Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot Review
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Review
Date: Aug 25, 2003 |
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Photoxels
Award
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Image Quality
Would
you dare to take pictures of a black column in
a dark room? Or, how about a one second handheld
picture of a dinosaur lighted by red light in
very dark conditions? Both without flash and using
auto everything? Can your digital camera do that?
Well, it can if it's the Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot.
The Sony V1 gives consistently excellent images
at 5 megapixels resolution thanks to its Carl
Zeiss lens. It also has a couple of features that
give it an advantage over other 5MP digital cameras
when it comes to image quality: the Hologram AF
for low-light focus really works; program shift
to select different shutter speed/aperture combination
on the fly (while maintaining the correct exposure)
means better depth of field control; very fast
focus and shot-to-shot operation mean you get
a better chance of capturing "the moment."
The V1 is targeted to serious amateur photographers
or prosumers who want a smaller, lighter, carry-anywhere
camera but with still the type of image quality
they are used to with their prosumer digital cameras.
You can use the V1 strictly as a point-and-shoot
digital camera (and that's how I used it mostly
for this review), but it also has the flexible
exposure you need for creative exposure control.
All the pictures on this and the other pages (including
the navigation pictures at the top of each page)
have been taken by the V1 for this review. Since
one of the forte and distinguishable feature of
the V1 is its hologram AF, I have concentrated
on indoors low-light shots. The pictures on this
page provide a good sample of what the V1 is capable
of in the hands of a beginner amateur photographer
-- for that is how I have approached this review:
basically, point and shoot in Program AE mode,
auto ISO, auto White Balance, auto Flash, and
Multi-Pattern metering mode.
Unless otherwise specified, all pictures on this
page are taken in SuperFine Large 2592x1944 pixels.
All are original, direct from the DSC-V1 (except
for the panorama pictures of the Dragon Mural
which may have been automatically retouched in
and by Photomerge, and the navigation background
above which has had its level adjusted in Photoshop
Elements to bring out the details in the shadows).
I have provided the 800x600 version. Remember
that this version is of slightly lesser quality
than the original 2592x1944 version. Please open
and download only once to your hard drive -- and
save me some precious bandwidth. Thanks!
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Clicking on a picture will display the 800x600
image in a separate window. Leave that separate
window up for all the other original images
will also display in that same separate window. |
Click
here for comments accompanying pictures.
Need
a place to upload your photos? Free photo sharing
and photo hosting web site at cassepoze.
A
Personal Word
The
Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot inspires confidence. I
shoot almost exclusively in Program AE mode, taking
full advantage of the program shift function (which
basically makes having Shutter-Priority mode and
Aperture-Priority mode kind of redundant). The
autofocus is fast and works in all lighting conditions.
The
Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot is a serious contender
to the top place of the best digital camera for
serious amateur photographers. Its unique combination
of features set it apart from its competitors.
With the V1, Sony has signaled it is staking a
claim not only in the point-and-shoot category,
but it is also firmly committed to earn its rightful
place among the traditional camera manufacturers.
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