|
Maxi Picture
/ Mini Size
Or, Living With Beauty
Coat pocket
small, image quality equal to the DSC-F717, the DSC-V1 promises
a lot. It's not the primary camera for a pro, but as a backup,
an easy carry, a never-leave-in-the-luggage camera, it earned
a place in my heart. Oh, if only it had a swivel monitor. Oh,
if only it had a wider zoom. Oh, if only it had something like
Nikon's BSS for low-light shooting. Is there a V2 on the drawing
boards?
The V1
brought me many memorable images and was always on my belt when
other cameras were left behind. Here's a sample:
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
The 4:1
zoom of the V1 gives it quite a good range. Equal to 35 mm to
140 mm on a 35mm film camera. And it is sharp over the whole
range.
 
The Sony
Center in Berlin is one of today's architectural marvels. It's
crowned with a super-tech awning that suggests cities of the
future. Which it is.
  _
 _
_ 
After a
hard day of street theater at the Sony Center, can you guess
which side of him was facing the sun?
 
 
My
Calvin Klein Ad:
This image
used the new iCiba iNovaFX Action for the super saturated, extra
contrast look. The original file shows every thread on the model's
trousers. Or was he just a passer-by?
 Conclusions: The Sony DSC-V1 delivers
images the equal to the images from the DSC-F717 from a package
smaller than that camera's swivel module. Its self-capping lens
takes a while to deploy, but once on station it produces superior
results in all departments.
Sharpness,
dynamic range, noise, accurate focus with zero light to full
sun, manual settings in 1/3 stop increments and even full VGA
video (not used but worth a mention) are at your fingertips.
The camera's
size is right for travel but it lacks the swivel screen feature
found in one way or another on the other three out of four. I
would not use this camera without a strap or--in my case--a split
key ring "finger strap," because its satin finish is
slippery to dry fingers. Like the others, you could live with
this as your primary travel camera, but if you do, buy extra
batteries before you go.
Other galleries:
Nikon
CP5700 Gallery.
Nikon
CP5400 Gallery.
Sony
DSC-F717 Gallery.
Winner's
Circle.
Travel
Front Page.
  Get
the eBooks.
We have a secure order page that will allow previous eBook owners
to upgrade for low cost, too. Or you can call direct and order
from the publisher by phone or FAX.
Phone:(310) 475 2988 (M-F 9-5 Pacific Time)
FAX (310) 475 9486 (24hrs).
© 2003
Peter iNova. All rights reserved. Do not reprint. Simply add
a link to this page.
Reprinting except for newsworthy mention and brief quotes are
by permission only.
|