Sony Cybershot DSCW1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Index

Compras Nikon
Bluetooth
5-megapixel recording * Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens * 3X optical zoom (4X digital/12X total zoom with lower-res photos only) * 2.5-inch color LCD * JPEG options: resolution up to 2592 x 1944; 2048 x 1536; 1280 x 960; 640 x 480 *
Sony updates the rangefinder-style camera for the digital age with the 5-megapixel Cyber-shot DSCW1. Built for photographers who want to capture images through a host of automatic features to help balance light and exposure, the DSCW1 also offers a bevy of manual controls. And once turned on, it focuses and shoots full-resolution images in a little over one-second intervals. The DSCW1 features a 3x optical zoom, Carl Zeiss optics, large 2.5-inch LCD

The extra-large screen of the DSCPW1
The DSCW1's super-sized 2.5-inch Hybrid LCD Monitor is much larger than the 1.5-inch displays common to other cameras in its class. (See detail)
Optics and Resolution
The DSCW1 features a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens, which is specially constructed for very compact cameras, and its design allows for quick autofocusing. It has a 3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom for a combined 6x zoom.

The 1/1.8-inch Super HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise, and provides a 5.1-megapixel effective resolution (2592 x 1944). The Real Imaging Processor offers greater clarity and picture quality as well as improved response time and battery life and decreased shutter lag.

Movie Mode
Capture video with audio at 30 frames per second (fps) at VGA size 640 x 480; the included 32 MB memory card will store 87 seconds of vide at this setting. Movie length is only limited by the amount of storage you have on hand. The Video Mail mode captures a smaller movie (160 x 112 pixels) that's more suitable to sending to friends and family via e-mail.

About Multi-Pattern Measuring
Independently light-metering 49 points of the frame, Multi-Pattern measuring establishes the optimum exposure value, even in scenes where pronounced highlight and shadow are not centered in the frame.
More Features

About Slow Shutter Noise Reduction
This process captures the scene
in two exposures. The second subtracts the noise pattern from the initial shot, resulting in a final beautiful photograph that is virtually noise-free.

Direct Printing
The Cyber-shot DSCW1 offers PictBridge functionality, which enables you to transfer pictures from your digital camera to a compatible printer--such as the Sony PictureStation DPP-EX50--without a PC or image-editing software. Images can be viewed and selected for printing right on the camera's LCD, with menus for print quantity, date, and index print.

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on Memory Sticks, and the Cyber-shot DSCW1 is compatible with Memory Stick Pro media--for storage up to 1 gigabyte. The included 32 MB Memory Stick will store 12 Fine and 23 Standard 5.1-megapixel images. The DSCPW1 transfers images to PCs and Macs via a speedy USB 2.0 connection (which is backward compatible with USB 1.1 ports).

Power and Size
The camera is powered by two rechargeable NiMH AA-sized batteries (2100 mAh). The included adapter/charger provides power while you transfer images from the camera to your PC. It measures 3.56 x 2.38 x 1.25 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 7 ounces without Memory Stick or batteries.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony DSCW1 digital camera, 32 MB Memory Stick, two AA-size NiMH rechargeable batteries (NH-AA-DA), battery charger (BC-CS2), A/V and USB cables, wrist strap, and CD-ROM with photo editing software.

Sony Photo Vault
The optional Sony Photo Vault mini CD burner eliminates worry about running out of space on your Memory Stick when travelling. It burns images to mini CD-R's without a PC interface--just connect your camera using a USB cable. The Photo Vault also has a Memory Stick slot (compatible with Memory Stick Pro and Duo) and features a built-in photo album capability to display photos on a television screen using a television's standard AV input.

1 Postive Reviews are correct
I agree with the two main reviewers that give this camera high marks. This is my first digital camera, and I have been nothing but pleased with its use. I am not a photo guy, nor do I want to be one, but I did want a camera that would fulfill all the needs that a family with three kids, and their school plays, and their sports events, and their silly moments, etc. could find. I've not been disappointed. Many reviewers of cameras seem to think that if you can't photograph, on the one hand, Saturn's rings; and, on the other hand, warts on a flea's butt, then there is something to complain about. This camera does far more than I'll ever need, and the menus are very easy to utilize. I should also add that I've never read the manual, so that tells you just how intuitive this camera is. I bought it, because after reading several reviews in respected computer magazines it seemed the best camera for the money. After six months of use, I've seen no evidence to falsify that position.
2 why pay 300? get it for FREE
nice camera that you can get here http://www.cameras4free.com/default.aspx?r=345693 thanks for read
3 LOVE
I love this camera! I have been wanting a good camera for a while now, but one that has all the features i need...This one really works, and I've never had a problem with it!
4 sucks software as well as it un-respectful customer service
Don't buy this stupid camera, it's totally sucks software as well as it poor un-respectful customer service. If you're looking for a replacement of sony. I'd strongly recommend Canon PowerShot SD400 5.0MP. It really much better than Sony DSC_W1 with its 9 point auto focus while Sony only has 5 points auto focus. It's much lighter, compact and better quality than Sony.
5 Excellent Camera from New Grammy
I have never owned a digital camera before but own 2 quality 35 mm a full size & a pocket size. As I was soon to become a first time Grandmother I decided I needed a digital camera to E mail those pictures around the world. I bought this camera on a Monday & lo & behold my new Grandson arrived on Thursday of that week. Obviously I did not have much experience with this camera at all. The pictures came out beautiful. It is so fast to start up & very fast in between shots. I love how easy it is to look back at your last shot. With the birth of a baby you don't have a lot of time to reshoot if you didn't get the shot. We have taken quite a few with no flash when the baby is awake & found it very steady & the pictures came out great. I love the ease of changing the picture after you've taken it right on the camera to make it a close up. Plus, it keeps the original picture you took. I was nervous about transferring them to my PC. It was my first attempt and I was afraid of losing such priceless pictures. With windows XP all I did was plug the cable into the camera & into the PC & it was done in a couple of minutes. No software needed! I can't say how impressed I am with this camera. I also love the larger viewing screen. For an older person it's a fantasic feature. The fact that you can use 2AA batteries in a pinch instead of rechargables is also a plus. I'm glad I spent a month researching different digital cameras. I believe I made a great choice. I hope my review might save some one else all that time. Also worth mentioning is the rechargable batteries were used for 16 hours the day the baby was born. 114 pictures (on a 256 memory stick) and with family members flipping through the pictures taken so far, all day long. Everyone enjoyed how big the viewing screen is to see the pictures right away. Thank you Sony!
6 Fuzzy Pictures Galore!
Don't be fooled by all these 5-star reviews, I am at my wit's end with this camera. It take horrendously underdeveloped or fuzzy pictures well over half of the time. I have tried changing the speed, I've tried holding the camera differently, I've tried everything and still bad pictures are taken. DO NOT get this camera if you don't use a tri-pod ALL of the time.
7 Sony Cybershot DSC-W1 Digital Camera Review
I own this digital camera and I really like it. It has 5 megapixels which means it has 5 million pixels in this tiny device. 3x Optical Zoom isn't too good but most digtal camera providers make this zoom standard. It has a 2.5" screen which is perfect for viewing and if you compare that with a 1.5" you can really see the difference. I like the silver color on this camera and I think it looks sleek. It takes memory stick which is somewhat of a hassle to get but I like that it's really small. I would recommend 1GB Memory Stick rather than te 32MB it comes with. You can really take this on your vacation and take beautiful images and when you come home you can edit them, burn them onto a disk or e-mail them to friends and family. A definite recommendation!
8 Well designed, excellent photos, beautiful camera
This is my first digital camera after years of 35mm photography. Digital cameras still do not have the quality of 35mm film, but for a compact digital camera, it's great. The best features of the camera:
- Super-fast response time from pressing the shutter button (as long as red-eye control on the flash is off). This is serious problem in cameras I have borrowed; you miss the shot because it takes too long to process.
- Huge and easily viewable screen on the back of the camera. Even in the normal brightness mode, you can still see it in direct sunlight; you can make even brighter (or darker) if you want, or turn off the viewing screen.
- Impressive array of configurable options.
- Menu navigation that is quite well designed in my opinion, the only place I've gotten mixed up is that there are 2 main sets of menus and sometimes it can be confusing as to which options are in which set.
- Really well laid out buttons and dial. Superb ergonomic design.
- Beautiful to look at. Has an admirable precision in fit and finish. The buttons and the dial have a very solid feel to them, with just the right amount of resistance.
- A impressive range of features if you are willing to spend the time to learn how to use them, including manual exposure modes, preset focus limits, numerous photography modes (i.e. night, landscape, etc.
- The lens is well protected and slightly recessed; you have to be quite a klutz to touch or damage it.
- A nice size; roughly the size of pack of cigarettes though much heavier of course. About 9 oz. with batteries.
- The optical viewfinder has good eye relief; i.e. you can see the whole viewfinder even with glasses. However, I rarely use the viewfinder but use the screen on the back to frame the images.
- The body is brushed aluminum not plastic. I don't know if this helps but it make the camera much prettier, and makes it feel more solid.
- Multi-zone focusing; the camera even displays the focus zones on the screen. I've haven't had an out-of-focus shot yet.
- Multi-zone meteriing which does a great job.
- Nice optics and resolving power (and I'm used to a pretty high standard: fixed-focal length interchangable Nikon lenses).
Gripes:
- The lack of case; you definitely need one, and probably a semi-rigid one as the viewing screen could be easily damaged.
- The measily 32MB memory card. You'll need something bigger. I bought a SanDisk 256MB Memory Stick Pro, it works fine.
- It's easy to turn on the close-up mode, then forget to turn it off. Fortunately, long-distance pictures taken with the close-up mode on seem to look OK anyway.
- The optical viewfinder shows a somewhat miniscule image, but I use the screen on the back of the camera 99% of the time anyway.
- The aluminum body makes the camera vulnerable to dings.
- You can't rapid fire photos because it takes a second or so to process and store the image. If you want something for sports photography this probably isn't it--you probably need a 35mm film or digital camera.
If you're looking for just a point-and-shoot, and never want to think about your photos, this camera might not be for you. If you want some level of control, in a semi-compact digital camera, I don't see how you can go wrong with this gem. My congratulations to the designers and the manufacturers of this camera.
9 Great Pictures but way too fragile
I bought this camera around 6 months ago for my honeymoon. We took around 5 gigs worth of pics and video of Fiji and New Zealand. For the most part, I was pleased with the photo and movie quality though I pretty much found that I got very little extra detail between 3 meg and 5 meg pics and so I pretty much stopped using the 5 meg setting. Color saturation seemed fine. Image sharpness was good.

