Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Sony Digital Cameras > Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1 A no-excuses "enthusiast" camera from Sony: 5 megapixels, 4x zoom, fast AF, and features galore Select a topic Reference: Datasheet V1 Photo Gallery! V1 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 V1 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & Conclusion Review First Posted: 04/18/2003, Updated: 7/1/2003

Test Results

While my original "First Look" review of the V1 was based on a late-model prototype, I've now had the opportunity to test a production model of the V1. You'll find sample photos shot with it on the sample pictures page, but here's a condensed synopsis of my findings:

• Color: The production model of the V1 showed good color. It showed good, appropriate saturation with most colors, neither over- nor under-saturated. The one exception was that it tended to get a little carried away with bright greens, rendering them over-bright, and somewhat yellowish. Its auto white balance system also did very well, handling even the very difficult warm-toned lighting of my indoor portrait shot with only a little too much color cast left in the image. (Manual white balance did a bit better on that shot.) The bottom line was color that was a good cut above average, but that I didn't feel quite rose to the standard set by the earlier F717.
  
  
• Exposure: For some reason, the V1's metering system had a tendency to underexpose my studio shots. Thus, I typically shot with a +0.3 EV exposure compensation boost to get properly-exposed images. On the very high-key outdoor portrait shot though, it was noticeably more accurate than most cameras, requiring only +0.3 EV to expose properly there. (Most cameras need 0.7 to 1.0 EV of boost on that shot.) As I observed on the prototype, the V1's default tone curve is a little contrasty, resulting in a loss of detail in the highlights of harshly-lit subjects. (It lost a fair bit of detail in Marti's shirt in the outdoor portrait shot, although its low contrast option helped somewhat.) Overall, the V1's exposure and tonal rendition was good compared to the general run of five megapixel digicams, but I didn't think that it rose to the level of the F717.
  
  
• Resolution/Sharpness: The V1 performed very well on the "laboratory" resolution test chart. It didn't start showing artifacts in the test patterns until about 800 lines per picture height, in both horizontal and vertical directions, but they were very subtle at that point. I found "strong detail" out to at least 1,300 lines horizontally, 1,250 vertically. "Extinction" of the target patterns didn't occur until about 1,700 lines. A really impressive performance.
  
  
• Closeups: The V1 turned in about an average performance in the macro category, capturing an average-sized minimum area of 4.45 x 3.34 inches (113 x 85 millimeters). Resolution was very high, with strong detail in the dollar bill, coins, and brooch. Details were also quite sharp, with only slight softness in the corners. Color was good from the Auto white balance setting, and exposure was about right. The V1's flash almost throttled down for the macro area, though there was a hot spot in the top center of the frame, and a slight shadow in the bottom two corners.
  
  
• Night Shots: The V1 turned in a really excellent low-light performance, with low noise, and accurate framing and focusing in total darkness. For low light work, the V1's full manual exposure control and maximum exposure time of 30 seconds are its basic strengths, but the infrared-based Night Framing and Hologram Autofocus options are the icing on the cake. These two features permit accurate focusing and framing, even in zero light environments. The V1 produced clear, bright, usable images down to the 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) limit of my test, with good color at all four ISO settings. The V1's Noise Reduction system did a great job of controlling image noise as well. Even at ISO 800, noise was low compared to many other digicams. Color was good for the most part, although at the 1/8 foot-candle (1.3 lux) light level, the color balance shifted blue at all four ISO settings, returning to a warmer cast at the 1/16 foot-candle light level. Color balance is often very hard for cameras to hold in extreme low light conditions though, so not many points off for the V1's minor bobble there. All in all, an exceptional low light performer.
  
  
• Viewfinder Accuracy: The optical viewfinder's accuracy varied quite a lot as a function of zoom position, from 79% frame coverage at wide angle to 86% at telephoto. 86% is a bit better than average, but I really dislike a viewfinder whose performance varies as you zoom the lens. - This makes it too hard to tell what's going on, makes it difficult to mentally compensate for it. Happily, the LCD VF was dead-accurate.
  
  
• Optical Distortion: Optical distortion on the V1 was about average at the wide-angle end, where I measured approximately 0.8 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared a little better, as I measured 0.35 percent pincushion distortion there. Both numbers are within the average range among cameras I've tested, although the pincushion value pushes the envelope a little. - But then, most digicams with lower pincushion distortion also have a shorter 3x optical zoom ratio. Chromatic aberration seemed a little higher than average to me, with fairly bright coloration on either side of the resolution target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.) The images were unusually sharp from corner to corner though, with only a little softening in the extreme corners at maximum telephoto, and the aforementioned chromatic aberration at wide angle. - Overall, corner to corner sharpness was much better than average.
  
  
• Battery Life: Battery life was OK, but not fantastic, with a worst-case run time of only 84 minutes. (In capture mode with the LCD running.) Sony trimmed the battery size to squeeze things into the V1's small form factor, losing battery capacity in the process. As always, I highly recommend buying a second battery at the same time as the camera.

 

Conclusion

Free Photo Lessons

Learn how to take stunning photos with simple pro lighting tips, in our free Photo School area!

Having now had a chance to evaluate a production-model V1, I can at last comment on its performance and image quality. Overall, the DSC-V1 is a powerful package of photographic capability in a small container, with excellent creative controls and a unique range of Sony-only features like Night Shot/Framing and Hologram Autofocus. Its image quality is very good, but I felt that it fell just a little short of that offered by the earlier DSC-F717, that model offering better color accuracy and dynamic range. Not to denigrate the V1 by any means though, as it's a very capable camera, with very good image quality - It's just that I feel that the F717 is a bit better. Of course, the F717 is quite a lot larger and more cumbersome, and a good bit more expensive as well. If you want the unique features of the F717, but can't afford either its price or its physical bulk, the DSC-V1 would make a very worthy stand-in. If you're sitting on the fence between the two models, I encourage you to examine the sample photos I've posted from both models, to see which you prefer. At the end of the day, Sony has two very capable digicams, both of which are worth a serious look if you're shopping in the high end of the consumer marketplace.

Related Links

More Information on this camera from...

DCViews:
Sony DSC-V1 review