Sony's G1: Interesting Innovator or Bloated Behemoth?

The flashy specs make Sony's G1 seem like a step forward, but a closer look reveals the awful truth.

From DCHQ - Mar 21, 2007

When Sony introduced the G1 at this month's Photo Marketing Association show in Las Vegas, they put a significant amount of emphasis on some of the more outrageous features included in the camera. Perhaps the most startling new feature on the G1 is the internal 2GB hard drive, which virtually erases the need to buy removable memory (which is somewhat positive since Sony's loyalty Memory Stick is quite annoying) and allows the G1 to double as a portable photo album.

Are people really looking for portable digital photo albums? We're not so sure. Sony has tried this before; the Sony Cybershot N1 was also marketed as a possible photo album as well, but didn't seem to capture the attention of consumers. You could store 500 photos on that camera (but only in VGA resolution!). By the time the Cybershot N2 debuted, it seemed like Sony had abandoned the idea entirely.

But now the G1 emerges from the shadows with this gargantuan hard drive and overwhelmingly large 3.5-inch LCD screen. These are, to be fair, really interesting features. Unfortunately, while they were busy tacking on all sorts of neat upgrades, Sony didn't take much time to tack them to a decent digital camera. How can they expect consumers to take the G1 seriously when the camera specifications don't even rise to the level of most contemporary mid-range digitals? The G1's 6-megapixel sensor and 3x zoom might be adequate for a relatively affordable point-and-shoot, but not at the outrageous $600 price tag it's supposedly being sold for. And on top of all that, it's huge. The G1 is about an inch thick, despite the faux-ultracompact styling Sony has dressed it up in.

Essentially, if Sony is serious about making the 'portable photo album' concept work, they'd better attach it to a camera capable of taking photos you'd actually want to share with someone. One that's maybe small enough to fit into your pocket without creating an embarrassing bulge.