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I love this camera. Once you learn the different shooting modes and features you'll be taking pro-quality shots. The night-framing feature is excellent for nighttime without the overbright characteristics of using just the flash. You can take roughly 300 pictures using a 1 gig compact flash card at 3264x2448 (highest resolution).

I also purchased this with the Sony accessory kit. The extra battery, multi-coat protector lens, and carrying bag have been very useful from the start.

Considering my old Sony F505v lasted me 5 years this one will probably last at least 10 more! A decade worth of high resolution memories is worth the price of admission!

I have owned my 828 about a year now and I have been amazed at the bashing this camera has and still does take. Even to the point of 828 online clubs devoted to the pictures and defense of this amazing camera! And yes this camera is amazing. As I have stated in my other reviews I sell cameras for BestBuy as well as work as a professional photographer so I will give you the straight and narrow on this camera. Ready? The fringe thing-I have taken about 2000 pictures with my 828 and in only one of them was I able to reproduce the famed purple fringing effect, this was using a long shutter exsposure on a city street at night, 1999 other shots in as many situations and not a trace. I even tried pointing the camera directly at the lights in the the bestbuy store (you know what those look like!) and guess what? "Nada" I just got a great picture of the bestbuy ceiling. So the conclusion on fringe? Get over it, it is such a rare occurance that it hardly warrants concearn. Noise: here is where a tend to agree with most critics your pics will get mad noisy at the 800 ISO setting, but few digital cameras wont, hell even Canon's 20D starts losing luster at a 800 ISO setting and that camera will go all the way upto 3200!! So turn down the ISO and take your pictures or learn to use photoshop or something and fix them. I mean this is a DIGITAL camera right? The thing these bozos don't tell you is that removing ISO noise from an image is an extremely easy thing to do, again, get over it. Having addressed the two main gripes about the 828 what are you left with? Lets start with the four color CCD. I have said this before and I'm saying it now: The 828 has the best color of ANY digital camera out there today! If your into outdoor pics, close ups, night shots (turn that ISO down) your pictures and thier color will be amazing! By the way touching on low light pics and the 828, I do alot of long exsposure shots with the 828 and they are always top notch! Battery life on the 828 is an impressive 240-300 minutes on a full charge! (no kidding)The Lense- the biggest part of the camera and the biggest attraction if you like focusing your camera yourself (with a little digital help). The lense is a Ziess made with little to no barrel distortion (flower lense hood is included! BONUS!!) and quite versitile as far as the focal ranges it will cover, this also brings me to the cameras construction, this baby is heavy but damn! it sure feels good! The 828 is the 2nd largest in its class, so if your into pocket toys you best be looking at Casio or HP cameras (sorry that was mean) The 828 is really a SLR camera with a lense on it you can't take off. End of story. The body reminds me of my Sony F-707 wich I loved ( probably the best 5MP camera ever made) The tilting body is a Godsend for the pro and joe shmoe alike! The eye piece is among the best out there and id diopter adjustable, the LCD screen is a little small 1.8 inches but is extrememly clear and sharp so it works for me. The 828 like its little brother the V3 shoots on Memory stick as well as Compact flash type I & II, and unlike the V3 the 828 can use micro-drives (I have a 4 gig in mine) All the controls on the camera are well placed and easy to master even for the beginner. However I found i got slightly better pictures in the "P" mode than in full auto, but a novice should always start in the auto mode. The 828 boasts the same range of shutter speeds and apatures as the DSC-V3 (see my review) wich as I have said before I think is a sane selection of ranges! All your options are useable so play, play, play!! The scene modes are pretty run of the mill: Landscape, night shot, low light portrait, snow, tropical sun, and candle light. The white balancing features are pretty dead bang but watch out for the blues- I leave mine set to auto unless im shooting outside then I'm pretty safe. Sonys X-32 flash and this camera are a match made in heaven but thanks to the ACC port your old one will work too, but I can't stress enough the benefit of Sony's. Sony still has the on board crop feature. (other cameras do this but only Sony lets you determine the resolution of the cropped image!I have just barely touched on the features and capabilities of this camera ( I don't want to use up all of amazons web space) so let me leave you with these thoughts. Currently I own and run the following digital cameras: F-828, DSC-V3, Nikon 8700, and the Nikon 8800, all four of these are eceptionally high rated cameras, out of all the 828 remains my right hand camera. I will say in all honestly this is not an easy camera to use, It will make you think about your shots, make you work for them. This is NOT a point and shoot camera, it was never meant to be (people who love this camera will tell you this) So why all the bad press? Well, with this camera Sony made an awful lot of professionals toys run of the mill, this camera broke down alot of technology barriers (still does in fact)So alot of people went on the offensive looking for the fly in the ointment, wich can be found with any camera on the market today. So why the fuss? this is a genuine technology breakthru people, the real deal, and there ain't no going back. I apologize for the lack of technical data in this review I love this damn camera so much I tend to spend more time defending it than specing it out! But the proof is in the pictures so with that I'll rest my case. Because the strongest feature of the 828 is the most important one "the pictures are fantastic!!" If you want an easy to use camera, move on. If you like to fuss with things and tinker or play with your camera, have fun with your camera, create with your camera then add this puppy to your shopping cart. cause this is your beast.I have heard Sony is working on a successor to the 828 I can only hope it is half the camera! Bottom line... don't believe the hype or sour grapes folks this is the state-of-the art and has been for nearly 2 years. Thanks for reading, good luck in pictures!!

