Cheap Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and Digital Camera Reviews

Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

No red-eye reduction 2006-12-13

The size of this camera is great. The picture clarity is great. However, unless you like red-eye pictures do not purchase this camera. This camera is the biggest disapointment. I purchased a Sony cybershot three years ago and it was great, never had any issues but unfortuantely my son broke it so I had to purchase a new one. I did lots of research, read lots of reviews and finally decided to purchase the new DSC-T10, "one of the best ones out there". Well I do not agree. I have called Sony at least three times to receive help on how to remove the red-eye from my pictures and their only suggestions is to use the red-eye reduction feature, which does not work! I use it every time and I still get red-eye. Their other suggestion is to tell the people to look away from the camera...well it still happens. I am so disapointed in this camera. I can't believe I spent $[...]+ for this camera and it is the quality it is. I'm ready to give it away I'm so frustrated. One other thing if you like to use the date stamp then you'll need to purchase either a docking station for your computer or purchase their additional software because if you take your memory stick to a store to print out your pictures then the date stamp will not print on them. Neither will it do it if you use an internet site like snapfish.com or kodakgallery.com. The biggest dissapointment! DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA!

great camera 2 major complaints 2006-10-24

I have used my T1 for more than 2 years now. The pictures are great and the movies are wonderful, but it needs help with red eye reduction and blurry photos. The camera does have a red eye reduction feature but it doesn't help much. I tried using it a few times but it doesn't always work, and it adds alot more time to the process. Most of the time I am able to correct this in iPhoto so this is a minor problem in my opinion. The biggest problem is the blurry photos. This model has no steady shot feature, and is limited to ISO 400, so if you are not careful your shots can all become useless. Sometimes the image looks fine when reviewing it on the 2.5 inch lcd but when you load the images on to your computer they are blurry. Like I said I have been using this camera for more than 2 years and it is still a great camera. I carry it with me all the time and have taken over 6000 photos and movies with it. I also own a Canon Digital Elph and I never use it because the Sony T1 takes such great photos and movies. I plan to replace my Sony T1 with a new Sony T series camera and I do recommend the T1 to anyone looking.

Fine camera for it's size. 2006-09-11

I have had lots of complements on the pictures I have taken with this camera. I even got fine night shots of the Mackinaw Bridge all lit up and without a tripod. For those who can't take a good picture with it I suggest they read the manual and practice before counting on it. I do think the color reproduction is a little better at 3 mega pix than 5 but not enough to say so.

Great Camera, Horrible Pictures 2006-08-10

About one in five pictures comes out perfectly. The others suck. I had a Nikon Coolpix before and really thought I was trading up with this one, but it is really bad.

Do not buy this camera!!!!!!!!!!!111

it is horrible 2006-07-14

I bought this camera nearly year ago, worst camera I ever bought, it blurs out images if some one is moving especially if the mode is auto. You expect it works better if you taking pictures casually in auto mode, but it is not. It is dissapointing that sony made real bad one like this. Do not bugy camera if you planning to take picture during night time, the pictures end up with white shadow patches(big circular spots). The flash is useless for > 4-5 feet.

Great camera 2006-03-19

I love this camera. I bought this after the birth of my 1st child. It works great. We have captured so many precious moments with it. Picutre/video quality is great. We also purchased an extra memory card. Best digital camera I have owned. Easy to use and takes great pictures/videos. Completely satisfied.

Very disappointed 2006-02-27

This is rated a 1 only because negative 1 wasn't available...

I got this camera two years ago and the last 6 months have been horrible! If you're taking a picture of someone breathing you're picture will be blurry! This camera is not for parents for sure! There have been so many pictures moments lost because this camera just doesn't work like it did when I first got it...There have been several times that I would buy a disposable camera because I knew this camera was just going to crap out on me.

The only good thing I can say about this camera is the appearance is nice - slim enough to slide right in your pocket.

What's the use of that quality when the picture quality sucks?

great pocket camera 2006-02-19

My wife always wanted small camera in her bag. and i havent found anything better than sony. i think this camera is great for snapshots and it has all features. i have sony camcorder with memory stick too so its card can be handy.
and size matters...

