Auto record mode screen with its associated onscreen icons. To left is the battery icon (full) along with a digital readout in minutes of remaining time. The green dot indicates a focus lock, below that is the flash icon. The image size 8M (8-megapixels) and quality (FINE) and the image folder (101). In the upper right is the Memory Stick icon that graphically shows how much space is left as well as showing the approximate number of pictures remaining (119.)

Exposure compensation is 0.0EV and the shutter speed and aperture is shown because the shutter is half-pressed. The AF area(s) being used are indicated by the green "[   ]" brackets.

Screen display in Program mode. Very much like Auto except you'll see a "P*" below the battery icon and below the Memory Stick icon is the AF area selector icon. We also have the realtime histogram enabled and have manually set the ISO to 100. The Program AE mode can be "shifted" to other shutter speed and aperture combinations by rotating the Command Dial.

Here's an animated look at the LCD or EVF when you change the Mode Dial. This "virtual" mode dial is displayed so you don't have to physically look at the mode dial while changing exposure modes.

Aperture priority mode - you choose the desired aperture and the camera selects the proper shutter speed to match. Shutter speed priority is the same, you select the desired shutter speed and the camera matches the proper aperture value.

When in Manual mode you change both the shutter speed and aperture value while watching the "EV" readout which tells you if the selected combination is over or under exposed. You turn the Command Dial to select the shutter speed or hold in the exposure compensation button and rotate the Command Dial to change the aperture. The shutter speed and aperture values are displayed as a virtual dial on the EVF or LCD.

Record menu options (P/A/M/S modes):

• ISO:   Auto or fixed at 64, 100, 200, 400 or 800
• IMAGE SIZE:   8M, 8M (3:2), 5M, 3M or VGA
• PICTURE QUALITY:  Fine or Standard
• REC MODE:   Normal, E-Mail, Voice, TIFF or RAW
• BRACKET STEP:  +/- 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 EV (option appears only when mode is AE Bracketing)
• MULTI BURST:  1/7.5, 1/15 or 1/30 (option appears only when mode is Multi Burst)
• FLASH LEVEL:   High, Low or Normal
• PICTURE EFFECT:   Negative art, Sepia or Solarize
• COLOR:   Real or Standard
• SATURATION:   +, Normal, -
• CONTAST:   +, Normal, -
• SHARPNESS:   +, Normal, -

SCeNe mode options:

• SCN:   Scene mode: Night, Night Portrait, Landscape, Portrait
• ISO:   Auto only
• IMAGE SIZE:   8M, 8M (3:2), 5M, 3M or VGA
• PICTURE QUALITY:  Fine or Standard
• REC MODE:   Normal, E-Mail, Voice, TIFF or RAW
• PICTURE EFFECT:   Negative art, Sepia or Solarize

When using Manual Focus mode the LCD screen or EVF display can be magnified 2x by pressing the Magnify button. It can also be automatic if the Expanded Focus option is enabled in Setup.

The F828 has a Night Shot mode which is the same as the NightShot mode on Sony camcorders. There are infrared illuminators mounted on the camera that serve to "light up" your subject in total darkness (up to ~9 feet from the camera). The picture is captured as a green-tinted image as shown above.

The Night Framing mode looks the same but it uses the infrared illuminators to let you frame your subject in total darkness, it then switches back to regular color mode just before capturing the photo. The pop-up flash is used to illuminate the subject.

Movie mode captures full motion video sequences with audio. The 640x480 VX Fine mode captures at 30 fps and the length is only limited by the available storage space. (Sony only guarantees the 30fps rate with Memory Stick Pro cards due to the high speed data streaming to the card.) We've been told that Microdrives will also allow for VX Fine mode movie recording.

There are three different movie modes: 640x480 VX Fine (30fps) or Standard (16fps) and 160x120 (8fps) for email. The optical and digital zoom can be used during movie recording.