Video quality was good except that, there's no zoom while filming, you had to hold the camera with both hands and move it slowly to avoid choppiness, occasional focus problems when moving between near and far objects.

However, I cannot recommand this camera to anyone because after two 4 foot falls, it is now worthless. I dropped the camera twice, the first time I caught my elbow on something and the camera fell onto concrete, breaking the battery door. The warranty does not cover falls and fixing it was going to be very expensive... the 2nd time the camera was dropped when a friend was handing it back to me, it fell on the lens and the lens is now stuck out at a bad angle... Fixing it was going to cost more than replacing it... You can say its my fault, but camera's get dropped and they should be able to handle a decent fall. The cheap plastic body on this cannot withstand a "normal" fall without breakage.
10 Super camera
This is an extraordinary camera. It's better than a larger Sony digital I have. The LCD screen is a pleasure to use. . . So far no complaints and I complain a lot.
11 Convienent, compact, easy to use!
Before buying my first digital camera, I did a lot of online research. I decided that it was between the Sony DSC-W1 and the Canon Powershot SD300. I am so glad that I went with the Sony, and I have never looked back. I was at first hesitant to go with the sony because of the cost of the memory. Recently SanDisk has came out with their own MemoryStick Pro, and it is much less inexpensive. I like that they camera takes rechargable AA batteries, although they are much heavier, because I always have that option of using alkaline batteries in a pinch. I use my camera on about a daily to every other day basis, and I only have to charge my batteries about once a week. My camera takes wonderful pictures, but the best part is the size of the LCD screen. Since having such a large screen, I can actually see the pictures that I have taken to decide to print them or not. I also love the video mode for taking short clips. They actually are of good quality, and it's much easier to have a small camera with you at all times, rather than a video camera. All in all, I love this camera very much. I would definitely reccommend this to anyone.
12 Great Little Digicam!!!
Sony DSC W-1 is an awesome little camera! I am very impressed with image quality. Colors are bright, contrasty and accurate. Noise is suppressed very well, although if you look closely it is actually overdone a bit (sometimes washing out fine details), but it is not a major negative feature. The Zeiss lens is razor sharp (as you would expect), and 5 megapixels allows me to read tiny details in my pictures like street signs. Battery life is surprisingly good. I could probably fill up my 256 Megabyte card easily on High Quality mode with battery life to spare. Easy to use point and shoot mode, as well as manual modes. The reviewer below: Sandeep Taneja "Dany Boy" has hit it right on the head. His review is very accurate, read it! This guy did his homework.

The camera's fast snap time cannot be stated enough. It doesn't just snap pictures quickly, even the time taken to "Power up" is very fast (the lens comes out very quickly). Hence, I can "Power on" and take a shot very quickly (probably under 2 seconds although I have never officially "timed it"). Write times to the card is fast as well. This camera was purchased to take shots of my 1 yr old niece and it has not disappointed!

One of my concerns with this camera (as with almost all digicams) was the camera's ability to shoot in low light conditions. Even digicams such as Nikon's vaunted Coolpix 5000 have difficulty shooting under these situations. Some of my pix have come out darker than I would have liked, however a manual switch to ISO 400 (and/or increase of EV to +1.5) has done the trick on many occasion.

I love this camera's movie mode! There is so much video can tell you that a picture cannot. I enjoy taking videos of my 1 yr old niece as well as making videos of places I visit.

Camera is small and pocketable, although I am starting to accumulate little dings in the plastic and they are starting to look noticeable. Suffice the say, the body construction is not great. In fact, it is a little cheap.

Some people have complained about having difficulty focusing. You should know that this camera has optional Multi Focus AF (multiple focus points - auto focus), multi metering, spot metering, Center Focus AF, .5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, and infinity focus options. If you know which option your camera is set at, then you can use this information to properly setup your shot. If not, don't be surprised if your subject is dead center in the screen and you are getting a clear background and a fuzzy subject.

Other positives: I really do enjoy playback on the 2.5" screen. It is a high res screen and although I use it to a minimum when shooting (to conserve batteries), it is nice for playback.

Ergonomics are good. The firing button is placed on the top of the camera and depressing the shutter half way (to set the metering mode) is easy to do and it is not too easy to accidentally press it all the way.

Summary:

What stands out to me about this camera is the excellent quality of pictures, ease of use, super fast operation times, and video mode. This camera is very refined, with almost all the problems of previous digicams addressed and at the current Amazon price of <$280 the price is hard to beat.
13 Overall good but Night mode is a problem
Using this camera since six months. Initially seemed good for all my requirements but since I purchased a lexar 256 MB memory stick, it gives me problem in night mode photography. I own a sony vaio and when I shoot a photo in night mode, everything looks fine but as soon as I insert the STICK in my laptop, and copy the photos in suddenly my computer core dumps. Probably the memory corruption problem. If I dont use night mode everything is fine.
All other features are fine and working good.
14 Great Camera
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!
15 Focusing problems
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.
16 Perfect Camera...
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
17 Flexible, smart camera
My Critical Customer Requirements (CCRs)that the camera met were

1) Commonly available power source - the camera uses AA batteries and recharbale AAs last the entire time taken to fill up a 256M card
2) Small - the camera (without any additional lenses) can be carried in a coat pocket/purse
3) Fast - this camera allows me to respond very quickly to a photo opportunity and is smart enough to track the action and maintain focus
4) Price - I was able to get it for $321 from the Circuit City site
5) "Cool Value" - the large screen and plenty of manual control features, as well as additional lense options make this a great indoors/outdoors camera

Some CCRs that the camera did NOT meet were
1) Continous zoom will not work - if I used the 2.6x lense extension kit, at the lower zooms, the field of vision is reduced by upto 50% (the picture you take seems to be taken through a tube). The extension lense work well when the zoom is at it maximum
2) Polarizing filters utility limited - the filters do not work with the extented zoom lenses. However they work well with the standard 3x optical zoom.
3) Extension kit - the extension kit causes some reduction in the filed of view, especially when using the built in flash.

Overall, I am delighted with the camera, hence the 4 stars.
18 Finally my search is over for an excellent digital camera!
This is my first digital camera (hard to believe, uh?). I spent along time researching which digital camera to buy, looked at a number of different brands and models, Cannon, Casio, Olympus and Sony, read alot of reviews (thanks to those of you who take time to post your feedback, it really helps), checked out various websites (dcresource.com is the best!), etc. Up until purchasing the Sony DSCW1, I had not come across a digital camera that had the right combination of features and quality (e.g. pictures and build) at a competitive price.

After using the camera for about 2 weeks here are DSCW1's pluses: 2.5" LCD screen (really nice!); 5 megapixel quality; ability to use AA batteries; takes very good photos (still experimenting what settings work best in certain conditions); fast restart time between taking pictures; on-screen menus are fairly intuitive; no sliding door that covers lens; 3x optical zoom; recording live video is limited to size of memory stick; a host of manual features (that I will probably never learn to take advantage of), etc. Downloading pictures on to the computer is easy and the quality of the pictures (e.g. color, lighting, sharpness, detail, etc.) are excellent...have not encountered too much red eye (turning on the red eye function helps.)

So far I haven't run into any issues with using the camera, although a few of the pictures I've taken have come out blurry due to movement when I took them...you have to have a steady hand when using any digital camera.

I purchased the DSCW1 on Amazon for $319 around 2 weeks before Christmas (usually the best time of the year to purchase digital cameras on Amazon)...the best part was that Sony was offering a $50 rebate, so the camera cost me about $270. I also picked up the DSCW1 soft carrying case (a must have) and a SanDisk 256mb memory stick (which was about half the price of Sony's memory stick). And of course with Amazon there's no sales tax and shipping. Hope that my feedback helps you make an informed purchase decision!
19 Compact, sturdy, and high quality... worth it!
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.
20 Not good in low lighting + Special modes are useless

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.
21 Sony Cybershot 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.
22 Not a good camera for the price
Pros:
Features, large LCD display, 5MP, compact, AA batteries

Cons:
Blurry pictures! (Isn't picture quality the whole point of a camera?)

I received this camera as a gift. It was supposed to replace my old slow digital camera (made by HP). I really wanted to like this camera because it was a gift and who wants to deal with a return? Out of the box, I could not take a clear photo with the Sony. I decided that it must be "user error" and read the manual and watched the software tutorial. My images still were blurry. I decided to sit the camera on a table and try to take a picture that way - the center was in focus, but the edges of the picture were not. After playing with it for awhile it's about 50/50 whether or not I'm going to get a somewhat clear picture - I don't want to trust my memories to a 50% chance of a crystal clear picture! If this camera were only 100$, I wouldn't complain and I would live with it, but it retails for over 300$ and is 5MP, the image SHOULD be sharp. By digital STILL camera- I think Sony means both the object being photographed and the photographer need to be perfectly still.

