Sony DSC-F828 8MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Zoom | 
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| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,049.95
Buy Used: $549.99
You Save: $499.96 (48%)
Used (5) from $549.99
Rating:  100 reviews
Sales Rank: 13758
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Optical Zoom: 7
Display Size: 1.8
Maximum Focal Length: 51
Minimum Focal Length: 7.1
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 7
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 7.6 x 7.1
MPN: DSCF828
Model: DSCF828
UPC: 027242634237
EAN: 0027242634237
ASIN: B0000C8817
Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days
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| Features:
| • | 8-megapixel 4-color Super HAD CCD captures enough detail to make 22x16-inch prints | | • | 7x optical zoom with a Carl Zeiss T* lens system (28 - 200mm, 35mm equivalent); 14x precision digital zoom | | • | Captures images in both raw and TIFF modes; MPEG movie; advanced accessory shoe | | • | Stores images on either Sony Memory Stick media or Microdrive | | • | Powered by InfoLithium M battery (included with AC adapter/in-camera charger) |
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Product Description
Representing the next level of digital still photography, Sony's DSC-F828 Cyber-shot Camera is the first to incorporate four-color filter CCD technology and a Real Imaging Processor. These new components are integral in capturing color accuracy closest to what the human eye can see, setting a new benchmark in camera performance. The new (RGB+E) filter adds an emerald-colored pixel to the filter pattern, realizing color fidelity that is closer to human color perception. Photographers will notice an extraordinarily life-like rendering of blue, blue-green and red hues.The Real Imaging Processor delivers increased speed with lower power consumption, enabling the F828 to capture an eight-megapixel image in almost half the time required by typical five-megapixel cameras! New manual controls, coupled with Carl Zeiss T optics, gives advanced photographers a broader range of mechanisms to determine focus, exposure and recording modes. Images can be stored onto CompactFlash Type I and Type II media, as well as a Microdrive hard disk drive or Memory Stick PRO media. The Cyber-shot F828 truly embodies a premier imaging experience.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 95 more reviews...
 Had this since it hit the market September 25, 2007
...and I upgraded to the Sony R1 when that came out. While the R1 have me better image quality, I always miss the F828. I still do. As I look for my next camera, planning to a dslr, I still pine for a perfect version of an F828. Basically that would be a larger info chip to make the image noise not so much an issue. And, yeah, upgraded MP would be nice. What I love about the F828 is its flexibility. Versatility. It's macro function is amazing. That's probably what I missed the most going to the R1 (I kept the F828 with me on certain shoots just to give me the option to move in closer). It is just an easy camera to get comfortable with. Very light weight. Swivel screen is great. Great performance with image quality that quickly deteriorates as soon as you push it.
 Sony f828 is a classic design. Functional and attractive at the same time. April 2, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought the Sony f828 second hand 2 months ago for SGD$650, which is about USD$430ish. I fell in love with it the first time I held it when it first came out, but it was way too expensive. Now it is mine!
The f828 has come down in price, yet it remains very competitive in terms of appearance, features and results.
All this previous brouhaha about "purple fringing" and "excessive graininess" was, in technical jargon, a load of bulldust.
Perhaps one of the reasons people had criticisms about it was it's high price. If it had been originally priced 35% cheaper, in line with it's other prosumer contemporaries, maybe it would have fared better reviewise. But then again, Sony has always priced itself higher than other brands.
Back to the present though. I've taken about 150 shots and I find it is an immensely versatile camera.
It takes two types of memory cards (I have a 1GB Compact Flash and 2 GB Sony Mem Stick Duo primed and loaded), it has a gorgeous lens which focuses mega fast and has a very useful zoom range from wide angle 28mm to 200mm. This is far more versatile than the f828 replacement, the R1. In addition, I love having shutter speed control, manual zoom and focus, manual flash and tilting the handgrip so you dont have to hold the LCD screen near your eyes like a dork.
