Rating: 
Summary: Red hue in photos
Review: After owning and using the Sony DSC-P50 digital camera and being very satisfied with the results, I bought a DSC-S85 camera believing it would continue the same level of quality. Unfortunately, my expectations were misplaced with the S85. Maybe I wasn't using it correctly, but the photos I took with it had a reddish/pink hue. This hue was present whether I was shooting in outdoor (bright sunlight) or indoor (artificial light) situations. I tried to fix this by correcting the white balance and raising the flash level, but this only made the problem worse. When this problem continued to occur, I returned my first DSC-S85 to the store and got a replacement. The replacement camera did the same thing! In addition to the red hue, the shutter speed on the DSC-S85 was very slow; it was impossible to take photos in rapid succession. Also, the shutter would not open when the button was pressed (a one to two-second lag). All in all, I was disappointed by the performance of this camera and would not purchase another Sony digital camera product again (unless they substantially improve upon these issues). I took the second camera back to the store and wound up buying a much cheaper Canon Powershot digicam.
Rating: 
Summary: Sony perfect
Review: I've owned the Sony Dscs85 for about a year and have found that it produces excellent pictures at all resolutions! It is easy to use and very straight forward in its operation! The only negative aspect of this camera, that I have found is that it is a little slow between shots and needs a short time to recover! The camera is very well built and sturdy!
Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets
Review: For the likes of me, an amateur but interested photographer, this is as good as i could ever want - sturdy and robust so can bash around in a rucksac, super fine detail and resolution, simple to use and great results. Was a bit pricey when i bought it in Singapore a year ago but still with over 1000 terrific photos sitting on my Mac, (and one featued on BBC News website!!) its a great purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Compact Camera that is loaded
Review: Sony really packed the features into this camera,they made it compact so I can carry it and not look like the news team. The zoom lens retracts into the body and it is just like having a small disposable camera but having the features of a professional 35mm. When you are outside in bright sunlight the viewfinder is very handy and it works like a thru the lens viewfinder, that shows the zoom effect. You can program the camera for the settings you want and you can edit your shots in the camera. Like all cameras the included 16 MB memory stick is not large enough, so I purchased the sony 128 MB memory stick and I can shoot all day depending on the setting I use. The icons are easy to understand, a flower for macro mode a clock for the timer and etc. The LCD screen was my only concern with it getting scratched, so I purchased PDA screen protectors to solve that issue. I have taken a lot of shots at dusk and the photos are great without the flash. The new lower price makes this an even greater buy. Our christmas photos and winter photos at seven springs were great and being digital I saw the photo on the screen in seconds. Direct usb cable from computer to camera is great, I make a copy to a backup cd and then I go to [the store] with my memory stick and insert it into their machine and in an hour I get my photographs for [.$$] per photo. You can also send your photos over email.
Rating:
Summary: Usable features - Great pictures
Review: First of all, its probably pretty late for this review, given I've had this camera for a while, but, oh well I'm finally getting around to it. Between work and personal use, this is probably my 6th or 7th digital camera, albeit mostly for casual use. I used everything from Sony & Olympus, to Canon, Nikon, and Leica. I have to say that I love this camera. First of all, I think that 4 Megapixels is plenty of resolution for most non-pro users. Some people complain that this camera doesn't have as many "manual" features as, for example, comparable Nikon Coolpix cameras (which I also have: great pics too, but, much more difficult to use). Its true it doesn't have every manual setting imaginable. But I believe that 90% of the users will utilize at most 10% of those advanced features regularly. And with this camera, all of the functions are very intuitive and easy to use. Its pretty well thought out. Besides, a) advanced users know exactly what they are looking for in a camera, and b) good photographers can take nics pics with just about anything. I believe this camera really appeals to those who value simplicity, want a bit of flexibility, and are unwilling to sacrifice quality. Its got plenty of features, enough manual settings for most, video & voice capability (you can take as long of a mpeg as you have memory, which is uncommon), external flash shoe. Adapters for Telephoto & wide angle are available if you really want it, but, I've found that the 3x optical & additional 2x digital zoom usually suffice. I think the bottom line, though, is that it takes gorgeous pictures with little or no effort. This is a camera that anyone can use, and use well. You can't go wrong with the Zeiss optics, which are exceptional. I've been particularly impressed by the quality of pics under poor/difficult light conditions, which typically wreak havoc on digital cameras. The battery life is better than most. And, the fit & finish of the camera body is comparable, or superior to anything out there. On the down side. I agree that the memory stick is not the most desirable of media types. I'd love to be able to use a microdrive on this thing. But, memory is [low cost] these days, and I generally carry a couple of sticks when I expect heavy use. Besides, a 128mb mem stick provides plenty of storage under normal use. You might even have room to take a few short mpeg video.
Rating: 
Summary: Tough Trooper
Review: I got this camera just before I deployed to Kosovo. It was fairly easy to use, compact enough to fit in my cargo packet, and pretty tough. I have dropped it, exposed it to wind and weather, and carried it on patrols through cities. It keeps on clicking. I bought it aware that it came with a small memory stick and a single battery. I would have given this camera five stars if it came with a 128Mb Memory Stick. I bought two 128mb Memory Sticks and a spare battery from the outset. You have to factor this into the price of the camera -- it was worth it. Battery life was already long (2+ hours of constant use) and the second battery makes it ridicuously long. With the two Memory Sticks I can take pics all day long. Simple and rugged, it delivers good pics. I have recommened it to several friends who have bought it and been very satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera!
Review: I have had this camera for about a month and I can't say enough good things about it. This is my third digital camera and by far the best. The pictures come out crisp and clean with vivid color. I also like being able to take more than 90 seconds of video (up to 30 minutes with 128 MB stick). Great beginner or experienced photographers camera.
Rating:
Summary: better then I expected
Review: My other camera is a point and click, so take this for what this is worth. For my level of takin pictures there is way more features then I know what to do with. The controls are pretty straight forward, I was able to get move of the cameras functions down without reading the manual. I personally like the "two-thumb" layout, if anyone has played NES or PS, this should feel pretty natural. At first I was turned off by the small memory stick mainly because it meant i would have to go out and buy one with more capacity. You could get away with putting off the purchase of a memory stick by lowering the resolution of the pictures it takes for now, alteast until you get comfortable using the camera. I found myself doing almost no alterations to the photos other then reducing the size and minor touch ups in photoshop, with that said though, I will definitely be buying a larger mem stick more so now that the prices of them are coming down. Speaking of mem stickes, I was very surprised by the actual size of the stick. Most pictures I have seen make them look large, and I did not want to have to lug around bulky mem sticks but infact they are smaller than a stick of gum. One thing that bothers me about the camera is the short length of the USB cable. The USB port on my computers are on the back with the computer under my desk. Because of the length of the cable, the camera has to sit on my computer under my desk making it harder to work with.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera and easy to use
Review: This is a really great camera for both beginners and novice photographers. It will suit the needs of just about anyone. I have had mine for about 5 months and it has been great for me. The pictures it takes are always clear and full of detail. Where most digital cameras dont pickup up the background details, this one does. The only complaint that I have is Sony's pricing for there memory sticks. You can get "off" brand memory sticks from electronic stores for about half the price. Other than that, this is a great camera and it won't be obsolete anytime soon like most other products.
Rating:
Summary: Its a Keeper
Review: I'd give my eye teeth for this little beauty! I am an artist and of all the digital cameras I have just researched and seen...I'll take this one!
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