At first, the F828 is very impressive. It can take huge pictures. You can take some really awesome pictures with this but it also limits you in a way that a camera that costs $800-$1000 should not.

Problems :
- Noise gets way too noticable, even on ISOs above 100 or 200.
- Flash is way over over-powered, even at the lowest setting, 90% of the time, people still get really washed out.
- In almost any reflective or bright surfaces in pictures - the camera will create "Purple Fringe" - I cannot stand having a bunch of purple where it doesn't belong.

That being said - I have taken many excellent pictures with this camera, but I think this ended up being more a learning tool than a camera I could count on to take excellent pictures always. I personally no longer like Sony as a result of me owning and using this camera.

I recommend Canon - the 300D or the 350D(the XT) or if you're willing to save up more money, the 20D. A huge line of lenses and acceccories that you can count on not to create a big blob of purple on a jacket zipper.

I got this camera in November 04, and have had lots of time to play with it. I have got some great shots with it. I am far from being a pro, but who knows! Maybe after I learn all of the settings and what they all do, I will look like a pro!
I recommend this product to anyone that is looking for a great camera with lots of features for taking some great photos.

I have been using the F828 for about 2 months and have taken over 1,000 pictures. I do not use the auto mode, and take most pictures in program mode, but I use A,S, and M modes also. I definitely experience chromatic aberrations, usually purple fringe, but sometimes other bubbles and flashes of colored light. It's obvious to me, but people looking at 4X6 prints normally wouldn't notice it. On larger prints however, it would be obvious. It is fairly easily corrected using Adobe Photoshop. I've had maybe 6 shots where the aberration was so bad it was uncorrectable. Despite this problem, I enjoy using the camera. With a little practice, it's very easy to make adjustments; WB, flash, OEV, auto focus method, etc.

Just upgraded to the F828 from the DSC-S85. Maybe I am used to the Sony menu and how everything works. Right from the box this camera is sweet. Fast shutter and great color! I looked at this camera and the Canon Rebel xt and Nikon equivalent. Glad I went with Sony!

I started off, like most people, with a 35mm pocket camera. The 35mm produced 2 or 3 pictures I could live with however, it takes more than an hour to see the results. I changed to the 24mm Advantex system and was pleased with most of the photos shot, an hour or so later.

I allways wanted a relly good camera and decided to up-grade to a digital. I did not want to drop good money into the unknowen so, I started a month long reserch for the perfect camera for me. I have read more than a hundred reviews from everywhere before it lead me to one model; Sony F828. For the price, the Sony offers the widest range of functionality and versatility in its class.

This is the first digital camera I have ever owned and it took no time for me to learn to use it well, but it did take work. Most of the Sony features are right at your fingertips. Other, less traveled features, are only an easy-to-read menu away. Once you learn the menus and settings on the F828, you can use other Sony cameras (DSC P75,100,150)that have the same system.

The Sony F828 has good video and ok sound, too. I was going to buy a video camera from Sony next. After useing The F828, I abandond the idea. This camera is memory hungry in video mode if you want to shoot for any length of time. The camera offers three video qulity levels; 160, 640 standard and 640 fine. With a 512 memory stick, I can shoot 22 minutes of video and sound on standard. If set on 640 fine, the time is about 5 minutes. I bought a 4GB Micro Drive and I am now able to shoot video past the battery life and thousnds of photos.