The photos arent bad either. Sony has always had excellent colour and this is no different. I admit that it is not as perfect as a dSLR (I had a Canon 350d prior to this. Pic quality was awesome) but since i rarely print photos, this is not an issue. I usually store pics on computer, burning them onto VCD as backup. If I want to share, I post them online. A lot more "modern" people do that than people realise. Not everyone wants to print hundreds of photos which are the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
Are there any gripes?
A larger LCD screen might be nicer, though I really have no problems with the 1.8 inch one provided. Current digi cameras all have 2.5 inch though.
As one reviewer mentioned, it does get a bit heavy if you carry it around for hours on end.
The instruction manual could use some improvement. There were a couple of times it would say something like "press the blah blah button to use the blah blah feature" without actually specifying where the button was, or how to find the controls for the feature.
But overall I like the f828. At it's current second hand price, there is no digi camera which has it's features, and you have to pay a lot more to get superior features plus picture quality. The Panasonic FZ-50 has double the zoom range, but no wide angle and some people still think it has issues with grain. A dSLR with a useable 28-200mm lens costs triple or quadruple the price. (eg a Nikon dSLR with a Nikon 28-200mm lens)
I hope some people find my opinion of some use :) Cheers!
A workhorse March 20, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I use this camera extensively for field work, and I work for an engineering company. I travel a lot so I lug this beast through airports and rental cars -- I would not do that if it wasn't worth it!
This is the Swiss army knife of cameras. Over the years I've owned it I've added the remote commander (release cable), a pocket tripod, external flash, and macro lense. Also an extra battery (I sometimes shoot for hours in the field and take hundreds of photographs, so an extra battery is handy.) But all this stuff (including the charger & manual) fits into a regular-sized SLR camera bag, so essentially I have a full studio in one little camera bag. I've used the movie mode to shoot digital video of street conditions and traffic operations (I strapped it to a bicycle once to record bike commuting conditions) in addition to the still mode. The camera works great for portaits, landscape shoots, long exposures, indoor photos of public meetings -- you name it, the camera can do it. Enlargements from 8 MP are better than anything I've ever gotten with 35 mm and I put them right up there with photos from my Rolleiflex medium format camera (I've had them both done for comparison, and they both looked great -- different from each other, but great.)
Downsides? Well, it is heavy, but I've tried using the tiny cameras as well and they just don't cut it for me. I'm too spoiled by the infinite possiblities of this camera.
Purple fringing -- not an issue. I've seen it a few times, but it's never of any consequence. I've also seen it on 35mm slr pictures -- I think it's an artifact of particular lighting conditions with particular lense settings. Big whoop.
High ISO Noise: I only go above 100 ISO if I absolutely have to, and if I have to go above 200 ISO, I reset to 64 ISO and just use the flash. The 400 and 800 ISO settings are about useless in my experience -- there is tons of noise. You can clean the noise up, but when the noise to picture ratio is so high, I find that the cleaned pictures have a definite "soft" look to them. That's going to be good occasionally, but not generally. For very low-light situations without a flash, I prefer to revert to 400 ISO film. This is the major shortcoming of this camera, in my opinion.
Durability -- let's talk. I've had the camera sent off for repair once, after about two years of very heavy use (including getting dumped out of a bag into the sand while working in a Katrina rebuild job, and being strapped to a bicycle :-) The mode dial switch on top got squirrelly, and two screws worked loose and disappeared out of the lense barrel. So I bought a slightly larger bag (to keep the mode dial from getting bumped in the bag), I routinely check the tension on the barrel screws (they get loose occasionally) and I'm more careful about where I leave the camera. I consider the camera very resilient for the type of conditions I put it through. Will it last 50 years like my Rolleiflex? I doubt it. Will it last longer than other digicams? It's already outlived two of my wife's Nikons. I think it's going to be around a while. I would not be surprised if the camera outlived the digital storage media available for it.
What I love about it: I love the completely silent operation -- great for candids and taking pictures during public meetings, photos at family events, etc.
The rotating back is great for the same reason -- you can shoot and no one even realizes you're doing it. I've really come to love waist level shooting.
Complete manual control -- let's me do everything I can do with my K1000 (except for infinite bulb control.)
