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Sony DSC-F505V Sony updates their popular DSC-F505V with a 3 megapixel sensor (2.6 million effective pixels) and all-new electronics! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Sony DSC-F505V Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & Flash Review First Posted: 06/01/2000

Exposure
The DSC-F505V offers almost exclusively automatic exposure control with the exception of flash mode selection, exposure compensation (EV) and white balance. There are, however, some program AE modes that allow you to achieve particular effects: Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, Twilight, Twilight Plus, Landscape and Panfocus. A mode dial on top of the camera designates whether you're shooting in Movie or Still mode.

Flash
The pop-up flash on the DSC-F505V covers a range from 11.9 inches to 8.3 feet (0.3 to 2.5m) with choices of Auto (no icon), Red-Eye Reduction (which we were glad to see added), Forced and Suppressed operating modes. Auto lets the camera decide when to fire the flash, based on existing lighting conditions. Red-Eye Reduction tells the camera to fire a small pre-flash before firing the full flash to reduce the Red-Eye Effect. Forced means that the flash always fires, regardless of light, and Suppressed simply means that the flash never fires. Flash intensity can be manually controlled via the record menu with choices of High, Normal and Low. The flash on the DSC-F505V appears to be color-balanced to tungsten (incandescent) lighting, as evidenced both by the yellowish filter that covers the flash window, and by the results we obtained in our own tests. Our tests supported Sony's stated maximum flash range of 8.3 feet, showing good illumination to 9 feet or more. A definite plus on the F505V model is the inclusion of an external flash connection, which greatly increases your flash photography options. (Note though, that the flash connection on the F505V is a proprietary one, requiring use of the dedicated Sony HVL-F1000 external flash unit. You could certainly slave additional external strobes to this one via an optical slave unit, but the main flash will need to be a HVL-F1000.)

Exposure Compensation (EV)
Exposure Compensation on the DSC-F505V is also controlled through the record menu, manually adjustable from -2.0 to +2.0 in 1/3 EV increments. We were very glad to see this increased exposure compensation range (the previous F505 was only adjustable from -1.5 to +1.5 in 0.5 EV increments).

White Balance
You have four white balance modes available on the DSC-F505V: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor and One-Push. Auto puts the camera in control. Indoor and Outdoor adjust for artificial (incandescent) and natural lighting, just as they sound. One-Push adjusts the white balance depending on the light source, meaning that you set the white value by placing a white sheet of paper in front of the lens. Sony suggests using the Auto setting when shooting under fluorescent lighting as opposed to the Indoor setting, for more accurate results. We found that the automatic white balance option produced the best results under normal conditions, but the One-Push option handled extreme color casts much better. (Preset white-balance features like the F505V's One-Push option also allow you to introduce deliberate color casts into your images in a very controlled fashion: Simply use an off-white target to set the One-Push white balance setting, and the subsequent shots will have a color cast opposite to that of the target. For example, a slightly yellowish One-Push target will produce a bluish cast in your final image.)

Picture Effect
The Picture Effect option in the record menu allows you to use a little creativity when composing images. Negative Art reverses the color and brightness of the image. Sepia and Black & White change the image into monochromatic tones. Solarize clarifies the light intensity of the image, making it look more like an illustration. Note that these options are "live" in record mode, so you get a preview of the effect on the LCD monitor before you snap the image.

Program AE Modes
The Program AE (AutoExposure) option under the record menu allows you to exercise a little additional control over your exposure. Aperture Priority mode lets you select an aperture value from F/2.8 to F/8.0. Shutter Priority gives you control over shutter speed while the camera chooses the aperture. Shutter speed ranges from eight to 1/1000 seconds in both NTSC and PAL modes. Twilight mode suppresses the blurring of colors on a bright subject in a dark place, allowing you to record the subject without losing the dark atmosphere of the surroundings. Twilight Plus simply takes the previous setting a little further. Landscape mode sets focus for distant subjects and Panfocus allows you to change focus on subjects quickly from close up to far away. (We confess to being rather confused by the Twilight and Panfocus modes, as the manual provided virtually no detail on their operation.)

Spot Metering
The DSC-F505V normally determines exposure by measuring the brightness of the entire image and taking an average. The spot metering option changes this to a heavily center weighted spot, useful for backlit subjects or compositions with strong contrast. Spot metering is quickly turned on and off via a button on the side of the lens.

Self-Timer
The self-timer function on the DSC-F505V gives you 10 seconds from the time the shutter button is fully pressed until the shutter fires. The timer is accessed under the record menu and a flashing LED on the front of the camera gives you countdown status.

Movies and Sound
The DSC-F505V has a few options for recording sound and movie files. Under the record menu, the Voice option allows you to record quick sound bytes to accompany a still image. To record an actual movie with sound, simply switch the mode dial to the Movie option. Movies can be recorded in preset 5, 10 and 15 second increments, based on the Record Time Set feature in the record menu. Based on the preset, recording continues as long as the shutter button is held down. The DSC-F505V gives you three image size/quality settings for movies: 320 HQ, 320x240 and 160x112. Sony notes that moving images will show up notably softer than still images. Both the self-timer and photo effects capabilities are available in Movie mode, as is the exposure compensation (EV) setting.