Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-F828 Digital Camera

Pros: World's First 4 Color CCD Makes Big Difference!! 8MP, RAW, Excellent Macro, Beautiful! Fast!
Cons: Flimsy Rubbery cover for the cable doors.

This Sony has a beautiful solid build and it is the only camera I have ever bought that I'm completely satisfied with! The picture quality is amazing, not just because it's 8MP but the colors are beautiful and so real! That's thanks to the world's first 4 color CCD image sensor! The auto focus is so incredibly quick!! I bought the Sony DSC-V3 just before this camera and I thought that was the fastest since it's the newest but this F828 is even faster at autofocusing and the shutter is superfast, start up is superfast! I love this camera! I couldn't ask for anything more!!!

Pros: Great Image Quality, Good Selection of Features, Sony durability.
Cons: Heavy and large.

I bought a Sony DSC F828 in the spring of 2004. I love it, it is great. I am not a superior photographer, so I don't use all the functions of a digital SLR, so I bough a digital instead. After comparing it to the Canon Powershot, with 5MP, I decided that I would like a higher resolution for my photographs. The 8.3MP resolution on the DSC F828 is great. Technically its only 8.0MP, but whatever. The features are great, with compact flash card support, as well as memory stick. Speaking of the memory stick interface; I used a 64MB MS, the original, not the Pro. And the images don't save in good color with a non-pro card, so I bought a 512MB MS Pro, and it works great. Image sizes on the hard drive average 3-4MB. 14x zoom, could be slightly better, but its still great. The camera itself is huge, which isn't a good thing, but the features are superb for a non-SLR. Its great, and its features are amazing, including the shutter speed, and manual mode.

Pros: Very responsive Great zoom Great ergonomics Great dynamic range Wonderful detail
Cons: CA/PF (no big deal with post processing)

I've been using this camera for about a month. It is a great tool. It has intuitive control, feels wonderful in hand, and is extremely responsive. Picture quality is excellent. Details and dynamic range are unbelievable. The manual focus feature is great and AF is very very fast. There is almost no shutter lag. I can take action pictures again! It feels like a high quality SLR. There is CA/PF in high contrast areas, but it can be easily fixed in post processing. The often noted noise at high iso's is there but again can be fixed pretty quickly. Low light -- actually no light -- focusing is amazing. The 28-200, f2.0/2.8 lens is extremely flexible. Oh, and the live histogram is a terrific feature. Another often overlooked plus is the camera's "smart" zoom feature where you can drop the resolution and increase the true zoom without detail loss. Finally, I love the swivel feature which works like my old Coolpix 995. Do I sound like I love this camera? Well, I do.

Pros: Well built, manual zoom, awesome macro,accurate color, 8 meg pix, etc etc...
Cons: noise levels when settings above ISO 64.

The camera has a great feel to it. Well built, lots of features that are a joy to use. It does a fine job at color reproduction, and I really like the manual zoom. I wish the focus was also manual. Sony has always done an outstanding job with their macro settings. This camera is no different. I have been able to take razor sharp photographs with the lens only half and inch from the subject. The smart digital zoom is great, but in my line of work digital zooming of any kind is not allowed.

The majority of photographs I take are for legal work, and retouching a photo in photoshop is out of the question. The camera does a fine job at ISO 64, but above that setting,the noise renders the photographs useless. I have not noticed the purple fringing others have talked about.

The flash is great for the distances listed, but I have found it helpful to purchase an accessory flash.

Pros: Ease of use / sturdy
Cons: Manual Zoom / poor quality even at 8MPX.

The new F828 does not perform as advertised. Mine did produce excellent results for about two weeks and then the quality began to degrade. Returned to Sony (they had it 3 weeks) and said nothing was wrong. Took two sets of photos, one set at 5.0mpx and one set at 8.0mpx. No difference in quality of image. Took same set of pictures with my new Konica Minolta G600 (6mpx) and the results were twice as good as the Sony. The F828 replaced my F707 (5MPX) and now wish I had not sold it. Much better camera.
It is really a shame as the features of the F828, especially movies are great. For $1,000 is should be much better.

Pros: Build quality. Manual Zoom. Longer Battery life
Cons: Memory stick not included

I decided to upgrade from the F-505v and have not been disappointed. Everyone complains about the CA, but so far (over 1,000 shots) I have found little. If the CA is really an issue for you, there are a few programs out there for post processing that actually work. This one is only 10 bucks and easy to use. http://www.shaystephens.com/ca-ps.asp
I'm not going to get technical. There are plenty of reviews with that info. I am not a professional, just a person who enjoys taking pictures. Mostly of wildlife. I have gotten some awesome shots of my dogs flying through the air, macros of bugs, beautiful landscapes, etc. This camera does it all for me.
Even a night shot of an endangered Northern Flying Squirrel.
Also,I don't want to forget that this camera has a super movie recording capability. Much improved over the F505v
It would be very hard to take a bad picture with this camera. The camera is a bit conspicuous if you are shooting in a crowd. People may take you for a pro. And even if you're not, you'll certainly feel like one with this bad boy in your hands.

Pros: design, features, LENS, ergonomic, easy to use, absolutely fantastic pictures.
Cons: a little heavy an expensive but we have to pay for Sony quality.

This is my second digital camera My first one, a Nikon Coolpix 3200. I wasn't completely satisfied with this camera so I decided to go up to professional level. Upon examining several of the new 8 megapixel cameras, I decided to buy this wonderful piece of 2004 engineering. No faults, Just a beautiful camera that fulfills all what Sony promised. Messrs. Morita and Ibuka, founders of Sony and, alas, no longer with us, would have been very proud of this wonderful achievement. Let's hope it is in production for several years.

Pros: Build quality, image detail, color accuracy, very fast in Jpeg mode. cf slot finally!
Cons: noise above Iso200, slow raw/tiff modes, purple fringing

This camera rocks, after the s-75, 717, g-5, and Nikon 5400. I am blown away by the new Sony. It does everything most of us will ever need. The 28-200mm mechanical zoom lens is great. f2.8 at 200mm allows for great low-light and shallow depth of field shots.

Pros: Great optical zoom system, and very little shutter lag.
Cons: Some shots have too much blue in them.

I've used mostly low megapixel Sony cameras before the 828 came along. This one acts and looks like a pro camera.

Pros: Excellent build quality
Cons: None so far

Ever want something bad enough that you read the same reviews over and over because you can't find more to read?
That was my experience with the F828.

Two years ago, I bought the DiMAGE A2 after doing considerable research. With that said, the F828's looks are more appealing to me. I shot my first wedding with the A2, and it was then that I considered the F828 as a backup. I have now decided to make it my primary camera for action shots while I use the A2 for portraits. I'm still learning about it, so I can't give details as to any weaknesses, etc. If you're into numbers and specs, it rates up there with the best.

I read somewhere about the lack of converters for the F828. While this is true of Sony's offerings, I have a Raynox telephoto converter that compliments it well. This attachment gives it a more serious look than it already has, and it has provided some decent shots so far.

Overall, I love the camera's look and feel, and I'm glad I own one. If you're in the market for serious gear in this class, give it some consideration.