Sony DSC-R1 Review

(All screens can be displayed on the LCD or EVF)

Here is the Auto mode screen display. Minimal information is displayed and only a few parameters such as image size or recording mode can be changed. Upper left is the battery level that's constantly displayed. The image size is "10M"egapixels, the image folder is 101, there's space for 170 shots, a graphical icon of the Memory Stick and in the center are the Auto Focus wide area target marks.

This is a "P"rogram AE screen. Same icons across the top except a "P" for the exposure mode. On the bottom is the ISO speed, fixed to 160, the shutter speed, aperture value and Exposure Compensation.

The Program AE mode also allows the user to "shift" the shutter speed and aperture settings. By rotating the command dial you can select other combinations of shutter speed and aperture values.

When you half-press the shutter release the AF marks will turn green indicating the area of focus, it will also show the selected shutter speed and aperture and the current exposure compensation setting.

The Shutter speed priority mode allows you to select the desired shutter speed and the camera automatically selects the proper aperture. A slower shutter speed will let you capture motion blurring, a faster one will freeze the action.

Available shutter speed range: 1/2000 to 30 seconds (ISO 160 to 800) and 1/2000 to 8 seconds (ISO 1600 or 3200.) The "Time Exposure" function enables the user to control exposure time depending on their requirements - up to 3 minutes.

In Aperture priority, you select the desired aperture and the camera selects the proper shutter speed. A large aperture (small f/stop number) will create a shallow depth of field, where a smaller aperture (larger f/stop number) will create a larger depth of field.

Available aperture range: f/2.8-f/16.0 Wide and f/4.8-f/16.0 Telephoto.

Using Manual mode you select both the shutter speed and aperture value manually. Use the exposure compensation display as an exposure meter to see if the current settings produce an under or over-exposed picture.

The realtime histogram graph can be displayed by pressing the Monitor button.

Record mode Menu options:

Resolution - 10M, 7M, 5M, 3M or 1M
Quality - JPEG quality, Fine or Standard
Mode - RAW or Normal (compressed JPEG)
BRK - AE Bracketing step value +/- 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 EV
Flash Level - High, Normal or Low
Picture Effect - Off, Sepia, Black & White
Saturation - Default is 0 but may be + or -
Contrast - Default is 0 but may be + or - or *AGCS (see below)
Sharpness - Default is 0 but may be + or -