Sony DSC-R1

Boulders (White Wolf) - Yosemite  2007

I had the Sony DSC-R1 for a number of months in 2006-2007. What attracted me to it was the large lens—a zoom lens that was the 35mm equivalent of 24-120, and the rotating LCD, of which I’ve spoken before. But it wasn’t long before problems surfaced.

I found that JPG files from the camera were unworkable, very smeared and unpleasant. RAW files were much better, so I used those. Still, I found it odd that I had to write off the use of JPGs.

It was the camera’s weight, however, that became the biggest issue for me over time. And, the R1 was extremely clunky: the weight of the lens meant that the camera pointed down when worn hanging around the neck. Over two pounds of camera with the EVF assembly constantly poking one in the ribs is quickly tiring—at least for me. But I valued it for its 10MP sensor and the ability to compose on the (small) LCD screen. However, once Olympus announced the E-510 SLR I quickly resolved to switch, eventually selling the R1 back to B&H.

The best use that I found for the R1 was on a tripod, as in this shot taken in an oddly mosquito-less White Wolf Campground, Yosemite, June, 2007.

Photo: Tree Trunk & Boulders—Yosemite, 2007