If you're only going to be taking still pictures a tripod and photo cropping software would help with the blurry spots. As far as a camera to take pictures of the family - my recommedation is to pass on this one!

I gave this camera 2 stars because of the nice features on the camera (the attempt by Sony was there). I admit, I could have just gotten a defective camera, I don't want to take the risk though.

23 exceeded my expectations
This is my first digital camera, after researching consumer and professional sites and my own needs i decided that I wanted a small digital point and shoot with room to experiment with photography parameters yet easy to use by all family members, this is superb and fits the bill, what you really need to get in addition to it is
1- Extra couple batteries, Sony's own 2100 mAH are great
2- Ultra II pro memory cards no less than 256K, from SANDSIK
3- Bag and those PDA LCD protectors (Best Buy) mentioned elsewhere in these reviews
4- Software to handle the images, Adobe Photoshop Elements 3
Pictures are great, I'm setting everything to "Auto" at this time and it exceeded my expectations, very well rounded, excellent manual, strongly recommended
24 Great camera, and an outstanding value
You can spend a lot more on a digital camera. But considering features and value, the Sony W1 is unquestionably one of the best deals out there. Among its most useful features for me:

- The large. bright, 2,5 inch LCD screen is a real selling point -- the largest, brightest, and most responsive you'll find. (Most of the competitors offer postage stamp-sized screens with grainy detail,)

- Photos are sharp, bright, and well-colored. I've had good results in bright and dark environments. While some have complained about "blurriness" or other visual faults, you'll find that most are remedied by a careful read of the camera manual. Over 100 pages, it offers solutions to the more common digital imaging problems.

- The W1 is acceptably small. Somewhat smaller than a pack of cigarettes, this will just fit a short pocket. It's recommended, however, that you invest in a case -- if only to protect the LCD screen from damage.

- Multiple modes, common to digitals in this range, offer a bit of flexibility to the more creative photorapher.

- The outstanding JPEG movie mode (with monaural sound) is second only to the Canon S1 IS in shoothness and detail, though it also offers a nifty email mode. It's like having a Super-8 camera (assuming you've invested in a 256 or 512MB memory stick).

There are a few things would have wanted:

- The W1 does not come with a case, although you can purchase a an attractive, economical CaseLogic DC43 case for under $7.00 -- considerably less expensive than Sony's.

- Image stabilitzation would have been nice for movies and deep-zoom shots. Deep zoom is best suited for outdoors.

- The USB door is rubber, not polycarbonate or metal. You're going to be using this door a lot for USB transfers, and it could be sturdier.

- Sony's memory sticks are proprietary (though SanDisk and Lexar offers cheaper, better substitutes). You'll want a "Pro" stick. The enclosed 32MB stick will handle maybe 12 high-res shots. A 512MB stick should suffice for most users. and should cost no more than $80.

I continue to enjoy using the W1, though I continue to use an SLR for more challenging shots. I recommend it strongly.
25 Great Cam so Far
This is my first digital camera and I've had it for a few days now, It's great for a first-time digital camera user like myself. Easy function: But be sure and read the instruction manual before you start trying to take pictures. As for the 2.5' LCD screen before I purchased the camera I was a little worried after reading past reviews about how vulnerable the un-protected screen was. So guess what I did I went to Best Buy and picked up some Micro-Thin Film Protectors....there usually used with large screen PDA's but you can cut them to suit whatever size screen that you need to cover. It will cover your Sony Cybershot just fine.
26 great little camera-I'm happy with my buy
Great camera, folks. I'm EXTREMELY impressed with the batteries and the camera's consumption of them--it's as if I can't wear them out, and I'm still on my first charge--a real plus over my last digicam's battery gluttony! Of course this isn't a video camera, but I'm still very happy with the video capabilities, which includes sound, which you don't get on all cameras. Definitely upgrade the memory, get a Memory Stick PRO so you can take full advantage of the 5 MP and the video.
Get a tripod for the twilight mode. Not a deal-breaker though, I have to use a tripod for my (regular) 35mm camera for slow shutter speed--its just what you do for nighttime photos.
27 Great Buy !
I bought this camera because at a price of $382 in may 2004 it was a steal. The large LCD and plethora of features makes it a great buy. The camera is small enough to fit easily inside your pocket even though it uses the bulkier AA batteries. It also comes with sony's rechargeable NiMH batteries and charger. I am satisfied with it. The pictures are razor sharp, crisp and clear.
28 Just when you thought .......
We own a DSC V1 Sony and through 2,500 pictures it was the definitive camera quick, easy to use and incredible pictures with the ease of transfer and printing until now. The Dsc W1
has ALL of the Dsc V1 features and clarity PLUS the addition of the 2.5 inch screen!!! The flash is no longer a "pop up" and the start up time is greatly improved as well as the recycle time for the flash. Picture quality envies any 35mm in any mode.
For the non camera techies in the automatic modes this camera is a dream come true aim/ zoom or not and shoot. The movie quality is about 20% greater definition than the DSC V1. One SUPER advantage it takes AA rechargeable batteries that are $9.00 a set vs $43.00 for a lithium pack and in a pinch AA regulars will work just fine. For once someone got the marketing/engineering and sales together and built a superior camera!!
29 VERY GOOD
This is a very good camera.

I am pleased with the quality of this camera especially when you can buy it now for less than $350 ! The functions satisfy advanced needs as well as beginners in digital photography. The bright and sharp 2.5" monitor allows a completely new experience. The only thing you should not forget is at least one set of spare batteries, the energy consumption is a little bit higher than for comparable cameras what is justified by the size of the monitor ! Investing in a memory stick pro is worth the money so you get the best possible resolution.

If you are looking for a high quality camera that is not too difficult to operate, the Sony DSC-W1 would be a good choice. I do not regret it.
30 Ok pictures for the money
Photos taken indoors with the flash are typically underexposed. You'll have to retouch them with your image processing software.
Outdoor photos of distant objects are not as clear as I think they should be.
The shutter speed / aperture range is not very wide. The camera uses a slow shutter speed, resulting in blurred images if not using a tripod.

It is small, easy to use, has intuitive menus, and has a huge display on the back of the camera.

Want to know how to get this camera for no cash cost? E-mail me at oliviagoddess@yahoo.com for more information.
31 Digital camera that can take good videos
I always find it's inconvenient to carry both digital camera and camcorder when going out. So I thought that I wouldn't upgrade my digital camera until I could find one which could take both good pictures and videos. This Sony DSCW1 made my dream come true. I haven't tried the pro card which can take 640 fine movie. I am already satisfied with the 640 standard movie on the regular card. Even though the quality and resolution is not as good as the digital camcorder, it's good enough to view on a computer and is very easy to load and burn on a CD (just like treating regular pictures, but need a viewer such as Realplayer to watch) so that I can share easily with other people. I like the pictures taken from this camera, too. I consider this as a 2-in-one in most cases.
32 Very happy with this camera
I am only 14, so I obviously dont have a lot of money, but I did want a nice digital camera that was at least 5 megapixels, preferably sony. I worked really hard for months to save up money and I wanted to be sure I got a good camera. I am glad to say that I am extremely pleased with the one I purchased. I received it only yesterday, and with the first picture I took I was amazed. When I read the reviews of people complaining abuot blurriness or bad quality I think they do not know how to use the camera properly. Try reading the manual. This camera takes amazing pictures with great quality, and the 2.5 LCD (one of the many reasons I bought it) is incredible. I am very happy with this camera.

33 Wonderful
This camera does everything that I wanted. I've had other Sony cameras in the past, the DSC-F505 and the DSC-P1. The start up time is amazing. You're ready to point and shoot in 1.5 seconds, and this camera takes amazing pictures.

For those who have said that the flash is alittle dim, you can change the flash brightness via the menu and you might also want to play around with the white balance to tweak the indoor settings too.

I've read that some are annoyed about the pictures being blurred... did you accidently leave your camera on MACRO mode? That's my only problem with the W1, is that it is really easy to accidently depress the MACRO button.

On battery life... I'm up to about 300 pictures with the included Sony rechargable batteries. I'm really happy with the battery life compared to what Sony used to offer before with the other "S" type batteries.

One thing I need to do is to switch the camera to 3x2 ratio (2592x1728) so that it comes out without being cropped on 4x6 photo printers.
34 What a disappointment!
I purchased this camera to replace my Canon Powershot S400 that I dropped and broke. I have always loved the pictures from the Canon S400 but was looking for something with better quality video. My husband has the Canon SD100 that takes great quality 640x480 video but only for 30 seconds at a time. I read about the Sony Cybershot DSCW1 and it sounded like the perfect camera; compact, 5 megapixels and 640x480 video that you could keep shooting as long as you have room on your memory card. So I purchased the camera and a SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro to hold lots of pictures and video. We went out on a beautiful fall day to test it out. What a disappointment! Out of more than 100 pictures there were about 10 keepers...and even those weren't great. The brilliant fall leaves looked faded and the beautiful blue sky looked washed out and white in most pictures. The video quality was the biggest disappointment. In regular 640x480 mode the video kept going in and out of focus so nothing was worth keeping. In 640x480 fine mode the video quality was only slightly better than my Canon's 320x240 video and nowhere near the quality of the Canon SD100 640x480 video. So I sent the camera back for a refund. I read a review that said this camera is great if you know how to use all the manual features. But if you don't know your apetures from your f-stops and just want a good point and click camera, I don't recommend this one.
35 A so-so camera - good but with a couple problems
I've had this camera for several weeks now and have taken a number of pictures. They look OK for the most part but do not have the quality that I was expecting.

