Sony F717: 22 years later! RETRO review with IR hack!

Trying out the Sony Cyber-shot F717 from 2002, 22 years after it was launched! Includes guide to infra red photography and magnet hack!

Equipment used for producing my videos

00:00 - Sony Cyber-shot F717 review
09:01 - Sony F717 Night Framing and Night Shot
10:41 - Sony F717 infra red photography
12:09 - Sony F717 magnet hack for IR photos

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[DinoBytes]

Trying out the Sony Cyber-shot F717 from 2002, 22 years after it was launched! Includes guide to infra red photography and magnet hack!

Equipment used for producing my videos

00:00 - Sony Cyber-shot F717 review
09:01 - Sony F717 Night Framing and Night Shot
10:41 - Sony F717 infra red photography
12:09 - Sony F717 magnet hack for IR photos


As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

[NorthBorneoLights]

These are *actual* peak Sony cybershot design you can't convince me otherwise. That aesthetic!

[ericlamont]

Oh man the memories. I had the 707 and 717. Got me into photography before I moved on to my first DSLR.

[TheBearOnHighway]

This camera truly looked like a Sci-Fi Spaceship. What a pugly camera.

[OneMonthTwoCameras]

My mom gifted me her 717 last year and by some miracle, it works perfectly <3

[allanyoshimochi]

I have full working Sony Cybershot DSC717....have not used in the past 10 yrs
Great Camera

[schlieffenhan]

I have a Sony F717 at home and thought it was obsolete until one day in college when I took it to school to film some nighttime scenes for a military-themed short film using its night vision feature. The experience was truly amazing.

[twalker]

I had a 707 back in the day and I bought a 717 from Ebay just a few months ago. I guess I got lucky because mine works flawlessly and takes great photos. Keep up the great retro videos Gordon!

[lumixographer]

Back to the Future! Perfect with a DeLorean and Marty McFly at the wheel!😅 Thanks for daring to go back there, and returning to warn us a thrilling ride isn't all it's cracked up to be 👍😉😄

[TheBearOnHighway]

I remember taking videos with my old silver P&S cameras and never had a clue what or why I would use that feature. Though some of the short videos of my folks I treasure.

[GudieveNing]

I had one. F717 AF was as slow as the swivel body design was innovative. Took it to Egypt in 2004 and half way through the trip whilst on a boat on the Nile, it died out of the blue. At our next stop, I bought a bunch of 35mm disposable cameras. The pictures from those were in a way better than from the F717, or other digital cameras of the time. More realistic colour and the grain added a certain touch. When I got back to UK, took it back to ASK Electronics on Tottenham Court Road in London (TCR was my hangout since I was a kid!) and they sent it back to Sony for repair. Later I was using it to shoot restaurants on Brick Lane in London as part of my business. To my shock and horror, a huge fight broke out between a mix of ethnic and white youth. I hid behind a pillar to record video footage using the F717 (awe, 480P!) onto my £85 8MB blue Sony Memory Stick. A young man engaged in the fight, that was very brutal, saw me and mugged me, nearly killing me. I had the strap around my neck and faught hard to stop him stealing our £800 camera. Just as I thought I was going to die, he got the camera off me but it fell hard to the ground and broke in half at the lens. A police van pulled up and the mugger grabbed the body and memory card and ran off. I got in the police car to tell my tale. I was off work 3 weeks due to injury to my neck. Insurance didn't cover mugging, police never caught the guy, no compensation received.
So that's my F717 story. Loved the zoom lens and swivel body. Great for still shots in good light. I'm assuming the mugger erased the video footage later.

[robinsmith]

Hi Gordon, yes I did have one for years, 717 that is. I did what I called Aqua-Art, shots of water changing the shape of what lay beneath it! Absolute boomer, Once the sensor had its fill of work, I took it into Sony i Christchurch, and low and behold a new sensor. In time the on-off switch failed and the era was finally over when I slipped in a stream, rocks played the last post! Online, believe it or not, a woman in San Diego USA had a little used one, and parted with it for US$ 60.00 plus postage, still have it, and action is needed with in infrared shooting in the backcountry. Memories Gordon

[Localtraveler]

Great video for a Friday after work. Thanks Gordon.

[Rivenworld]

I have one of these, exposure is a bit off these days but I just bracket the shots and 1 always comes out perfectly, absolutely love these cameras, look great and great performers. Had the same issues as you with these, got through 6 before I found 2 that worked, the first one I eventually sold (needed the money) but my latest is just great. BTB - Nice collection you have there Dude!

[himeccms]

Presumably you've looked deep inside the Memory Stick slot. Third party MS have rather thin plastic material and the tip end tends to break off and lodge itself under the contacts deep inside.

[thissidetowardscreen]

Love seeing these hidden gems getting the spot light again! Just got Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W150, thankfully it came with a memory card and 2 batteries/ charger etc. Only $3.00 at a charity sale. The ergonomics of that F717 and others is something I wish camera companies would revisit. Always great content and thanks for sharing Gordon!

[SlowMotorcycles]

Actually just bought one of these a couple months back!
Sensor seemed dead on arrival but on a whim I held the lens up to a lightbulb and after a couple seconds of the screen flickering it popped back to life. Don't know why that worked, but it did.

Also, you convinced me to buy an f828 when you said it can focus to infinity in IR, can't wait to play with that funky sensor!

[thestevej]

I remember even then rejecting the idea of these cameras because of the use of memory sticks. They seemed a bad idea because nobody else was using them (or perhaps Sony wouldn't allow others to use). It reminded me of the beta vs vhs controversy. It was an attitude of the company that didn't serve them well and only later seems to have faded. That said, I remember being very envious of the design and capabilities of this series. As someone else said, it'd be great to make a new, technically up to date camera in this design or perhaps the early nikon design. Thanks again for another trip down memory lane!

[markyteo]

F828 was my dream camera. Looking fwd to your review

[classicboy]

Great review Gordon. Think we might see some film cameras on here like Mamiya’s and Contax’s?