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| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,815.86
Buy Used: $499.99
You Save: $1315.87 (72%)
New (2) Used (12) from $499.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 23082
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Optical Zoom: 5
Digital Zoom: 10
Display Size: 2
Maximum Focal Length: 71.5
Minimum Focal Length: 14.3
Maximum Resolution: 10.3
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 3 x 2 x 1
MPN: DSC-R1
Model: DSC-R1
UPC: 027242679627
EAN: 0027242679627
ASIN: B000B68I2K
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: No Box, but everything else included! 100% guaranteed against defects. Contact us within 7 days if there is any defect, and we will gladly refund your purchase. Our standard shipping method is USPS Media Mail. If you upgrade shipping we use USPS Priority Mail. Your satisfaction is our goa
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Second "Flawed Jewel" in a Series? April 3, 2007
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
When Sony put out the DSC-F828 back in 2004, the camera was immediately tagged "the flawed jewel" by many reviewers. The reasons were obvious: with the new four-color HAD sensor, incredible ergonomics, and multiple control features often paralleling a DSLR, Sony positioned the device to become the camera of choice for pros and semi-pros who wished to have a second camera to escape from carrying around a DSLR and a set of lenses on every trip. Unfortunately, the camera, though taking wonderful photographs for the most part, suffered from strong purple fringing ("chromatic aberration," as it is called), and it was one of those love-hate relationships. Most people loved their F828, but just were aggravated that Sony had chosen to release such a gorgeous unit with such an obvious flaw.
Fortunately, we don't have to say the same for the DSC-R1, and it is worthwhile to report that most all the issues surrounding the F828 have been corrected in the R1. In fact, the DSC-R1 outpaces all current non-DSLR's by a significant amount in the ostensibly most critical area: image quality. The camera is capable of producing some of the most beautiful images one will ever take with a non-DSLR rig. In fact, SO good, that one will begin to seriously question whether a DSLR is even necessary for most people who are non-pros. The camera does most everything that a DSLR will do, and to boot, has a built-in lens that, if purchased as an equivalent combination of lenses for a DSLR, would easily cost twice as much (some say even more). And those pictures are just gorgeous. Striking detail, rich color, surprising sharpness, and few missed shots. To boot, battery life is superb, the best I've seen in a camera thus far. And the lens, while only providing a 5x optical zoom, also provides a very wide 24mm landscape shot, and so there is actually a tremendous range between its widest and most zoomed settings.
Now, the inevitable caveats. There are indeed some factors which do not make this camera a "no brainer" for every user. And, without fanfare, let me list some of them for consideration before you make the plunge to purchase one.
First, the camera has an unusual physical design which lends itself more to waist-level shooting, with the user looking DOWN onto the top of the camera, where the LCD can be seen. It is true that the LCD pops up and can be positioned upright so that one can shoot straight-ahead, but at 2.2 pounds, let me know how far you go until you decide arm fatigue forces you to rethink that decision. Although I actually prefer the waist-level shooting of the R1, I have to admit that the configuration is somewhat unconventional, and not everyone will get used to it. Some downright hate this physical configuration.
Next, there is one area where image quality does take a small hit, and that is in the level of distortion when shooting at the camera's widest "(i.e., 24mm) setting. Particularly when shooting architecture, but in reality for most any setting, the wide-angle setting will produce significant inward bending ("vertical perspective distortion") of the image, requiring you to use an image editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop, to correct the image. (If you are not familiar with this phenomenon, a photograph of a building with this type of distortion will make the sides of the building not appear to be straight, as though the building's walls, appearing tilted inward, would eventually meet each other if extended long enough.) This is not an insurmountable obstacle, as one can correct this relatively easily with image editors, but it is one of the few areas in which the camera underperforms. However, when looking at the overall image quality of shots the R1 takes (clarity, detail, and color), it's pretty easy to forgive this one issue.
Finally, there are a few specification issues one should taken note of before purchase. The optical zoom of the camera tops out at 5x, which is not all that bad, but many people may wish for a greater zoom amount. (A Sony add-on lens boosts zoom by 1.7x, but this conversion lens is expensive, heavy, and bulky.) Macro focus performance is also not nearly as good as the old F828: one must be a good number of inches away from any object to achieve a focus, even when the "macro" mode is selected. Also, should you choose to shoot in RAW mode, the resultant images, while of superb quality, take up a whopping 20Mb per shot, quickly overwhelming both your storage and your patience as you try to copy, open, and transfer files. And because the R1 was released before the specifications for the new Memory Stick Pro Duo were released, the camera can only accept up to 4Gb Memory Sticks, and the camera is also just old enough not have included anti-shake technology, so these limitations are unfortunately present in the R1. Mitigating these shortcomings is the fact that the R1 does possess a second slot for Compact Flash cards for capacities up to 4Gb (making total potential memory capacity equal to 8Gb), and the fact that a three-inch mini-tripod can easily be used for difficult shots (which often yields better results than anti-shake technology).