1. Photos taken indoors with the flash are typically underexposed. You'll have to retouch them with your image processing software.

2. Outdoor photos of distant objects are not as clear as I think they should be. My old 2MP camera took as clear pictures of landscapes.

3. The shutter speed / aperture range is not very wide. The camera uses a very slow shutter speed in even moderate light conditions, thus resulting in blurred images if you are not using a tripod.

Overall, I give this camera a 3. It is small, easy to use, has intuitive menus, and has a super-large display on the back of the camera. It also has a couple faults, as noted above.
36 This is a great camera, wonderful features, easy to use
I love this camera. I heavily researched my next camera, having used several over the last 5 years and most recently the Fuji FinePix 40i. It came down to the Canon s500 and the W1. After using both I bought the W1. The s500 had only one selling point that the W1 didnt (panoramic on the camera), but the W1 had several the the s500 didnt. As a bonus it also takes regular 1.5v AA alkaline batteries!!! I have not looked back since purchasing this camera, and I recommend it to all my friends. I have a test image (night shot no tripod posted on my site at www.cafeandrew.com/archives/images/DSC00054.html
37 Good pictures from a palm-sized camera
I've had this camera for about 4 months, including one big vacation, and lots of picnics, parties, etc. with my 9 month old son. I've taken about 5,000 photos. I'm very happy with the performance of this camera.

I upgraded from my old Olympus C-700-UZ, as a result of my wife's complaints that it didn't fit in the diaper bag. The Sony is definitely a convienient size.

Negatives:
--Memory Stick: not my favorite media, and not found in anything not made by Sony. For about $50 at Costco, I got a 256MB card which holds 100 pictures. A week later I got a second. My HP printer's built-in card reader won't read the Pro version of the memory stick, which means anything bigger than 64MB. I had to buy yet another card reader.
--Poor flash range. The old Olympus did a better job with the flash at about 10', while the Sony generally comes out a bit dark there.
--Bundeled software. It is darn near useless. It is the only place I can view the 16-frame burst mode pictures.

Positives:
--AA batteris. Not rechargable, but when you can easily get 1000 pictures off one pair of Energizer E2 Photo Lithiums ($5), why bother with a rechargable that runs out after a hundred or so? This is with the screen on all the time, and lots of flash photos. The secret to getting longer battery life: use the card reader to erase the pictures, not the camera (erasing flash memory uses lots of juice).
--5MP sharp pictures. Most pictures are of my son and the things he does, so I probably couldn't tell you if there was any subpixel abberations or thermal noise affects, but my son is pretty darn cute in every picture.
--Good Size. Fits comfortably in the hand. Sony's smaller twin to this just felt too thin to be comfortable.
--Durable. I've thwacked it a couple times and it's shown no problems.
--Video. Nice video capabilities. Does a better job than the Olympus. Will not allow changing zoom during a movie, and sometimes it will hunt around looking for focus at odd times during a recording.
--Cool 16-frame burst mode. Takes 16 smaller pictures (640x480?) in under a second, and puts them together in one frame as a 4x4 array. It can play them back as a movie on the camera or with the bundeled software, but other programs just show the tiled picture.
38 Big LCD screen but soft & fuzzy pictures
My Canon S400 took 10x better crispy clear pictures than this Sony 5MP. Very disappointing. Don't get too excited about all the five stars review until you try one yourself and compare pictures with other cameras.
39 Simple the best (updated!!!)
Update.

The SONY Cybershot DSC-W1 is definitely one of the best 5.1MP compact (middle size) digital cameras on the market you can buy. I'm using it now for more then a month and I tested every mode I could and I'm more then satisfied. If you ask me, the camera works the best when you shoot in AUTO mode. That's my opinion. Sometimes even when you take night shots. Trust me, I live in Las Vegas so I have experience believe me. Pictures are also great even when you shoot with 1MP. The movies are great specialy if you have MS Pro like I do (256MB) when you can shoot in 640FINE mode. What else to say.

And yeah, you guys who are complaining about the blurry pictures. First of all read the manual on how to take the pictures specialy for the night shoots. During the night shoots shuter speed is reduced so if you shake the camera of course you will get the blurry pictures. Did you ever heard about the tripod?!?

I think this is also the only digital camera of it's size that you can actualy upgrade with extra lenses. That's simply amazing!

What's also amazing and it simply takes your breath away is 2,5" screen. It's just awesome. That was just one of the reasons why I bought this camera in the first place.

Boot time: 1.6 seconds. Try to beat that!

The design is great even though, they could made it little bit thinner (like Casio Exilim series). But that is because of Ni-MH batteries I supose.

Speaking of batteries, they will serve you for a long long time. Sony says 340 shots, but personaly I think it's little bit less (always is) but anyway, I recomend buying an extra pair of Sony rechargeble batteries (they are only $9!!! comparing to Lithium batteries for other digital cameras which are 3-4 times more expensive).

What else. I bought MS Pro 256MB for $67 (I found it on amazon.com, it was the cheapest deal I could find) and I don't recomend nothing less 'couse those 5MP pics need a lot of room on the stick (The Magic Stick ;).

I also purchased a case for $20 (amazon.com) which is in stores for $30. That was a good deal too.

Overal, this camera rules. And yeah, price is now reduced to $319 with free shipping. I bought it over newegg.com for $350 a month ago, they have great ratings and I personaly have great experience with them, so check them out.

I hope this review helped.

Specialy for you guys who are still thinking "should I buy it or not?!"

SONY RULES!!!
End.


Problems (If you can call it a problem)
On my opinion only the charger. You need aproximetly 6 hours to charge the batteries with the charger that comes in the box with the camera. So, my choise was buying an extra pair of batteries so I don't need to wait for so long.

Or, you can buy a faster Sony charger that charges batteries for around 2-2.5 hours, but that's more expensive option.

I think extra pair of batteries is better choise.
40 All that rot about blurry pictures
I've just read all these complaints about blurry pictures, and felt compelled to write as it is obvious that some people just don't understand how photography works. The W1 starts by reading the available light, just like any other camera. When it has done that it decides on an appropriate aperture and shutter speed. In actual fact, it tends to choose rather larger apertures and therefore faster shutter speeds than other similar cameras. It can't do anything else - if it set much faster shutter speeds the pictures would only be underexposed. Compare the exposure settings to those on any other camera in the same situation and you will find they are the same. The big difference with the W1 is that, because of the large screen, you tend to hold the camera well away from your face when you shoot, inevitably causing camera shake.

One solution if you want to hand-hold indoors is to increase the ISO setting to 200. Incidentally, you are hard-pressed to take hand-held pictures OUTDOORS on any camera at ISO100 in the UK at any time of the year except in mid-summer. Increasing the ISO to 200 doesn't seem to cause too much noise. You can also try using the viewfinder and propping your elbows on something.

I've only had this camera a few days, but it seems very sharp to me. You just can't expect it to defy the laws of physics.
41 Don't buy it, if you know what you are looking for
I can only compare this camera with my previous one, a 3.2 MP Olympus D-550. Some of the reviewers on this web site are correct: there are some major differences in the ways you take pictures, so reading the manual does help with that. With Olympus, a press of the button will take the picture, but it may take a couple of seconds until the picture is actually taken. With this Sony camera, you have to semi-press the button and then wait for the Auto-Focus to find the best spot, then press fully the button and take the picture. If you fully press the button from the beginning, then the picture will almost always be blurry. This different concept will get most of the people that did not have this type of camera before.

The problem is that even after following the right procedure, this camera still takes blurry pictures. Especially indoors, more than 50% of the pictures are blurry. Outside, the percentage drops a bit, but this camera is still nowhere close to the Olympus. D-550 takes very clear and sharp pictures. I usually had maybe 2 blurry pictures every 100 or so. With the Sony though, the percentage is unacceptably higher.

You would think technology moves ahead - but maybe not with Sony.

I really wanted to like this camera - it has all the features I want. But why bother about them, if its main purpose is denied: it cannot take clear pictures! I can only assume the positive reviews come from people that never owned another digital camera before or settle too easy. This camera is the worst digital camera I have ever used.

Final conclusion: stay away from it. If you want to try it, make sure you can return it easily, case you will not like it. Take the positive reviews with a grain of salt - the manual can only slightly improve the results, but you will still get a high percentage of blurred photos, especially indoors.
42 Excellent camera
Pros: Fast startup and fast shot-to-shot times, sharp images, 2.5" LCD, MPEG movie mode, easy navigation, small size, option to use AA batteries.

Cons: Poor s/w

I bought a 256 MB memory stick pro and snapped a lot of pics. The picture quality was excellent except in a very few cases - indoor shots mainly. Outdoor shots in daylight was outstanding. But if you want to take indoor shots, where the subject is a little farther off, you need to adjust the lighthing and stuff -the flash has a moderate working range of about 11 ft.
Close-up shots are very good too. The pictures very sharp and of excellent quality.

This camera has one of the best menu/navigation buttons and is very user-friendly. I like the option to use AA batteries.

