psugrowler's Full Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1 Digital Camera
I traded in my 3.3 megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot for this workhorse of a prosumer camera. The Sony Cyber-Shot R1 weighs in at an incredible 10.3 megapixels.
This camera is extremely feature rich. Huge image sensor, 10.3 actual megapixel, live framing / preview modes, rotating LCD gives you the ability to frame extreme angle shots, 10x digital zoom, 3-fps burst mode, histogram to check shot composure.
I've had this camera for nearly three months now and it is a big step up from the 3.3 megapixel model I previously owned.
I am learning new features just about every day. One cool feature I enjoy is the picture counter - I am up to over 6,000 pictures in the small time of ownership. Part of this is due to the discovery of burst mode - ability to shoot up to 3 fps. The recoil on this is slow due to the buffering of the 10.3 megapixel files.
The controls and on-camera menu take some getting used to but with some practice under different shooting conditions you will quickly get used to the button / menu layout. The main reason I bought the camera was for this reason, being a former Sony digital camera owner.
The R1 has a variety of shooting modes available for selection on the Mode dial: Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Automatic, Priority, Point-and-Shoot. There are also modes for landscape, portrait, night time, indoor, etc.
You can control the exposure on this camera if the lighting conditions are not optimal. Another great feature is a histogram that indicates on the LCD whether the shot is underexposed or overexposed. Zebra lines indicate on the LCD if any part of the shot is too "hot", or overexposed - you can then make camera adjustments.
Another extremely useful feature for the budding photographer is the use of grid lines. This is similar to a tic-tac-toe board visible through your viewfinder or LCD that helps you position subjects in your shot for better shot composition.
I am currently shooting with a high speed 2GB compact flash card and have the ability to store up to 400 10 megapixel images. I bought an extra battery, tripod and 200GB mass storage device to help store my large files.
Since I purchased this camera my photography has significantly improved. I was accepted to a stock photo company and have begun submissions.
I didn't want to get too technical in this epinion as I wanted the most casual of budding photographer to not be intimidated by such a powerful camera. I am very pleased with my purchase and love the results I am getting with the Sony R1. Some of my best pictures look like paintings.
This camera can do it all for a little price tag. The lens is incredible. If you want to explore photography without all the expensive kit components the hobby can bring I believe this is a good camera to own.
Happy shooting. :)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 750 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
10.3-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints 5x optical zoom; 2.0-inch vari-angle LCD display "Live" preview using ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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