Infrared mode -- produces neat infrared photos with a filter, that in turn make cool B&W pictures.
And the lense -- what's not to like about a HUGE Zeiss lens? Manual zoom control -- yes, the only way, feels like a real camera and not a toy. And no annoying "whirrr" when I zoom in and out.
I could go on, but those are my favorites. This camera is as big as a horse, as far as digital cameras go, but it's a work horse, and it definitely pulls its weight. Not a camera for the faint-of-heart, but an excellent do-it-all digicam.
Almost A DSLR * Almost Perfekt December 8, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
My company is primarily marketing, graphics and promotion; not a photo studio. But it's a significant, additional in-house service we provide. This met my particular needs for an upgrade from the F707...and, yes, I wrestled with the same issues people have mentioned here. So, this is a pretty detailed, often technical evaluation:
ALL-IN-ONE VS. DSLR:
*SLR mirror noise is intrusive in many of my shooting situations, i.e., arts events, rehearsals,
*I don't need to carry the additional weight of extra lenses at live events,
*Dealing with sensor dust could ruin my client's day.
8MP NOISE:
*Unavoidable with that many sensors on a 2/3" chip. I shoot ISO64-100, 200 if necessary. I can always clean it up with Noise Ninja if required. I'll take the extra detail.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION (CA)/PURPLE FRINGING:
*Unavoidable in digital cameras (that purple border around light sources such as bulbs, sun reflections). Pretty bad in this camera.
*Solution: I post almost everything anyway. Photoshop CS fix with judicious use of the sponge tool is easy. Lots of solutions posted online.
ALTERNATIVE CAMERAS?
*Canon Powershot Pro1 was the only other competitor for me. But, had no live histogram, nonexistent low-light AF, and half the battery life of the F828. Nikon (8700) lens disappointing @ only 35mm equiv. wide, proprietary front filter mount. Olympus performance was dismal.
*Sony R1 (10MP): MUCH bigger sensor/less noise. But, R1's 120mm zoom equivalent couldn't match the F828's 200mm (f2.8 vs. f2.0 wasn't an issue, considering sensitivity of different chips). R1 front filter is 67mm vs. 58mm on the F828, meaning fewer and/or more expensive accessory lens options for the R1 - except heavy, expensive proprietary Sony adapters. Disliked the top-mounted LCD on the R1.
WHY THE F828 WORKS FOR ME:
*Immaculate Zeiss lens,
*Manual zoom,
*Same (now) classic Sony swivel body for easy overhead/ground shots...solid, solid, solid,
*Fast hologram AF,
*Speed or framing (yes!) burst, bracket exp,
*RGBe sensor solves the problem of overblown reds in previous models, excellent depth,
*Expanded, though still easy, menu navigation/thumbwheel/joystick,
*Both CFII media (I use 5GB) & Memory Stick (faster..I use ProDuo 2GB),
*Compatable with standard 58mm thread accessories (filters, adapters, etc.),
*Simplified single button delete on review or PB.
And a note on Sony proprietary flash (i.e., the HVL-F32X):
I use the Promaster DX5500 which may be the only other hotshoe mount that talks to the Sony. The advantage is x-axis rotation - which the Sony doesn't have - particularly useful in bounce flash situations.
In short, the issue of whether this is a good product or not is moot. Like "JohnBoy" Shultz (see below) would probably say, "It's a Sony!"
It's a matter of whether it meets the user's needs. You're probably reading this because you're smart enough to research your puchases and evaluate a product based on your abilities and requirements. Despite a few shortcomings, I've found this an excellent "best of both worlds" choice.
All-in-One Tool December 5, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just for taking photographs, the Sony 828 is the third best camera I own. But the other cameras do not do nearly as well focusing in low light (where the Sony uses a matrix of lasers) nor do they take short movies like the Sony will for those situations in which you want more than a photo. I can certainly go out and create purple fringing with this camera. And it overall is not as sharp as my others. Nor will it adapt itself by accepting alternative lenses. But it will consistently get excellent shots under non-extreme conditions. And if you need to get a short talkie, this is the only camera in this range that will do it.
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