Sony DSC-F828 8MP Digital Camera

Product Description It is Powered by InfoLithium M battery (included with AC adapter/in-camera charger).It stores images on either Sony Memory Stick media or Microdrive.It Captures images in both raw and TIFF modes; MPEG movie; advanced accessory shoe. The Cybershot DSC-F828 was announced on 15th August, this new camera is very obviously a development of the DSC-F717 design. Just under a year since the F717 and Sony's flagship prosumer digital camera has certainly undergone a large number of changes, not least of which is the switch from the electronically zoomed five times lens of the F707/F717 to an all new mechanical zoom seven times lens with Carl Zeiss T* coating and a wide angle 28 mm equiv. capability. Sony has also chosen to go with their latest sensor, the all new eight megapixel four-color (RGBE) 2/3" type (8.8 x 6.6 mm) CCD. Ignoring all other changes this makes a formidable combination, a high quality mechanically linked zoom lens combined with the resolution of an eight megapixel CCD. This camera is arguably the most important prosumer digital camera this year. Timeline, a little history It's worth remembering that Sony first introduced this unusual large lens, split body swivel design back in August 1999 with the DSC-F505 (the 13th camera ever reviewed on this site!). Back then the F505 had a 35 - 190 mm five times optical zoom lens and two megapixel sensor, this camera was developed into the F505V in April 2000 which used 2.6 megapixels of a three megapixel sensor. The five megapixel DSC-F707 appeared in August 2001 (IFA 2001), this was updated to the DSC-F717 in September 2002 (Photokina 2002). Specification differences Sensor 2/3" type (8.8 x 6.6 mm)RGBE color filter array2.7 µm pixel pitch 2/3" type (8.8 x 6.6 mm)RGB color filter array3.4 µm pixel pitch Effective pixels 8.0 million 5.0 million Lens Carl Zeiss T*28 - 200 mm equiv. (7x zoom)F2.0 - F2.8Mechanical zoom Carl Zeiss38 - 190 mm (5x zoom)F2.0 - F2.4Electric zoom Zoom 7x zoom 5x zoom Auto focus Single, Continuous, Monitor Single Program AE min shutter 1 sec 1/30 sec Continuous modes Speed Burst, Framing Burst, Multi Burst Burst 3 Continuous 2.5 / 2.3 fps, 7 images max 2.5 fps, 3 images Image parameters Color, Sharpness, Contrast Sharpness Movies 640 x 480, 30 fps, no limit *640 x 480, 16 fps, no limit160 x 112, 8 fps, no limit* With MS Pro or Microdrive only 320 x 240, 16 fps, no limit External flash Advanced Hot-shoe, ACC terminal Basic Hot-shoe, ACC terminal Storage Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Compact Flash Type I/II, Microdrive Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Electronic viewfinder 235,000 pixels 180,000 pixels LCD monitor 1.8", 134,000 pixels 1.8", 123,000 pixels AC adapter / charger Sony AC-L15 Sony AC-L10 Weight (inc. batt) 906 g (2.0 lb) 659 g (1.45 lb) Dimensions 134 x 91 x 156 mm(5.3 x 3.6 x 6.1 in) 120 x 67 x 148 mm(4.7 x 2.6 x 5.8 in) Design / Control differences Body Black, heavy gauge metal case Silver, thinner metal case Battery / MS compart. Base of hand grip Side of hand grip CF compartment Side of hand grip None Status LCD display Yes, backlit No EVF dioptre control Below eyepiece Above eyepiece 4-Way controller Joystick style 4-way pad Command dial Rear of hand grip Jog-dial in front of shutter release Control method Hold button and roll command dial Press button Zoom control Mechanically linked ring Electronically driven buttonsZoom by wire ring Top controls Shutter Release, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Status Backlight, Shooting Mode, Power Jog-Dial, Shutter Release, Exposure Compensation, Night Shot, Shooting Mode, Power Under thumb controls Menu, 4-way Joystick, AE Lock / Erase, Command Dial Display, Thumbnail, Menu, 4-way Pad (Quick Review, Flash Mode, Macro Focus, Self-Timer) Rear controls EVF/LCD, Display, Self-Timer / Thumbnail, Magnify, Quick Review, CF / MS EVF/LCD Lens barrel controls Flash Open, Flash Mode, Metering Mode, Macro Focus, Burst / Bracket Mode, Focus Mode, Night Shot Focus Mode, Zoom, AE Lock, Metering Mode, White Balance, White Balance Preset