A note about accessories: Buy a good flash for when the need arises. Do not wast your money on macro add ons or a telephoto doubler. I have thease items and am not happy. The macro built onto the camera is excellent. The built on 200mm zoom is great. The 2x doubler lowers the qulity of the photo and confuses the auto focuse. If you want a lense accessory, a wide angle lense is the better choice.

Draw backs on the Sony F828: It is not as mobile as my pocket camera and a bit heavy. Unless you plan to blow up photos and need the advanced features this camera delivers, I would recomend another camera. The Sony DSC P-100 or P-150 is a good start. My second camera is a P-100 and it is out of this world.

If you do deside on the F828, stand back, your in for a great photo experiance. Remember this. The most expensive camera you can buy, is the one that sits in your closet...Walt

This is a great little camera for folks who want hi quality photos and video capability in one camera. I got one when they were first released and thoroughly enjoyed it until I tried the Canon 10D SLR Digital. Now I have two 10D cameras. I use the F828 as a back-up video cam or carry it in my pack when I don't want the extra weight of the 10D. My main reasons for preferring the 10D are: quicker manual adjustments, more intuitive feel, better photos, multiple lens options, great tech support. If I could only have one camera, and wanted to take photos and vids, I would choose the F828. Otherwise I would go with the Canon 10D or 20D and get a stand-alone video cam.

I was on the process to buy a high-end digital camera.. So I started to look on the internet for my options. Finally it came down to the SONY 828 vs. the canon digital rebel. I finally made my decision to buy the Sony and boy , am I glad that I did that , not only it is an awesome camera for my needs but also it is a piece of beauty ... I will recommend it to any beginner who would like to jump on the pro-wagon .

I purchased the Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 for my wife, and she is writing this review:

We received the Sony F828 in record time, great service from Amazon! I read the manual and experimented with the basic features and read of some of the more advanced features. We left for an 18-day vacation soon after, and the camera got a 3,500-plus photo workout. This included multi burst shots of jet ski races in Pahrump, NV; amazing shots of stalactites and stalagmites using the NightFraming feature in Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park; magical sunrise photos of red rock formations in Arches National Park; atmospheric but crisp photos of Monument Valley, UT before/during/after an afternoon storm and many others. Not being a professional, or necessarily gifted, photographer did not hinder me from getting many wonderful shots.

I am an artist, and tend to compose my paintings through the camera lens. This camera captured exactly what I was seeing, capturing the true colors. I was able to figure out, through trial and error at times, everything I needed to take the kind of shots I wanted. The manual, in my opinion, falls short of explaining things in more than vague terms, but I think if I can figure out all of these features any person of normal intelligence and persistence (stubbornness) can do the same.

The more I use this camera, the more I get excited about having it. I would definitely recommend it as being a very powerful camera for even professionals, yet manageable for someone like me, who needs the best quality photos in terms of clarity and color possible.

This a fantastic equipment for those who love serius photography. I recomend this products 100%

A little on the heavy side but the infrared mode is really neat.

When i reviewed the (then new) DSCF-505 sony cam, i said it was better than high speed film, but not as sharp as 100 speed. well, now you have enough pixels to fill a movie screen.

movies are currently being edited with 4,000 pixels in the wide dimension, the 828 shoots 3264 pixels. for comparison, kodak #5201 high resolution movie film offers 80 pixels per millimeter. The image of a hollywood movie negative is about 24 mm wide, so the resolution of #5201 is about 1920 pixels, if used in a 135 camera the width is 36 mm, so it would be equal to about 2880 pixels.

The camera also has features that make it easy to photograph unusual subjects, long exposures, macro focus.

yes, you will see the blue fringing at the edges, but you will need to look carefully for it, and i only see it in very close or macro subjects. This is more likely a lens issue.

The color is simply spectacular, especially in skin tones. everything except where to point is automated, but every adjustment can be made manually, allowing the advanced photographer complete artistic control.

When considering the cost, think in terms of price per picture, the more you take, the less each one costs, since the media is reusable.

Be sure to buy extra memory sticks, the file size of a typical image is 3 megabytes.

I owned the 717 model (5.1 mp) and thought it was pretty good. I have used many types of cameras over the years doing weddings, portraiture, etc. My favorite portrait camera was the Bronica ETRS which is a big, heavy medium-format film camera. A few weeks ago I did a photo shoot for a bride using both cameras to compare results. As I suspected the Sony produced quality just as good up to the 8x10 size. I didn't try anything larger at the time, but I am told the 717 will produce a good 16x20 print.

