Rating: 
Summary: Not good in low lighting + Special modes are useless
Review:
CONs:
-----------
I returned this camera. The focus doesn't work well in low light conditions. 50% of low light pics are blurry due to it. Don't even think about taking pics at night of scenes or landscapes or theme park type of objects. They will not come out well. Even at 5 MP I didn't find the images as being rich in color. The screen is so big so there is less place to hold the camera. It's heavy and becomes very easy to wobble and drop while holding it with one hand. Operating buttons with one hand is hard. The special modes such as candle light mode and portrait mode and night mode are all useless and non-usable. They overexpose the picture and everything comes out blurry. You have to press the shutter button twice. First to focus and then to click.
Bottom line : I do not recommend this camera. The big screen is not as attractive a feature as it sounds. 5MP is a waste of memory. Just go for a 3.2 or 4 MP camera where the picture quality is rich and clear at day or night.
PROs:
-----
1. The flash is strong and in good light conditions the camera works excellent.
2. Battery life is very long and charger comes free with camera.
3. Processing time is quite fast if you use memory stick PRO.
4. The software which comes with this camera is fantastic. It lets you generate MPEG slide show videos of your pics in a very artistic fashion with nostagic music playing in background. Its a really wonderful software.
5. No device drivers needed for windows XP.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Camera
Review: Deciding to upgrade from my previous 2mp camera, I automatically went for Sony. I am not big into photography but I don't want an entry level camera either. I have always had success with Sony products and this camera is no exception. After a couple months of use I still love it and have had no problems at all.
I was thinking about getting the P100 instead (also 5.1 mp) but chose this because:
1. AA batteries. What if I have a low battery and still have photos to take? Boom-AA batteries. No expensive special Sony battery to buy. (I do recommend high capacity batteries, though. Standard AA batteries really don't last very long. The supplied Sony NiMH batteries are great-get some like those)
2. 2.5" LCD screen. I can review my pictures and see greater detail than the traditional smaller screens. (Make sure you get a pretty good case to go with it-larger screen=easier to damage)
There are a lot of options that this camera has that I will probably never use. Nevertheless, they are there just in case I would want to. It is easy to use even if you don't know anything about digital cameras. I turn the wheel to "P" and everything is all set for the finest pictures.
If you are looking for a smaller, sleeker design camera and don't mind forfeiting some LCD screen size, the P100 is probably for you. It has a few less options but has a slightly longer battery life and can fit in your pocket. If you want something slightly larger, the W1 may be for you.
Recommended Assecories:
Case (Sony soft case works great)
High Capacity NiMH rechargeable batteries
128 mb Memory Stick or higher (it comes with a 32mb stick but that doesn't hold too many pictures)
HP Photosmart printer (my 8150 prints excellent pictures)
I wish the optical zoom was a little better. 3x isn't too bad, but sometimes I wish I had a little more. Unfortunately, most digital cameras are going to be about 3x.
In response to the guy having focus problems-Mine has NEVER had any. As with all electronics, you can buy the best and still get a lemon and that sounds like what he got.
If you still can't decide on a digital camera I offer two pieces of advice-DON'T BUY A KODAK! and You get what you pay for!
Rating:
Summary: Compact, sturdy, and high quality... worth it!
Review: For a couple months I debated between the DSC-T1 and the DSC-W1. I ended up purchasing the W1 after seeing it in a few different stores, on display. Comparing the T1 and the W1 side by side gave me a much better perspective on both products. Here are the reasons for my purchasing the DSC-W1:
The W1 was more sturdy, and easier to stabalize in my hands, allowing me to keep the camera steady longer for low light and action photographs. Because of this absolutely none of my pictures have come out blurry. (others complaining about blurry pics may have a multitude of factors to blame... it's all about reading the manual, becoming familiar with all of your camera's functions, and making the proper adjustments).
The W1 is compact enough for me to carry everywhere, whether it is in my pocket, my backpack, or it's own carrying case (I purchased a small carrying case for it, to protect the LCD screen). I also used one of my screen protectors for my PDA for added screen protection.
The 5.1 MP is a nice feature to have. Sure, most people can get by with 3.0 or 4.0 MPs if they're just looking for 4 x 6 - 5 x 7 prints, and to post their shots online. But having th 5.1 MP feature allows me the versatility to enlarge prints to 8 x 10 if I wish. It's a nice feature to have, especially if I know that if I ever want to enlarge more, I can.
The W1 also has a few different modes tht have come in quite handy. Not only is there an auto-everything mode, but you can switch the camera to Manual, and make any/all adjustments that you need to make. It also has a "semi-auto everything" mode that allows you to make slight adjustments. The other mode presets work wonderfully for night shots, night portraits, beach scenes, landscapes, and soft portraits.
