Photographer Gordon Laing of Digicam Labs is again with one other version of his retrospective “Retro Evaluate” video collection. This time, Laing focuses on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC F505, a consumer-oriented digital digicam launched 24 years in the past.
The classic F505 sports activities a definite L-shaped look, with its physique cut up into two halves. One half contains the Lens, picture sensor, and a few digicam controls. The opposite half contains the display screen, battery, card, and first controls.
At its launch in 1999, the $1,100 Cyber-shot digicam’s 2.1-megapixel picture sensor was comparatively sturdy. The sensor is paired with a Carl Zeiss-branded 5x optical zoom lens. As a result of digicam’s rotating physique design, it was attainable to flip the principle digicam physique up so photographers may extra simply shoot at waist stage. It was a intelligent various to at present’s well-liked tilting rear shows. The F505 may even rotate within the different course, permitting simpler capturing when holding the digicam above the top.
The F505’s built-in lens affords an equal 38-190mm zoom vary, which is comparatively lengthy at each ends of the zoom. Laing notes that solely a number of the F505’s up to date rivals began at a a lot wider focal size, which does little to minimize the frustration in 2023 when virtually each all-in-one digicam affords a wide-angle focal size. As Laing reveals, the F505’s zoom rocker swap delivers impressively clean management over the digicam’s zoom. The lens stays vibrant all through its vary, starting from f/2.8 to f/3.4.
Alongside the lens barrel are buttons for macro mode, white stability, spot metering, and a swap to swap between autofocus and handbook focus. Atop the lens sits a pop-up flash. As Laing observes, the underside of the lens features a tripod thread, which is cleverly positioned beneath the optical axis, permitting free motion of the rear digicam physique part whereas mounted.
The F505 lacks a viewfinder, leaving the digicam’s two-inch show as the one technique of composition. The display screen makes use of a “transflective Hybrid panel which might both replicate ambient mild to avoid wasting energy or swap to a standard backlight beneath dimmer circumstances,” says Laing. The panel will be wonderful in the precise mild however difficult to see in different circumstances.
Returning to the picture sensor, the F505 makes use of a 2.1-megapixel half-inch sort charge-coupled machine (CCD) picture sensor. The ensuing 1600 x 1200 decision appears paltry at present however was affordable in 1999, particularly given excessive storage prices on the time.
The F505 additionally information video, enabled with a nonetheless/film swap. Video efficiency is abysmal, with decision starting from 160 x 112 to 320 x 240 at 15 frames per second for as much as 15 seconds. It’s attainable to document on the decrease decision for a full minute, assuming the person retains the shutter launch depressed. Regardless that the video specs are laughable at present, the truth that the F505 information audio alongside the video, and permits for comparatively quiet optical zoom throughout recording, units it aside from its rivals.
Like lots of Sony’s cameras, the F505 information to proprietary reminiscence — Sony’s new-at-the-time Reminiscence Stick format. Sony bundled its F505 digicam with a “meager 4MB card, good for round eight photographs utilizing the highest quality settings,” says Laing. “Thanks for that.”
Combining a brand new proprietary format and a lackluster bundle didn’t win many favors.
The digicam is powered by an NP-FS11 InfoLithium battery, which tells the person what number of minutes are remaining — a intelligent characteristic. The F505 features a proprietary USB plug, for some cause, however the digicam did ship with a cable to attach the digicam to a pc.
“I’m not ashamed to confess I liked the F505 after I initially reviewed it again in 1999, and my emotions haven’t modified at present,” remarks Laing. “Like many within the F collection earlier than and after, it represented Sony’s design and engineering groups on the high of their recreation, not afraid to experiment however delivering merchandise that have been surprisingly intuitive to make use of.”
Laing discovered his used mannequin for a mere £15, or about $18 — cash properly spent.
Laing’s full written evaluation on Digicam Labs contains further pattern photographs, plus an in-depth comparability with just a few of Sony’s different F-series cameras, together with the controversial F505 successor, the F505v. Further digicam and tech-related movies can be found on Laing’s YouTube channel, DinoBytes.
Picture credit: Gordon Laing
