Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1 Review
Review based on a production Sony DSC-L1
At the tail end of August 2004 Sony announced the ultra-compact DSC-L1, a four megapixel digital camera featuring a new three times optical zoom lens which is considerably more compact than any Sony lens before it but provides a 32 mm wide (ish) angle. In many ways the DSC-L1 can be seen as a zoom version of the ultra-compact Cyber-shot U series, though it also sports a larger (1.5-inch) LCD screen and a couple of extra features. The DSC-L1 will be available in three colors / finishes (though what is available varies from region to region).
- 4.1 Megapixel (2304 x 1728 Pixels)
- 3X Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® optical zoom lens
- 1.5" hybrid LCD monitor
- Real Imaging Processor and 14Bit DXP A/D Conversion
- 5 Area Multi-Point Auto Focus
- AF (Auto Focus) Illuminator
- Multi-Pattern and spot metering
- 7 Scene modes
- Ultra-compact design (3.7 x 1.75 x 1 inch)
- Captures 640 x 480 video at up to 30 fps
Sony DSC-L1 Key specifications
| Street price | • US: $299 • UK: £180 |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Metal |
| Sensor | • 1/2.7" Sony Super HAD CCD, 4.3 million pixels • 4.06 million effective pixels |
| Image sizes | • 2304 x 1728 |
| Movie clips | • 640 x 480 pixels @ 30fps • 640 x 480 pixels @ 16fps • 160 x 112 pixels @ 8fps • MPEG1 (.MPG) • Duration limited by card capacity (streaming) |
| Lens | • Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 32 - 96mm equiv. (3x optical zoom) |
| Focus | • TTL autofocus • 5 Area Multi-Point AF or Center focus • Single/Monitor AF • 12cm closest focus (Wide), 50cm (Tele) |
| Shooting mode | • Auto |
| Sensitivity | • Auto • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 |
| White Balance | • Auto • 4 presets |
| Image parameters | • Saturation (3 levels) |
| Continuous | • Burst mode (1.1 fps, max 4 shots at 4MP) • Multi Burst mode (VGA only) |
| Flash | • Built-in flash • Auto/Forced On/Forced Off/Slow Synchro/Red Eye on/off • Range (ISO auto): 7.9" – 6.5 ft (0.2 - 2.0m) |
| Storage | • Memory Stick Duo • 16MB Memory Stick Duo supplied* |
| Viewfinder | none |
| LCD monitor | • 1.5" TFT, 78,000 pixels |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed ( • DC-IN |
| Power | • NP-FT1 Rechargeable InfoLithium® Battery • AC adapter included (in-camera charging) |
| In the box* | • NP-FT1 Rechargeable InfoLithium® Battery, |
| Other features | • Spot & Multi-pattern metering |
| Weight (inc batt) | 152 g (5.0 oz) inc media and neck strap |
| Dimensions | 95 x 44.3 x 25.7mm (3.7 x 1.75 x 1in) |
* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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