Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Sony Digital Cameras > Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 Sony extends their high end to encompass 8(!) megapixels and a sharp 7x Zeiss zoom lens. - And Sony's new RGB+E sensor technology for more accurate color! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet F828 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 F828 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Executive Overview :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:Design Review First Posted: 08/15/2003, Updated: 02/05/04

Design
Updating Sony's highly popular Cyber-Shot line, the DSC-F828 expands the previous DSC-F717's capabilities with a true 8.0-megapixel Super HAD "RGB+E" CCD, 7x optical zoom lens, dual Memory Stick/CompactFlash compatibility, and a host of other updated features. The DSC-F828 shares a similar design with the previous F717 model, with the same rotating lens barrel, but with a larger body, larger lens, and an all-black metal case. The F828 continues with the features that made the previous F707 and F717 models such dramatic entries on the digicam scene, with Hologram AF and Night Shot technologies, but adds a longer-sequence Burst mode with Speed Priority and Framing Priority settings, as well as a RAW data format and a handful of Noise Reduction modes for low-light shooting.

The rotating lens barrel that accounts for a large portion of the F828's bulk continues to be one of my favorite design features. You can rotate the lens approximately 100 degrees -- from about 70 degrees upward, to a 30 degree downward angle. Since the tripod mount is on the bottom of the lens barrel, you can easily tilt the camera body upwards to view the LCD monitor more clearly when the camera is mounted on a tripod, something I really appreciate when working in the studio, and very handy for ground-level macro shots as well. As I've noted on previous digicams of this design, the rather large lens requires a different grip than most people are accustomed to, but it's fairly intuitive once you get a feel for it, and contributes to the stability of the camera when hand-holding it. On the F828, the lens barrel features two separate control rings, one for focus and the other for zoom, operating much like a standard 35mm lens. (The previous F717 had a single ring which controlled both focus and zoom, so the F828's dual-ring design is even more comfortable to operate.) On the 828, the zoom ring is directly coupled to the lens mechanism itself, making for very precise, sure-footed control. (I greatly prefer this sort of arrangement to the "fly by wire" zoom of the F717 and most other digicams on the market.) The large lens is heavy though, contributing to the camera's hefty(!) 34.5 ounce (2 pounds, 2.5 ounces, 978 gram) weight, and therefore requires that you use your left hand to support the lens, while your right grips the body. The body itself is relatively compact, though a fair bit larger than the body on the previous F717, with a much more substantial handgrip. In fact, the handgrip is large enough that I wonder whether people with small hands will find it awkward to hold. Given the 828's bulk and weight, it's best used with the accompanying neck strap, and I suggest investing in a small camera bag or soft cover to protect the LCD monitor and optics. A spring-loaded lens cover accompanies the camera, but it doesn't have any provision to tether it to the camera body.

In addition to the large lens barrel that dominates the front of the camera, the Shutter button is also visible on a sloping ledge off the camera's top panel, as well as the front of the pop-up flash compartment above the lens. Tucked between the lens barrel and handgrip is the camera's microphone. Surrounding the middle portions of the lens barrel are two ridged control collars, the front controlling zoom and the rear controlling focus. The collars work much like the focus rings on a conventional 35mm camera lens, with the zoom ring coupling directly to the lens mechanism, while the focus adjustment is still a "fly by wire" adjustment. (That is, the focus ring simply instructs the camera which way to adjust the focus, rather than connecting mechanically to the lens elements themselves.) On either side of the Sony logo, just beneath the pop-up flash compartment, are two high-output infrared LEDs which extend the camera's low-light capabilities through the Hologram AF and Night Shot/Night Framing features (more on these later). A rather substantial hand grip is built into the camera's right side, which helps counterbalance the weight of the lens when holding the camera. As noted though, while the handgrip is large enough to be comfortable for even the largest, American-sized hands, it seems a little outsized for people with more average hand dimensions. - My wife Marti and writer-assistant-gal Stephanie both felt that the grip was over-large and awkward to hold.

On the right side panel is a neck strap attachment eyelet, positioned just above the CompactFlash memory card compartment. A latch on the rear panel must be released before sliding the compartment door out to open it. Inside the compartment is a slot CompactFlash Type I or II memory cards. Also visible in this view is the "ACC" Sony accessory connection jack on the side of the lens barrel, near the bottom, which connects Sony accessories, such as the HVL-F1000 or new HVL-F32X flash units or the RM-DR1 remote shutter release.

The left side of the camera holds no fewer than seven different control buttons, arranged on the side of the lens barrel. Starting at the top, they include the Open Flash switch, Flash button, Spot Metering button, Macro button, Drive button, Focus switch, and Night Shot/Night Framing control. All of these controls are within easy reach of your left hand when holding the camera two-handed. Most of them are used in conjunction with the Command Dial on the camera's back panel. To make selections, you press and hold one of these buttons and rotate the Command dial. A clever animated "virtual dial" appears in the viewfinder, showing you the available selections and your current choice. Also on the left side of the camera is the second neck strap attachment eyelet.

The camera's top panel holds several key camera controls, including the Shutter, White Balance, and Exposure Compensation buttons, and the Power and Mode dials, all clustered on the right-hand side. A small status display panel to the left of the Mode dial reports basic camera settings, and features an illuminator button (on the right of the Mode dial). The camera's speaker grill is just to the left of the display panel.

Atop the lens barrel is the pop-up flash compartment, with a standard hot shoe flash mount just behind it. The 828's hot shoe is like that on the new DSC-V1 model, supporting Sony's new HVL-F32X strobe, providing the benefits of true TTL (through the lens) flash metering in a high-power external flash unit.

The remaining camera controls are located on the F828's rear panel, along with the LCD monitor and electronic viewfinder (EVF) eyepiece. On the underside of the viewfinder eyepiece, a lever-actuated dioptric adjustment corrects the viewfinder for near- or farsighted users. Across the top of the rear panel are the Menu, Multi-Controller, and AE Lock buttons, along with a Command dial. Below the LCD monitor are the Display, Self-Timer/Index, Magnify, and Quick Review buttons. A slide switch beneath the lower left corner of the LCD monitor determines which viewfinder display you use, selecting either the LCD monitor and EVF. The eyepiece itself is surrounded by a soft rubber eye cup that does a good job of blocking extraneous light. In the bottom left corner of the rear panel are the DC In, USB, and A/V Out connection jacks, protected by a rubbery flap that's tethered to the camera body. On the right side of the LCD are the memory card Open switch, and a sliding MS/CF switch, used to select between Memory Stick or CompactFlash memory cards. The rear panel also features two very small LED lamps. One, located next to the Menu button, shows when the flash is charging. The other is in the lower right corner, and flashes when the camera is accessing the memory compartment.

The bottom panel of the F828 is flat and features the all-metal tripod mount on the bottom of the lens barrel and battery compartment. Kudos to Sony for keeping the memory card and battery compartments away from the screw mount, making it easy to change batteries while the camera is mounted on a tripod. (I always take note of this, given the amount of studio work I do, and I find it particularly important with feature-laden cameras like this one.) I don't know if the tripod socket is exactly under the optical center of the lens, but it's at least on the lens centerline, making alignment for panorama shots much easier. One thing I like about the tripod mount here is that it includes a socket for the second "lock" pin found on some professional tripods. This provides a much more secure mount between camera and tripod, without having to crank down so tightly on the tripod mounting screw.