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.

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T30 is the latest addition to the cybershot family. It sports 7.2 megapixels and the world famous Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens. One of the best things about Sony is that they don’t go cheap on their lenses – they stick with the best.
This camera is equipped with Super Steady Shot(R) image stabilization, as well as double anti-blur protection. I’m not real sure what that is exactly, but I like the sound of it – my hands shake like crazy when I try to take pictures.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30 Press Release

NEW SONY CYBER-SHOT CAMERA CLEARS UP LIFE’S BLURRY MOMENTS

Slim DSC-T30 Model with Double Anti-Blur Protection Makes Fuzzy Images a Thing of the Past

SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2006 — Sony is building up its arsenal of anti-blur, digital still cameras to help people who are out on the town win the fight against blur with the introduction of the new 7.2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T30 model.

“When people are out having a good time, they don’t want to spend it learning how to avoid taking blurry pictures,” said James Neal, director of marketing for digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “We’ve engineered our flagship T-series camera with intelligent, automatic features so people can spend more time having fun and less time understanding technology.”

No More Buzz Kill

Everybody’s feeling the vibe and you want a group shot before leaving dinner or the party. Don’t make everyone pose and re-pose, smiling as if they’re suffering from lock jaw, while you take shot after shot trying to get a good picture.

Equipped with double anti-blur protection, you can press the DSC-T30 model’s Super Steady Shot® optical image stabilization and high-sensitivity mode buttons in seconds, and reduce the chance of taking a blurry picture the very first time – especially in low-light conditions.

The Super Steady Shot technology minimizes blur caused by shaky hands, while the new camera’s high light sensitivity (ISO 1000) mode reduces blur resulting from shooting at faster shutter speeds. There’s even added defense with Sony’s Clear RAW™ noise reduction system, which kicks in to counter picture noise associated with high-sensitivity shooting.

These technologies make the camera ideal for shooting in low-light conditions, such as restaurants, bars and clubs. Combined with its stylish finish and svelte dimensions, the DSC-T30 camera is the perfect accessory for even the most discerning “fashionista.”

Armed with features for optimal shooting and sharing, the new camera with its Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® 3x optical zoom lens combines power, portability and distinctive playback. Its slide show with music function is ideal for viewing on the camera’s three-inch, Clear Photo LCD Plus™ screen.

This is Sony’s first T-series model to feature selectable color modes. Choose natural mode for subtle color variations or vivid mode for more intense colors, depending on how you want to preserve the mood from your night on the town.

Sony’s ultra-fast Real Imaging Processor™ circuitry increases the camera’s efficiency for quicker start-up, faster shot-to-shot times, higher-quality movie capture, and longer battery life. Its supplied InfoLithium® battery provides plenty of power – up to 420 shots per full charge. That’s nearly double the performance of previous T-series models.

The camera has 58MB of internal memory, just in case you forget your memory card. Its capacity can be expanded up to two gigabytes, however, with an optional Memory Stick Duo™ media card.

The Cyber-shot DSC-T30 camera will be available next month for about $500 direct at SonyStyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sony.com/T30.

The camera is supplied with an InfoLithium battery, battery charger, multi-connector cable, wrist strap and software CD-ROM. Optional accessories include a travel charger (BC-TR1, about $60), Cyber-shot Station (CSS-TNA, about $80), a marine pack (MPK-THC, about $200), and a genuine leather cover (LCJ-THA, about $40).

Make the Most of High-Resolution Images through Prints

This new high-resolution camera is ideal for making high-quality prints. When you connect it to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer, you can create prints, postcards, or even calendars using the printer’s supplied software.

And with Sony’s ImageStation® 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 such as photo books and calendars.

Source.

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 and writes – ‘

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 is a stylish ultra-compact that takes very good quality photos in most situations. If you take long exposures or shoot under unusual lighting conditions it’s probably not for you, but for everyone else, it’s a winner.