Nice looking camera, TERRIBLE NIGHT PICTURES! 2006-01-16

I've had this camera for about 6 months now and it is defenetly an slick eye catching piece, the large LCD viewer makes it nice to take and show pictures, and its small, slim shape makes it easy to take anywhere and that's the reason for the 2 stars... HOWEVER... Picture quality is another story. I purchased this camera trusting SONY's reputation for great quality in electronic equipment. I was terribly disapointed to see the bad quality of the pictures that I've taken. Daytime pictures are good, specialy if you are out in the sun, but pictures at night, using the flash, are usually Blurry, dark, off-colored, and just not satisfactory for a 5 megapix camera. I have seen the quality of other cameras that are about the same price with similar features like the Casio Xslim, and their quality far exceeds Sony's Cybershot. This is a complaint that most people have about this camera, and so I am pointing it out so that consumers out there take serious consideration before spending their money.

Additional comment about tripod 2005-12-20

I've purchased two DCS-T1's, one for me and one for my son, and find them to be a highly capable camera once you read the manual and learn how to use it properly.

I've seen a number of reviews complain about the lack of a tripod socket built into the camera. That's true but Sony does make a case for the DSC-T1 that allows you to attach a tripod - it's the Sony AJK-THA and costs about $25-$30.

Great Buy!! 2005-12-16

This is a great camera for someone who is always on the run... It fits almost anywhere, I take it with me everywhere. People are always very impressed with the camera, because after all it is a great product. In order to know how to operate this camera properly you MUST READ THE MANUAL!!! I actually downloaded the manual right here on Amazon, its much easier to read it.

My Dream Camera 2005-12-03

This camera is so much fun. It's great if you want to take shots like a pro but don't have the time. Fits into my busy lifestyle but like to record special moments along the way. So small and compact I can carry it anywhere and pull it out at a moments notice - it's ready to go! I love it!!! I got mine free at: [...]

This is not a general-purpose camera 2005-11-28

This camera was a disappointment to me. Photos taken outdoors do turn out well, but indoors is another story. The flash is very weak, and redeye is a huge problem.

If you plan on taking photos at birthday parties or other social events, don't buy this camera. If all you want to do is take outdoor shots, then the Sony DSC-T1 might be a good choice. But how many people never want to use their digital camera to photograph social functions?

My advice is to shop around for another camera. This one is a dud.

Sony should let you return this camera for credit on another model. 2005-11-22

It's not even a year and the camera has suddenly gone 'totally grainy' with all photos. I am talking 1.3 MP grainy, not that the indoor pictures were any good before. This just happend last week for no good reason at a birthday party.

Problem is that even new this camera had the worst red eye (even with the red eye flash ON) and takes poor indoor pictures when a flash is used, even if the subjects are close, say within 6 feet.

I usually get a hip new camera every year and I take LOTS of pictures. I disliked the photo quality of this one from the start. I thought because it was so thin the small lense just was not going to take good pictures- now I know that the camera is just a bad model. I kept it because I spent $500 plus bucks on it and liked the LCD and camera size.

Almost a year later I am looking for a new camera because this one is not worth getting fixed- even under warranty. I am tired of missed shots, lost memories.

If all you want to do is take pictures and show them to people on the nice Camera LCD screen then this is good, if you download the pictures and send one to a friend you will be embarrased by the super poor quality.

Not Happy with this model and am now jaded towards Sony. I also do not usually write bad reviews. I should have just let the money go and dropped this camera a long time ago.

Waste of money 2005-11-06

I give it a 1/2 star, 1 is too much

I have owned this camera for more than a year now, and this is my second review, after reading all the comments that were made, I tried a few other techiques like resetting and changing settings but still no luck.
This camera is great for someone who sometimes wants half descent pictures taken outdoors(indoors forget about it, you can't get them). And even the ones taken outdoors are not good sometime, Itried holding it staedy and everything else.
I wish I never bought the camera, I could get better pictures with a $50.00 non-didgital camera.
Maybe the other people talking good about this camera just got lucky and got a better camera than us.
It is a good looking camera and that's all I can say about it.

look for something else 2005-10-18

I used it for about a year, before it died. I can buy a new one for the price Sony is chargeing to repair it. But I won't because my pictures were always blurry also. I was a Sony fan, but not any more.

