Sony Cybershot DSCL1 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Little Camera
Review: I just bought this camera and am extremely happy with it. I have already had the chance to use it under different lighting and it works great with the preset functions. I also bought the sports pack and am absolutely thrilled with it. I took it skiing on the weekend and the camera was perfectly safe. In summer I can take it to the beach and not worry about getting sand or water in it.

When I used it in the snow I used the preset "Snow Function" and the pictures were amazing. It really contrasts the individuals from the extremely bright backgound.

In all, a great camera the size of a candy bar.

Rating:
Summary: stop looking for a camera this is Great!!!
Review: I love this camera it lets me take losts of photos on its 16 gig memory card Also its optical zoom is great so much better then other cameras digital zoom.and its perfect for 4x6 and 5x7 prints with its megapixles it has a optical veiwfinder, and a LCD screen.Its the best!!!

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic consumer level digital camera, worthy of any home
Review: If you are just an amateur photographer that is either finally switching from analog to digital or just want a decent camera to take on family vacations or school projects, this is a great camera. It is small, lightweight, and does just about anything you could possibly need it to do. It won't take pictures of hummingbirds feeding across a forest bed, but it will take a decent photo of the grand canyon. The quality of the 3x optical zoom is really good, but the picture is sacrificed slightly as you try to artifically enhance it with the digital zoom. The battery life is good enough to take on extended trips from your hotel or on a hike without having to carry around a charger or spare batteries. If you plan on taking lots of high quality large photos, you will need to get a larger memory stick (64 MB will work, 128 MB even better), but the memory stick it comes with will be enough to photograph your child's birthday party as long as you download the photos onto your computer afterwards. At 4 MegaPixels, this camera will pick up individual hairs on a persons head and it will even be able to clearly define a flea in the hair. There are 5 MegaPixel cameras out there, but at the consumer level there is really no point in spending the money on one (5 MP won't come in handy unless you are student taking pictures through a microscope or a telescope) All around, while Sony's camera lenses may not compare with Canon or Olympus, Sony makes up for it with their superior knowledge of how to make a great consumer digital device and turn it into a decent digital camera. It is a great value for the price.

Rating:
Summary: Size matters
Review: Many times what determines whether you will use the technology alot is whether you have it readily available when you need it. This is particularly true for cameras, especially if you want to capture all those spontaneous moments in life. Size therefore plays a major factor.

In this camera, Sony proves that size doesn't mean less capability. To be able to pack a 4M pixel camera with 3X optical zoom, and NTSC resolution full motion audio/video capture (with no time limit) in a form factor the size of a candy bar is pure genius.

The interface is easy to use. I picked up the camera and started using it without having to read the manual.

There are only 3 weaknesses with the camera:

1. the microphone is positioned on the top left hand side of the unit so it is easy to cover it up when you are holding the camera to take videos.

2. when in video shooting mode, zoom is fixed but autofocus continues to operate.

3. flash pictures in dark environments can sometimes yield lens flaring.

Rating:
Summary: Erratic performance
Review: The good: This camera is very attractive: compact and sleek. Pretty easy menu system and the most important functions are readily accessible. When conditions are right, it takes clear, beautiful photos. Rechargeable internal battery means you don't spend a fortune in double A's. LCD screen is a good size.

The bad: Focus problems!! In certain lighting conditions (e.g. fluorescent lights) you cannot take an in focus picture using the automatic setting. I missed so many potentially great holiday pics of my kids due to fiddling around with the settings. Mostly, I simply gave up trying to get a clear pic. I finally contacted Sony tech support and they acknowledged the focus problems under certain lighting conditions, including bright sunlight. They suggested changing the white balance and shutter speed- but when you're a novice photographer, changing these settings is not so intuitive!

Bottom line: Buy a Canon elph. I wish I had. It would have been worth the extra money!


Rating:
Summary: good, but limited applications.
Review: this camera is good for most amateur snap shots, but when it comes to sports shots, it lacks. the reason for this is that it does not allow for manual adjustment of shutter speed. this is not a very advanced skill for photographers. in fact, it is impossible to take mation shots with this camera. sure, there is a 4 shot burst mode, but that makes you take 4 shots and takes up memory. just so you know what the limitations are on this camera. also, with 4.1 megapixels, you will want to upgrade the memory card. as opposed to another review posted.