Sony R1

Sony DSC-R1
Overview
TypeBridge digital camera
Lens
LensFixed, 14.3–71.5 mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T*, 24–120 mm equiv. (5× zoom)
Sensor/medium
Sensor21.5 mm × 14.4 mm CMOS
Maximum resolution3,888 × 2,592 (10 million)
Film speed160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Storage mediaMemory Stick (PRO), CompactFlash (CF) (Type I or Type II), Microdrive
Focusing
Focus modesSingle, Monitor, Continuous
Focus areasMulti-point AF (5 area auto select), Centre AF, Spot AF (flexible)
Shutter
Shutter speed range30–1/2000 s + bulb (3 minutes)
Continuous shooting3 frames @ 3.0 frame/s
Viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronic with diopter adjustment, 235,200 pixel 0.44" TFT LCD
General
LCD screen2.0" top mounted flip and twist
Weight995 g or 2.2 lb (including battery)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 is a bridge digital camera announced by Sony in 2005. It featured a 10.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor (21.5 × 14.4 mm), a size typically used in DSLRs and rarely used in bridge cameras (which were using at that time 2/3" (= 6.6 × 8.8 mm) or 1/1.8" (= 5.3 × 7.1 mm)). This was the first time such a large sensor was incorporated into a bridge camera.[1] Besides the APS-C sensor, the DSC-R1 also featured a 14.3–71.5 mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens, providing for an angle of view equivalent to 24–120 mm on a full frame camera.

Advantages

Compared to a standard DSLR the Sony DSC-R1 had the following advantages:

  • since there is no mirror between the sensor and the lens, the lens can be positioned closer to the sensor, which improves the performance at wide angle. The back focal length of the DSC-R1 in wide-angle mode is 2.1 millimeters, which is much smaller than the wide angle back focal length found typically in DSLRs (up to 30 millimeters and more)[2]
  • the image in the EVF and LCD screen is bright and the light is amplified. An optical viewfinder instead does not amplify the light, so that it becomes difficult to frame and manually focus when there is not sufficient light.
  • Less dust problems, since the DSC-R1 can't change lens; nevertheless dust can enter while zooming for the volume change 'pumping' the air in and out.
  • silent operation, as there is no swinging mirror or physical shutter system
  • as there is no shutter system there is essentially no limit to flash sync; photographs can be taken in broad daylight with fill flash at speeds of 1/1,000" or faster
  • fewer movable parts, therefore greater reliability[citation needed]
  • With histogram screen display 'on' the screen/viewer displays the output from the processor, enabling very accurate exposure control - Full-time Live Preview (serial no 4534457).
  • supports RAW[3]

Disadvantages

and the following disadvantages:

  • no interchangeable lenses: the supplied lens only covers the 24–120 mm zoom range.
  • no optical viewfinder. Furthermore, there is some small time shift, i.e. the image appears with a small delay.
  • Low frame rate and slow contrast-detection autofocus.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 announced" by ePHOTOzine
  2. ^ Späth, Frank (2005). Sony Cyber-shot R1. Baierbrunn, Germany: Point of Sale Verlag. p. 13. ISBN 3-925334-72-6.
  3. ^ a b Sony DSC-R1 review by Luminous Landscape

External links

Media related to Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 at Wikimedia Commons