32MB
Memory Stick card [inside a transparent plastic
pouch]
Interface
Cables: A/V; USB
English
and French Instruction Manuals: Operating Instructions
Software CD: ImageMixer 1.5, Image Transfer
Wow!
This camera is light! I am pleasantly surprised
by how compact and light it is. In pictures, it
looks chunkier than it really is. Though not pocketable
(due to protruding lens and viewfinder), it should
easily fit in a coat pocket, small purse, or belt
case. It's so light that I don't mind carrying
it around in my hand, though at times, I have
put it into my large pants pocket, but only for
a short time to free my hands.
The
battery recharges in camera using the supplied
AC Adapter in about 150 minutes (that's two-and-a-half
hours -- one loooong recharge time!), and lasts
about one hour in normal use.
With
my Windows XP, I don't need to install the supplied
USB 2.0 driver. Since I want to try out the ImageMixer,
I install Image Transfer and ImageMixer anyway.
With Image Transfer, I set it to automatically
run when the camera is plugged in using the USB
cable. Right-Click on the Image Transfer icon
on the Start Bar, and select Open Settings. Click
on Set Manually to change the File copy destination
to where I want it to go. Then, click on the Delete
tab and select "Delete all files that were
copied."
Before
transferring the images, Sony recommends that
you plug in the AC adapter since an error can
occur if the battery should fail in mid transfer.
Then, plug in the camera using the USB cable,
turn it on, and the Image Transfer automatically
runs and starts transferring the images from the
camera to my PC. The transfer of 5MP images saved
at the highest setting is surprisingly fast (about
1.5 sec per image).
Image Transfer has a cool feature where it shows
you a thumbnail image of the picture being transferred
(if you set this feature off in Open Settings
- Copy, you could conceivably save some transfer
time). At the end of the transfer, Image Transfer
asks if I want the images in the camera deleted.
I click Yes and my MemoryStick is wiped clean
and is ready for another shooting session.
After
the transfer is complete, ImageMixer automatically
opens up and displays the transferred images.
ImageMixer has pseudo-Mac OS X type buttons with
icons that are, ahem, not very intuitive; to know
what they mean, just mouse over them and read
the explanation in the status bar at the bottom.
It's quite bothersome having to shift your gaze
everytime to the bottom of the screen (the icons
are mostly at the top of the screen). A pop up
mouseover help text would be ideal.
Let's just say that at first, I have quite some
difficulty using ImageMixer. After trying for
a while, reading the Help files, and playing around
with the software, Bingo! Seems you need to copy
your images into a folder before you can manipulate
them??? At last, with the images moved into a
folder, I can now view EXIF info, run a slide
show, etc.... I would have liked to see EXIF info
on which photo effect I've used (e.g. Vivid) and
flash power used (high, normal, low). Perhaps
the V1 is not saving this? A
pet peeve is that ImageMixer takes over the whole
screen, including the task bar at the bottom of
the screen. One improvement I would like to see
is a more user friendly user interface that takes
full advantage of the latest Windows standards.
The
Operating Instructions manual is well illustrated,
organised and written. I take the time to set
the V1 to the way I would like to use it: Program
AE; Auto ISO; Fine resolution (2592 x 1944 pixels);
Auto Flash; Auto White Balance; LCD brightness
at maximum.
First
impressions:
Royal
Ontario Museum T-Rex: 7mm, 1 sec., F2.8 and ISO
250
The
unique differentiator of the V1 is its Hologram
AF Illuminator that makes low-light shots possible.
On most digital cameras, getting its autofocus
to lock in low-light situations can be maddeningly
fustrating. Haba no problemo with the V1! Check
out the shot of the dinosaur above that I took
at the Royal Ontario Museum. This shot is handheld
at 1 sec. -- no flash. Those of you who have visited
the ROM know how dark the Dinosaur Halls are.
With my back against the wall, I brace myself
and take three shots. One is blurry, two comes
out with just a hint of camera shake if viewed
at full resolution and very carefully, and the
one above has the best composition. I do not believe
I can take unblurred shots at 1/30 sec., never
mind 1 full sec. So, I am pretty impressed that
I was able to get this shot without a tripod.
The V1's low-light feature is one big plus you
want to think about if you're considering a camera
for indoors shooting (I am of course not talking
about subjects that are too far away for the AF
Illuminator).
The
placement of the pop-up flash at the upper left
side (when you're holding the camera for picture
taking) is certainly problematic. The V1 will
take a picture even if flash is recommended and
the latter does not fire. How can the flash not
fire, you ask? Well, if you have your left forefinger
on top of it! You need to hold the V1 differently
to avoid this potential pitfall. I find that one
way is to hold it with my thumb against the left
side of the camera and my forefinger under the
camera, for a landscape shot; and my thumb under
the right side of the camera and my forefinger
steadying the bottom of the camera, for a portrait
shot (left hand, of course).
The
V1 has no appreciable shutter lag, though you
do have to wait about 3 seconds for the lens to
extend on power on. After that, I just take one
shot after another without having to wait.
One
neat feature of the V1 is called Program Shift.
Once the camera has metered a scene and given
you a shutter speed/aperture combination, you
can then rotate the Jog Dial to shift this combination
for faster shutter speed/less depth of field or
more depth of field/slower shutter speed.
I've been using the V1 in Program AE most of the
time and haven't found the need to switch to any
other mode. The reason is that with the Program
Shift function, I can just rotate the Jog Dial
to adjust the shutter speed/aperture combination
and still maintain the correct exposure.
Wish
List:
A
longer-lasting battery. The battery life is
on the short side, about 1 hr use with LCD on.
A couple of times, I run out of battery power
before I run out of memory card space. You definitely
need a spare second battery.
The
pop-up flash, of course, is just at the wrong
place and need to either be redesigned or moved
somewhere else.
A
dedicated Quick Display button to quickly review
last shot. I don't like holding down the shutter
release button to view last shot, and so have
to constantly turn the Mode Dial to Play mode.
So,
these are undoubtedly the areas you'll find Sony
concentrating on for the next version. But whatever
shortcomings this camera has for now, it is more
than compensated by the images I find myself taking
with it with ease.
The
Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot is compact, light, extremely
fast, and gives great results -- a perfect combination
for discreet street photography.
