture priority	Yes
Minimum aperture wide	f2.8
Maximum aperture wide	f16
Minimum aperture tele	f4.8
Maximum aperture tele	f16
Shutter priority	Yes
Minimum shutter (sec)	Bulb+30
Maximum shutter (sec)	1/2000
Sequence (fps)	3

Built-in flash	Yes
External flash	Yes
External flash type	Hot-shoe
Metering	centre weighted Multi-pattern spot
Exposure compensation	-2EV - +2EV with 1/3EV steps
White balance	auto cloudy daylight Flash fluorescent incandescent manual
Video function	No
Video sound	No
Maximum video resolution	n/a
Minimum video resolution	n/a
Frames per second (fps)	0
Voice recording	No
Optical viewfinder	No
Electronic viewfinder	Yes
LCD display	Yes
LCD size	2-inch
LCD resolution (pixels)	134,000
Self-timer	Yes
USB	USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Video out	Yes
Firewire	No
Bluetooth	No
File format	JPEG RAW
Energy	InfoLithium
Weight	995g.
Sizes (mm)	139x168x97