Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 - an 8 Megapixel model announced

Sony UK has announced a groundbreaking camera that brings a true photographic experience to the digital user. The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 features a 4-colour filter that brings the ability to reproduce colours closer to those perceived by the human eye, boasts an effective 8 megapixel resolution that Sony say will deliver for stunning digital reproduction and is the first digital still camera from Sony to feature the renowned Carl Zeiss T* lens system.

"Serious photographers need professional picture quality and with the Cyber-shot F828, Sony can deliver highly realistic colour reproduction, fine image detail, and opportunities for creativity unparalleled in the current field of consumer digital photography," said Adam Williams, Product Manager for Digital Still Cameras, Sony UK. "With the combination of innovative technology like the new 4-colour filter CCD delivering 8 effective megapixel resolution, Real Imaging Processor, Carl Zeiss T* Lens and the high data transfer rate of Memory Stick PRO, the digital photographer will really see a giant leap in picture quality, image handling and shooting speed."

Serious photography
The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 has been designed with the serious photographer in mind. To this end Sony has incorporated the very latest in CCD technology, a Super HAD CCD with a unique 4-colour filter. A world first among consumer digital still cameras, the new Sony 4-colour Super HAD CCD delivers superb colour accuracy and the ability to maintain fine tonal gradations, bringing colour reproduction closer to the visual characteristics of the human eye. In another move towards true photographic quality, the CCD has a resolution of 8 million effective pixels, capable of a maximum recording size of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels and thus ideal for even A3 prints. With the increased picture definition and colour reproduction brought by this combination of technology, tasks like photo-editing, design and creative digital imaging are sure to take on a whole new dimension of quality.

Designed by Carl Zeiss for Sony, the Vario-Sonnar T* Lens featured on the Cyber-shot
DSC-F828 is a wide angle to telephoto zoom lens with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 28mm-200mm. With a 7-iris diaphragm giving a maximum aperture of F2.0 at wide angle and F2.8 when set at telephoto, the lens on the DSC-F828 is among the brightest in the digital market. The rotating lens offers a 7x Optical Zoom with a Macro auto focus range of 20mm to 600mm and has a fully adjustable double ring for setting manual focus and zoom. Carl Zeiss T* is a highly advanced optical multi-layer coating specially designed to minimize "Ghosts" and "Flare" caused by unnecessary reflection on the lens surface. With a Carl Zeiss T* lens, the reflection rate on the DSC-F828's Vario-Sonnar lens improves by about 80 percent compared with conventional lens technology, and offers high quality sharp and natural images.

The heart of the system
The Real Imaging Processor, Sony's latest digital signal processor, is another first for this model, offering more precise, better picture quality results, higher operation speed and a lower power consumption. Among the many benefits of this highly efficient processor are shorter shooting time, faster burst shooting (interval cut by one half), near simultaneous image processing and high-speed image display (time cut by one fifth) when compared to conventional DSP (Digital Signal Processor) technology.

The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 bears all the hallmarks of traditional professional camera design. The stylish and ergonomic jet-black body with integrated "grip" handle allows both easy handling and maximum access to an extensive amount of automatic and manual controls, while the rotating lens offers great flexibility when shooting. Dedicated "Direct buttons" are situated on the back, top and side barrel of the camera, giving access to the most commonly used functions, while a Command Dial and a joystick-type Control Key allow for a high degree of fine tuning, whether you are capturing an image, setting your camera preferences or reviewing your shots. Experienced photographers will also welcome the advanced accessory shoe, the LCD panel that displays shooting information and the camera's high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF).

The EVF features a display resolution of 980x240 (235,200 dots) and optimized signal processing for high detail picture display, which in real world terms means it has 30 percent higher pixel resolution than other Sony models. This makes the task of checking and composing the subject much easier even when using the EVF, which is a key feature for a photographer.

Printing made easy
Incorporating PictBridge* technology, the Cyber-shot DSC-F828 is capable of connecting to a printer via a high speed USB 2.0 interface for direct printing without the need for a PC. In addition the camera can also be used to record non-stop high-resolution movies in VGA format using Memory Stick PRO High Speed Transfer and Sony's MPEG Movie VX Fine technology. The length of the movie is only limited by the capacity of the Memory Stick installed.

The innovations do not stop there. The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 features a dual memory slot, which not only offers high-speed transfer to Sony Memory Stick PRO but also accepts the CompactFlash format (Type I/II (MicroDrive compatible)). Images can be captured in the uncompressed RAW format, providing the high quality demanded by professionals as well and fast processing rate for optimum image turnaround and shooting speed.

The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 will be available throughout Europe in November 2003.