Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F717Sony updates their already-impressive five megapixel F707, with improved user controls, better color, amazing white balance performance, and an external flash hot shoe!<<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & InterfaceReview First Posted: 9/2/2002 |
Image Storage
and Interface
The F717 uses the proprietary Sony Memory Stick format for image storage. A 16MB
Memory Stick is supplied with the camera and cards are currently available up
to 128MB. (Rumors are that sizes as large as 1 GB will be available by the end
of 2002.) Individual images can be write-protected from accidental erasure (except
through card formatting) via the Protect option under the Playback settings menu.
Individual write-protection also prevents the image from being rotated, but does
permit resizing and trimming, since those operations don't disturb the original
image, but rather make a new copy. The entire Memory Stick can be write-protected
by sliding the lock switch on the stick into the locked position, which also guards
against the stick being reformatted.
A new feature with the F717 is the ability to set up individual folders on the
Memory Stick. You can thus manage images by folder and choose where images will
be recorded. This could be handy if you wanted to organize your photos by events,
date, etc. (This will likely become a larger issue as memory stick capacity increases
in the future.)
The F717's LCD monitor reports storage information in the detailed information
display, including the current number of images captured, how many additional
images can be stored (based on current image resolution and quality settings),
while a small graphic shows you approximately how much space is left on the Memory
Stick. (In Movie mode, the camera reports the available recording time remaining.)
Through the Playback settings menu, you can designate whether the camera numbers
each image sequentially (from one Memory Stick to the next), or restarts file
numbering with each new Memory Stick inserted. The Playback menu also offers a
Resize option, as well as a Rotate tool. The camera's Digital Print Option Format
(DPOF) compatibility allows you to mark specific images for printing on a DPOF-compatible
printer. Through the Setup menu, you can decide whether or not to print the date
and / or time on the image as well.
Image Size options include 2,560 x 1,920; 2,560 (3:2); 2,048 x 1,536; 1,280 x
960; 640 x 480; and 320 x 240 pixels (E-Mail recording option). Movie file sizes
are 320 (HQ), 320 x 240, and 160 x 112 pixels for MPEG Movies, or 160 x 120 and
80 x 72pixels for Clip Motion files. In addition to the uncompressed TIFF file
format, the F717 offers both Fine and Standard JPEG compression levels, and a
GIF option for the Clip Motion recording mode.
The table below shows the approximate still image capacities and compression ratios
for a 16MB Memory Stick (main resolution sizes):
|
Resolution/Quality |
|
|
|
|
| Highest Resolution 2560 x 1920 |
Images (Size) |
6 2.6 MB |
1.3 MB |
|
| Approx. Compression |
6:1 |
|
14.7 MB |
|
| High Resolution 2048 x 1536 |
Images (Size) |
1.6 MB |
865 KB |
|
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
1280 x 960 |
Images (Size) |
634 KB |
342 KB |
|
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
Resolution 640 x 480 |
Images (Size) |
162 KB |
65 KB |
|
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
(Some perceptive readers may wonder why the F717 can only fit one TIFF
image on a 32MB card, given that the TIFF file is only14.7 MB, and therefore
less than half the size of the card's capacity. The reason is that Sony's
TIFF modes always save a standard large/fine JPEG file along with the TIFF,
which in the case of the F717 takes up about another 2.6 MB. The combination
of the two files amounts to about 17.3 MB, and so only one will fit on the
included 32 MB card.)
As mentioned earlier, the F717's movie recording is limited only by the available
memory space on the card. Here's a brief table, showing the amount of recording
time available in each of it's MPEG movie modes, with a 32 MB card (as included
with the camera) and with the 128 MB size that is the largest currently available
(early September, 2002).
|
Recording Time |
|
|
| 320 HQX | 1m 28s |
|
| 320 x 240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The F717 is also accompanied by a USB cable for quick connection to a PC or Macintosh computer, as well as a software CD containing interface software and USB drivers. The USB connection supports both USB 1.0 and 2.0. Data transfer is very fast: I clocked a download of a 7,353 KB file at 11.3 seconds, a transfer rate of 651 KB/second. This is about as fast as I've measured on any USB-connected camera, but in fact the transfer rate was most likely limited by my 500 MHz PowerMac's USB 1.0 connection, more so than by the camera itself.
Lost Images? - Download this image-recovery program so you'll
have it when you need it...
Since we're talking about memory and image storage, this would be a good time
to mention the following: I get a ton of email from readers who've lost photos
due to a corrupted memory card. It's tragic when it happens, there are few
things more precious than photo memories. Corrupted memory cards can happen
with any card type and any camera manufacturer, nobody's immune. "Stuff
happens," as they say. A surprising number of "lost" images
can be recovered with an inexpensive, easy to use piece of software though.
Given the amount of email I've gotten on the topic, I now include this paragraph
in all my digicam reviews. The program you need is called PhotoRescue, by
DataRescue SA. Read our review of it if you'd like, but download the program now,
so you'll have it. It doesn't cost a penny until you need it, and even then
it's only $29, with a money back guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for
Windows or PhotoRescue for
Mac while you're thinking of it. (While you're at it, download the
PDF manual and quickstart
guide as well.) Stash the file in a safe place and it'll be there when you
need it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when...
PhotoRescue is about the best and easiest tool for recovering digital
photos I've seen. (Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of
the product, but I'd highly recommend the program even if we didn't.)
OK, now back to our regularly scheduled review...
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