Sony DSC-F828 8MP Digital Camera

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 array 2.7 µm pixel pitch	2/3" type (8.8 x 6.6 mm) RGB color filter array 3.4 µm pixel pitch
Effective pixels	8.0 million	5.0 million
Lens	Carl Zeiss T* 28 - 200 mm equiv. (7x zoom) F2.0 - F2.8 Mechanical zoom	Carl Zeiss 38 - 190 mm (5x zoom) F2.0 - F2.4 Electric 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 limit 160 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 buttons Zoom 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