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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 <<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 9/2/2002

Camera Modes and Menus


Full Auto
Indicated on the Mode dial by a green camera icon, this mode places the camera in charge of everything apart from flash, zoom, resolution, and record mode. (Think of this as a quick way to get back to the camera's default settings, without disturbing all the settings you've made in various menus.)

Program AE: Marked on the Mode dial with the black camera symbol, this mode puts the camera in control of aperture and shutter speed, while you control all remaining exposure decisions.

Shutter Priority (S): Shutter Priority mode lets you control the shutter speed, from 1/1,000 to 30 seconds, while the camera selects the best corresponding aperture setting. You retain control over all other exposure variables.

Aperture Priority (A): As the opposite of Shutter Priority mode, Aperture Priority mode lets you the aperture setting, from f/2 to f/8, while the camera chooses the best shutter speed. All other exposure controls are under your control.

Manual Exposure Mode (M): This mode provides total control over the exposure, as you're able to select both aperture and shutter speed independently of each other, as well as control all other exposure variables.

Scene (SCN): Scene mode offers four preset shooting modes to choose from -- Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, and Portrait -- which set the camera's exposure controls for photographing each specific subject. The available exposure settings depend on the scene selected. Twilight and twilight portrait both enable camera-determined exposure times longer than 1/30 second. Twilight mode disables the flash, while Twilight Portrait enables it. Landscape mode sets the exposure system to prefer smaller apertures, for greater depth of field. Portrait mode is the opposite, setting a bias toward larger apertures, for less depth of field.

Movie Mode: Marked on the Mode dial with a film strip icon, this mode allows the user to capture moving images with sound.

Record Menu: In each of the above recording modes, pressing the Menu button calls up the following menu selections. Some options are not available in all modes, and the options in the various Movie modes are sufficiently different that I've listed those menus separately, below.

• ISO: Sets the camera's light sensitivity to Auto or 100, 200, 400, or 800 ISO equivalents. (Not available in Scene mode.)
• Scene: (Scene mode only.) Determines the preset shooting scene. Choices are Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, and Portrait.
• Image Size: Sets still image resolution to 2,560 x 1,920; 2,560 (3:2); 2,048 x 1,536; 1,280 x 960; or 640 x 480 pixels.
• Picture Quality: Changes the JPEG compression level to Fine or Standard.
• Record Mode: Enables the F717's special recording modes. Choices are TIFF, Voice, E-Mail, Exposure Bracketing, Burst 3, and Normal. (See the earlier portions of this review for descriptions of these options.)
• Flash Level: Adjusts the flash brightness to High, Normal, or Low.
• Picture Effect: Accesses the F717's creative effects menu, with options for Solarize, Sepia, and Negative Art.
• Sharpness: Adjusts the overall image sharpness from -2 to +2 in arbitrary units.
  

Movie Mode Menu - MPEG Movie Option: MPEG Movie mode has only two options on its record menu:

• Image Size: Sets Pixel dimensions and quality level of the MPEG movies that the camera creates. Options are:
  
  
  • 320 (HQX) - Records 320 x 240 pixel movies, recording at 16 frames/second, and sampling the sound at 10 KHz.
    
  • 320 x 240 - Also records 320 x 240 pixel movies, but the frame rate decreases to 8 frames/second, and the sound sampling to 4 KHz.
    
  • 160 x 112 - Records 160 x 112 pixel movies, recording at 8 frames/second, and sampling the sound at 4 KHz.
• Picture Effect: Accesses the F717's creative effects menu, with options for Solarize, Sepia, and Negative Art.
  

Movie Mode Menu - Clip Motion Option: The Clip Motion movie-mode option records up to 10 images and then combines them into a single animated GIF file. (A basic stop-frame animation capability.) Here are the options available on the record menu for Clip Motion recording:

• Image Size: Sets the size of the final file. Options are Normal and Mobile. Normal corresponds to an image size of 160x120 pixels. Mobile creates animated GIFs that are 120x108.
• Flash Level: Adjusts the flash brightness to High, Normal, or Low.
• Picture Effect: Accesses the F717's creative effects menu, with options for Solarize, Sepia, and Negative Art.
• Sharpness: Adjusts the overall image sharpness from -2 to +2 in arbitrary units.
  

Movie Mode Menu - Multi Burst Option: Multi Burst mode records 16 small images in very rapid sequence. Here are the menu options available for this mode:

• Interval: Sets the interval between success frames in the Multi Burst sequence. Options are 1/7.5, 1/15, and 1/30 seconds. (That is, available frame rates are 7.5, 15, or 30 frames/second.)
• Picture Quality: Changes the JPEG compression level to Fine or Standard.
• Picture Effect: Accesses the F717's creative effects menu, with options for Solarize, Sepia, and Negative Art.
• Sharpness: Adjusts the overall image sharpness from -2 to +2 in arbitrary units.
  

