2. Handling: Mostly Good!

• Cyber-shot DSC-R1...
• • Usa-Camera-Outlet
  • $975.00

The R1, then, is a "big" camera, and fairly heavy, but its handling is excellent. The handgrip, on the right, leaves lots of room for your fingers, and the other hand falls naturally on the mechanical-zoom ring, as on an SLR, providing good stability. The essential controls sit nicely under your fingers, though the placement of certain controls on the left side, outside the user's line of vision, is not a great idea. SLRs have space to the left of the viewfinder prism for controls to be placed where they're easy to see. On the other hand, the two command wheels, accessible with the right thumb, are an excellent feature, as the index finger doesn't have to leave the shutter release. Overall, this camera handles very nicely.

The organization of the menus is a bit peculiar. Basic adjustments are accessible via horizontal navigation toward the left using the joystick - in the center of the second command wheel - while the configuration menus are more standard, and are on the right. It's a fairly practical approach, though two separate access buttons would have been preferable. Certain essential functions, such as ISO sensitivity and white balance, have their own buttons for direct access.

Access to adjustments is via a series of icons at the bottom of the display.

Sony offers a system for optimization of contrast called Advanced Gradation Control System.

The saturation adjustment is standard.

You have a choice of three color spaces, but for ordinary use it's best to stick with "Standard"!

You can take black-and-white pictures directly, but you'll get better results by processing the color image...