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17 out of 19 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"....the future of photography?"
Pros: Amazing Pictures, Solid Build, Excellent lens, No movie mode (Hurray!!)
Cons: Very heavy with flash!, Only 5X, Limited burst mode.
Summary: Before I begin let me say that I have owned this camera a total of three days at this point, so this is just a chance for me to share with you my first impressions. I will update this review at a later time once I've feild tested the camera further.Let me say that I have owned and used a Sony F-828 in my business and personal life since the camera came out 3 years ago.I still think that it is probably one of the finest cameras ever made to this day, is the R1 a fitting successor? No, I don't think so because the R1 is a step in a completely different direction in terms of design than the 828. Anyone who follows and stays current with technology could have told you that the 828 was to be the last in the Sony "F" series cameras when Sony announced it over a year ago, even then they said thier pro line was going to go under radical changes. The R1 is the result, it is intended as a direct AFFORDABLE alternative to digital SLR cameras (Nikon D200 10.3MP $2,400 body Only, Canon 5D, 12.3 MP $3600 body only need I say more?)Yet at the same time we are given a chance to see where photography is headed. The R1 erases alot of the lines of seperation between SLRs and fixed lens cameras. 1. live preview capability with a CMOS sensor. 2. Same versitility with exposure controls.3.Improved high ISO performance. and finally lens configurations that quite literally save you thousands and thousands of dollars! Examples? the R1 24-120mm, the Samsung pro815 28-420mm!!Digital SLR speed, Resolution and performance with a fixed versitile fast lens. That is the future of photography, that my friends is the the R1 and a bag of chips.
The first thing you notice about the camera is the wieght (it is heavy) I bought the camera mainly to do portrait work, but if you take it into the feild be prepared for a work out! All of my trials are done out in the feild and I can tell you this will be spending alot of time on a tripod, Unless I start lifting weights!The next thing I love about the camera is the LCD screen wich is quite practical and useful. But beware the "Auto" mode on the LCD/EVF selector. A sensor in the LCD senses your body when you get too close (like waist level shooting) and shuts off the the screen! The controls in general are spead out over the camera and once you get used to thier placement are really quite comfortable to use.(It took me about a day)The one thing I was glad to find missing was that infernal "MOVIE MODE" This is a still camera folks remember!? If my kids wanna make movies I can get them a cheap camcorder that would do a better job anyway, so to those of you who are moaning about it, get over it, buy a camcorder!The one thing that I have heard about the R1 and read in all the reviews I've checked out is the amazing pictures it takes, I concur this camera takes breathtaking images wich made up 8 of the 9 points I
gave it. I have been more than happy so far with exposure & focus in this camera, and operation of the lens is smooth as silk, If there is to be a R2 however, I would like to see the same camera with a 12X or 14X capability (That would make this camera as near perfect as any I've ever used) That and expand the burst capability. This camera is lightning fast but only at 3 shots per sec then the buffer fills.It is these two things that kept me from rating the camera perfect. Alas like my beloved 828 I fear the R1 is destined to take a verbal pounding from skeptics and SLR owners who resent the ever closing gap between SLR and fixed lens cameras. But like the 828 the R1 is destined to outlive its opposition and sit at the forefront of advanced camera design.I mean you can buy a 20D anywhere, but last time I checked theres a four week waiting list for the R1, and since Sony has stopped production on the 828 they are nearly impossible to find. Sony once again has shown us that its not fair that the pros get all the good stuff! I love Sony for that.(this coming from a pro!)Is the R1 the future of digital photography? Yes, I beleive it is, and it is long, long over due. I will give a little more later when I've finished my tests, until then thanks for your time and happy shooting!Updated
Hey there friends!
Well after nearly a month with the R1 I can tell you I am still just as impressed as I was before. I have been shooting the camera along with an Olympus E-300, E-500, as well as a Canon XT, And the R1 has more than held its own Image wise, The biggest detractor being the short burst mode. One strange thing I have noticed however with the camera is under certian lighting conditions it has trouble distinguishing certain hues of reds and/or pink when combined in the same object. It is only an issue within the LCD screen the final image on a PC was much improved, shooting a raw and it is almost non-exsistant.My other puzzelment is I have heard of high Iso noise in this camera above 800. As of yet I have not seen this, just minor amounts at 3200, granted as the CMOS heats up the noise increases (but it will do that on any camera) I have been contacted by several friends of mine here at Cnet as well as at Amazon.com about the R1, most of these folks are looking to use it as a portrait camera, I think this is the perfect application for it (because of the weight) again as I said the bottom line is the camera takes amazing pictures, and for me that should always be the one thing the camera does best, no matter how fast it does it, or no matter with how many bells and whistles.At the time of writing this I am currently shooting my 6th series with the camera, I am also shooting it alongside my E-300, I haven't been able to put it down yet! I have a wedding to shoot in May I will most likely bring it a second camera, I wrap up this report then, as I plan on using it to take a seperate set of bridal portraits. But so far so good!
Thanks for reading and happy shooting!
DEZ
- 1 reply to this review
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If you want wide range of zoom, forget about quality of lens. This is law of optics.
That is why Panasomic and other caneras with large zoom (up to !2) can not provide high quality of image all accross the board.
That is why high end SLR's have set of lenses for different occations
Where to buy
Sony Cyber Shot DSC-R1:
$1,800.00
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$1,800.00 | Yes |
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