I saw the 828 advertised and decided to read up on it. I liked what I read and since the 717 did so well I decided to move up a notch and get the 828. It was love at first click. Now I can make even larger prints if I need them, but with 8 mp I get beautifully detailed prints with magnificent color and depth. It also uses the same battery and storage media. Having done semi-professional work in the past, I highly recommend it for the money. The "point and shoot" aspects of the technology make it easy to operate for the beginner and, if you want fancy, it has the horsepower to get you there, too.

I started out with a Sony Mavica years ago and now have this F828. I'm not a professional photographer, but a constant one. This camera allows me to take great photos of fireworks, holiday light displays, wild critters at night, pets, landscapes, people, sporting events. You name it and the camera can capture it. I love the multi-burst feature, which none of my previous cameras had. The quality of the photos is outstanding for printing, too. My only negative, and it's a small one, is that this camera is heavy to carry when on an all-day outing. I know it only weighs a bit over 2 pounds, but after several hours it seems more like 6 pounds.

Im a photographer by trade and this camera is my work horse, I have been using it for about 2 years now and it always impresses me with how good a picture it can take. It does have a draw back and that is the lens being fixed to the camera, I find myself wishing it could zoom further then 200mm but I have to say its 28mm sure comes in handy for those wide angles. Just yesterday I had a family portrait to do and there were 14 people crowded into my temporary 10x12 studio and shooting the 12' length of the room I was easily able to photograph everyone. I love this camera, its balance is superb..its light weight and easy to use once you memorize all the buttons.

This Cam was huge let down,

Noisy Noisy Noisy, very dissapointed in image quality:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscf828/page14.asp

Just look up this cam and you will find the info about its noise factor. The optical chip set is from 2003 technology and it shows.

I spent hours fixing the images from my trip to the southwest. Forget capturing green, btw.

This Cam has many options but what pro would want to fool with them when the Cam itself introdces tons of noise.

When First getting this Cam and after seeing the dissapointing results of most of the the photos I took I descided to see if it was my lack of pro experience that my picts where noisy. I mean I've talken picts for years for great results with a decade older cam, so I was expecting really nice picts from this, this was not case.

Read up on this one before you spend 700$ on 2003 technology.

I just love this camera. I'm a novice and love how this camera takes photos. It makes me feel like a pro. Shopping for a nice digital camera with all the bells and whistles, this is the one to go with. I think this camera gives me room to grow. That's what I wanted. I would highly recommend this camera!

Others were telling me to get a camera that can take all the lenses etc. I chose this one because it did not have all the lenses to haul around! It has the full range from 28mm to 200mm in one lense. And a good lense at that. I wanted a manual zoom so I did not have to fumble with a little switch that also drains battery life. I also wanted to be able to have control of EV, flash, and other features easily, this has a bank of buttons on the side, once learned, easily faciltate control. In addition it has two separate media chips for continued shooting or separating projects. And the battery life is outstanding. And, of course, the picture quality is great; any bigger than 8MP would overwhelm my computer for processing. There are other great features, but these are biggies for me.

DSC Series camera all have a CCD imager defect that will leave screen blank after you use the camera for 2 or 3 years. (Do a google search. You will find out what happened.) Sony knew this problem years ago. But refuse to fix it. They will wait until the camera fail and then charge you $300 to fix it. That's what happens to my DSC-F717. Ever wondering why Dell, HP etc all recall Sony battery for laptop, but Sony did not recall their own laptop battery? Sony will never fix their own problem. We the customer have to pay for their mistake.