Indoor Pictures are Horrible!!!! 2005-10-06

I have had this camera for a few months now. I also own an olympus c3020 and C8080. I also own a samsung 4010 (I wouldn't waste your money on this one). The pictures on my olympus come out sooooo nice and the night pictures have minimal to no red eye. This camera takes horrible pictures indoors and at night. Stick with Olympus and Canon. I gave it two stars instead of one because the outdoor pictures actually came out nice. I'm looking to get rid of this camera, maybe sell it. Don't buy it. Sony can not make cameras.

Dont waste your money 2005-09-25

This camera looks really nice but is very disappointing. I have had it for about a year. I was immediately disappointed with the amount of red eye even with the red eye reduction on. Recently the camera has begun to take blurry pictures more than focused ones. This problem started at my baby's first birthday party and I was left to rely on pictures taken by friends as my expensive camera was not working. Originally you had to make sure to stand very still and supported while taking pictures so as not to end up with a blurry picture. Now however, the pictures are often blurry no matter how still I stand which must be some kind of malfunction. I take many pictures and have tried several digital cameras and this is by far the worst one. It is small and compact but the overall quality is very poor. My recommendation is always a canon as they have always proven reliable and consistent in quality.

Sexy, showy, but solid 2005-09-12

I'll give a non-technical/beginner photographer's take on this camera:

about me/needs: I live in an urban environment (Chicago and NYC) and travel a lot. I was going on interviews across the country to schools and I wanted to be able to record my experiences. I wanted something small that would be powerful and be able to record video and pictures that were highquality.

My experience with the T-1: I haven't used the newer models but what I found about the T-1 was it was extremely inituitive. Pretty much you just slide the front down and on the side, click it to picture and you're ready to go. The LCD display resolves well in both sunlight and at night. To change flash modes, you just fiddle with the controls. Extremely simple. Going to videocamera mode isn't hard, you just click the notch down for video recording.

At night panaroma views- the camera doesn't resolve very well. If you use the flash, the background doesn't come out. If you don't use the flash, the light doesn't come in clearly. Everything is sorta muddled. It's extremely frustrating.

What makes this camera shine is the videorecording capability. I've recorded videos at Coldplay concerts from half a stadium away- with the camera zoomed in. It's amazing. The sound comes in crisp clear and the resolution is sharp. I like how the camera is so small and you can get quality videos.

Problems about the T-1: I didn't give it the full 5 stars because of the price and difficulty in getting clear pictures on the go. I spent over 500 to buy the t-1 two years ago. It's signficantly cheaper but still the newer models are at about the same price I bought the original for.

I had difficulty getting clear-well resolved pictures and I did read the owner's manual. You have to hold the camera really still and brace your arms onto something stable to get non-shaky pictures. In the commercial with Aerosmith's lead singer, the girls are sitting at a restaurant and one of them whips out the camera and takes a picture of him walking by. It's true the camera is quick to respond but I doubt she was able to get a clear shot of the guy with her arm shaking like that.

If you want a camera that has the wow factor. amazing video recording quality and solid picture capabilities (if you can keep the camera still), this t-1 is for you. you'll find it for middle 300's almost everywhere now and it's definitely a bargain. I'm much more a dabbler in photography and this was a great starter for me.

Disappointed and will NOT recommend... 2005-09-03

I bought this camera thinking that I will have a sleek/sexy camera with almost all new features. But I was diappointed that leader in electronics "SONY" would give such a awful product. As many other reviewers I had problems with 'red eye' even if the red eye reduction is ON. I read the manual again and again, but NO USE and could not fix the problem of red eye if taking ANY INDOOR pictures. Even one of my friends argued that red eye is NOT the problem of a camera, but I could not believe that DSC-T1 takes almost all indoor/night/zoom pictures with red eye. I am giving 2 stars for the video recording with clear voice (but I need a digital camera). I will never recommend DSC-T1 to any of my friends/relatives. Totally un-happy with the product.

