2000 Unbiased Reviews Since 1999
or Browse:
Type
Brand
Price
Need
Browse By Type Find the digital camera that fits your needs
Browse By Brand Find a digital camera from your favorite brand
Browse by Price Choose a max price using the slider below
Max Price
Any

$150.00

Any Price
Buying Guides Find the perfect digital camera for... See more
Jump to a part
Advertisement

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1

First Impressions Review

Previous: Page 2

Components

Next: Page 4

Modes
March 10, 2007 By Richard Baguley
0 Comments
(add your own)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1
Page 3

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

 
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
 
 
 
 
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.
 

Shop for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1

Loading Recently Viewed Products
Advertisement

Latest News
& Reviews

Top Rated Point & Shoots

  • Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    Panasonic Lumix FZ150
    $459.99
     1

    Panasonic Lumix FZ150

    Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review

    $459.99
    Read full 16-part review
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
    Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
    $378.99
     2

    Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

    Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review

    $378.99
    Read full 16-part review
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Sony Cyber-shot HX100V
    Sony Cyber-shot HX100V
    $427.95
     3

    Sony Cyber-shot HX100V

    This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review

    $427.95
    Read full 16-part review
    Types
    Ultra-Zoom
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
    16.8 MP
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
    $314.95
     4

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

    Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review

    $314.95
    Read full 16-part review
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels
  • Canon PowerShot S100
    Canon PowerShot S100
    $417.00
     5

    Canon PowerShot S100

    Canon's PowerShot S100 improves on the popular S95 and takes its place at the top of the point-and-shoot food chain. Read full 16-part review

    $417.00
    Read full 16-part review
    Types
    Any Zoom
    3,5.1
    3.1x to 5x Zoom
    5.1,10
    5.1x to 9.9x Zoom
    10,
    10x & Larger Zoom
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,
    > 10 Megapixels

Features

Jump to a part

Shop for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1

Advertisement
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1
First Impressions Review
0 Comments
(add your own)

Previous: Page 2

Components

Previous: Page 4

Modes