Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 Digital Camera - Black (10MP, 5 x Optical Zoom) 2.0"

Firstly, in answer to a previous reviewer the Sony's RAW files can in fact be opened in Photoshop CS2, if you are not happy with the camera's own software which is in fact very advanced if not as quick. Alternatively, users of the earlier Photoshop CS can convert the files to Adobe DNG (digital negative) and work from there - advice on how to do this is on various R1 forums. (The DNG files can even embed the Sony RAW file for archving for future-proofing.)

Go for Memory Stick Pro rather than compact flash - it's a lot quicker in the R1. As the write speed is good but not stellar an ultra high speed stick is not required. Buy as big a card as you can afford though! Sony is building its future cameras around the DUO so you might want to consider going for the DUO stick with an adaptor for the R1 if you are Sony brand loyal.

The camera is sluggish in low-light to find focus but usually manages it. The Electronic viewfinder image though is almost unusuable in poor light and only when the focus assist lamp shines out can you start to frame which is not so good. Slow shutter speeds then cause the noise reduction processing to kick in which ties the camera up for a few seconds between shots. On the other hand at wider focal lengths the camera is stable enough for handheld at thirtieth of a second, which is excellent.

Shoot with sharpening on low setting and give it plenty of unsharp mask in PS and you will find the detail is breathtaking. Those ten megapixels are awesome. As, too, of course, is the Zeiss T lens which is practically distortion free. Having no mirror system means (apart from no mirror slap noise or vibration) that the lens can sit 2mm from the sensor! There is almost zero purple finging, even in extremely contrasty scenes (think bare branches against a sky). Wow.

The fact that Scientific American reviewed the R1 (April 2006) hints at what a breakthrough camera this is.

This camera feels top QUALITY and in my opinion looks seriously smart, too. In fact in my local coffee shop yesterday the waiter was so impressed when he saw the R1 it was a bit embarrassing - the pose factor is actually TOO high!
: )

I chose the R1 as I wanted publishing quality files but didn't want to worry about dust on the sensor or have to carry two or three lenses. Nor did I want to live with the noise issues of a small, high megapixel digicam point and shoot (although the huge depth of field they offer would be useful). Yes, this camera does have a few limitations (they all do) but for me the plusses win on balance. if those limitations don't impede your usual way of working you will be delighted with the Sony R1.

Having had this camera for a month now, I am still being amazed by the picture quality and the versatility it offers me. The APS size sensor is clearly a major selling point, as is the fantastic 24mm lens, which is of such high quality it is worth the money alone (buy a cleaning cloth with the camera, big lenses get dusty). The control system is easy to learn, and if you have a Sony already then it takes seconds. The onboard flash is powerful, with various power settings (-2ev to +2ev), and the manual picture mode is excellent, the focus ring smooth to operate and the shutter speed and aperture setting easy to set. The top-mounted LCD takes a little while to get used to, but is so useful you'll soon ask why all digis don't have one. It means the viewfinder is a serious option, as you won't smudge the screen with your nose, and the shooting positions available are increased substantially - waist level is obvious, but also vertical off a tripod or any nearby support, and also just complex angels where the free-angle nature of the LCD is useful. Lastly, being a bridge camera, you can shoot using the EVF or LCD, which you can't with a DSLR.

Clearly, for those wanting to change lenses or shoot rapid bursts this camera is not going to be of interest (burst is 3 shots, good enough for most, but not for sports action etc.) Similarly, it lacks a video mode that many people like in their digi cameras. As an amateur to semi-pro bridge camera it is outstanding however, and as with any camera it is image quality one eventually puts above all else - the quality of the R1s prints is out of this world.

There is already plenty of information about this camera on web sites such as imaging-resource.com, dcresource.com and dpreview.com, so I won't repeat what others have already said. Instead I'll focus on three areas, namely, the noise problem, the raw problem and the handling.