Having said all of this, the final judgment comes after using the camera over time, viewing the images it produces, and comparing it to other fine cameras on the market. You'll find few people who own a R1 who will say anything other than the images it takes are superb. And the reason why is because the photos ARE superb. If you find that the minor issues described above are of little concern to you and that the physical design of the unit is one to which you can adjust (or even, as me, can even prefer), then this could be a great find for a semi-professional, non-DSLR camera. It may be somewhat of a "flawed jewel" like its predecessor the F828, but with fewer outstanding issues and greatly improved picture quality over the F828.
my review on sony r1 December 30, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
well, i finally bought the sony r1, after along wait for the price to drop, and read all reviews on it..i got it for 565$.
what i like about r1:
build quality, good zeiss lens, 24mm wide angle, iso change on cam just a botton..great colors balance, low noise and high iso, big cmos sensor, use both pro stick and cf card, long battery life , displays batt life in mins, useable high iso at 400, top view and swivel lcd, manual tele zoomring, good raw files.
what i dont like:
battery charges in camera is a big draw back, while you charge the batt, you cant use the camera to shoot, bad feature, hope sony improves it on next camera. the camera design is so weird, the grip is over size, off balance on hand, view finder housing is over size, to use external flash you have to go to menu and change it everytime, and change back to use pop up flash, cant use both flashes, missing OIS(opical image stabilizer), its heavy and big, tele at 120mm is at f4.8, AF is not that fast, its kinda slow, especially in dark, sony should learn from this cam and improves it on next camera, im sure they will.the price is abit too high for a point and shoot, no video mode, macro is too far from subject, about 15 niches.
other than that i love to use it, its my main camera to walk around with, i love the image result quality, thats why i bought it, i know no camera is perfect yet.for the price i paid im not complainning. its a dslr wanna be, very close to dslr results.
i strongly suggest to any one who wants a back up to dslr..
 Great camera for the money, but is it better than an SLR? December 4, 2006
I recently bought this camera as an upgrade from my Sony 8.0 MP 828. This is my third Sony SLR-like camera, with my first one being the 5 MP 717. I upgraded to this one in order to get photos that were as clear and as sharp as possible from the miniature items that I buy and sell.
As I found with the 828 when upgrading from the 717, there was a significant learning curve over previous cameras. However, now with my third Sony camera, I've discovered that the learning curve lasts for about a month - then one can start taking photos with good results.
The learning curve with the R1 was as predicted. Out of the box, the camera is impressive, if only just in size! It is probably double the weight (or at least close) to a 717, and is probably 25% larger than the 828. The lens is a whopping 67mm - a full increment larger than the 828. The next thing you notice on the camera is the lack of an LCD viewfinder, which Sony took off the camera and placed on an adjustable screen on top of the camera. Quite novel.
A quick walk around the camera shows that Sony learned from the cumbersomeness of the 828 with regard to adjustments on the camera and made the R1 very "user friendly." The camera is easy to hold (though heavy) with one hand, and the photographer is able to make the adjustments with his other - definitely making it two-handed operation. It seems that just about everything has a button on the back or side of the camera, and once you learn where everything is, it is easy to change the exposure, etc., with just a quick adjustment.
For what I do (and if you're planning to use it for photographing small objects, this is something to keep in mind) the major initial drawback was the focus length of the camera. Unlike the 828, where you could be within inches of the object and shoot beautiful closeups, this camera requires at least a foot, if not more, in order to focus. Once you get it to the right focal length (and after the purchase of a macro filter - a must have) the shots are glorious. HOWEVER, what does a long focal length with detailed photos mean? You MUST have the camera stabilized (tripod, etc.) in order to get good shots. Hand-held detail shots are a no-go with this camera. Also, if you like to take .mpg movies through your camera, you'll be disappointed. This camera does not have that capability.
As far as plusses, the camera is super high quality, and is relatively easy to use. The lens is fantastic, and the rest of the camera seems to be as equal in quality. I've gotten used to the LCD viewfinder, and have been able to use it for some great shots that I might not of otherwise been able to view with the fixed viewfinder.
I will also add that my wife has gotten quite savvy with this camera, which is a first for her. She has been able to get some phenomenal photographs, particularly portraits, thus far. She loves this camera!
Would I buy another? I'm not sure. I'm a fan of getting new toys, so I had to have it. However, I think my 828 may take better (or at least easier) close up shots. I must admit that I haven't taken this camera on a road trip just yet to take outdoor photos, and I can only imagine that with the lens and processor that it will be terrific. My word of advice would be: if you HAVE to have the highest-end quasi-SLR, then this camera is for you. Overall, I'm happy with this camera, but I just don't know if it might just be worthwhile moving over to the quality SLRs that don't cost much more than this, such as the Canon 20D. Though I'll happily use this camera for now and am giving it five stars as there are no significant detractors that I have found with it, I believe that my next upgrade will be to a quality SLR.
Awesome Camera November 14, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I just had my R1 for a week now and I love it. In summary, it's an awesome camera. Takes great quality pictures with true colors and great details. I got it for $650 and at that price, I'd say it's a bargain. If you're in the market for a full size professional digital camera, R1 is the camera you've been looking for. In addition to the awesome quality pictures it takes, 5X zoom, long battery life, CF and memorystick options, swifel LCD screen, etc.. makes this camera even more competitive.
Best Prosumer Camera Under $1000 November 5, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
A great travel camera. I leave my Canon D20 kit at home. In fact, I find myself using this thing all the time--it's very easy to use, love the ergonomics. The only caveats--high ISO ratings are way too noisy, not nearly as good as the Canon. Also, the excellent lens is too short at the telephoto end. Otherwise, one of the best lenses out there. Battery performance is excellent. Bulky, but light. Buy a high quality protective filter, like a B+W or Hoya. Use it and enjoy!
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