Sony Cybershot DSC-V1 Review: 12. Features: Digital Photography Review

JPEG/TIFF Image Size & Quality

The Sony DSC-V1 provides four image size options which can be saved as Fine JPEG, Standard JPEG or TIFF format. The range of JPEG settings is less than other manufacturers but sufficient none the less, I don't know anyone who would compromise image quality so much as to use the very high compression ratios offered by other manufacturers. Sony splits the selection of JPEG compression and image size into two separate menus, the later of which has a dedicated button on the rear of the camera. Interestingly the DSC-V1 is the only camera of the three we are reviewing in this batch (Canon G5, Sony V1 & Nikon 5400) that offers a three megapixel image size, the other two jump down from five to two megapixels.

Standard Test Scene

To give an impression of what some of the combinations of image size and quality produce the table below is a cross reference of some of them:

2592 x 1944 TIFF
2592 x 1944 Fine
2592 x 1944 Standard
2048 x 1536 Fine
1024 x 768 Fine
640 x 480 Fine

Images below are cropped 240 x 100 area of the image magnified 200% (nearest neighbour).

	2592 x 1944
TIFF	14,765 KB TIFF + 2,216 KB JPEG - not available for download
Fine JPEG	2,208 KB
Std. JPEG	1,233 KB

	2048 x 1536
Fine JPEG	1,435 KB

	1280 x 960
Fine JPEG	610 KB

	640 x 480
Fine JPEG	148 KB

The DSC-V1's five megapixel JPEG Fine image is artifact free and with no loss of detail compared to the TIFF image. Step up the compression (Standard JPEG) and there are some subtle hints of artifacts as well as a slight decrease in detail (some blurring of flat areas). Lower resolution images look very good thanks to both high quality JPEG and interpolation algorithms.

Image Parameters

Rejoice all ye Sony owners! For at least two generations of Sony digital cameras we have begged Sony to add color saturation control to their cameras (mostly because Sony's interpretation of the color of the world tends to be a bit more vivid than most of us). With the advent of the DSC-V1 they have finally delivered. The V1 now provides control over contrast, saturation and sharpening. That said I must still request an additional improvement, that we are given more latitude of control over these parameters, perhaps +/-3 levels of adjustment.