Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1 Digital Camera Review

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1

Digital Camera Review

Mar 10, 2007 - By Richard Baguley
Sony caused something of a stir at the PMA show in Vegas with the new 6-megapixel G1; it’s the first of their Cyber-shot models to include a wireless network adapter. Although cameras with wireless adapters are nothing new (Nikon has had several wireless models over the past couple of years), the $600 DSC-G1 is the first camera that we’ve seen that uses the new DLNA (Digital Living Networking Alliance) standard, which allows devices such as TVs and PCs to share content (among them, Phillips, Pioneer, Samsung, Toshiba, JVC and Intel). Although DLNA devices are few and far between at the moment, this standard would allow you to take pictures with a G1, then immediately view them on a DLNA TV or print them out from a DLNA printer, all over the wireless network  without a PC.
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1
 
Model Design/Appearance
The G1 has an interesting design, with an unusual wedge-shaped aluminum case. It’s certainly a break from the more angular design of other Cyber-shots, and the overall design works well.
 
Size/Portability
The G1 is on the bulky side. The body is too thick to easily fit into a shirt pocket, but it isn’t overly large. Tthe case is not much bigger than the screen, thanks to the interesting way it hides most of the controls when the camera is closed. Sony claims a weight with the battery of 8.2 ounces, and we don’t see any reason to doubt this. For the size of the camera, it feels pretty light.
 
Handling Ability
The G1 feels surprisingly comfortable in the hands. Typically, cameras with large screens don't have much room left for the hands. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem with the G1. The left hand fits around the screen, while the right hand has plenty to hold onto around the controls and the front of the camera. But this isn’t a camera that can be easily used with one hand, and it really requires two hands to be comfortably used.
 
 
Control Button/ Dial Positioning /Size
Most of the controls on the back of the G1 are large enough to be comfortably used, although you do need both hands. The shutter button falls naturally under the index finger, and the zoom control lands under the thumb. The controls on the side of the camera are a bit more awkward, though: I found myself turning the camera while trying to work out which button is which. Most likely this will improve with time and familiarity, but it’s a bit of a pain. The joystick is the exception; it is used for navigating the on-screen menus and is easy to use while keeping an eye on the screen.
 
Menu
The menu system is accessed through the home button on the right hand side of the camera body and will immediately be familiar to owners of Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PSP gaming consoles. It’s the same crossbar style menu that both of the popular game consoles use. In fact, Sony is adopting the same menu style for most of their products, so you can expect to see more of this if you buy Sony products in future. That’s a good thing, as the menu is quick and easy to use, providing speedy access to the features of the camera such as the camera mode (photo or movie), playback, music and video playback, and the wireless features.
 
To access the camera specific controls, you hit the menu button, which brings up a scrolling menu with the following options:
 
Camera Mode
 
 
Mode
Auto, Program, Scene
EV
+ or – 2 stops in 1/3 stop steps
AF Mode
Multi, center, spot, 0.5m, 1m, 3m, 7m infinity
Metering Mode
Multi, Center weighted, Spot
White Balance
Auto, Sunlight, Cloudy, Florescent, Tungsten, Flash
ISO
Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000
Rec Mode
Normal, Burst, Bracket -+0.3, Bracket -+0.7, Bracket, -+1 stop
Flash Level
Low, Normal, High.
 
 
In Auto mode, only the first three options are available. An additional screen of controls is available through the camera settings menu;
 
Image Size
6M, 3:2, 3M, 2M, VGA, 16:9
AF Mode
Single, Monitor
Digital Zoom
On, Off
Red Eye Reduction
On, Off
AF Illuminator
On, Off
SteadyShot
Shooting, Continuous, Off
Auto Orientation
On, Off
 
The menu system works well overall. All of the options have both text and icons, plus a short bit of text on screen that explains what the control is for.
 
Ease of Use
The G1 is a very easy to use camera. The menu is well-designed, and there are a good number of buttons without being overwhelming.
 
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