Other nice features:
- The movie mode is a nice feature to have as well, even though I personally don't use it often. The quality is very good, and as long as you have memory you can record.
- The W1 has a tripod mount.
- No proprietory battery is needed... uses either rechargeable AA or regular AA batteries.
- Uses standard Media Stick or Media Stick Pro (unlike the DSC-T1 which uses the more expensive Media Stick Duo)
This is a great camera, and worth the money too. Some suggestions if/when you buy:
1.) Make sure you go somewhere to handle the camera in person before buying online. It makes a difference to be able to see the actual product first. And be sure to ask questions if you have them.
2.) Puchase expanded memory. I recommend a 256 Media Stick Pro at minimum.
3.) Puchase a case for protection. Screen protectors are nice for the LCD screen, but not necessary as long as you are careful.
4.) Purchase an extra set of rechargeable AA batteries.
Rating:
Summary: Compact and fast, with a big screen.
Review: Great camera. My last camera was a Sony Mavica CD300. Aside from recording onto a mini CD, its best feature was its large 2.5" screen. It's almost like having a Polaroid instant camera. You take a picture and pass it around. People love looking at pictures on the camera. You can't get that same effect with most digital cameras today. I bought the W1 because it also has a 2.5" LCD screen, but the camera itself is 1/4 the size. And this screen is actually much clearer than on my previous camera or on the Sony V1 (which this camera replaced). The picture quality of the photos is decent. (I'm no expert.) Startup is super fast. There's no lens cover, which is convenient. And it uses rechargeable AA batteries. I bought an extra pair for $10. It's also got an optical viewfinder so you can turn off the screen to save power while you're taking photos. A lot of usability improvements - They finally replaced the directional pad with buttons; the center used to be difficult to press. The on-screen menus are easier to read. A cool new feature is that when you select the camera mode by rotating the dial, it temporarily displays the icons rotating on the screen, so that you don't have to look at the top of the camera. And even the manual is much improved. The flash seems a bit small, but I haven't tested it out fully yet. My only real complaint is that it doesn't come with an AC adapter to directly recharge the camera. A cradle would be nice too. You have to take out the batteries and use the included battery recharger. Perhaps this is a better system, but I'm not used to it yet. Overall I'm thrilled with this camera.
Rating: 
Summary: Focusing problems
Review: I am very disappointed with this camera. I purchased it to replace my 3 year old 2.1 meg Olympus. The color is better on the Sony, but I'm encountering SERIOUS focusing problems. No matter how I set the camera, it just seems like dumb luck whether my kids' faces will be in focus. More often than not, they are not. This is my first and last Sony camera.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Camera...
Review: I bought this in Jan 2005 and I love this one. I have done quite some research before I bought this one. Some research sites recomended are
- PC World
- Steves Digital. www.steves-digicams.com
- Imaging- Resource(www.imaging-resource.com). This site has a comparometer by which you can comapare images from 2 cameras side by Side. Although thi site is little biased towards cannon as they did not use the correct settings for sony camera.
But one thing was clear from my research- Cannon Camera are the best in Image quality(I'll give 5 to Cannon on image quality and 4.8 to sony. 4.2 to Kodak, 4 to Nikon. But One ditinct advantage that made my choice to sony was the Spped of the shot. Basically sony cameras take shot between .2 -.3 seconds after the button is pressed and cannon takes 1.1 - 1.3 seconds to take the shot. With my kids it is imposiible to get a posed Picture I want with cannon.
Here are some of the feature comparison between Sony and Cannon(I ignored all others because of image quality)
1. Image quality - Sony 4.8 - Cannon 5.0. although at uptill 8x 10 the quality is same.
2. Image clarity and details - Sony 4.7 - cannon 5.0. Cannon has the lot more details. A picture of grass shows sharp edges of grass in cannon but sony is little blurry. But at 8x10 u don't need that kind of sharpness.
3. Color - Sony w1 4.9. cannon 5.0. again cannon is better but not by far. Sony P93 and P73 are worst in color but W1 does a good job and V1 and T1 are closest to true colors
4. Night shots - Sony 4.9 Cannon - 4.5. Here is the difference. Sony's shots in dark lights are the best.
5. Shot TIme. As I said earlier Sony is the best by 2-3 times better performance than any other camera. Besides startup time on Sony camera is about .3 seconds where as cannon is about 1.7 seconds. This is due to faster processor of Sony.
6. Batery Life - I could take 170+ pictures with sony using LCD and using the review mode Extensively. For cannon I don't have the numbers but I heard it is around 100 pictures(official number is 250 for both). Besides the charger is included in Sony but not in cannon using AA bateris. This saves another 30-40 bucks
7. Price - Both are same with cannons Flashs card being cheaper than sony' memory stick. But amazon.com gives 128 MB stick free which gives you 60 images at 5 MP resolution. Cannon' Battery charger for A85,95 series is going to add 40$ to your price range.
