Steve's Digicams - Breaking News - Sony 08/15/03 Press Release

Eight Megapixels Just Part Of The Picture With Sony's Latest High-End Digital Camera

Advanced Lens, Color Filter and Processor Realize New Levels of Image Quality and Camera Responsiveness

Read our Sony DSC-F828 user review

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 15, 2003 - Expert photographers know that image quality goes beyond pixel resolution, and with today's new product announcement from Sony Electronics, they will soon find a digital camera that measures up to their discerning eye by exceeding the capabilities of current technology.

The latest model (DSC-F828) in Sony's popular line of Cyber-shot® F-series enthusiast cameras represents the next level of digital still photography, which these enthusiasts will surely appreciate. With its lens-centric design, the new camera 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*. Along with the Carl Zeiss® T* optics, these components are integral in capturing color accuracy closest to what the human eye can see and setting a new benchmark in camera performance.

"With our heritage in component design, Sony is uniquely qualified to realize this new standard in image quality," said Steve Haber, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Personal, Mobile and Imaging Products Division. "Specifically designed to handle the unique rigors of advanced digital still photography, the new Cyber-shot F828 camera embodies what we envision as a premier imaging experience."

To complete that experience, the new camera offers extensive manual controls, giving advanced photographers a broader range of mechanisms to determine focus, exposure and recording modes.

Users will have the flexibility to store their images onto CompactFlash® Type I and Type II media, as well as a Microdrive® hard disk drive or Memory Stick PRO* media.

Seeing What the Human Eye Sees

Recognizing that current digital cameras borrow a nearly 40-year-old color reproduction system developed for televisions and computer displays (RGB, standing for red, green and blue), Sony began developing a new color filter early last year to provide more flexible color management and dramatically improve color accuracy.

This new approach (RGB+E) adds an emerald-colored pixel to the filter pattern, realizing color fidelity that is closer to human color perception. The first model to utilize this new color system, the DSC-F828, realizes a level of color accuracy not possible with other digital cameras. Specifically, photographers will notice an extraordinarily life-like rendering of blue, blue-green and red hues.

A Processor with Images in Mind

With a more accurate reproduction of the subject's color, the camera's new Real Imaging Processor then converts the four-color signal back into an ideal RGB color space with a linear matrix system.

The processor is also the engine that powers the camera's improved responsiveness, reducing shutter lag and cycle time. Because of a nearly 40 percent reduction in processing time, the Cyber-shot F828 model can capture an eight-megapixel image in almost half the time required by typical five-megapixel cameras.

Custom-designed for digital still cameras, the new processor is optimized to efficiently handle all the required tasks, which ultimately translates into increased speed with lower power consumption.

Key Features and Controls

• Resolution: 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.

• Optics: The new camera features a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* 7X zoom lens (28 - 280mm, 35mm equivalent) with manual zoom for greater framing control, to fully extract the performance of the 8.0-megapixel CCD sensor.

• Five-Area Multi-Point Auto Focus: The camera evaluates five separate areas of the frame and intelligently focuses on the subject, displaying the selected focus point, or the user can choose any of the five points for manual control.

• NightShot® Infrared System: Enables the camera to capture infrared images in total darkness at a distance of up to 15 feet.

• NightFraming System: To capture crisp images in low or no light, this feature illuminates the subject with the NightShot system for proper framing, focuses with Hologram AF* illuminator and lights the scene with the appropriate amount of flash.

• Image File Formats: 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.

• Video Recording: 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.

• Bundled Accessories: The camera comes with an InfoLithium® M battery, AC adapter/in-camera charger, A/V output cable, USB cable, lens hood, shoulder strap and lens cap.

Pricing and Availability