A lot of reviews have mentioned that noise at high ISO settings is bad. So it is, but this needs to be kept in perspective. All digital cameras exhibit noise as the ISO speed is cranked up, and the R1 is no exception. The reviewer in Amateur Photographer took pictures at 3200 and said, in effect, "look how bad these are". Ironically, Sony could have got themselves better reviews by limiting the speed to 1600. Instead, they have given us 3200 so that we can decide for ourselves what we want. In low light situations there is a choice: faster shutter speed and consequent noise or a slower speed and resulting camera shake. It's our decision; kudos to Sony to giving us the option. Bear in mind also that some cameras reduce noise by smoothing the image in software in the camera, resulting in loss of detail. Sony use very little noise reduction, so the picture stays sharp but grainy. If you want to reduce noise with software, then you can use Noise Ninja or similar programs. Again, kudos to Sony for giving us the choice.

The "raw" problem is slightly more serious. If you have read other reviews you will be aware that this camera appeals to photographers whose main concern is image quality. Now, people who want quality above everything are likely to want to shoot in raw mode. Unfortunately, Sony have made this difficult (but not impossible). The raw files are unnecessarily large, and they are always accompanied by JPEGs, with the result that writing the files is slow and your memory cards will quickly fill up (about 40 pictures on a 1GB card). However, the main problem is that Sony have not released the file specification, so that you have to use their own software to do the conversion. You can't use Photoshop or any of the excellent raw processing programs now appearing such as DxO Optics, you have to use Sony Image Data Converter. The Sony software is not bad, but it's not terribly good either, and the competition is often better. The time has come for camera manufacturers to abandon this closed-shop approach and give us the choice of whose software we use for processing our images.

In terms of handling, there's no such thing as a perfect camera: it all depends on what kinds of photograph you want to take. The R1 is noticeably slower to focus than a digital SLR, and for this reason it would not be your first choice for photographing children, animals or sports events. On the other hand, focusing speed is not too bad, and the shutter release is extremely quick once you have focused. If, like me, you tend to take relatively still things (landscapes, architecture, flowers, adults) then the R1's handling is a joy. I like having the choice of an eye-level viewfinder or the LCD, and I particularly like using the LCD as a waist-level finder (pretending it's a Hasselblad!).I recently borrowed a friend's Canon D350 and in almost every respect I preferred the R1. When the camera is on a tripod I like being able to move the focusing point to anywhere on the screen, not just the five or seven locations you get in a budget SLR. Manual focusing also works well and there's a distance scale on the screen. You also get perfectly accurate framing so you don't have to waste pixels guessing where the edge of the image will be. What you see is what you get, while on an SLR what you see is probably about 93% of what you get.

I can confirm that the camera is beautifully made and produces superb images. You won't find a digital SLR anywhere near this price that will give this quality with this range of focal lengths. For those of us who are prepared to forgo instant focusing and long telephotos, and who are prepared to tolerate being tied in to Sony's mediocre software, it's as near ideal as today's technology allows.

An excellent camera in terms of optical quality producing first class results. I especially like the wide angle lens which is good for interior shots,parties,landscapes and architectual photography. The camera although relatively heavy is comfortable to hold, in fact the weight adds to stability combined with a modest telephoto lens means camera shake is well controlled. This camera oozes quality.

However, the digital view finder is no where near as good or as bright as an optical/mirror system, nor can it be said that it would be suitable for sports photography for reasons of shutter lag and slow auto focusing, but with heavy discounting it is a superb camera capable of excellent results within its design parameters.If one wants more go for a pricey digital SLR and add your own lenses.

Sony DSC-R1 is featured in the June 2006 Which magazine page 40.

I upgraded from a Canon G6, and received my first large 18 x 12 inch images back this week, and they are simply stunning.

One comment I heard was "It's like you're actually there".

If you simply want to go out and produce some of the best quality images possible with a digital camera then get one of these.

The handling could be better, but the results are unbeatable for the price.

I thought the pictures produced by my G6 were good - But this is a completely different league.

And Sony support is amazing - They've answered all my questions and even rang me up at one point.

There's a freepost address to use if you have any problems - But being a Sony this is unlikely - It's built like the proverbial tank.