This is a mid range point and click camera from Sony. There are many sony cameras in the cybershot range and I believe they are all fairly similar, except for a few minor differences in features.
*Mega Pixels*
This camera has 3.2mega pixels. This is a measure of the number of dots that go make up a picture. Many cameras are now available that offer as much as 8 mega pixels and 4 of 5 mega pixels are common.
The more mega pixels the better as the pictures look more detail and more importantly can be blown up to higher levels of detail. Despite that, this camera is acceptable for normal picture sized photos. In fact if you are planning to email or store your photos on a computer you may wish to use less than the maximum number of pixels (you can determine how many you want).
*Picture Quality*
The picture quality is the best feature. Manufacturers are obsessed with mega pixels and I think part of the reason for this is that this is easy to market. I agree that resolution is important, but if the image is of a poor quality then the resolution won’t matter. The image quality depends on the lens. In this regard this camera is excellent; the pictures are clear and the focusing always sharp. This can be achieved automatically, although there is also the option to manually adjust focusing and shutter opening time (longer times for lower light levels). I find the automatic settings to be more than adequate and have not really experimented with manual settings. To be honest if you are really into manual adjustments you are probably better with a camera with better specifications. I think this camera is aimed at those who just want to point and click.
The camera also obviously comes with a flash feature which can be turned on and off. There is also a red-eye reduction mode which limits red-eye and seems to work.
*Zoom*
The camera has a zoom function. Zooms come in two flavours: digital and optical. Optical zoom is achieved via lenses and is the best kind. This is rather like attaching a pair of binoculars to the front of the camera. Digital zoom is rather like holding a magnifying glass over a print out of the print out of the image; the difference is that you are not actually increasing the resolution. This means that digital zoom will see a decrease in quality as you zoom, whereas optical zoom will not.
My opinion is that optical zoom is far superior to digital zoom. I think manufacturers often express the zoom as the total of the two effects together and so adding digital zoom is a something of a marketing gimmick. The advantage of a digital zoom can be recreated by downloading the picture onto a PC and zooming on that.
This camera has two times optical zoom and 3.2 times digital zoom. This is pretty standard for a camera in this price range and can be useful to get closer to your image.
*Linking to computers*
One advantage of digital cameras is that you can upload them to a PC. Once you have your images on a PC you can simply print them out or email them. However you can also use image processing software to adjust the images. This can vary from relatively simple changes such as adjusting lighting, removing red eye or cutting the image to another size. However it is also possible to use some software to add very artistic effects, in order to do this you need to be pretty good with the software.
The link to a PC is very easy to achieve. It is done via a USB interface, which most modern PCs have. All you need to do is plug the camera into the USB port via a cable that is provided. A box then appears on the PC screen and guides you through the process of uploading (transferring) the pictures onto your PC.
Unfortunately the camera does not come with any image processing software. Although this software is expensive and would probably double the price of the camera. My advice would be to look out for PC magazines that have cover discs; often these have full versions (but old) of image processing software on them.
*Memory*
The camera comes with only 16mb of memory which is not really very much if you want to take lots of pictures. It quite often fills up if you are snap happy. You can buy extra memory but it needs to be Sony memory sticks. The price of these has recently fallen and you can pick up quite a bit more (128mb) for £35. I think if you buy this camera you will need to feature this into the price you pay. I find with digital cameras because you don’t have to rewind, wind on, change film, etc you tend to take more pictures than with a conventional camera. It is nice not to be limited.
*Battery Life*
The camera comes with some Sony rechargeable batteries and a recharger. Often a problem with digital cameras is that they exhaust batteries quickly. Fortunately this does not seem to be a major problem with this camera. However it is advisable to fully recharge this camera before taking it out for the day. I haven’t ever taken it camping for a week where there are no plugs available so I am not sure how long the batteries are likely to last. One of the major sources of battery usage is the LCD screen which can be turned off.
*Video*
This camera will also record small sections of video. This is a nice feature, although video is memory intensive and this is not really threatening the market of camcorders. Still it is an interesting feature and could be useful for those times when you want to record something in motion. You will need a PC to rewatch it and obviously you cannot print it out. It is also not possible to transfer it to video or DVD (well not easily).
*Appearance of camera*
This camera looks very much like a conventional camera and is about the size of a smallish 35mm camera (standard film camera). The camera is not incredibly stylish or unique, it is no fashion accessory.
There are some cameras that are much smaller and it would be nice if this was a little smaller. It doesn’t easily fit into pockets. It isn't too heavy.
As with a conventional camera you view the image through a little lens viewfinder. In addition to this there is also an LCD screen which is much larger and gives a preview of what you are about to take. There are also a few buttons on the back which allow you to access the cameras features. These are all easy to use.
*Start-Up Time*
One thing that digital cameras seem to suffer from is that you cannot just point and click straight away. After you press the button there is a thinking time that they go through before they decide to take a picture. This seems to be around one second for this camera. This means that you often miss sporting moments.
*Durability*
I have had this camera for about two years (definitely more than a year). Unfortunately it does not come with a case and I have not bought one. Perhaps as a result of various bangs the focusing does not always work as well as it should and the camera sometimes makes mechanical noises. Basically it is beginning to fail. I am not sure what the life of these cameras is, but I do wish it had been a little bit longer.
*Overall*
This is a nice camera, the price you would pay is around £200 and so it is relatively cheap. To get the best out of it, or any digital camera I think you will need a PC. I guess most people on ciao have a PC so that is probably ok! Similarly you will probably need a very good printer to print good images. This camera gives great pictures and is easy to use.
The downside is that it is a little bit large and perhaps a little bit delicate. I note another reviewer has managed to break his too. Perhaps a camera bag should have come as standard. Still if you are a careful person this camera does the most important thing well, it takes great pictures.
I think the camera is great for adults who are looking for a first digital camera. However I am not sure if my next camera will be a cybershot. I like the idea of a smaller camera that will fit into a shirt pocket.
More details
Durability
Poor
Reliability
Satisfactory
Size
Average
Weight
Average
Instruction Manual
Good
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