Rating: 
Summary: Great Camera!
Review: I bought this camera to replace a 4-year old 1.6MP Sony MAVICA after spending the last two months doing research and reading a lot of reviews. Every camera I looked at had its Pros and Cons. I just had to decide which ones were going to have an affect on my final decision. I ultimately went with this camera, because it was small, easy to configure and most importantly met my needs. Don't expect to find a camera that doesn't have any cons. I fell in love with it as soon as I took it out of the box. I spent the first couple days reading and re-reading the 130-page manual to make sure I understood the different capabilities. You have to do this if you expect to get the max benefits of this camera. Even now I find myself having to regularly refer to the manual for help, because I'm not a professional photographer. This is by no means an easy camera to master in one hour. Yes, you can point and shoot, but you still have to read the manual and make some initial setup changes. This camera is a big improvement over my old one when it comes to image quality (no suprize here) and overall capabilities. The first thing I did was change the image resolution from 5 to 3.1 MP, because the 32mb memory stick that comes with the camera only allows to you shoot about 12 images (using fine print) and 23 images (using standard print). You can always set the image size to VGA and can take up to 196 pictures. I say if you're spending this kind of money, don't set it to VGA, because you pictures will be ok (as with other cameras) at best. The higher resolution will allow you to print some great pictures on photo paper if you have a good hi-res printer. I used an Epson Stylus Photo 825 ($100) and the results were great--much better than those you get in the mall. I went ahead and bought two 128mb memory sticks to cover me. The other thing I did was disable some of the camera's sound features (shutter and power-on sound) so I could save on battery power. I would recommend buying a second battery through the internet since it's cheaper than getting them through Sony. I also bought a separate battery charger so I wouldn't have to use the camera as a regular battery charger. The last thing I would want to do is bake the components in the camera just to charge one battery or for that matter a backup. Excessive heat wears down electronic components over time. After I setup the camera, I took several pictures (using the flash) to see how if performed against my 1.6 MP. The first thing I noticed is that the camera did a great job of regulating the intensity of the flash to make sure it wasn't too bright. The camera allows you to manually set (3 levels) the intensity of the flash for any occasion if you decide you want to go manual. I connected the camera to my TV to view the pictures and they had extremely rich colors. I tried doing some limited image editing like changing picture size, rotate pictures, etc. You can view multiple pictures on the camera's small LCD screen which is very nice. Everything worked well. I haven't tried the other features yet. A lot of technology went into this little camera so you'll have to be patient. I just scratched the surface. It makes no sense paying a lot of money for this camera if you don't intend to fully utilize its capabilities (read the manual). This camera is small in size so you'll have to get used to it and handle it with care. You can purchase optional wide angle/zoom conversion lenses, but using them disables certain features of this camera camera. I guess it's because the camera lense expands and retracts and it would bump up against the conversion lense. The conversion lense also blocks some of the light intensity of your built-in flash. Sony recommends using an external flash when using a conversion lense. That means a lot of extra $$$. Don't waste your money on the optional starter kit for this camera. The camera case is ok for the camera, but the memory stick case and spare battery will not fit well. It's too tight for my taste. That last thing you want to do is damage the camera's protective lense cover. I bought a samsonite camera case that is a little bigger it stores my camera memory stick case and spare battery. You can go bigger if you choose to bring along your AV connecting cable, AC adapter and USB cable. Overall, this is a great camera. I looking forward learning its many capabilites and taking it with me on my trips.
Rating:
Summary: Replaced a Hasselblad
Review: I had just sold my Hasselblad that I had had for 28 years and I wanted a camera that would fill the gap. I won an ebay auction for the sony Dscv1 and never received it, so I was ready to get a nikon or canon. I researched them all (the sony V1, the nikon 5400 and the nikon 5700 and to a lesser extent the canon G5 and rebel). My biggest concern was the ergonomics of the sony V1, having the flash placed where it was. I really wanted the small sized camera so that placed sony first. I have small hands so I thought I could adapt to the flash on the left side. I also liked the Zeiss optics which came with the V1. The nikons are sexier with the black color and fit well in my hand, but there were so many good features to the V1...night focus, in camera battery charging, a nice sized lens (136mm), no shutter lag, bright LCD etc. that I returned to the sony and bought it. Besides, I didn't want another large camera. I am very happy with the V1's small size and Zeiss optics and I have found the V1 easier to handle than the 5400 to handle. I have bought two extra batteries and the difference between 2 and 5 megapixels is fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: oh my god
Review: i've been shopping around for a digital camera for a long time. i was debating from a canon and a nikon. THANK GOD THAT I GOT A SONY. i love the night shots, (dont even need a flash for this baby). i'm not the professional photo taker but this baby has it all plus more. i cant say anything bad about this product. i'm loving life. Plus. get the sony printer. it prints out amazing pictures. (digital photo printer by sony $199.99) this is also an "oh my god product"thank you sony
Rating:
Summary: Very nice
Review: This camera takes fantastic pictures--partly due to the Carl Zeiss lens. The colors are acurate, the autofocus is quick, and there is essentially no shutter lag. Have had no problems with it so far. Battery life is average only. Rec second one "just in case". There is indeed a delete all function (delete folder), so ignore that comment from someone else below...it's in the manual... THe LCD is somewhat small, but sharp and clear--even outside. You can easily magnify your pictures in review mode if needed. Rec using adobe photo album and element 2 for your pictures, much better than camera's software. Make sure you compare prices before buying it (ie, epinons.com)
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!!
