Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1

Front (7.0)
The R1 looks a little DSLR-like from the front, with a fat, impressive Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens out front, a squashed slab of a viewfinder above the lens, and a thick handgrip to the left. It departs from the DSLR feel in a few ways: first, the back of a DSLR usually seems like the foundation of the camera. On the R1, it seems like an afterthought, something to link the lens to the handgrip. That shows from the front, because on the right side, the camera's profile follows the shape of the lens barrel, rather than coming down into a corner. The grip rises higher than the bit that separates it from the lens assembly.

The grip itself is covered in a slightly rubbery, resilient material, and it has a subtle indentation wrapping around the top for the user's middle finger. There is a bold Sony logo screen printed on the pop-up flash, which forms the face of the viewfinder hump. Just to the left of the flash is a small, beady-looking lens for the autofocus assist beam.

Back (5.5)
The back of the R1 would probably look a bit unfamiliar to users of most other cameras, unless of course, they were also an owner of a Konica Minolta Z-series digital camera. The viewfinder eyecup is enormous and projects more than an inch from the flat area below it. And below the eyepiece? Only dials and switches. The LCD display, the heart of the interface, isn't on the back at all.

Instead, most of the R1's controls are on the back. A flash ready light is tucked in to the left of the viewfinder. The mode dial is below the light. It's a tall, ridged dial that would look conventional on the top deck of an SLR. The diopter control is a large lever on the bottom of the viewfinder. Below that are two sliding switches that control the viewfinder and LCD. One sets the view to either indicate the exposure, or to optimize visibility. The other switches the view between the viewfinder and the LCD, or allows the camera to automate switching. The four buttons below that control the metering pattern, the burst/bracket mode, the self-timer and thumbnail view, and playback magnification.

The playback button is on the right side of the viewfinder assembly. Next to it and flat on the back is the secondary control dial, which functions like Canon's Quick Control dials, though the Sony incarnation has a joystick at the center. The AE lock / Trash button is above the dial, and the menu button is below it. Below all this is a speaker grill for the occasional beep sound; the camera has no microphone.

At the top of the back of the grip is an edge-on dial, in about the right spot for the user's thumb. The display information button is below that. Way down at the bottom is a switch for choosing between compact flash and memory stick storage media.

Left Side (6.5)
The left side of the R1 shows the wide, rubberized zoom ring and the narrower plastic focus ring on the lens. Behind that on the camera body is the flash button, the white balance button and the autofocus control, which consists of a rotating selector ring surrounding a large quick-focus button. The shoulder strap lug is behind that, and a rubber strip covers an accessory jack, a USB 2.0 jack, a video output and a DC power input. The side of the viewfinder hump is faintly labeled "Cyber-shot" in dark gray paint.

 

Right Side (6.0)
The resilient rubbery material wraps a little less than halfway around the grip, ending just before the large, flush media door. The door opens as the user presses and slides it back. We'd rather see a positive latch, which are typically more durable. The shoulder strap lug is built flush into the upper part of the side.

Top (5.5)
The top of the R1 reveals Sony's most significant departures from camera design orthodoxy. First, the LCD tilts and swivels from a mount on the top, over the lens and viewfinder, just behind the flash. Second, the hot shoe for a dedicated external flash sits on top of the handgrip, well to the side of the lens. The LCD placement is fine, except for the fact that the hot shoe really should be there – an off-center flash casts thick, ugly shadows to the side of the subject. Our advice is to bounce the flash.

The shutter release is pretty conventional, but large. The power switch is a ring that surrounds it. Oddly, the ISO button (not E.V. comp) is perched close to the shutter release.

Bottom (6.5)
The R1's tripod socket is a hearty, metal assembly, right on the optical axis where it belongs. The battery compartment door is on the bottom of the grip. Like the media door, it's not latched, but opens with a press and slide. Inside, a latch holds the battery in place. Again, we prefer more sturdy closures.