The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has a truly unique design, in that it is like no other digital camera on the market. Designed to make it easy to shoot videos as well as images, the design looks good. There seem to be some ergonomics issues though – read on.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Specifications

* Shoots 5.1 Megapixel photos, MPEGMovie4TV videos
* 2.5″ LCD1 Screen tilts and twists to any angle
* Carl Zeiss® 3X Optical/2X Digital zoom lens
* Advanced circuitry for bright, low-noise images
* Cyber-shot Station™ cradle for quick PC/TV hookup

Pricing

Check the best price on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Reviews

The Imaging Resource reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 and writes – ‘The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is about as unique a digital camera as could be imagined. It packs a 3x zoom lens and high-resolution five megapixel sensor into a reasonably compact body, and offers generally good image quality as well as movies that are much better than average. The interface has been improved from the original DSC-M1, but still has quirks that could be ironed out. The interface is simply too complicated. The 5SEC mode seems to have no useful purpose, and the Hybrid mode may prove difficult for new owners to grasp and use. I’d like to see Sony change the camera’s design to simply allow a still image to be captured at any time, even if a movie is already recording, by pressing the Photo shutter button. More importantly, though, the M1′s zoom lever is far too small, too difficult to feel, and offers almost no tactile feedback. Other areas of the interface drew mixed opinions among the IR staff. I felt that the positioning of the four-way arrow pad on the LCD hinge was quite easy to reach with my thumb, but Senior Editor Shawn Barnett felt it was too difficult to reach.’

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Press Release

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 4, 2006 – The new Sony Cyber-shot î DSC-M2 digital camera combines great quality digital still photography and impressive movie-shooting capabilities.

Featuring 5.1-megapixel resolution, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar î lens and Sony’s Real Imaging Processor î circuitry, the camera offers outstanding image capture in either mode.

“We recognize that some people don’t want to have separate imaging devices for their photos and video,” said James Neal, director of digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “Our new Cyber-shot has been specifically engineered for these people.”

A New Way To Record

Designed for optimal photo taking and video making, the camera’s vertical one-handed grip sits comfortably in the palm of your hand. With just a gentle push to the side of the LCD panel, the camera powers up, the 2.5-inch LCD screen flips out, and it is ready to shoot.

Every moment becomes a full story with the camera’s hybrid record mode. When you press the shutter release, you get more than a snapshot. The camera automatically records five seconds of video before snapping the picture and three seconds after. There is no longer a need to choose between stills and video – you can get both.

Sony’s MPEG MOVIE 4TV movie function captures full-screen, high-quality video. At 640 x 480 VGA resolution and 30 frames per second, the resulting clips are ideal for viewing on television. The model’s sensor has been optimized with a high refresh rate, doubling the horizontal resolution.

The camera’s MPEG4 compression captures high-quality video in far less space than other cameras using MPEG1 technology. You can record high-resolution still images and video clips without a large-capacity media card. Or, you can purchase a 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ media card and record up to 1-1/2 hours of continuous video.

Additionally, the new camera offers stereo audio recording to truly capture the full experience of being there with surprising fidelity for such a compact device.

And, while some digital cameras do not let you zoom in movie mode, the DSC-M2 model continues to zoom in all modes.

The camera is supplied with Nero Vision Express 3 software so that editing footage and burning it to DVD is effortless. Convert video clips into home videos for everyone to enjoy. The supplied Cyber-shot Station cradle provides a convenient connection point for television viewing, USB transfer, and in-camera battery charging.

On-Camera Show and Tell

The new camera features pocket album and slide show plus movie functions to maximize your viewing enjoyment.

With each full-resolution image shot and stored on your Memory Stick, the camera’s pocket album function automatically stores a duplicate 640×480 resolution image in its internal memory, which holds 1,100 images. When the maximum capacity is reached, unprotected images are deleted leaving ample room for your favorites in pocket album for sharing wherever you go.

The camera’s slide show function brings photos to life without using a PC. Images and video can be played back with pans, wipes, fades and zooms, and then choreographed to pre-loaded soundtracks. You can even upload your own music to personalize slide shows using the supplied Picture Package software. A built-in speaker gives your slide shows that cinematic effect with sound to complete the experience. And, of course, a television can be connected for added enjoyment.

More Ways to Enjoy Cyber-Shot Digital Cameras

The camera’s image resolution is ideal for making high-quality prints. Simply connect the model to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer and print from the convenience of your own home. You can even create postcards or calendars using the printer’s supplied software.

With Sony’s ImageStation î online photo service, you can expand your options to print tens or even hundreds of pictures, create online photo and video albums, or make customized gifts from coffee mugs and photo books, to calendars and T-shirts.

Stylish and compact, the Cyber-shot DSC-M2 camera is finished in an elegant silver metallic aluminum case. The unit will be available this month online at Sonystyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and for about $500 at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin today at www.sony.com/M2

The camera is supplied with a Cyber-shot Station ™ cradle, which makes charging and connecting to a computer, printer or TV even simpler; an InfoLITHIUM ™ battery; AC adapter; AV/USB cables, PicturePackage v. 1.2.1 and Nero Vision Express 3 software; and a wrist strap. Optional accessories include a form-fitting case (LCS-MHB) for about $40, a travel charger (BC-TR1) for about $60 and a tripod (VCT-R100) for about $35.

Source.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 30th, 2006 at 2:46 pm and is filed under Sony. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.