The only thing that I didn't like was the s/w, which is pretty bad.
43 READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
I really like my new Sony camera. I did the following things to make my experience positive:

1. Read the instructions before using the camera. A lot of people do not.
2. Buy a larger memory stick(512mg)to store your pictures.This memory stick also interfaces with my Sony computer.
3. Buy extra batteries.
4. Buy a case to hold your camera and extra batteries.
5. Use the camera to experment before using the camera for events.
6. Use the view finder instead of the LCD screen to take pictures. You can hold the camera better, and get more consistant clear pictures.
I have not looked into buying additional lenses because there is not enough information on their performance.
This camera is a great buy if you invest in more memory and extra batteries.
I will probably not need another digital camera for some time.
This camera meets my current needs.
Please give us some feedback on the extra lenses.
44 Extremely Satisfied
It took me a long time to buy a digital camera. I always agonize over spending this much money and fear that it won't live up to my expectations. I've had the camera for about two months and so far I am thrilled. I've used a number of the features and tried shooting with the 3 and 5 megapixel setting. Great shots! The large LCD is very nice and clear. Even the battery life is longer then expected, although I bought an extra set of batteries for $8.99 at the Sony website. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was I'm sure it's not perfect and just haven't come across as to why just yet.
45 Very disappointing results.
This Sony digital camera should appeal to only 2 types of photographers:

1. If you primarily take photos in bright daylight this camera is for you.

2. If you enjoy a flash illuminating your indoor pics, you will love this camera.

A flash will give you bright clear subjects (assuming they are close to you) and black backgrounds that won't tell the story about where you are. With a flash (unless it's slow sync--and that doesn't work well either) your photos may have well be taken in some generic studio.

For everyone else this camera will invariably prove itself to be inept.
For some reason it's highly insensitive to light and will set very slow shutter speeds for any photo that is not abundantly well lit. Even indoor pics with ample natural window light are nearly impossible to capture with this Sony. It continually blinks a warning "hand" on the large LCD to let you know that you will not be able to hold it still enough and most of the time you cannot hold it still enough. And who wants to reach for a tripod when the moment is fleeting? If tripods are your thing, this camera may be a good fit.
Look, I have zero agenda regarding Sony. This is extremely well designed ergonomically and feature-wise (big LCD, fast shot to shot times. etc), but the trade-offs for the way I use a camera are just too large. I like available light and try to minimize flash use. So you ask, "but what about the slow sync flash"?
Well, it's too slow, resulting in lot's of blurry pics.
I've taken thousands of photos, with the DSCW-1, using every conceivable combination of settings and can conclusively determine that my impressions are accurate. If you have greater aspirations than outdoor pics in bright light and indoor flash photos, you should consider something else. Mine is going back.
46 Great Camera

This camera is very fast, well constructed and contains a lot of interesting features, particularly in the movie mode.

The camera is also easy to use, takes great images and is well priced for a 5 megapixel.

Although, the user manual is somewhat confusing and the software package is just OK this is an excellent choice in the "point and shoot" category.


You can't do much better.

47 Great Camera!
I am VERY satisfied with this camera. I just came back from a vacation in Japan and all my pictures turned out perfectly. I think some of the poor photos from the previous reviewers might be due to defective cameras. If you go to websites such as steve's digicams you can see sample photos and judge for yourself. However, I wil say that I also own a Canon S230 (just 3.2 megapixel) and the W1 is comparable in picture quality (high)....maybe the previous reviewers expected more from a 5 megapixel camera? If you are going purely for picture quality in a small package, I think Canon might be marginally better. I prefer the W1 because it has more options than any of the Canon Elfs and it is SIGNIFICANTLY easier to use.

BTW, I've also used the T1 which is a good portable camera, but the image quality is noticeable inferior to the W1....for those of you deciding between the T1 and W1.
48 Takes Awful Pictures - Otherwise Superb
This is a very strange camera. At first glance, it seems superb:

- FAST! Ready to shoot moments after turning it on, fast autofocus!
- Nice size!
- Great battery life!
- Big LCD screen!
- Nice controls!
- 640x480 30 fps video - super convenient!

Almost perfect, until I snapped some pictures. They are OK when viewed as small images. But blow them up a little (not very much at all), and they're blurry as heck! My 6-year old 1 megapixel Agfa takes finer pictures!

I've been shooting pictures using SLRs and digicams for more than 20 years, and have never before had a problem with blurred shots, except when expected (e.g., snapping moving objects or low-light conditions).

When I saw how blurred the shots were, my first thought was to make an appointment with a neurologist to check for Parkinson's Disease. Fortunately, I see that others ar complaining of the same problem, and my wife swears that I don't have a tremor, so I'll pin the blame on the camera.

After a few days of use, the camera has also started to crash: suddenly turns off for no reason, doesn't perform the shutdown sequence (retracting lens). Screen indicates that batteries are fully charged.

Ugh!

This one's going back!
49 I wanted to LOVE this camera BUT...
I wanted to love this camera, but it was not to be. I researched for about a month and was sold on all of it's features; 5.1 mega pixels, 2.5" LCD, loads of manuel controls and effects and the ability to attach telephoto and wide angle lens and filters. One problem, every picture I took over the course of 3 days was VERY soft/fuzzy. I tried adjusting all the manuel settings, nothing, just fuzzy pictures. I even did a picture for picture comparison with my old 2.0 megapixel Canon s100 and the Canon was sharper . I took the camera back and got a Canon Powershot A80, loads of features, attachable lens,$100 bucks less...GREAT pictures. One last thing, be careful who you buy from, I purchased from a company that likes to say their a 'best buy', and had a nightmarish time trying to return the sony, good luck!
50 Digital heaven
I fought going to digital...am SLR holdout; but after receiving Sony DSC-W1 for gift, I am in heaven....wonderful display, sharp and wys is wyg only better....
Easy to use, lightweight, have had no red eyes.
Enlargements of 8x11 are fantastic.
Only digital camera in this price range with optional telephoto and wide angle lens and filters....that I have seen....
Macro setting is superior.
Dont wait the price is good and 5.1pixels is more than adequate...
I am totally sold on digital now.....my new Nikon N75 sits alone
Cant beat light weight, quality prints and instant gratification
Buy it today before it is gone....
51 Simply Amazing
i got this camera as a gift a few months ago an i haven't stopped taking pictures yet! all of my friends have digital cameras and my photo are clearer and sharper than their nikons and cannons. batteries are also a huge issue with digi cams and i can take photos all day while my friends have to swap out batteries and wait forever between shots. i just have to say its a great all around camera!
52 Great deal for 5MP point and shoot, but...
I was torn between this Sony W1 and the Canon S60, and finally bought the Sony W1 because of the attractive price and movie function. But I ended up returning it because I began to believe that for $100 more, the S60 would give me more features that I wanted.

Dont get me wrong, if you are looking for a 5MP camera at a great price for simple point-and-shoot operation with some wiggle room to grow creatively, I would highly recommend this camera. Its quick, takes good looking images and gives great bang for your buck. I however, as a graphic designer with film SLR experience, yearned for more manual options and less compressed images.

The Sony W1 is caught in 5MP camera limbo. It is bigger and has more manual features than most ultra-compact cameras like the Canon S500 Elph, but it is smaller and has less customizable features than prosumer compact models like the Canon S60. It is hard to classify the W1's true competition. If you are deciding between an S500 and the W1, go for the Sony W1. If you are deciding between the S60 and the W1, you may find that the extra $100 is worth the extra features in the Canon model, like I have found.

Here are my personal pros and cons of the Sony W1:

Pros:

- Big 2.5-inch LCD screen. Great for sharing movies and pictures right on the camera, and helps composing images. But, some annoying drawbacks (see cons).

- Max 30 second shutter speed in Manual mode. This is twice the max exposure time of most prosumer models priced hundreds more. This helps in getting creative with night shots.

- VGA 30fps movies (with Memory Stick Pro). Great movies, even in VGA 16fps. You can't use the Optical Zoom during shooting a movie, but you can set the Zoom to a specific range, then begin recording your movie at that locked Zoom setting. Also, I'm not sure if all cameras do this, but the Movie Mode actively adjusts focus AND exposure during the recording of a movie, AND you can use many still-image functions (such as Macro and Photo FX) during movie recording. However, some file size drawbacks (see cons).

- Smart Zoom digital zoom. Basically a loss-less digital zoom function available on the lower resolution settings. But, in simple terms: if you have it set on 3MP, it will capture the image at 5MP and crop the image out to make it 3MP size, giving the illusion of a zoom. It is a very handy feature, great for people who dont have expensive photo-editing software or know-how. But, if you are me, then you know you can get the same effect by taking a 5MP image, and then crop it in Photoshop.

- INCLUDED 2 rechargable AA batteries and charger. Great money saver, just buy another 4 pack of batterys to keep in rotation to recharge. Unfortunately, the batteries dont last as long as a proprietary would, and they take a dismal 6 hours to charge. But this is another reason that this camera is great bang-for-your-buck.

- Availiable in Black (which I bought), which is cool because it makes the camera look unique among the sea of hundreds of other digital cameras that are only available in brushed metal. This is the reason I liked the Canon S50 also.

Cons:

- No 320x240 movie size. This would help in preserving memory if you want to capture movies that arent VGA. The VGA-fine setting is great looking, but a 256MB Memory Stick Pro can only hold about 2 minutes of it, which in my opinion, kind of defeats the purpose. If you are willing to shell out another $200 for a 1GB Memory Stick the movie mode might be worth it, but you should probably use that money to buy a better camera instead.

- No Aperature or Shutter priority modes. If the W1 had these functions, I probably would have kept it. This would also be good options for the photography novices who may be hesitiant to use the full manual function on this camera.

