Sony Cyber-shot R1

Sony Cyber-shot R1 kombinerer en stor CMOS-sensor på 10,3 megapiksler med en Zeiss-linse på 24?120 mm (tilsvarende 35 mm).

Sony lover førsteklasses bildekvalitet til en rimelig penge, noe en sensor på 14,4x21,5 mm i 3:2-format med høy lysfølsomhet (ISO 160-3200) kan tyde på. Største ulempe er at brikken ikke kan benyttes for videoopptak.

Kameraet er testet av StevesDigicams:

It is rare in this business to come across a product that defines a new class of camera. While the individual components of the Sony CyberShot DSC-R1 have similar counterparts in other cameras, this is the first to integrate components that have until now distinguished different classes of cameras.
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The first thing you'll notice about the R1 is its massive (for a consumer digicam) size. Weighing in at nearly 2.5 pounds including battery, memory, lens hood and camera strap, it is not only is the heaviest digicam we've tested, it outweighs many amateur dSLRs as well.
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The R1's Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonar lens is an impressive piece of glass, having an appearance more like a dSLR's interchangeable lenses than the fixed lens of a consumer digicam. It is also versatile, offering a wider field of view than most prosumer digicams at 24mm and a useful telephoto focal length of 120mm; this lens fits what most dSLR users describe as their "walk-around" lens. Its variable aperture is a relatively fast f/2.8 at its 24mm wide angle extreme, but slows to f/4.8 at its 120mm telephoto focal length. The lens produces very sharp results throughout its zoom and aperture ranges, but with a slight amount of edge softness at wide angle with small aperture settings, and at moderate to telephoto focal lengths with moderate to large aperture settings. Chromatic aberrations were well controlled, with only a slight amount of purple fringing present in very high contrast areas. The lens exhibits slight amounts of barrel distortion at wide angle and pin cushioning at moderate focal lengths, but no noticeable distortion at full telephoto.
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Manual focus is a breeze thanks to the R1's Expanded Focus function, which enlarges the viewfinder image as you turn the focus ring. The quality of the R1's viewfinder image, enlargement of the focus area and intensification of the viewfinder image in dim lighting contribute to a manual focus arrangement which betters that of many dSLRs.
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The R1's Electronic (EVF) and LCD viewfinders won't be mistaken for their optical counterparts on dSLRs, but they come closer than any we've tested before. The articulating LCD is very useful, allowing you to shoot from waist level, overhead, from the side and straight-on. Although its surface will reflect direct sunlight, the LCD can be slightly articulated to eliminate that glare; that said, it is quite usable in bright outdoor sun. The eye-level EVF is large, bright and resolute. It also has a deep rubber eyecup, blocking ambient light and making it very comfortable to use.
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Speaking of shutter lag, the R1's compares favorably with high performance dSLRs. Lag measured less than 1/10 second when pre-focused using either viewfinder. If you are able time your shot without using a viewfinder, pre-focused shutter lag is essentially non-existent. Autofocus performance is also competitive with dSLR's, the lag including viewfinder delay measuring only 3/10 second for a high-contrast subject. The R1 powers-up quickly, capturing an image within 1.8 seconds of being turned on. Flash recycle time is good, with the R1 able to capture images at intervals of between 1.2 and 6 seconds depending on subject distance.
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The R1's image quality is outstanding. It's sharp lens, accurate AF and White balance systems, and APS-C-sized image sensor combined to produce consistently pleasing results both indoors and out. At high sensitivity settings, the R1's images are superior to prosumer digicams and rival many consumer dSLRs. Image noise is essentially absent at ISO settings up to 400, but can be detected in shadow areas at ISO 800. Although noise becomes noticeable throughout the image at settings of 1600 and 3200 along with some loss of detail, the R1's image quality at these settings is superior to prosumer digicams and competitive with entry-level dSLRs.

Dermed ender Steve opp med en konklusjon som må sies å være svært positiv:

With its APC-C sized image sensor, the Sony DSC-R1 defines a new category in the prosumer digital camera market and offers a compelling alternative to enthusiasts who might otherwise consider a dSLR. Thanks to its high quality lens and large image sensor, the R1 sets a new standard for image quality among prosumer cameras, especially at high ISO settings. As an alternative to dSLRs, the R1 offers enthusiasts terrific image quality, good shooting performance and 10-megapixels of resolution without the complexities of interchangeable lenses and the inevitable presence of dust on a dSLRs image sensor. If the R1's fixed 24-120mm lens meets your image composition needs, you may have found the 2006 version of digicam nirvana.

Steves Digicams - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 - User Review.