First, I will start with a general overview.
Construction.
Apart from the fact that it took me about 30 mins to put the strap on,
(could be my lack of dexterity) I am extremely pleased with the quality of the construction.
Of course, it does not really come close to a DSLR, but for the money and for the type of camera it is, I can feel there is definitely some solidity.
It feels like a camera, not some plastic toy. I have found that the controls function well and crisply, no problem understanding that you have moved the selector dial.
I read that some felt the on / off switch was a bit imprecise, but I haven't found it so.
The menu and other buttons are pretty responsive and feel well made.
The tilting LCD is very useful and having the EVF (920K-dot) to use when the screen image is not so clear due to bright sun, is really convenient.
The LCD screen cannot be adjusted to twist toward the front of the camera but I think that this is not a major failing. In fact in the long run it might be a good thing as the LCD that can be twisted to all sorts of angles can suffer from mechanical
issues after too much use. I don't get the impression that this will be a problem with the LCD screen on the SL1000. It feels well constructed and moves with a solid feel, not flimsy.
Some reviews I read felt there were some shortcomings with the menu display
but I find it easy to navigate and given that the screen is nice and big
( high resolution (920K-dot) Tilting LCD)and even with my failing eyesight I have no trouble reading or finding the different options on the menu.
The lens cap comes with a hole in it to attach a small strap and then you
can attach it to the camera to avoid losing it but in practice this was not such a good move.
The lens cap dangles down and gets in the way and if it is windy it blows around and is really annoying. I took it off. Now I use a camera case made for this camera that has a small pocket on the front. I put the lens cap in here now. Much better.
ZOOM
I have been working the zoom to try it out in different locations
So far it has been pretty responsive. I like the fact that there is a
zoom control on the lens itself. It allows tilting the camera as well as
having access to the shutter button all time so it is possible to get that photo
you want just that little bit quicker.
I found that there was a little lag in focusing when zooming in and out rapidly, especially using the video, but nothing that can't be factored in to the use
and it is easily controlled.
Update June 22..took some moon pictures
 |
| The Moon |
This one is using SP mode night view
setting - 50X zoom - no tripod
I think that the image stabiliser works really well
especially as can be seen in the case of the moon
picture above. Hand held!
Image quality
I have used the camera mainly on auto mode just to see what it can do.
I felt that the colour was a little warm for me.
Example
This was taken in fairly low light conditions.
EXIF data below
Videos
Just great. I really can't fault the quality. I have made most videos using the
HD 1280 x 720 60 fps setting.
Playback on my computer is really clear and like watching the actual scene.
Sound quality does leave something to be desired but with the price of the camera can't complain. I guess having the possibility of using an additional mike would be good but for most people the inbuilt mike is going to be quite adequate.
Summary
So far I am very satisfied with the camera.
I haven't had time to test all the different functions but those I have
work well.
BTW you can see it in action at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLyTeBn6zA
if you like.
( There is no connection between me and the reviewers on this video)
