Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

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Score 9.3/10 Read 18
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+ This digital camera scores high on image quality. - It has no outstanding negative points.

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Sony Cybershot DSC-R1: See full product description

Ease of use	8.7
Image quality	9.7
Features	8.8
Build Quality	9.4
Value for money	8.9
Overall rating	9.3

Some customer reviews of Sony Cybershot DSC-R1

Most helpful reviews

carlos, UK Experienced amateur

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: for me the best, and that Sony
Bad points:: NOT

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	8.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Review date: 26 May 2010

Andrew, Edinburgh Experienced amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: This is by far the best prosumer/nonDSLR camera going.
It has an APS-C size sensor, the same as used in many DSLRs. It has a Zeiss T* Vario-Sonnar 5x zoom lens 14.3-71.5mm (35mm equivalent is 24-120mm), probably the best lens for any camera including DSLRs. It uses either Sony's Memory Stick Pro or Compact Flash Type1 or Type2 or Microdrive cards... talk about versatile! The LCD screen hinges and rotates, I love using it as a waist level viewfinder similar to the finder on a Bronica or Hasselblad.
Bad points:: My only complaint with the Sony DSC-R1is that it doesn't have the 'NightShot' mode that other Sony DSC cameras had, i.e., the DSC-F828.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Review date: 14 Apr 2010

Pieter, Nottingham

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Excellent lens and sensor. Good intuitive controls. Good build quality and ergonomics. The hinged screen allows you to take a photo from any angle without having to crane to see through the viewfinder - excellent for self portraits, if you're into that sort of thing, and taking pictures while using a beanbag for support. No chance of getting dust on the sensor, and no messing about changing lenses. Good wide angle to reasonable telephoto zoom range. 2 memory slots (in different formats though).
Bad points:: Very slow when using RAW, and unreasonably large RAW file size. RAW software isn't brilliant - I use Bibble now. Accessory lenses very expensive. Auto focus is slow and not nearly as good as a DSLR, especially in low light. Although night performance is good, the viewfinder goes very dark, if you're into very long exposures in near darkness, having no optical viewfinder will drive you potty. In essence, if any of the above is a show stopper for you, don't even think about buying this camera, if they don't bother you much, it's a wonderful picture taking machine!

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	7.0
Build Quality	8.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Confirmed purchase: 12 Jun 2007

Fred, Thetford Experienced amateur

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: A superb camera, Well built, but a little heavy, but that suits me. Good battery life
Bad points:: Yet to find any, but a bigger zoom range would have been nice.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	8.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	7.0
Overall rating	8.0

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Review date: 11 Apr 2010

nigel, bryant

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: fantastic all-round camera with 10/10 image quality
Bad points:: No anti-shake feature.

Ease of use	7.0
Image quality	10.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	10.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Confirmed purchase: 06 Oct 2006

Confirmed purchaser

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Clear & excellent shots, easy to navigate.
Bad points:: Very bulky, wish it is smaller.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	7.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Confirmed purchase: 05 Nov 2006

Mark, Peterborough Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Takes excellent pictures and has plenty of manual control.
Bad points:: Screen is quite small and camera does tend to get heavy when carrying around.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	9.0
Features	9.0
Build Quality	9.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	9.0

Was this review helpful? 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Review date: 03 Jun 2010

Read all 18 customer reviews

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This Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 is reviewed on PC Advisor

Product Features

Camera Type	Compact
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
Resolution (Megapixels)	10.3

Optical zoom ratio	5
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen size (Inches)	2
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital zoom ratio	10
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	No
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Touchscreen	No
Touchscreen technology allows you to move and click things directly on the screen using your finger or a stylus pen.
3D	No

Media format	SDXC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media format	Micro Drive
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media format	Compact Flash Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video recorder	Movie and Voice
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes

Weight (g)	1047
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
WiFi	No
Wifi allows you to connect your device to wireless routers or modems which allows you to connect to broadband internet.
Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/2000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/8
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Longest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/30
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
USB port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components.
Dimensions (mm)	139.4x97.7x156
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
RAW Format	Yes
GPS Receiver	No

Resolution (Pixels)	3882x2592
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f2.4-4.8
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
Filter Diameter (mm) Lens 1	67
If you want to protect your camera or camcorder lens from getting scratched you will need a filter. A filter screws on to the front of the lens. The filter diameter is the distance across the lens.
Built-in flash	Yes

Release date	2005-11-11
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.
Height in mm	97.7

Width in mm	139.4

Depth in mm	156

Serial Shot Mode	Yes
Bluetooth	No
Bluetooth is a technology for the wireless transfer of data such as contacts, photos and music between mobile phones, computers and a host of other Bluetooth enabled devices. Read more about Bluetooth on Wikipedia
Battery Model	Camera Specific Powerpacks
Zoom Type	Optical + Digital
Autofocus	Yes
Range Finder Type	Optical/Electronic Viewfinder + LCD
Changeable Lens	No
Type of lens	Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T*
Highest focal length (Millimetres)	120

Lowest focal length (Millimetres)	24

Also known as: Sony DSC-R1, Sony Cybershot R1, Sony Cyber-Shot R1, Sony CYBER-SHOT DSC-R1

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

Manufacturer's Description

More info at Sony's website

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