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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F717 Sony updates their already-impressive five megapixel F707, with improved user controls, better color, amazing white balance performance, and an external flash hot shoe! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet F717 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on F717 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, Software Review First Posted: 9/2/2002

Video Out

The F717 comes equipped with an Audio / Video cable for connection to a television set. (Through the Setup menu, users can select NTSC signal format for U.S. and Japanese systems and PAL for European systems.) Once connected to the TV, you can review images and movies or record them to videotape. US cameras ship with an NTSC-compatible cable in the box. - Presumably European models would include cables with PAL-compatible connectors.


Power

The F717 is powered by an NP-FM50 InfoLITHIUM battery pack (M series) and comes with an AC adapter which doubles as an in-camera battery charger. InfoLITHIUM battery packs contain a chip that exchanges information with the camera, allowing the camera to report approximately how many minutes of battery life are left at the current drain level. This information is displayed on the LCD monitor and the electronic viewfinder with a small battery graphic. The AC adapter plugs into a small socket on the camera's back panel (lower left corner). It can run the camera without a battery inserted, or charge the battery when the camera isn't in use.

The Li-Ion battery packs used in Sony cameras prevent us from making our usual direct power measurements, but the good news is that the InfoLITHIUM system reports projected camera runtime while the battery is being used in the camera. Despite the F717's excellent battery life and the excellent feedback provided by the InfoLITHIUM system, I still recommend users purchase and pack along a second battery, though. (Another advantage of the Li-Ion technology used in the InfoLITHIUM batteries is that they don't "self-discharge" like conventional NiMH rechargeable cells do, and so can hold their charge for months on the shelf or in your camera bag.)

Operating Mode	Battery Life
Capture Mode, w/LCD	233 minutes
Capture Mode, w/EVF	236 minutes
Image Playback, w/LCD	522 minutes (!)
Image Playback, w/EVF	544 minutes(!)

The F717's run times from the "M" series InfoLITHIUM battery are really exceptional. (This is another area of major improvement relative to the F707 - That camera did very well, but the 717 easily surpasses it. Nearly four hours (about 3 hours and 53 minutes) in capture mode with the LCD on is practically unheard of in prosumer digicams. -- And well over 8 hours in playback mode is almost unbelievable. I still strongly recommend purchasing a spare battery (Murphy's Law, you know), but it 's much less a necessity with the F717 than with most digicams.

Even better news for pros and avid amateurs is that there's finally an external battery pack available to fit Sony digicams with the style power connector used by the F717 - See my review of the Digipower DPS-9000. The DPS-9000 is a very high capacity pack, so it should fuel the power-thrifty F717 for a long time!


Included Software

The software they didn't include...

(But that you should) Few people realize just how *much* you can improve your digicam images through clever processing in Photoshop. Greatly (!) increased sharpness, reduced noise, and even ultra-wide dynamic range (light-to-dark range) by combining multiple exposures. Fred Miranda and uber-Photoshop expert Fred Miranda has packaged some of his Photoshop magic in a collection of powerful and affordably priced "actions." Check out his site, the results are pretty amazing! Camera manuals are (sometimes) fine for knowing which button does what, but where do you go to learn how and when to use the various features? Dennis Curtin's "Shortcourses" books and CDs are the answer. (Cheap for what you get, too.) Order the Shortcourses manual for the camera reviewed in this article.

The evaluation unit of the F717 didn't come with any software, but I assume the production model will ship with a package similar to that of the F707 (MGI PhotoSuite SE and MGI VideoWave III SE for both Windows and Macintosh platforms). MGI PhotoSuite SE retrieves images from the camera in a very organized manner, allowing you to view them with a slide show or in album format, and then set them up for printing. In addition to traditional photo editing and manipulation tools, PhotoSuite offers a variety of templates to help you turn your images into mock magazine covers, sports cards, greeting cards, and calendars. Combined with the camera's Picture Effects menu options, MGI PhotoSuite SE allows you to be very creative with your images. MGI's VideoWave III SE provides minor video editing and enhancement tools, allowing you to cut out frames, add music, and apply creative effects.


In the Box

Included with the DSC-F717 are the following items:

• Neck strap
• Lens cap with tether
• 16MB Memory Stick
• NP-FM50 InfoLITHIUM battery pack
• AC adapter
• AV Cable
• USB cable
• Software CD
• User Guide and registration information