Review: This thing is the best. ease of use and compatibility to a Mac. The BEST!!!!
Rating:
Summary: the perfect camera
Review: if you are a casual photo enthusiast, this is the camera you want! I bought this camera in Dec 2003 after much research, and after buying (and returning) the Sony DSC-P10. This V1 model has everything you want- fully manual exposure control (which the P10 does NOT have), compact size, a great Carl Zeiss lens, and 5MP resolution. I had been an Olympus digital camera user for the past 3 years, and loved the image quality... I had some concerns about the lens quality of the Sony cams, but after some tests and comparisons, I am more than pleased with the V1. And at half the size and more than twice the resolution, this is a killer camera at a great price!
Rating: 
Summary: Sony missed it on this camera
Review: I owned this camera for about 3 days. I returned it 2 reasons:
1) The pop-up flash is located on the upper left-hand side of the camera where your index finger would normally go to hold the camera. This prevents the flash from popping up; to accomdate you end up holding the camera awkwardly.
2) I couldn't find the "Erase all images" function. I think sony forget to add it. I couldn't find it in the manual either. I could have lived without the Erase all feature, but I just didn't like the way I had to hold the camera. It always felt like I was getting ready to drop it.
Rating:
Summary: No more 35mm neckwear.
Review: Going from 35mm Nikons to digital cameras is a real culture shock, some change can be good. We wanted a compact digital that could perform like a 35mm Nikon, we compared all the 5 mega pixel cameras and the DSC-V1 won hands down. The Zeiss lens system (zero plastic elements), "night shot" and the overall size all are major advantages but the suberb picture quality and
the myriad of print options make this camera a true joy to use. The focusing system on the camera is the most sensitive available and the manual modes give you total control of any shooting environment.
Add a DDP-5EX printer and you have camera to print in less than 2 minutes and you don't need a computer! One down note buy an extra battery, they last about 80 minutes in the DSC-V1.
This is one investment with great returns, enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: at last !
Review: Never mind the picture quality, this little camera works ! I toothed on an Olympus D4040 and i was never able to penetrate its menu system, so i used it at only the most rudimentary level.
The sony and i hit it off immediately. Not to say i understand them all, but after two days i can waltz through every feature. What i particularly like about the Sony is:
1. the shutter button is always where i expect it -no more frantic groping
2. sony has reached a nice balance between burying a feature in a menu and providing it a button on the back.
3.The electronic lens cap...love this...no more fumbling with a lens cap that, at altitude and cold, sometimes requires more than the available dexterity. I can fully operate this camera with gloves.
4.the LCD is so sharp that i can photograph a topo map [@1.2 M ] before a hike, and, on the mountain, zoom and move around on the map better than the original. Very cool !!
5. the 40 second audio recording feature is handy to record details of a shot.
6. the 10 minutes of video [on a 256 M card] is useful. What i dislike about the camera is the pathetically small battery...the lithium provided weighs less than half an AA ...my Olympus would run for months on 4. Understandably, the Sony is lucky to make it through a day on one.
The flash is another minor problem...it wants to come up under your left finger, but since i rarely use a flash...i don't care.
Rating: 
Summary: I Even Sleep Next To Mine...
Review: I love my new Sony DSCV1 camera. It's my first digital camera and the instant gratification of seeing your picture on the LCD is great. Recently I took the camera on holiday to Australia. Unfortunately while changing hotels, I misplaced my 128mb stick I had bought seperately. I went into panic mode for a while and then decided to buy another one at a duty free shop in the city. I bought a Sony 256mb memory stick pro. Thirty eight photos later, I took it to a shop for printing and they said it had a stratch on it. I took it to another shop for a second opinion and they said the same thing. I went into panic mode again. As a last ditch effort, I took the memory stick back to the guy I bought it off, battered my eye lids and told him how distressed I was about losing all my precious holiday shots, that I couldn't recover because we'd been on a big tour north. He plugged in a Sony portable printer in the shop, and luckily the machine was able to read the memory stick. 38 FREE photos later, I was a happy customer. The guy even refunded my money for the stick which was faulty as far as I was concerned. That day I also found my missing 128mb stick. It was a case of rent-a-stick when I needed it. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the 5mp photos combined with the Sony portable printer. People in the shop crowded around to see my photos being printed. They are amazing. The guy took one extra print to go on display in the shop to show people what the Sony DSCV1 and the printer combined are capable of. The pop up flash took some getting used to, and my kids think the hologram red laser thingy is cool. They think I'm zapping them. What I like most about the camera is that it can be used as a point and shoot type camera for those that don't know much about photography, yet has aperature and shutter features so you can do the 'blurry background and streaky waterfall shots'. It's got a lot of room to grow into it. I like the fact that it can accomodate such features as a tripod, tele photo lenses, extra flashes, polarizing lens etc, which you can buy later on when you get more experienced. I shopped around heaps on the net and in shops before I bought, but really fell in love with the size and cuteness of the camera, combined with it's smart technology and the fact that the battery can be recharged in the camera. I didn't want to have seperate batteries that you take out, and my husband would no doubt borrow for his remote control yachts. Putting your pictures on tv is easy and I also run them through the video and take a slide show of them on video as a backup. I'm extemely happy with my new camera and see it will last me for many years technology wise. By the way, I now have a little box that I put my spare memory stick in that is clearly labelled, and too big to get sucked up in the vaccum cleaner. No more leaving it on the bed while reviewing the contents of my sticks, where it might get forgotton.
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