Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 Digital Camera ReviewWritten by Gary Hendricks
Are you looking for a good point-and-shoot digital camera? If you are, one camera to consider is Sony Cybershot DSC-W1. This little compact camera is currently flying off shelves. With good optics and a large 2.5 inch LCD screen, in addition to great looking pictures, DSC-W1 is one of more popular cameras around.Design and Construction The Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 is one stylish looking camera. A direct competitor to Canon PowerShot S500, DSC-W1 has been constructed to be a compact, travel ready camera that you can use to take quick snaps. Its dimensions are 3.5 inches by inches by 1.25 inches (weight-height-depth) and it weighs only 7.0 ounces. One aspect of camera I found especially impressive was large 2.5 inch LCD screen. Most compact cameras have small LCDs so much so that you have to quick to look at postage stamp sized images. Well, not in Sony DSC-W1. The large screen makes it a joy to do on camera image editing or to show off your pictures to friends and family. Optics and Resolution The Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 comes with a 5.1 megapixel resolution, as well as 3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom. There’s a built-in Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens to allow quick focusing in a wide variety of photo environments. The optics in this camera are also superb. There are comprehensive focusing options available if you’re more adventurous and want to play around with advanced manual camera options. If you want to customize camera to take photos at night, for example, you can change shutter speed or play with size of aperture quite easily. If you need to take a quick shot in middle of a vacation, you can switch back to auto focus and exposure so that camera does everything for you. In short, Sony DSC-W1 has features which give you extreme flexibility in taking photos. User Controls The user controls in Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 are found next to LCD and on a mode dial at top surface of camera. I found controls easy to use. Whether you want to zoom in on an image, or change to a different scene mode or focus setting, controls are always within easy reach. Movie Mode I also like availability of a movie mode in DSC-W1. You know, sometimes when you’re out in park or on a vacation, you get those moments when you know a video will be more appropriate instead of a photo. That’s where movie mode is useful. You can capture video at 30 frames per second (fps) at VGA size 640 x 480 – that roughly translates to 90 seconds of video on included 32 MB memory card. Direct Printing As with many new digital cameras, Sony DSC-W1 supports PictBridge direct printing. This is tremendously useful if you want to quickly print out photos without having to import them to a computer first. Of course, you will need a printer that is PictBridge compatible as well – Canon Pixma iP4000 is my personal choice. Storage and Transfer The Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 comes with a 32MB Sony Memory Stick – which is hardly enough for serious photo taking, since each image is potentially 5MB in size. I’d recommend getting at least a 128MB Memory Stick to complement camera. In terms of image transfer, camera supports USB 2.0 ports. This means that you’ll experience lightning transfer of data between camera and your computer.
| | Top 10 Ultracompact Digital CamerasWritten by Gary Hendricks
If you’re looking for an ultracompact digital camera, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that many of these models offer great picture quality and excellent optics. A good ultracompact digital camera is not only lightweight and stylish to carry around, it should also have ability to take great pictures.I’ve compiled a list of top 10 ultracompact digital cameras that are market favorites right now to help you do your research. These cameras offer best combination of features and value in a small, lightweight package. Sony CyberShot DSC-W1 The Sony CyberShot DSC-W1 is selling like hotcakes out there. It has a 5.1 megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom and a huge 2.5 inch LCD. Throw in support for optional lenses and great manual options, and we have a winner. Canon PowerShot A95 Oh no, not another Canon model! Well, fact is, Canon does manufacture great ultracompact cameras. The Canon PowerShot A95 is very new on market and offers 5 megapixel resolution, along with a 3x optical zoom. While it’s a great choice for beginners, it also has good features for more-experienced users. Highly recommended. Nikon Coolpix 4800 The Nikon Coolpix 4800 has 4 megapixel resolution and a whopping 8.3x optical zoom (the highest optical zoom of any camera in this list). There’s also a huge array of 15 scene modes, making it a great value camera. Kodak EasyShare LS743 The Kodak EasyShare LS743 camera has a very nice and clean design. The 4 megapixel resolution and 2,8x optical zoom, coupled with great battery life and a good burst mode, make this little wonder a hot seller. Canon PowerShot S500 This amazing little camera has always been one of my favorites. At 5 megapixels, this S500 series camera captures very high quality images, yet is small enough to slip into your pocket.
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