Sony DSC-V1 vs Sony DSC-F717

The specifications for the Sony DSCV1 and the Sony DSCF717 are fairly
similar and I wondered whether you would get better picture quality from the
larger F717 seeing that they are both 5MP cameras. I realise that the F717
has 5X optical zoom and that the V1 has only 4x optical zoom, but would the
larger lense of the F717 be likely to produce a noticeably sharper 6 x 4
inch picture than the V1, or would you only see an improvement with a really
big enlargement? The V1 with battery weighs only 300g, but the F717 weighs
about 700g, so I wondered whether it is really worth carting around the
heavier camera?

Regards, Rob

 

Look at the side-by-side images here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv1/page17.asp

Pay close attention to the comments about the V1's auto white
balance, color casts, and the notes about too much blue in the
reds and too much greens in the yellows. In other words it's
like the F717, only worse.

Rick

 

the lens on F717 is much faster at F/2-2.4, and it has 58mm filter thread so
you can use filters and wide/tele convertors directly.

 

Thanks Rick for this web reference. I guess the sharpness / clarity of the
pictures of the V1 and the F717 would be almost identical bearing in mind
the following quote from the review you refer to:

"The absolute resolution of all four cameras on this page is very similar,
all managed approximately 1400 lines per picture height in the horizontal
direction and 1300 lines per picture height in the vertical direction. The
Sony's managed to continue the ability to resolve detail further than Canon
or Nikon, perhaps Sony use a weaker anti-alias filter or have better
optimized demosaic algorithms."

I am not too worried about color casts, these can be amended quite readily
in a good imaging program, but the quality of the image is the main factor
IMHO.

Regards, Rob

 

I have a V1 and know several people who have F717s, I think you'll be
pleased with the images from either. Make your decision based on the size
and handling - they have *very* different ergonomics.

 

....most of the time, but sometimes only with a lot of effort. And
in a few cases not at all, at least IME with the F717. Especially
in overcast lighting, trying to restore life to images is a *major*
chore.

Rick

 

Rick wrote in part:

Thirty-five minutes until you responded. You're getting slow, Rick.