Sony Cyber-shot DSC-V1A no-excuses "enthusiast" camera from Sony: 5 megapixels, 4x zoom, fast AF, and features galore<<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 8:Operation & User InterfaceReview First Posted: 04/18/2003, Updated: 7/1/2003 |
Operation and User Interface
The V1's user interface is similar to previous Cyber-shot designs, most
closely resembling the control structure of the DSC-F717, with a range of multi-functional
external controls and an on-screen LCD menu overlay. I always appreciate having
as much external control as possible, as it saves having to scroll through menu
items for common settings, and the V1 definitely provides that. The Mode dial
on top of the camera controls the main exposure mode, while things like Flash
mode, Macro mode, Exposure Compensation, etc. are all controlled via small buttons
on the rear panel. The Command dial, located on the right side of the rear panel,
lets you quickly adjust aperture and/or shutter speed without accessing a menu
system. Overall camera operation is smooth and efficient, with an easy-to-navigate
LCD menu system and a user interface that doesn't require a long learning curve.
You may spend a few minutes reading through the manual, but once you get the
hang of things, the user interface is quite intuitive.
Control Enumeration
Shutter Button: Located on the right side of the top panel, in the center
of the Mode dial, this button sets focus and exposure when pressed halfway.
Fully depressing the button fires the shutter. When the Self-timer is enabled,
fully depressing the Shutter button begins a 10-second countdown before the
shutter fires.
Mode Dial: Surrounding the Shutter button, this knurled dial controls the camera's operating mode. Choices are Full Auto (green camera icon), Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Scene, Setup, Movie, and Playback modes.
Power Button: To the left of the Mode dial on top of the camera, this
button turns the camera on or off.
NightShot / NightFraming Switch: Located between the Mode dial and hot
shoe on the top panel, this switch activates either the NightShot or NightFraming
modes, for low-light and no-light shooting and framing. The center position
returns the camera to normal operation.
Zoom Rocker Button: Situated in the top right corner of the rear
panel, this two-way rocker button controls the optical and digital zoom in
Record mode. In Playback mode, this button digitally enlarges the captured
image as much as 5x.
Exposure Compensation / Index Button: Adjacent to the Focus button, this
button highlights the exposure compensation adjustment on the LCD screen.
Once highlighted, the exposure compensation is adjusted by turning the Command
dial. A second press of the button removes the highlight.
In Playback mode, this button activates the nine-image index display mode. Pressing the button a second time activates an information display for the thumbnail image selected, reporting the primary exposure information for the currently selected image. A third press returns to the normal, single-image display.
Focus Button: To the right of the Exposure Compensation / Index button,
this button switches between Manual and Auto focus modes. In Manual focus
mode, turning the Command dial adjusts the focus setting from 0.1 meters to
infinity.
AE Lock Button: Adjacent to the Focus button, this button locks the exposure
reading until it's pressed again, or until the Shutter button is fully pressed.
Command Dial: Just below and to the right of the viewfinder eyepiece,
this black, ribbed dial controls various exposure settings in any Record mode.
In Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure modes, it controls
aperture and/or shutter speed settings. Turning the dial scrolls through the
available settings, while a quick press of the dial selects the setting for
adjustment (highlighting it in yellow on the LCD screen). Once the setting
is selected, it can be adjusted by turning the dial forward or backward. The
dial also controls the AF area selection mode, when selected.
Display Button: Located to the right of the viewfinder eyepiece, this
button controls the LCD image and information display in all camera modes
except Setup mode. It also enables the histogram display. Repeated presses
cycle through detailed information, detailed information with histogram display,
limited information, and no display.
Four Way Arrow Pad: Located to the right of the LCD monitor on the rear
panel, this five-key pad has four arrows, one pointing in each direction (up,
down, left, right), and a center "OK" button. In any record mode
(except Movie), the Up arrow controls the Flash mode, cycling between Auto,
Forced, Suppressed, and Slow Sync (when available). The Left arrow controls
the Quick Review function, which provides a quick playback of the most recently
captured image. The Right arrow activates the Macro shooting mode, and the
Down arrow activates the Self-Timer mode.
In Playback mode, the Right and Left arrows scroll through captured images.
The Up and Down arrows control the playback volume. When an image has been
digitally enlarged, all four arrows pan the view.
In all camera modes, the arrow keys navigate through settings menus, highlighting
menu options. Pressing the center button confirms menu selections.
Menu Button: Beneath the Four Way Arrow pad is the Menu button, which
activates and deactivates the settings menus in all camera modes (except for
Setup mode, which automatically displays the menu upon entering the mode).
Image Size / Erase Button: To the right of the Menu button, this
button pulls up the Image Size menu in any record mode. For still images,
choices are 5.0M (2,560 x 1,920 pixels), 4.5M (2,560 3:2 aspect), 3.2M (2,048
x 1,536 pixels), 1.2M (1,280 x 960 pixels), and VGA (640 x 480 pixels). Movie
choices are 640 VGA and 160 Mail. Clip Motion options are Normal and Mobile.
In Playback mode, this button lets you erase the currently-displayed image. During index display, pressing this button gives the option of deleting all images on the Memory Stick, with the exception of any write-protected images.
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