The DSC-W50 is a thin metal camera with a 6 Megapixel CCD, 3X optical zoom lens, and 2.5″ LCD display. The camera is well put together for the most part, save for the doors covering the DC-in port and battery/memory card slots. The W50 is easy to use with just one hand, and its compact size allows it to go just about anywhere you do. The LCD display is big in size, though a bit of letdown in the resolution department. Low light visibility was above average, but not the best I’ve seen. Thankfully Sony included an optical viewfinder on the W50, which hardly any ultra-compacts have these days. In another positive move, there are plenty of accessories available for the camera, including conversion lenses and an underwater case.

The W50 is a 100% point-and-shoot camera, with zero manual controls. That’s too bad, since it could really use manual white balance and shutter speed controls, as my photo tests hopefully showed. You will find several scene modes on the camera, including a new high sensitivity mode that boosts the ISO as high as 1000, though I’d recommend not using it. The twilight mode is the only way to take long exposures on the camera, and the 2 second max shutter speed is not slow enough for most long exposures. The W50 has the same VGA movie mode as Sony’s other cameras.’

Let’s Go Digital reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 and writes – ‘Sony’s ultra-fast Real Imaging Processor circuit delivers quick start-up, fast shot-to-shot times, and long battery life – up to 400 shots on a single charge for the DSC-W50 model. It also speeds up the cameras’ sophisticated auto-exposure and multi-point, auto-focus features so that users get the picture right the first time. The Sony CyberShot DSC-W50 is equipped with 32MB of internal memory, which can be expanded further with an optional Memory Stick Duo media card or Memory Stick PRO Duo card, now offered in capacities up to two gigabytes. ‘

Steve’s Digicams recently reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W50 and had this to say – ‘The Sony Cyber-shot W50 is a good all-around performer. Weighing-in at just under 6 ounces (including battery and Memory Stick Duo), the W50 is both pocketable and stylish while still providing the optical viewfinder that its competitors frequently omit. With very good image quality, 6-megapixels of resolution, versatile sensitivity range, high-quality movies and an MSRP of under $250, the Sony DSC-W50 is a very good value. If you like the W50′s features and image quality but prefer to spend a bit less, consider the W30; it sports a smaller 2-inch LCD without brightness adjustment for about $20 less.’

The Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 really sounds like my kind of camera. With the beautiful brushed aluminum finish and small form factor, it’s small enough to make sure it goes everywhere. It’s also pretty much a point and shoot model. I’m not a big fan of playing with apertures and adjusting the flux capacitor. I like to point, click, and enjoy my high-quality pictures. Kudos to Sony – this one’s a hit.

Check the best prices on the Sony Cybershot DSC-W50.

DesignTechnica reviews the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 and writes – ‘There’s no getting away from it—this mostly-plastic camera feels cheap and lightweight. Even when loaded with two AA alkalines and Memory Stick Duo card, it tips the scales at 6.4 ounces. It measures 4 x 2.1 x 1.5 (WHD, in inches). For portability that’s good but this is as far from a D-SLR “feel” as you can get. To show how far Sony has gone to compete on price, last year’s top S (for Stamina) Series camera, the now discontinued 4MP DSC-S90, cost $300 when introduced. A number of things had to go in order to hit the magic $200 plateau with the new 6MP digicam. First, the LCD monitor had to shrink from 2.5 inches (115K pixels) to an 85K pixel 2-incher. The S90 was supplied with rechargeable AAs with charger that lasted for 550 shots. The new camera comes with standard alkalines that last 160 clicks and no charger but if you buy rechargeable NiMH AAs, the figure moves to a much more respectable 440.’

