Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 Announcement
Yesterday Sony announced a new digital camera: the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1. This is a very exciting camera for a number of reasons. Digital Photography Review has a preview of the camera available.
The most obvious thing that sets this camera apart from other semi-pro cameras is the sensor. It’s a large APS-C sized sensor—more than 5× larger than the 2/3-inch sensor typically used in “prosumer” cameras. These large sensors have only been used in digital SLR cameras in the past. The exciting part about this is not that it’s a 10 megapixel sensor, but the low noise levels that come with it. As I illustrated in Comparing a Prosumer Digital Camera and a Digital SLR, the noise level of the two differently-sized sensors is hardly even worth comparing. The larger sensor is just that much better. This means that higher ISOs with minimally objectionable noise are possible—in other words, you’ll get better pictures in darker conditions!
The permanently-attached zoom lens has a great range of 14.3-71.5 mm, which—in 35 mm terms—is a 24-120 mm-equivalent lens. 24 mm is quite a bit wider than the 32-35 mm wide angle most cameras have. Almost 20 degrees difference in fact (a 24 mm lens has a ing.field of view of about 84 degrees, a 32 mm lens has a field of view of about 65 degrees). And on the long end, 120 mm is great for shooting just about anything.
The last feature that excites me quite a bit is the “Free Angle” LCD monitor. Yes, lots of other cameras have a rotating LCD monitor, and this one looks no different in that regard. Its placement—on top of the camera—is what I like. I can imagine that being able to use this as a waist-level finder could be very useful and convenient. This is different from other swivel LCD monitors in only one way: it’s not sticking out. Using it as a waist-level finder and not having to think about it being snapped off is a good thing.
And yes, there are a few other interesting-sounding features I’d like to know more about: will the Raw mode write photos fast enough to be usable? The “Advanced Gradation Control System (AGCS)” is supposed to enhance dynamic range and minimize clipping—will it, and are there any drawbacks? The hot shoe is in a strange spot—how’s the balance and usability with a flash attached? Having the viewfinder stick out so much is a good thing—no “nose compression!”
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