- High in-camera post-processing. This certainly exaggerates the quality of the images, which is fine if you are using it as a point-and-shoot and printing 4x6 prints. However for more high end photography and digital art uses it basically destroys any fine detail in bright or dark areas of an image.

- Big 2.5-inch screen is virtually exposed and unprotected by any clear plastic as found on most Canon models. This may help with anti-glare. However, I have found that the LCD gets very dirty very quickly because of this. After 1 hour of using the camera, the LCD screen will be covered in fingerprints. LCDs are a bit tough to clean, because you cant use any solvents. I found that using a moist, very soft Kleekex, does the job of cleaning the screen, but it is still an annoyance.

- The included software CD is best used as a coaster.

The reason I gave only 3 stars is because, for ME, this wasnt the right camera. I hope my review will help other customers like me who want a smaller camera with a lot of SLR features. But if you are a digital photo novice who wants good looking pictures in a point-and-shoot 5MP camera on a budget, do yourself a favor, and buy the Sony W1.
53 Versatile and Travel-Friendly
I have been very happy with this camera since I purchased it over a month ago. My requirements for a digital camera were resolution of at least 5 MP, compact size for travel, and some scene or manual modes. Two features sold me on this camera:

1. Compatibility with AA batteries. Most cameras this size use proprietary batteries, which means if you forget your battery recharger on a trip, you could be in trouble. With this camera, you can take out the included AA rechargeables once they run down and use regular AA batteries. While lithium batteries such as Energizer's E2 series are best, even alkalines will work in a pinch.

2. Larger LCD area. The extra inch makes a huge difference. You can tell immediately whether people blinked, and the screen is large enough that family and friends will enjoy flipping through the photos you've taken without having to squint. The larger area also makes it fun to zoom, rotate, and crop photos right in the camera.

In addition to indoor settings, I have tested the camera in the Colorado mountains, suburban Chicago, and downtown DC. The scene modes did an especially beautiful job with the mountains and lakes. I had been worried after some reviews suggested that Sony cameras make colors look washed-out and faded, but I did not experience this. My images have also been very sharp, and I can see details far in the background, such as signs in shots of city streets. I also like that you can set the camera to record images in a 3:2 ratio, so that if you are planning to make 4x6 prints, the camera saves exactly the image that will be printed. My only complaint is that the red-eye mode doesn't completely eliminate red eye in indoor shots, but I understand that this is typical for compact cameras.

Since this camera and its LCD screen could easily be damaged in a purse or backpack, I would recommend a semi-rigid carrying case such as Sony's LCMWA model.

This camera will not be right for everyone. If you're looking for a simple point-and-shoot and don't want to worry about settings, consider Canon's PowerShot S500 Elph. If your photos mostly will be indoors and redeye is your major concern, consider Nikon's Coolpix 5200. If you'll be doing a lot of telephoto zooming, consider the Pentax Optio 555 with its 5X optical zoom. But if you're looking for a versatile compact 5 MP camera in the advanced consumer/prosumer segment, then look no further than Sony's DSC-W1.
54 Defective Camera with Blurry Out of Focus Images
I wanted to love this camera. It's small, easy to use and has a huge LCD screen that works in all lighting. I bought it the day before my caribbean vacation, along with a 512 card. In the month that I had it, I have taken well over 1,000 shots. With that in mind, I can definitively report that the image colors are brilliant, almost better than life and the composition of the images are exactly what I thought that I was taking. That's the good news. The bad news is that that vast majority of my shots are slightly blurry and even the perfectly focussed images are soft to the point that it misses the minute details. Not so much so that you would notice as you are running a slideshow on your monitor, but if you examine each photo, you realize that something is not-quite-perfect. I also have an olympus and a nikon digital and I compared the images against the images of the other cameras. The nikon/olympus shots are SHARP and CLEAR, right down to the smallest detail. The Sony shots are NOT. I read reviews of the Sony on digital photography sites and several people mentioned that you should use the P mode, set the contract to -1 and the sharpness to +1. I did and it certainly helped. But in the final analysis, the images suffer from a softness that does not contain the same details as the other cameras. Looking at individual portraits, the crispnesss of the other images are missing and in its place is a pretty facsimile of the real thing. Some people may actually like this; it does seem to soften wrinkles and age-lines (kind of like botox without the injections). But to me, real life has to be warts-and-all and this camera is not capable of handling it. One final word on the blurriness. If you have the camera, try taking three shots. The first at full wide angle, the second zooming half way and the third with the full zoom. You will undoubtedly notice that the full zoom shots are never as good as the full wide shots. After a month of use, I'm putting mine on up for auction (am I allowed to say ebay here?)
55 Great camera! Very Happy With My Purchase.
I bought this camera before I went to a wedding in San Francisco, and the pictures I took were really good. I posted them on ofoto so my friends could buy them and several purchased them b/c they turned out so well. I compared to my 35mm picts, and you can not tell the difference. As far as what one reviewer said about it being blurry when you take close-ups or pet portraits (I take a ton of pictures of my dog), and the thing is, what you have to do is push the left arrow key and the little tulip sign comes up on the bottom of the LCD screen, and then you tap the picture-taking button lightly until the green focus light comes on and it then focuses extremely well and very distinctly on the object you are shooting (a portarit or whatever you are focusing on).
Whenever I make a big purchase i do a TON of research, and I read every review I could google about this camera and was very impressed with everything reviewers had to say and agree completely w/99% of what they said (always have to leave 1% for any discrepencies). The only thing I was originally skeptical about was the battery life since it uses NIMH rechargables or double AA, but my NIMH ones that the camera comes with lasted a long time, only had to charge once during my whole vacation, and I wanted to try the new Energizer lithium double AA's - (created especially for digitals) and they are AWESOME. I have used my camera over and over again since I bought the new lithium double AA's and have not had to change them once, and there is no negative usage shown on the battery indicator on the camera. I actually love the ability to interchange w/double AA batteries because it is so inconvenient to be stranded w/o a charged battery when you are on vacation and wonderful to be able to slip in double AA's from the drug store.

I really love this camera...another good product from SONY...it is small enough to fit into your purse or even your jacket pocket when you go skiing. I think it is the perfect camera and is a better choice than the Canon S400 or S500 - I bought the Canon S400 and exchanged later for this one...and I am very glad I did. You will be happy w/your purchase...take this from someone who is very hard to please. Not much more you can ask for from a point and shoot camera, but this one also gives you the chance to grow from a beginner photographer b/c of its manual feature, and optional ad-ons (telephoto & wideangle lenses). If you don't want to be bothered w/any of the extras and want to remain on the beginner end of things w/no hassles and simple point and shoot features...SONY again makes this possible w/this camera. You won't be sorry and can't really go wrong with the SONY DSC-W1.
56 Doesn't live up to its 5MP potential
Only one review site mentions this problem (...) but now a lot of users are starting to see it. This camera's noise filtering causes pictures to look 'soft' or in my interpretation - slightly out of focus.

In outdoor scenery shots it isn't very noticeable - the 5MP is able to give you a lot of detail especially in the area of the picture that is not your main subject (background trees, roofs, etc). However in portraits, or pictures of pets, the problem is VERY apparent.

Going from a 1MP to a 2MP camera, the 2MP camera "wow'd" me. Going to this 5.1MP camera, I look at the pictures and say "eh?".

I've tried what other people have suggested - set camera to manual or programmed mode, turned up sharpness, turned down contrast, set autofocus to center only - yet still pets, portrait
shots are smooth. Facial features are ever so slightly blurred - detail is lost in the hair, contrast around the nose and eyes. It's like looking at a flat/matted picture!

Do I think I got a bad one? No. There have been a few other owners on some of the digital camera discussion forums that at first said "No way, this camera is great!" only to come back later and say "Wait, I spoke too soon, there is an issue".

Then there is the poor flash capabilities - not very powerful. Yes, a lot of compact digital cameras suffer from this but this camera seems especially bad. There's a user that took a bunch of indoor photos at their son's birthday part and every one was blurry - not one was printable!

The camera is physically gorgeous. The LCD is HUGE and very nice and clear! The camera is very responsive, fast, WELL built, and a nice size, but the pictures don't live up to the "Carl Zeiss, 5.1MP" advertising!

Don't be fooled by reviews that take pictures of posters and resolution charts - this camera does great with those items. Take a look at their portrait shots of live people and zoom in on the facial features. Compare that with another camera and you'll see the difference. Again, far away shots of scenery looks great. It's when you're doing closeup work of detailed items where the problem shows up.

My W1 is going back this week. I'll bet in a year, Sony will address these problems and THAT camera will be fantastic.

57 One nice digital camera
I have owned two previous Sony digital cameras, the DSC-S70 and the DSC-V1. This is simpler to operate than those and is ideal for the everyday user.

Highlights - extremely fast start up time and between picture shot time. Large LCD screen. Uses AA batteries. Gorgeous color output, equals or exceeds 35mm.

I would recommend, as a previous reviewer did, to at least set sharpness to the "+" setting. The camera does seem to over process the image a bit in the full auto setting. Also, it seems you have to hold this camera more still than most. The movie function works ok, but not a video camera replacement by any means. Be sure to take advantage of the lighting condition pre-sets, e.g., beach scene, flourescent lighting, etc.

58 The Best Digital Camera for the Money
The best feature of this Sony W1 is the high quality MPEG2 (DVD quality) video cabability. So for $399 you get both a 5MB digital camera and a DVD quality digital camcorder, which none other cameras can beat ( Canon S500/410 takes great still pictures, but their video cabability is not even close to the Sony W1 ).

My only complain is the Sony case for W1, which cost $50.00, is poorly built and very baggy.