8. Noise reduction - Sony is the best. no comparison in digital processing with any other brand.
9. LCD Size- I've had couple of camcorders and trust me u need a bigger screen like W1 or else u miss details while reviewing, and while on a trip you try to take the best pictures only and delete the others.
10. Appearance and weight. All are same weight (couple of ounces here and there) but Cannon uses 4 AA bateries which makes is little more heaview and the battery torage space required in camera makes it even more bulkier(Bigger size) to carry.
11. Lens extensions. Cannon has better acceries available but I'm not professional either:)
Overall I'll say Sony is the best overall camera. Image quality compared to cannon is not the best but it is not off by far either. But If you don't care about the time taken to get the picture after button is pressed and are very hung on perfect image quality- go for cannon. But within 200-325 Price range , Sony is the best and W1 is the best in that range. It is also voted the best Point and Shoot camera by PC world(PCworld ratings are known to be best in electronics).
Summary
Sony W1 is good at.
1. Faster snap time
2. Best Night shots.
3. Very true colors(4.9 sony W1 and 5.0 to Cannon)
4. Excelent Scene Modes.
5. Decent Manual controls(You don't need them with scenic modes)
6. Very good image quality.
7. Lighter and better Look camera over all.
Cannon is good at.
1. Image quality.
2. Very true colors almost perfect.
Hope this helps
Rating:
Summary: Good pictures, lousy software
Review: I just bought this camera a week ago and it takes excellent pictures (not good for sports or action shots). The problem I have is the movie mode. It's great for being compact and taking short little clips. Unfortunately, it's only compatible with the software that Sony includes. I can't burn to DVD or create a memento CD with editing or music. Which is what the salesperson told me I could do.
Rating: 
Summary: Sony Cybershot Review
Review: I purchased this Camera on 12-12-04 and got a sweet deal. It was $320 plus a $50 mail in rebate.
Anyway, this is my first digital camera, and i like it a lot.
It is small, but not too small.
I dont get perfect pictures everytime, but i would assume that is the case for all digital cameras.
If the lighting is not so good inside, sometimes my pictures have come out yellowish. But not all the time.
Overall, i get really great picturs, the movie mode is cool since it is only limited by the size of your memory card.
I would recommend this to someone for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Love this camera!
Review: I recently bought this camera. I researched a lot of reviews of different cameras and found that it meets my needs and then some. I would recommend it to anyone. It is a great for first time users like me who want the option of using manual controls. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages I've found:
1. LCD Screen - The large 2.5" LCD Screen is the main reason why I purchased this camera. It is great for viewing especially with a lot of people around, but can eat up your battery power. You have the option to turn it off and use the viewfinder instead to save power.
2. Video - You can take as much video as your memory can hold depending on your settings. However, the video option doesn't have zoom.
3. Menu - The menu is easy to use. I like that options for night, backlit, candlelit, etc. photos are on the top-rotating dial instead of under the setup menu as in previous Sony cameras.
4. Memory - The 32 MB that it comes with doesn't hold a whole lot. I advise getting more memory. It's worth it.
5. Batteries - Convienient AA size, which is bulkier than some other digital cameras. If worse comes to worse, you can use a set of regular batteries.
6. Software - It has a nice tutorial on how to use your camera. The software is very basic and doesn't have much photo-editing features. You can actually do some photo editing on the camera like resizing and cropping. You can download free photo-editing software off the web that works well too.
Rating:
Summary: great for anyone
Review: I was considering buying both a digital camera and camcorder since I do a lot of work in both. Howevever, my friend got a Sony DSC T1
and I found out it can take video 640x480 @ 30fps! Although I wasn't too keen on spending over $500 on that, I found out about the DSCW1. First off, the battery life is fairly decent. I've charged up the included pair and have been using the camera frequently with little problem in battery life, but if you do run dead on the included batteries, you can always stop by a shop and pick up more AAs which is really convenient since you don't have to rely on a proprietary format. If the 3X optical zoom isn't enough for you, you can always buy a telephoto attachment and screw it onto the lens. Unlike the DSCT1, the W1 uses the standard memory stick size so you don't have to buy the more expensive Pro Duo sticks. At the same time the camera can use up to 1GB memory sticks. 2.5" LCD is very nice but not a neccesity. 5MP gives great pictures and when scaled down makes an even nicer print. Don't bother with the included software. If u run windows XP the camera is recognized as a disk drive and you can access pictures immediately after plugging camera into USB. If you do get this camera, definitely get a Memory Stick Pro 256MB. The 32MB stick lets you take maybe 12 or 13 pictures at max res and 23 pictures @ 3MP. You also can't take advantage of the 640x480 30fps video recording.
|
