Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1 December 28th, 2005 | by David Elrich
Full Review - Performance and Conclusion
Performance We were given a pre-production model awhile ago to sample the camera but it was very buggy which is why we held off on a final rating. When I received a “real” unit I loaded a high-speed 1GB SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash card and 512MB Memory Stick Pro media. A switch on the back lets you choose between the two—I chose CF. Shooting at the top 10MP JPEG resolution and RAW I shot a variety of photos indoors and out, using Auto, scene modes and more detailed manual settings. The camera started up very quickly and in two seconds you're good to go. As noted, the screen can be twisted into a wide variety positions so you can hold the camera in many positions. This is very useful. The refresh rate on the LCD could be quicker as there was some blurring but nothing that onerous. We found the camera to be very intuitive to use. It was fun moving between the viewfinder and LCD screen. We know you're anxious to learn how this camera performed as were we. In a word, wow. The photos were simply spot on—color and detail were as accurate as you could want—non-pro D-SLR levels and beyond. In fact, I'd compare it to a D-SLR. 8.5x11 prints looked gorgeous. For the record, a 10.3MP file can easily make a 13x19 print. Indoor photos with available light showed every detail of fabric with extremely accurate colors. I held the prints next to the subjects and couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. There was very little noise, even at higher ISOs but it did show issues above 800. Conclusion The DSC-R1 took great photos—as a $999 10-megapixel camera should. I highly recommend it for anyone who doesn't want to spend a small fortune on lenses or doesn't have any to begin with. The camera isn't perfect but none are—it is heavy and a wider focal length would be a nice bonus. It's also not as fast as a D-SLR with slower frames-per-second rate and response time. Still it is an excellent camera--and one of the best that arrived in 2005. Pros: Cons:
by Chris on November 8, 2009:
“Camera's results largely deliver on the promise of the lens (especially) and other technology packed into a relatively compact & handy package. At the limits, however, there are a few issues. Strong or specular highlights can yield a pebble-like texture even...” More...