[...]

59 Better than the rest! Easy!
The best purchase of my life!

I work in a camera store and I've bought all the major names: Canon, Kodak, Fuji... Sony, without a doubt, makes the best in my opinion. I bought this camera when I was returning my Canon Digital ELPH S500. And this camera rocks!
Not only is it from Sony, who I already held in high respects for image quality with my boyfriend's old Sony, but it's got tons of extras for any mid-level digital camera seeker. The display is huge and it's quality is way better than FUJI's. But probably what I love most about the camera is it's speed. You don't have to worry about missing anything with this camera. By pressing the on button it's ready in two seconds. And after you take a photo (in most modes) it's ready to take the next one in practically a second! You won't believe it until you see it. And another huge bonus is battery life. I'm still running off the original batteries on their first charge and i bought the camera about three weeks ago, just over 100 photos, with the display on - and it still shows at full!
And don't get me started on how easy it is to use, how nice it feels and it's design.

I simply love this camera.
Me, My boyfriend, my best friend and my best friend's entire family and some people at our school all agree, Sony rocks! How do we know? Because we own different Sony cameras! And this camera is the best yet!

60 Had the T-1, exchanged it for the W-1
After two years of lackluster pictures from a 2MP Canon PowerShot S-100 (constant underexposure, short battery life). I began looking for a digital camera replacement. While I want to take high quality pictures, the bulk of what I take are family and travel snapshots.

After endless procrastination on my part, my wife surprised me with the new Sony DSC-T1 5MP ultracompact camera. It was very cool to play with and takes very good looking pictures with the default settings. The T-1 is a neat camera.

While I liked the DSC-T1 a lot, I had some core concerns with it that are fully addressed by it's sibling camera, the DSC-W1. Not only does the W1 have about a half dozen more features than the T1 - it's also $100 less than the T1!

I want to emphasize that both cameras take very good pictures, especially for a person that wants to take high quality snapshots - that is, pull it out and snap off a few, quickly review the shots and perhaps make some manual adjustments to optimize the pictures.

What's also appealing to me about both cameras is their movie mode support. Both cameras take credible mpeg movies, albeit without zoom support (I'm not aware of any digicam that allows you to adjust the zoom mode once the movie recording has started). In the "best" movie mode (30 frames/sec), you'll consume about 1 Mb per second of recording. However, I find that I only shoot 30 to 60 seconds of "useful and viewable" footage at a family gathering anyway, as well as 20 to 30 photos. In this regard, a 256 Mb Memory Stick Pro card gets me by just fine for a day.

Note that most digicams in this price range shoot 30 fps movies for only a set, limited time of 15 to 30 sec per clip, or they'll shoot longer clips at 15fps, which is pretty poor quality to me. The T1 and W1 allow you to shoot high quality 30 fps video up to the capacity of the Memory Stick Pro card you elect to use. This is very useful to someone like me - who never has viewed the old family videos I recorded on my video camera. Now I load photos and videos on the PC and actually view the video clips!

I am also very impressed with the on-camera editing modes of both cameras. I can shoot images at a 5 Megapixel size and easily downsize them to 3 MP, 1 MP or VGA size, as well as crop them on the camera. With the long battery life of the W1, I do most of my editing on the camera and upload satisfactory images to the PC, lessening the need to open photo editing software. This is really fantastic!

The last general note is that some people criticize the quality of the photo software that comes with the Sonys. I wouldn't know. I never installed it. I learned a long time ago that you are generally better off getting a memory card reader for $20 and uploading the images via a USB connection, then using a third party application to edit the images.

The DSC-W1 has the following features that are important to me that the DSC-T1 lacks.

Cost - $100 less for the W1.

Flash - only a 5 foot distance for the T1, but 12 feet for the W1. Most of my family indoor shots are from 5 to 10 feet away. Isn't that true for most of us?

Tripod mount - I need it a few times a year for family gatherings if I'm going to be in the picture. Also useful for obtaining the best steady shot composition for family portraits. The T1 lacks a tripod mount.

"AA" battery support - I can't overstate how important it is on ANY digicam to utilize common "AA" batteries. No matter how well prepared I try to be, there have been occasions where I forgot to charge the proprietary batteries on my Cannon, much to my condemnation at that family gathering. In a pinch, you can stop at a convenience store and pick up a pack of "AA"s to get you through the day with the W1. Also, "AA" rechargable batteries and rechargers are so inexpensive right now. The propriety battery on the T-1 lists at $60. While the price will come down, I doubt you'll find them readily available at the convenience store.

While the T1's battery life was acceptable, my perception of the W1's battery usage is that it is VERY good. I do a tremendous amount of shooting photos and movies on the W1 in the course of a day, as well as subsequent replay and editing on the camera itself. I still can't believe I have battery life left on the same set I started with after my typical photo and movie session with the W1...

Viewfinder - Both cameras have the excellent 2.5" LCD display. Both cameras are well suited for taking pictures through the LCD viewfinder. However, there are times - in bright light, in crowds, in busy/moving situations - where the optical viewfinder is useful and warranted. The W1 has the optical viewfinder and the T1 does not.

Manual exposure - The T1 and W1 both take very good snapshot pictures in a variety of lighting conditions. However, it's nice to have the flexibility of controlling the manual exposure if you need it.

Other features - While I don't need them, the W1 allows for the addition of wide and telephoto lenses and special filters with an optional lens adapter.

61 Great pictures, need to change settings though ...
I have had the camera for a few weeks and generally agree with all of the reviews. I would add the following:

(1) Image quality - Best images taken were after changes to the settings: set "contrast" down to "-1" and set "sharpness" up to "+1".

(2) Battery - Very impressed with the 15-min rechargeable Rayovac, excellent product.

(3) Memory stick pro - I have seen some debate whether to buy Sony v. Sandisc, the latter being cheaper than the Sony brand. I bought the Sandisc 256 pro card and am extremely happy with it. Save your money and go for Sandisc.

(4) LCD screen - Big is great but prone to scratches. I bought standard PDA protector and cut down to size.

62 Great Camera For the price
I did some research on the camera's and ended up with this DSC-W1. I was worried about he red-eye reduction problem. This model doesn't have that problem. I will suggest this over DSC_P10 or DSC-P92.

Impressive features:
- Easy to transfer the pictures to the computer with/with out their software
- Intutive options
- handy. Fits in the pocket

63 Great, if you know what you are looking for
After reading every online review I could find, I decided to purchase the DSC-W1 and after taking about 300 images, I am quite pleased with it.

The camera is light and small. It has plenty of "scene modes" that make it easy for anyone to take a picture. You can also take 640x480 movies with sound for as long as your memory stick pro will hold them. (If you are using a regular memory stick, the time is limited.) The camera is lightning fast, both in startup time and time to store an image after shooting. There is a "burst mode" too that can allow multiple shots to be taken in succession, but it is too buried in the menus to be useful unless you know that good action is coming.

Night photography seems to be working out quite well with this camera. One thing I liked over similar cameras in this category is the 30 second exposure time, which is fairly high. (Many didn't allow anything more than 10 seconds.)

I ditched the included Sony batteries after reading a review somewhere and bought some Powerex 2300 batteries from MahaEnergy. I haven't been able to go through two sets of batteries (the camera takes two AA's.) in a day's time. In fact, one set seems to do just fine almost all of the time.

The Sony supports up to 400 iso, though there is a fair amount of noise at this level. I've been using Neat Image to clean it up though and I have no qualms about shooting at this speed as long as I'm using software to clean it up.

I'm just beginning to learn how to photograph things somewhat well, and I do have a few gripes. Most are very minor, and most would have been solved if I would have saved up the money to buy a digital SLR instead of trying to force this point and shoot to try to be a digital SLR.

First, macro mode doesn't seem to let you get very close. With my friend's Olympus Camedia, I seem to be able to all but rest my lens on the subject. With the DSC-W1, I can't seem to get much closer than 6 inches with it getting too blurry to take a picture. You can get some close shots, but if you are really looking at getting into macro photography, you might want to look at the Olympus, or at other cameras.

Night photographers will find it irritating that there is no sort of remote cable release or remote IR release. You can get around this problem with the self timer if necessary, but some shots you just aren't going to get. There isn't any sort of built-in stabilization either, though I wouldn't expect any on a $400 point and shoot. A tripod is required gear if you are going to take shots in dim light without a flash.

Also, it is worth noting that the camera doesn't have a hot-shoe. You are going to be using the built in flash. The built-in flash seems to be okay, and I'm imagining that the average point-and-shoot photographer won't care.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this camera. If you want to be really get into the technical side of digital cameras, save up and buy a Canon Digital Rebel or some other spiffy SLR. If you want a camera that you'll be happy to put in your pocket and take with you, the Sony is an excellent choice.

64 great for anyone
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.

65 Very Good Camera But The Len Is Too Dark
I have been playing with this camera for 2 days.

The speed is amazing. I can keep shooting and shooting with very fast shutter speed. I turn the camera on and I can take picture right away. There is virtually no waiting from shoot to shoot.

The camera is small but has a nice weight; and have a pretty good grip.

It is very easy to learn and use.

Compared the picture quality with my 3.1M Kodak, the DSC-W1 takes much better picture. My Kodak is pretty good but this Sony is awesome!

And they cost the same. The store has $40 off with this Sony. What a deal.

The AE Illuminator is great. I took a picture of my flower out side in complete darkness. The picture came out sharp and bright.

