Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N1 Review
Product overview
- Launch price:
- £399
- Launch date:
- 1st June 2006
Technical Specification
Auto Shut-off: NoBattery Type: Lithium-Ion
Camera Type: Compact
Case Included: No
Colour: Silver
Connectivity: USB 2.0;AV
Continuous Shooting Speed: 0.9
Dimensions: 94 x 60 x 20
Display Size: 3
Display Technology: TFT LCD
Exposure Modes: Beach;Candlelight;Fireworks;Landscape;Snow
Flash: Yes
Flash Modes: Auto;Off;On;Red-Eye Reduction;Slow-Synchro
Focusing Modes: Auto
Image Formats: JPEG
Image Sensor Resolution: 8.1
Image Sensor Type: Super HAD CCD
ISO Settings: 100;200;400;64;800;ISO Auto
Longest Shutter Speed: 8
Max Aperture: 2.8
Max resolution (horizontal pixels): 3264
Max resolution (vertical pixels): 2448
Max. Captured Image Resolution: 3264 x 2448
Memory Card Included: No
Memory Types: Memory Stick Duo;Memory Stick PRO Duo
Metering Modes: Centre weighted;Multi-Pattern;Spot
Min Aperture: 5.4
Min Shutter Speed: 2000
Movie Mode: Yes
Optical Zoom: 3
PictBridge: Yes
Waterproof: No
Weight (g): 113
White Balance: Auto;Cloudy;Daylight;Fluorescent
White Balance Presets: Incandescent
MPN: DSCN1
Price (GBP): 399
PhotoRadar review
Can the heavyweight pixel count justify the hefty price tag?
While many compact cameras seem content to deliver 5Mp, the new Sony DSC-N1 opts for an 8.1Mp sensor, which is enough to put some D-SLRs in the shade.
Indeed, it can churn out images with a whopping 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. It's not just the image sensor that's big on numbers, either. Around the back there's an outsized 3.0-inch LCD, which offers yet more trickery.
In fact, it's the Sony's LCD that's the camera's main talking point. While most compacts rely on buttons and dials for making imaging adjustments, the DSC-N1 employs touch-screen technology for the job. Unfortunately, we found the touch-screen menu system cumbersome and slow to use, compared with a few well-placed dials and buttons.
There's a knock-on with battery life as well: even though Sony claims 300 shots from each charge of its 'Stamina' Li-ion battery pack, that figure can shrink alarmingly with heavy usage of the massive 3.0-inch screen.
Proprietary memory
Typically for Sony cameras, you're stuck with Memory Stick Duo or Pro cards, which can be expensive to buy compared with SD or MMC cards. This is even more of an issue if you plan on shooting most of your photos at the camera's maximum memory card-munching resolution and quality settings.
In our tests, image quality was good in terms of colour rendition, which proved accurate under almost any type of lighting. Sharpness was also good, but not excellent, with a slight lack of crispness in some images.
Overall, with its touch-screen shenanigans, the DSC-N1 feels less like a camera and more like an 8Mp Palm Pilot. This will no doubt suit heavy-duty PDA users who are new to photography, but will prove less intuitive for those already comfortable with cameras.
Posted by Matthew Richards on Wednesday, 15th July 2009 at 02:59pm GMT.
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