I've owned a few digital still cameras, and this by far, is best of the lot, producing some of my favorite shots. Maybe it's not a fair comparison - although the other 2 cameras were high quality, manufactured by very respectable companies, they weren't quite in the same league - it's like comparing the best player of a little league team versus the best player of a major league team, they are both the best from where they come from, but they represent different skill levels and abilities. I'm afraid I'm too much of a novice to write as technical a review as some of these owners, I've been around shooting pictures since the 70's, but the majority of my experience is 35mm and film processing. Digital photography is still relatively new to me, heck, I even own 2 DVD camcorders, brand new in the box (Sony and Canon) that I haven't taken out and used - but that is more a result of a personal situation, not that I don't have a desire to get out and use them. I'm no pro, I just like to read up on the available equipment, select a camera, then go out and shoot whatever strikes me the right way - I do it mostly for my own entertainment - thank goodness, because I'd starve if I had to depend on my photography for a living. Even my experience with my F828 is limited, I haven't been able to use it as much as I like (due to illness) but I own EVERY accessory Sony offers - all the lenses, filters, etc - including the IR lamp which really extends the range after dark. I've gotten excellent results with the close-up lens, being able to shoot the serial numbers stamped in metal from inches away, I've also been out to the Gettysburg Battlefield and captured great photos of Devil's Den and the field that Pickett "charged" his men across to their doom. Using the correct media and the tripod, I've achieved "professional quality" portraits of my family, suitable for framing. It makes me think - if a person with my very limited skills (I have no problem admitting it) can get such GREAT results with my Sony DSC-F828, what can that camera do in the hands of a professional, or even a person with much better skills than me? I can't address any of those other problems like "purple fringing" - first, I have no idea what they are talking about, secondly, I haven't had any problems. I admit, I am very much a "SONY FAN", owning many Sony products, but I choose them for their high quality, and for the fact that they have never disappointed me or let me down - I can't say that about any other companies! Another thing I noticed, in the occasional negative criticism I see aimed at Sony, not only have I never encountered that problem, but I never see anybody mentioning the great "customer/product support" that Sony offers on their website - NO, I am NOT an employee of Sony, just trying to be fair - but you can go to their product support, and you can access the database and learn about any recurring problems, recalls, downloads available (fixes and upgrades)- and it's all free. Anything you could ever need to know - if you don't find it there, you are given 800 numbers, E-mail addresses, etc. I've never seen a company that stands behind all their products like that, and takes it the extra mile by helping their customers solve any problems or answer any questions. Just thought it was important to mention - I figure you can either just gripe about something, or you can take an active role in helping to make things better. Thanks.

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.

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:
*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 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 @ wide, proprietary front filter. 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 accessory lens options for the R1 - except heavy, expensive proprietary Sony adapters with no front filter threads. Disliked the top-mounted LCD on the R1.

WHY THE F828 WORKS FOR ME:
*Immaculate Zeiss lens,
*Same (now) classic Sony swivel body for easy overhead/ground shots...solid, solid, solid,
*Fast hologram AF,
*RGBe sensor solves the problem of overblown reds in previous models, excellent depth,
*Expanded, though still easy, menu navigation/thumbwheel/joystick,
*Both Memory Stick and CFII media (I use a generous 5GB),
*Compatable with lots of 58mm thread accessories (filters, Raynox 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.

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.

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!

...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.

This camera was such a big disappointment, I am so frustrated with it.

I have had this camera for over 3 years, and I just hate it. The lens and the sensor size don't allow you to do much.

I had the Sony DSC-F717 before the 828. I loved the 717 at the time, but I dropped the 717, and though that I would go with the 828 as an upgrade to the 717.

The 828 is not an upgrade at all, sure it has more pixels, but the picture quality is not as good and I have a ton of problems with purple fringing in my photos.

I have shot over 10,000 pictures with the 828 and and over 10,000 with the 717. It is my opinion that the 717 was a better camera, even at only 5.1MP than the 828 is at 8MP.

One thing that drives me nuts on this camera is the fixed lens. It is an average middle range lens. It doesn't do wide angle, and it doesn't really zoom, so its not much good.

Don;t waste your money on the 828, especially today where there are so many other better cameras out there. Go with a Digital SLR.

I have had an F828 for 4 years now and I still LOVE THE CAMERA !!!! I currently also own a Nikon D2X and a Nikon D300. They are also both great cameras but each camera has it's pros and cons.......

As for the DSCF828, a Nikon 28-200mm Zoom (f2.0 to f2.8) lens ALONE would cost more than a whole F828. And with the F828 I never get the dreaded "sensor dust" that you get with every interchangeble lens DSLR since the F828's lens is not replaceable.

The DSCF8's pictures are every bit as good as the Nikon's (and sometimes the color is better) although they may be a few megapixels smaller (but that never bothered me).

Yes, there is a problem with ISO and noise in the F828, but I have learned to live with that. If I'm going to shoot at any Hi ISO I wont be using the DSCF828 anyway, or I will use the flash.

But my VERY FAVORITE feature of the F828 is the swiveling Lens which has led to many more creative shots than I've gotten with my Nikon's. Nikons "Live View" on the D300 cant touch it.

So, in summary, each of these cameras has a place in my bag. I LOVE them all and would never give up the F828.
I will always have one.