But taking picture in door is very tricky. If the flash doesn't come on when taking picture in door, the picture is very fuzzy most of the time even the room has enough light (enough light to tell the camera not to use the flash). But if I force the flash to turn on (even the room is bright enough), the picture comes out very sharp. Never has this problem with my Kodak. My Kodak can take very good picture in any condition except where it is very dark.

May be the len doesn't let enough light to pass through. Basically, in any condition (in door or out door; from dusk to dawn), if the flash doesn't come on, the pictures are usually dark and fuzzy.

2 AA Alkaline lasts about 30 minutes. So, make sure you have enough batteries with you. The rechargable that comes with the camera lasts a whole lot longer. Sony gives me 20% discount after I register the camera in their website. So, I will be getting the starter kit that comes with extra batteries.

Using Memory Stick doesn't bother me since there is always something new every year. And copying pictures to my computer is very fast. I can just copy the pictures to my Compact Flash memory and take the CF to the store for the prints.

The only bad thing is the software. It has no usefull feature but to let you copy and view the pictures from the camera. I can easily copy the pictures to my computer without the software since XP sees the camera as a disk drive; or you can set the USB mode to on-line camera mode (PTP) and XP sees it as a camera.

Overall, one of the best point-and-shoot camera. Just make sure you turn on the flash at ALL TIME. And trash the 32meg memory stick that comes with the camera and get at least a 256meg memory stick pro.

66 A Perfect Camera
I have been looking to buy a camera for my trip in July and August.

I was very close buying the DSC T1, but I saw the DSC W1 advertised. I waited for this camera to come out. I have done much research and read lots of reviews.

The things i like about this camera are:

1. 2.5' LCD Screen
2. Use Rechargeable Batteries
3. Easy to Use On Screen Menu
4. Able to View on TV
5. Teh Lens Is Great

You would not be disappointed if you buy htis camera. You will love it especially if you are a first time digital camera buyer.

67 I imagine this is one of the best in ultra-compact cameras
I probably would have given this camera 5 stars if it wasn't for the awful software package and me also owning a Sony Mavica CD-400, which is just awesome.

I initially bought this camera to replace my huge Mavica but soon realized it does not have the features to replace the Mavica but is a great substitute when toting the Mavica is inconvenient.

The day after I received it I took it to a wedding and all my pictures were coming out too dark and I was very disappointed but I was not familier with the camera. Brought the camera back home read the owner's manual tinkered with a couple of settings and voila I am now getting perfect pictures. Fortunately, this particular wedding was not a big deal for me.

The best feature of this camera is the big screen. It single handedly makes up for any shortcomings this camera may have which for the most part is only the software. But $20 buys a sufficient photo program at any discount store so was really no big deal.

The main competition for this camera is Canon S500 in which I was seriously considering but as I continued to compare the two the Sony gives you more punch for the buck.

68 Great 5MP Value
This our third digital camera. Our other cameras are from Canon and Nikon. I was leaning toward the new Canon S60 because we love our other Canon and they both would take the same CompactFlash memory cards. This camera was going to be mine and I wanted 5MP so I could do some cropping of pictures and still keep up the quality when printing in 8 X 10 format. The Canon S60 kept being delayed, so I started looking at alternatives.

The DSCW1 seems designed to compete with the Canon S60. Both are 5 MP, both are compact, both have manual modes which allow you to be creative with your pictures. The Sony pulled ahead with its larger LCD display and its ability to use standard AA batteries. The Canon relies on a propriatory lithium-ion rechargable battery. The Sony comes with AA rechargables, but should they go dead at an inopportune moment, you can pop in any AA batteries to keep you going.

I bought the Sony and have had it for almost a month. The batteries don't seem to last quite as long as our Canon, but I picked up a couple of spare rechargables for less than $10 and just alternate them in the charger. The DSCW1 downloads using USB2 so even though each picture is larger than 2MB each, they download FAST. The picture quality has been great. Indoor low light shots have a bit more blur than I would like, but they didn't come out at all with either of our other cameras. Colors are crisp and true and prints from the pictures (on a Canon i470 printer) are excellent.

One word about the included software. Yuck. It is useful for downloading and for doing a quick view of what you took, but beyond that it is very limited.

Overall, I am very happy with my Sony DSCW1.

69 Love this camera!
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.
70 Big screen delight!
Like alot of people, I did alot of research on digicams (point and shoot models) and almost went for the Canon A80. But the new DSC-W1 model sported a larger LCD screen which put it over the top in my book. The screen has proven to be invaluable to me and I once wondered if the size really did matter... it does! However, Sony did a terrific job in keeping the overall camera size down but at the same time making the buttons within the thumb's reach. The buttons are sturdy enough not to be accidently pressed down and the pictures turn out great. There is some red-eye on shots taken from at certain distance but nothing that can't be corrected with most of today's photo software and the red-eye isn't glaring in most photos if any.
71 Excellent Point-and-shoot choice
I purchased this camera recently after doing a lot of research and considering other alternatives with the same price/size/features. I finally chose the Sony over the Cannon Powershot S500 (which I also consider to be an excellent choice). The reason I chose the Sony was:
1) Carl Zeiss optics. I own a Contax RTSII SLR that use Zeiss optics, and consider them to be the best in the industry; much better than Nikon, and my shots are only limited by my ability to compose them, not the optics of the camera. The Sony uses a Zeiss certified lens, though from what I've read it is not manufactgured by Zeiss in Germany. I've found it to be an excellent performer thus far.
2) Manual options. Though not as exhaustive as the Sony V1, it certainly offers all of the options that I forsee needing.
3) Form factor. You can't take the once-in-a-lifetime shot if you're not carrying a camera, and the Sony is small enough to carry with you at all times, and catch that National Geographic quality photograph.
4) Large screen & viewfinder. While the Sony T1 offers a large TFT display, it does not provide a viewfinder. The W1 offers both ; the viewfinder for precise composition, and the display for easy shooting. Best of both worlds.

Downsides:
1)Anemic flash - there is no such thing as a good flash that is built into a camera. You'll need to purchase a remote flash to get reasonable performance for any portrait photography (this applies to every digital camera I've seen thus far).

2) Average software

I've been taking photos for thirty-plus years, and have never found a digital camera to be a reasonable replacement for my Contax, Yashica T4 Super P&S, or my 50's vintage Nikon Rangefinder. The Sony W1 is the first camera that I consider likely to replace film. Its combination of small form factor, excellent optics, and manual controls are hard to beat.

For more information, and extensive reviews on this camera and others, I'd recommend checking dpreview.com or steves-digicams.com - great sites.

72 Compact and fast, with a big screen.
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.

73 CC from Los Angeles
I still don't like the battery life. No body can give a comparison about this sony's battery with the other cameras like Canon etc. Like how many pictures it can take with flash light on before it needs charge.
74 If you're looking for fast, this is your camera
I've spent months looking for a new digital camera to replace my aging (one-and-a-half years old!) Olympus. I had one major desire: speed. And I'm not just talking about start-up time, which is important but not sufficient. I wanted very little shutter-lag, and quick shot-to-shot performance. I was tired of squeezing off shots of my kids' sides and backs because of a long lag-- I wanted to see their faces!

Well, unlike many others I researched, and several others I tried, this one delivers. Start-up time is very brisk (maybe 2 seconds), but what's truly impressive is the near-instantaneous response from the auto-focus and shutter. When you're outside and not using a flash, it's one- or two-tenths of a second... not quite SLR performance, I guess, but more than two or three times as fast as what had been so frustrating. Inside, if the camera needs to use its automatic focus light to get an auto-focus reading, it takes a bit longer-- maybe three- or four-tenths of a second... still significantly faster than what you're probably used to if you're using another digital camera. And if you're into it, you can tweak this a bit: you can turn "continuous auto-focus" on, which shaves off a bit more time at the expense of some battery life, or you can use a programmable mode that turns off auto-focus altogether. Plus it's got two burst modes, including one that catures 16 VGA shots in a second. All in all, this baby nails the speed need.

There's more good news. The camera feels very well-made, and for me, it's got just the right heft: I've messed with slightly smaller and lighter cameras that don't feel right because they're so light. It uses rechargeable AA batteries-- very handy. Its LCD screen will make you cry it's so good. (Of course, it'll also suck your batteries dry like a Hummer chugs gas.) And it's got enough tweakability and expandability to let you grow: it accepts a telephoto lens, for instance, and allows for a remote flash.

What's not to like? Not much. My pictures have a bit more red-eye than I'd like... I can't tell if it's more prevalant than with my Olympus, or whether I just notice it more becaue I'm taking more pictures, or whether it's jsut a fact of life with small cameras. Some people aren't fans of the memory stick system... I felt this way, in fact, before pricing it out and realizing they cost about the same as SD cards, and there are plenty of third-party manufacturers and readers for it. Just be sure you get a 256MB Memory Stick Pro-- should cost you about $65 at Amazon-- and make sure your card reader accepts the Pro kind. And the battery life won't win any awards (though using the viewfinder helps).

So in all, I'm a huge fan: it has speed to spare, has a few extra goodies to boot, and is quite reasonably priced for a 5MP camera. If you're like me, this baby is the digital camera you've been looking for.


Sunday, 07-Sep-2008 05:59:24 CDT
Quote of the Day:


	"What shall we do?" said Twoflower.

	"Panic?" said Rincewind hopefully.  He always held that panic was

the best means of survival; back in the olden days, his theory went, people

faced with hungry sabretoothed tigers could be divided very simply into

those who panicked and those who stood there saying "What a magnificent

brute!" and "Here, pussy."

		-- Terry Pratchett, "The Light Fantastic"






Why is the alphabet in that order?  Is it because of that song?

		-- Steven Wright