Sony Cyber-shot F828: 21 years later! RETRO review + IR hack!

Trying out the legendary Sony Cyber-shot F828 from 2003, 21 years after it was launched! Includes magnet hack for infra red photos!

Equipment used for producing my videos

00:00 - Sony F828
06:38 - Sony F828 battery FM50
08:43 - Sony F828 RGBE sensor filter array
10:35 - Sony F828 RAW mode
11:16 - Sony F828 Real color mode
13:12 - Sony F828 nightshot mode
14:13 - Sony F828 infra-red magnet hack
06:57 - Sony F828 sample images

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[DinoBytes]

Trying out the legendary Sony Cyber-shot F828 from 2003, 21 years after it was launched! Includes magnet hack for infra red photos!

Equipment used for producing my videos

00:00 - Sony F828
06:38 - Sony F828 battery FM50
08:43 - Sony F828 RGBE sensor filter array
10:35 - Sony F828 RAW mode
11:16 - Sony F828 Real color mode
13:12 - Sony F828 nightshot mode
14:13 - Sony F828 infra-red magnet hack
06:57 - Sony F828 sample images


As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

[snappiness]

Great overview in detail. I love my F828. I sell most of the cameras I try (just to save space, not because I don't like them) but the F828 I've held onto. Great to use normally, IR hack is a sweet bonus. The other thing I like is the pointy starbursts with the lens stopped down! That whole era of 8mp bridge cameras has some great keepers today. I think I've owned all of them at this point!

[something_els]

My job is to clear out dead people’s houses so a bank can sell them, and I found this camera in the house. I’ve been trying to figure it out, and this video was such a help!

[alonzooop]

Can't wait to see the video about the R1!

[funtaril]

Wow, I remebered 640x480 videos looking much nicer! Although I watched them on very different screens :)
Photos look pretty despite somewhat lacking dynamic range - guitars shot blew me away!

[icecreammm]

Great in-depth video. I just got mine for 60 Euro, including the HVL-F32X flash. It definitely is my most special looking camera and I love the swivel action. APS-C camera's give better quality pictures, but this one is just more fun to use.

[molybdnum]

2 for the number of minutes I laughed at "memory stick lane" when it finally clicked

[jamesmgreen]

Young family growing I went with the 300D as my decision. By the time I'd added an EF 75-300is, a Tamron 2.8 28-75 and Canon DV tape camcorder, I'm sure the shop was glad I did too, lol. It was several years before I needed to upgrade that "mainstay" as a hobbyist only, and the memory chances are once. Nice review of a nice offering.

[ftlbaby]

Loving these retro reviews Gordon! I was there for all of it but only recently have begun to appreciate these cameras that I sold every six months to buy the new model that solved one of the many issues that every camera had a the time, mostly due to technological limitations. Now I am happy with my Canon 5Ds, Sony A7r II, and Olympus E-M1 (plus my film cameras of course ; ) These old cameras are just a nostalgic hobby. PS That full spectrum beach shot reminds me of my families faded 70s prints and hits me in the heart. The B&W IR conversion is fantastic.

[thissidetowardscreen]

Love these video Gordon! So many good cameras forgotten. Pentax MX4 is one of those I wish the design had stayed cameras. Thanks for sharing!

[highlander]

I just happened to acquire one last month, excited to use it in IR mode

[WoodyDemonwin]

Give the man a gong! That has to be about the best retro-camera review video going on YouTube. Bless old Brighton Gordon, but you need to move off the beaches,
into the Llanes and give the Pavilion a showcase occasionally.

[JohnAudioTech]

I remember wanting the 717, but then got the Rebel when it came out. I also recall Nikon trying something with the sensor CFA as well. They used an CYGM array on the CoolPix 5000, perhaps others as well.

[michaelbell]

Awesome! These shots look so much better than most current mirrorless cameras IMO. The colors are great and the images have character to them unlike the over-sharpened and sterile looking photos most newer mirrorless digital cameras produce these days. Love the "real color" mode. This would make a nice addition to my bridge camera collection.

[SinaFarhat]

Nice!
Odd solutions and ir hacks created a innovative cameras, but the aps-c sensor dslr came with more advantages including better image quality and more lens options.
Sony deserves a thanks for experimenting with their digital bridge cameras.

[rayspencer]

I still have mine, it still works, and I miss using it. I sold my loved and first digital camera, Fujifilm S5000 (which I used to beat-out a bunct of Nikon and Canon DSLRs back in 2004 for a calendar contest.)

[roydressel]

Good video, I just picked up a 828 from eBay and should get it this coming week. The IR hack is what got me interested. In that era, I had an Olympus E10 and an E20, and they were well-built cameras that produced some nice images.I have been interested in IR for a few years and had a Canon Powershot G12 converted a few years ago but I ended up dropping it, and that broke the LCD and the zoom.

[Markus-bgsg]

I once bought this camera on Amazon for 750 dollars. And it was a very big achievement.

[thecaveofthedead]

I did admire these but, as you say, by then I was eagerly waiting for the affordable DSLRs. Still a few years though before the tonality and dynamic range of any digital camera was actually comparable to film. I don't miss those muddy, flat colours and bone-white highlights. At the time even cheap Superia 200 looked so much better.

[darkvantage]

Amazing video as always! Ive always wanted this model but after two years of searching with no results I've switched to the H series and found a H9 for really cheap on Facebook marketplace. It has a bunch of features similar to the F828 including the nightshot mode and the HAD CCD plus a tilting screen, sadly the full spectrum on this one requires a somewhat permanent modification, as you need to disassemble the whole body to remove a single flat going to the switch on the body XD but I love it nonetheless and would love to see you make a review on the H series.
Thanks you as always for this amazing review and please continue with this series, I love it.