Playback Mode: Indicated on the Mode dial with the traditional green arrow Playback symbol, this mode allows the user to scroll through captured images on the Memory Stick. Images can be deleted, protected, copied, resized, rotated, or set up for printing on DPOF devices. Movie files and Clip Motion animations can also be played back. Pressing the Menu button displays the following options:

• Folder: Selects which folder to be played back, and displays the number of files, creation date, and folder name for each.
• Delete: Deletes the currently displayed image from the Memory Stick.
• Protect: Write-protects the current image, preventing it from being erased or manipulated in any way (except from card formatting). Also removes protection. A set of arrows appears on the LCD display, letting you scroll through captured images and mark others for protection as well.
• Print: Marks the current image for printing on a DPOF device, or removes the print mark. Like the Protect option, lets you scroll through other images on the card.(Only works for still images.)
• Slide: Activates an automated slide show of captured images. You can set the frame interval and whether or not the show repeats. (An interesting note - Slide shows will play back movie files stored on the memory card too, so you can mix movies with still images in a slide show.)
• Resize: Resizes the currently displayed image, with all resolution settings available.(Only works with still images.)
• Rotate: Rotates the currently displayed image 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. (Only works with still images.)
• Divide: Activates the in-camera movie editing function. (Only works with MPEG movie files.)
  

Setup Mode: This mode lets you change a variety of camera settings. The Setup menu is displays immediately upon entering the mode. Five separate screens of options are available, selected via a tabbed interface running down the lefthand side of the screen. (Another change from the F707, which had only three screens on the setup menu. The F717's options are grouped more logically by function, and there are a couple of new ones.)

• Camera 1:
  • Moving Image: Sets the type of file that will be recorded in Movie mode. Options are MPEG movies, Clip Motion animations, or Multi Burst sequences.
  • Date / Time: Determines whether the Day and Time or Date is overlaid on the image.
  • Digital Zoom: Enables or disables the 2x Precision Digital Zoom on or off.
  • Red-Eye Reduction: Enables or disables the Red-Eye Reduction flash mode.
  • Hologram AF: Enables or disables the Hologram AF system.
  • Conversion Lens: Configures the camera to work with a conversion lens.
    
    
• Camera 2:
  • Expanded Focus: Turns the Expanded Focus option on or off. Expanded Focus automatically enlarges the on-screen image 2x while focusing in Manual Focus mode.
  • Bracket Step: Determines the amount of exposure variation in an Exposure Bracketing series. Choices are 0.3, 0.7, or 1.0 EV steps.
  • Hot Shoe: Turns the external flash hot shoe connection on or off.
  • Zooming Setup: Sets the direction of rotation of the Focus/Zoom ring for controlling the zoom operation. (That is, one option is for clockwise rotation to zoom toward telephoto, while the other is for counterclockwise rotation to zoom to telephoto.)
    
    
• Memory Stick Tool:
  • Format: Formats the Memory Stick, erasing all files (even "protected" ones).
  • Create Record Folder: Creates a new folder for recording images. (The camera assigns the name to the folder though.)
  • Change Record Folder: Selects the folder for recording images. (The display for choosing the active folder is more useful than many I've seen, showing the folder name, the number of files it currently contains, and the date and time it was created.)
    
    
• Setup 1:
  • LCD Brightness: Controls the brightness of the LCD display. Options are Bright, Normal, and Dark.
  • LCD Backlight: Controls the backlight for the main LCD, options are Bright and Normal. (NOTE that this option only appears when the camera is running from battery power - connecting the AC adapter automatically sets the brightness to "Bright", and removes this option from the menu.)
  • EVF Backlight: Controls the backlight for the electronic viewfinder, options are Bright and Normal.
  • Beep: Turns the camera's beep sounds on or off. The "Shutter" option enables only the shutter release sound.
    
    
• Setup 2:
  • File Number: Sets the file numbering to Series (which continues file numbering from one Memory Stick to another) or Reset (resets file numbering with each new card).
  • USB Connect: Sets the USB connection type to PTP or Normal. (PTP is a fairly new connection option, supposedly requiring no host driver software. This protocol is apparently supported by Windows XP and Mac OS X.)
  • Video Out: Selects the A/V Out signal timing as either NTSC or PAL.
  • Language: Selects either Japanese or English as the menu language.
  • Clock Set: Sets the camera's internal clock and calendar.