Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1 First Impressions Review

by Richard Baguley
Published on March 10, 2007

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design/Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion
Specs

 

The auto mode places command of the settings in the hands of the camera. The user only gets to set the exposure compensation and the AF mode. That’s a pretty standard auto mode.

 

The G1 records videos in MPEG-4 format, which produces small, high quality video files. The maximum resolution is 640 x 480 pixels, and this can be reduced to 320 x 240 pixels. This is pretty standard, but some way behind the 1280 x 720 high definition video that the Canon PowerShot TX1 shoots. We don’t have any information on the bitrate of the captured video, but both modes are recorded at 30 frames per second, and  MPEG-4 videos are typically of a higher quality than most other formats. The 2GB of internal memory should also allow for a good amount of video to be captured. The zoom control is usable while recording movies, and the various focus modes can also be used. However, you can’t use the other controls while recording.

 

Only one burst mode is available on the G1, and Sony claims it is capable of capturing 7 images at a frame rate of 3.3 per second. That’s pretty fast among point-and-shoots and even exceeds the continuous capture rate of some entry level DSLRs.

 

A 10-second self timer mode is also available.

 

The playback mode is accessed either through the home menu or by pressing the play button. The playback options are pretty standard. Images can be viewed singly, in groups of 9 or as a slideshow. Music can also be played back while a slideshow is playing. A red eye correction feature is also included, but we were unable to test the efficacy of this feature.