Rating: 
Summary: Great vacation camera
Review: We looked at the 2megapixel versions that were out plus the 22X zoom cd mavica before purchasing this particular model. Had there been a zoom version upgrade with the cd rather than the memory sticks, we probably would have purchased it because we liked the zoom feature so much. We wanted 4 megapixel with the cd option, which left us with this camera. Having had access to use all 3 cd mavica cameras, we chose this one because the zoom isn't bad, the Zeiss lenses are great and the options are all there.After taking this on a trip to Washington DC, we used only 2 disks using 2nd from the highest resolution. We also shot a few mpeg videos, which were an interesting endeavor. Because it isn't a full camcorder, you cannot zoom in and out while making a video. We didn't find this out until we filmed the changing of the guards at Arlington. Also, at highest res, you only get 5 minutes 28 seconds of video. The next step down gives about 28minutes. All in all, it was great to only have to carry cd's and knowing what we know now, we can go completely high res on our next vacation and not have to worry about disk space. Also, the functions on the camera allowed us to take pictures of items behind glass at the Smithsonian museums. We could instantly see if we had a glare or not and the camera offers a few different ways to eliminate the glare completely. Other than the "wow, this is a different camera" comments through airport security, we had little problem with it. The battery life was impressive - 3 days before recharging. If you want to do videos, we would recommend purchasing a separate unit that has more functionality, but it was great if you only wanted to carry one camera.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent all around, supreme for travel, but limited
Review: You have read the rave reviews about this camera and I completely agree with them. This is a most excellent digi cam to travel with. But it has a few limitations which can be very annoying to some photographers. My experience with this camera involves a 6 month stay in Thailand where I used it extensively. I also used a Cannon Rebel 2000 with 28-80 stock lense and a Quantary 70-300 W/macro lense, plus an Olympus p/s zoom all weather camera. From the thousands of shots I took, here is my opinion: The Sony's resolution is much greater than the 35mm counterparts. This makes for much more satisfying large prints (8x10++). This is most important for landscapes and sunset shots. But I found a few limitations. For sunsets, I found that the Sony created fuzzy shots of the sun during a sunset when the sun was still a bit high, where the standard Cannon Rebel 2000 delivered crisp views of the sun's orb - much more satisfying. Maybe it's just a limitation of the digital sensor/VS standard film, but a limitation nonetheless. As the sun sank lower, the Sony photos were better. The best sunset pictures I took were with the Sony, but only after a brightness threshold was passed.(I used a filter on Sony equal to -1.5 stops) One other limitation of the Sony is the exposure time. It is limited to 8 seconds. This is OK for most applications, but I wanted more. 8 seconds is very limited when I want to shoot static nighttime shots. Many pictures came out OK(excellent, actually), but I lust for the unlimited (bulb) setting of the Cannon Rebel 2000 . This is not available with the Sony. Also, the Zoom is limited, and I like interchangable lenses, which is impossible with the Sony. That limits my shot selection.
Using ISO 400 can be unproductive(noise!), but still satisfactory for night snapshots with flash. The Sony is a GREAT camera for the regular user, excellent for travel, and fun for the more inventive photographer (full manual mode). But it's limitations can hinder the more serious photographer who is looking for professional results.
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