Steve’s Digicams reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 and they write – ‘The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 model offers features six-megapixel resolution and a precision Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 3x optical wide-angle (31 – 93 mm) zoom, which is much wider than other cameras in its class, so everyone is sure to be in the shot. The camera fits comfortably in your hand and has a large, two-inch LCD screen for easy viewing and image sharing. For only about $200, the S600 offers a combination of advanced features like sophisticated auto exposure and focus controls that work transparently behind the scenes for a seamless camera experience. Sony’s multi-pattern measuring function gauges incoming light by examining 49 points across the frame. With multi-point auto focus, the camera intelligently evaluates five different focus areas and selects the best focus setting for the subject instead of the background. ‘

CNET reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 and they write – ‘The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-S600′s performance ranged from good to mediocre. The DSC-S600 woke up, ready to shoot, in just 1.8 seconds and snapped off pictures every 1.3 seconds thereafter. The flash performed decently, requiring 1.8 seconds between shots. The burst mode captured 7 full-resolution frames at 1.5fps and could shoot 100 VGA pictures at about the same speed. Shutter lag was a satisfying 0.4 second under high-contrast lighting but slowed to an underwhelming 1.2 seconds under low-contrast lighting, even with the aid of the red autofocus-assist lamp. The LCD was usable under all illumination but direct sunlight and could brighten in low-light conditions.’

It sounds like Sony didn’t hit a homerun this time around.  I’m usually a huge fan of Sony products, but the so-so reviews would make me think twice before dropping 2 bills on this digital camera.   DesignTechnica was definately not a fan of the build quality in this model – something I think Sony usually does very very well.  Although for only $200 or so, I guess you can’t expect the world, can you?
Check the best price on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600!

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 has an impressive 10.3 megapixal CMOS sensor, coupled with 5x digital zoom, as well as a 2″ swiveling LCD screen.

Digital Camera Resource Page recently reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1. Here’ s what they had to say – ‘Recommending the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 is a no-brainer: it’s a great camera. Recommending it over a digital SLR is more difficult, and it’s a decision that ultimately comes down to what trade-offs you’re willing to make. When comparing the R1 to other fixed-lens cameras, you’re gaining excellent photo quality and a super lens and only (really) giving up a movie mode. When compared to digital SLRs you’re giving up the optical viewfinder and continuous shooting performance and expandability of an SLR, but gaining a live LCD preview (on a rotating LCD no less). Photo quality is very similar between the R1 and D-SLRs, so in the end you must decide which features you want to gain and which features you’re willing to give up. You should also try the various cameras so you can see how they fit in your hands, as the R1′s unusual design is not for everyone. The DSC-R1 is a revolutionary fixed-lens camera, and we can only hope that more large sensor cameras appear soon.’

Steve’s Digicams reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1. They said – ‘Top-class image quality is guaranteed through the inclusion of an APS-class sized Sony CMOS image sensor (21.5mm x 14.4mm physically), uniquely designed to significantly improve dynamic range, sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio. The large Sony CMOS sensor is able to capture more light, reducing noise levels, allowing higher shutter speeds, and therefore reducing the effects of handshake for beautifully clear, true to life pictures.’

CNET reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1. They said – ‘Sony’s Cyber Shot DSC-R1 represents an intriguing bridge between the world of user-friendly all-in-one prosumer cameras and the more complicated world of high-quality digital SLRs. It has an easily rotated LCD screen, plenty of manual bells and whistles, a sharp and versatile Carl Zeiss lens, and a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor nearly as large as those found in typical dSLRs.’

Digital Photography Review wrote a review of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1. They said – ‘I’ll start as I shall no doubt finish this little piece of editorial, the lens is worth the price of the DSC-R1 alone. That fact is not to be underestimated, it’s a great lens which provides you with a very useful 24 – 120 mm zoom range (which will be sufficient for the majority of users). Doing the math it’s pretty clear that you have to spend a fairly considerable sum on lenses for a D-SLR to get close to this range and the quality of the DSC-R1′s lens.’

Imaging Resource wrote a review of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-R1. They said – ‘If you can live within its 24-120mm effective focal length range though, the combination of lens and camera can’t be equalled for less than three or four times its selling price of $999. Easily a Dave’s Pick, we’d like to see a quicker shutter response, faster shot to shot speed, and especially a larger buffer memory, but there’s literally nothing on the market that can touch it for optical quality for less than $3,000 or so. (For camera and lenses combined.)’