Click on the F828 to take a QuickTime VR tour

Sony's latest top of the line Cyber-shot camera has been code named the "Dark Angel" and one look at it will tell you why. The DSC-F828 is encased in a black, magnesium alloy body, and is the first to incorporate Sony's recently announced four-color filter CCD technology and Real Imaging Processor. Like its predecessor the DSC-F717, the DSC-F828 employs a Carl Zeiss zoom lens and this time it is a Carl Zeiss T* 7x optical zoom that covers a focal length range from 28mm to 200mm and has both a manual zoom and focus ring on the lens barrel. The F828 is the first prosumer digital camera to employ an eight-megapixel imager and the first Cyber-shot to offer a RAW image mode.

Another "first" for any Cyber-shot camera, the DSC-F828 is equipped with a CompactFlash Type II card slot as well as a Memory Stick Pro card slot. Users will be able to store their images on a wide variety of high-capacity and reasonably priced media from Memory Stick Pro cards to IBM / Hitachi Microdrives as well as solid state CF Type I or II memory cards.

Sony's 8.0-megapixel CCD image sensor provides the Cyber-shot DSC F828 camera with a maximum image size of 3360 x 2460, equating into 11 x 17-inch prints at 200 dpi or 8.5 x 11-inch prints at 300 dpi. In addition to JPEG and TIFF formats, the camera supports Sony's RAW format, which allows the photographer to change the parameters of an image (e.g., white balance and color depth). Software will be included for converting RAW files.

The F828 offers a complete range of exposure modes; Auto, Program AE w/Shift, Shutter speed priority, Aperture priority, full Manual, Scene modes, Movie and Sony's exclusive NightShot® Infrared mode to capture infrared images in total darkness at a distance of up to 15 feet. And the Night Framing mode to capture crisp images in low or no light, this feature illuminates the subject with the Night Shot system for proper framing, focuses with Hologram AF illuminator and lights the scene with the appropriate amount of flash.

The new MPEG-VX Fine mode records video at 640 x 480 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second, up to the capacity of the storage device, for TV-quality video. If you wanted one camera that could capture high quality stills and high quality video then look no further, the F828 can do it!

Cyber-shot F828 features:

• 2/3-inch 8-megapixel, 4-color Super HAD CCD imager
• 7x (28-200mm) all-glass Carl Zeiss F2-2.8 zoom lens
• Manual zoom and focus rings on lens
• TTL autofocus with hologram laser AF assist
• 5-zone Auto Focus area, auto or manual selection
• RAW, TIFF uncompressed and JPEG in Fine or Normal quality
• 1.8" 134,000 pixel color LCD monitor
• High-resolution eyelevel TTL color viewfinder with 235,000 pixels
• Program AE w/Shift and four Scene modes
• Shutter speed priority (30 secs. to 1/2000 sec. in 30 steps)
• Aperture priority (F2 to F8 in 13 steps) with 7-blade iris diaphram
• Full Manual exposure with EV indicator
• Exclusive Night Shot and Night Framing exposure modes
• Auto Exposure Bracketing with +/- 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 steps
• Speed burst, Framing Burst and Multi Burst drive modes
• Multi-pattern, Center-weighted or Spot metering
• Five white balance presets and one-push custom;
• Selectable ISO sensitivity (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800)
• In-camera saturation, contrast and sharpening (Normal, +/- 1)
• Picture Effects: Negative Art, Solarize, Sepia
• 14-bit A/D conversion for wider dynamic range from highlight to shadow
• Adjustable TTL flash with Red Eye reduction
• Hot shoe and connector for optional external flash
• 3:2 image ratio for making "perfect" 4x6 prints
• MPEG-VX Fine 640x480 video at 30fps w/audio; limited only by memory
• Voice Memo Mode to add narration to still images
• Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro and CompactFlash Type I/II storage
• A/V output for displaying images and movies on TV sets
• USB 2.0 connectivity for fast downloading to PC
• Sony InfoLITHIUM NP-FM50 battery with longer runtime
• Exif 2.2 compatible and direct USB printing via PictBridge

The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 camera is available now and comes with an InfoLithium M battery, AC adapter/in-camera charger, A/V output cable, USB cable, lens hood, shoulder strap and lens cap. It does -not- include a memory card.

DIWA Gold Medal Award

22. September 2004: The DIWA organisation of collaborating worldwide websites (Digital Imaging Websites Association) today announced that Sony Inc. has been awarded Gold and Silver medals for two of their excellent digital cameras. The DIWA test experts honoured the Cyber-shot DSC-F828 with gold, accompanied by the Cyber-shot DSC-V1, which qualified for a silver medal. The awards are the results of comprehensive, independent reviews of different samples, made by a number of DIWA camera testing experts from Europe and USA.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 proved its excellence by scoring extremely well on DIWA’s unique evaluation scoreboard. Its first class 8x zoom lens from legendary Carl Zeiss and the top ranked 8 megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor provided outstanding image quality. Besides, the unconventional camera design is met with enthusiasm both among amateurs and professionals.

The DIWA test experts unanimously say: "Sony may not have a legacy to show as a camera manufacturer, but their electronic skills are undisputed. With legendary Carl Zeiss onboard, Sony now has all the optical expertise they may require, proven by these excellent Cyber-shot cameras. The DSC-F828 offers professional image quality and sophisticated features, packed into a rugged, versatile body with a unique twist-and-shoot design". Any advanced amateur would want one.

Physical Views

The F828 compared in size to a standard CD.