Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 Digital Camera Review
By Melissa Robotti
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
September 05, 2007
When the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 was introduced in late 2005, it made news as the first compact camera to include a DSLR-sized CMOS image sensor and a wide angle zoom lens fixed to its body. The larger sensor size translates to higher image quality and the wide lens promises sharper images; Sony touted it as a veritable replacement for low-end DSLRs. With a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, 24-120mm lens, and 2-inch, rotating live-view LCD, the R1 had an introductory price of $999.95 that has since been reduced to $799. Compact digital cameras haven’t challenged the R1’s high-end status, but low-end DSLRs are staking territory on the market as their prices now hover as low as $599.
We tested the R1’s image quality and overall performance to see where it stands among compacts and entry-level DSLRs. The R1 not only looks like an SLR, it produces images like one. The R1’s 10 megapixels spread across a large sensor yield sharp, clear images with accurate colors.
The Sony R1’s color accuracy outperforms its high-end compact counterparts, including the Kodak EasyShare P880 and Panasonic Lumix FZ3. In fact, the R1’s color accuracy is on par with the more expensive Canon EOS 30D, although it isn’t as perfect as the Canon Rebel XTi’s colors. The R1’s color saturation is similar to that of budget SLRs. Blues, reds, greens, and yellows are saturated to enhance landscape shots and Caucasian skin tones. Oversaturation makes for vibrant images, but isn’t always desirable because it’s hard to effectively desaturate a photo in software. Higher-end DSLRs keep saturation to a minimum, allowing the user to enhance color as they see fit in post-processing.
Equally impressive as the R1’s color reproduction is its ability to keep noise to a minimum, even at high ISO sensitivity settings. This gives users the flexibility to boost the ISO in low light scenes without sacrificing too much image quality. In this respect the R1 is far ahead of the Panasonic FZ30 and Kodak P880.
Though the R1’s image quality stacks up to some DSLRs, its speed is a closer relative to compact digital cameras. It takes about 2 seconds to start up - twice as long as DSLRs. Its Burst mode is truncated to a maximum of three frames in JPEG, and it doesn’t work for RAW files. Sports shooters beware, the R1’s burst capabilities are at the bottom of the list; the Canon XTi, Kodak P880, and Panasonic FX30 perform better. The Sony Cyber-shot R1’s autofocus system isn’t speedy either – moving from point to point and snapping subjects into focus seems to be a chore for the R1. DSLRs’ autofocus systems are far superior.
The Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-120mm zoom lens has a decent f/2.8 aperture at its widest angle, but shrinks to f/4.8 at the telephoto end. Many competing cameras, such as the Fujifilm FinePix S9100, have lenses with focal lengths that start at a narrower 28mm; the R1’s few extra millimeters are a highly desirable feature for landscape shots, for instance. The lens is sturdy and can be manually focused using a lens mounted ring. In our tests, the lens proved to be sharp, with less barrel distortion and color fringing than its competitors. It is among the R1’s best components.
The lens is good, however there isn’t mechanical image stabilization in the camera nor is the lens optically stabilized, features that come in handy in dim shooting conditions. The Olympus EVOLT E-510, announced in March, has a combination of mechanical sensor-shift and digital image stabilization. The E-510 DSLR kit includes two lenses and retails for $999. Other manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon offer optically stabilized lenses for entry-level DSLRs.
The Sony R1 trips up in some areas. It has a low-resolution LCD and overall awkward design. The R1’s 2-inch LCD screen can flip away from the camera body and rotate, but its 134,000-pixel resolution is elementary compared to the current 200,000 or more pixel standard for point-and-shoots, compacts, and DSLRs.
Compared to other digital cameras, the R1 looks bizarre. The LCD sticks up from the top and the huge viewfinder projects an inch from the camera body. The back is a hodgepodge of buttons and some controls - such as ISO, white balance, and autofocus - have crept to the top and left sides of the camera. The flash hot shoe sits way off to the side of the lens, near the shutter button. This placement will definitely cast shadows. The controls are wrapped up in a flimsy plastic shell. The R1 looks and feels low quality, and quickly maneuvering its controls will take some practice.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 produces high quality images and has a nice, wide lens. It will appeal to consumers such as travelers and real estate agents who aren’t so much concerned with speed as they are good-looking images. However, with the drop of entry-level DSLR prices, it is not the bargain it once was. With their optical viewfinders, better autofocus systems, lens interchangeability, and speed, budget SLRs may steal some of the R1’s intended market.
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