Terrible pictures 2005-09-01

I have owned this camera for almost a year now, and I was hoping to find some postings on how to fix all the issues I've had with it. At first I was so enchanted by the size and looks of this thing that I thought I'd overlook the terrible pictures until I figured out how to operate it better. My pictures turned out dark, blurry, and grainy, and my subjects had red eye. I tried and tried to fix it.....read the manual over and over, and finally took it in to a specialty digital camera/camcorder store. Well, it turns out that it just does not operate better. Apparently many people have this problem, and there's just nothing you can do about it. So now I have this camera that I paid almost $600 for months and months ago when it first came out, I can't return it, and I certainly can't use it. Don't buy this camera. It's pretty to look at, but that's about all you'll be doing.

DON'T WASTE YOUT MONEY 2005-08-04

I bought this camera on a trip to NY. The photos are of poor quality and many of them look blurry. I have a Canon Power Shot S400 which is by far a better camera which produces clear and clean pictures. No one who used the Sony Cibershot camera could take an acceptable photo; even the employees at the store where I bought the camera! Since there were doubts that it was damaged, after three days they replaced me the camera with another one. The pictures where as bad as the first one. When I returned from my trip, after sending various photos to my friends one called me and gave me the best advice: RETRUN THAT CAMERA; and that was what I did.

How This Camera Hepled My Brother Survive in the Desert 2005-06-30

My brother has this camera, and brought it to Afghanastan with him (he worked on a helicopter).

This slim, tiny camera kept him busy for hours during the year he was there. He took thousands of beautiful pictures and hours of video.

He's an absolute amateur - but his pics and videos were incredible.

[...]

Whether you get this camera for free or buy it, I am certain you will enjoy it!

very convenient 2005-06-27

i had an old sony digital camera that was bulky and slow. after a while i got tired of it so i went back to disposables so i could take quick shots one after another without having to wait for it to load. this camera is very quick. less then a second between shots.

the slide lens cover is awesome and perfect for the camera. just flip it open and click. this protects it and makes for a convenient way to turn the camera on. i find this extremely helpful when it comes to taking spontanious pictures. i carry this camera everywhere. i do recommend to get a protective film for the lcd screen as is for all other cameras, but more so for this 2.5" screen. the screen itself is more then half the size of the camera.

the only problem i have is that even though it takes great and fast day pictures, i would have liked it to take better night pictures. i tried focusing it on the full moon, but the contrasting night sky caused there to be no detail of the moon. plus, don't try to take night pictures while holding the camera in your hands.

with that small detail mentioned, this camera is awesome for day to day pictures. i set the camera for 1 megapixel and with a 256 mb card, it holds 370 pictures. that is enough to go to disney land, 6 flags, and sea world. i can make the battery last for quite a long while. it is such a small start up time when flipping the slide cover that it is just as easy to shut it off as it is not to. fully charged you get well over an hour, closer to 2. that lasts forever if you turn it off every time you use it. for convenience, i recommend this camera to everyone.

Great consumer-level point-and-shoot digital camera 2005-06-15

If you are just an amateur photographer that is either finally switching from analog to digital or just want a decent camera to take on family vacations or school projects, this is a great camera. It is small, lightweight, and does just about anything you could possibly need it to do. It won't take pictures of hummingbirds feeding across a forest bed, but it will take a decent photo of the grand canyon. The quality of the 3x optical zoom is really good, but the picture is sacrificed slightly as you try to artifically enhance it with the digital zoom. The battery life is good enough to take on extended trips from your hotel or on a hike without having to carry around a charger or spare batteries. If you plan on taking lots of high quality large photos, you will need to get a larger memory stick (64 MB will work, 128 MB even better), but the memory stick it comes with will be enough to photograph your child's birthday party as long as you download the photos onto your computer afterwards. At 5.1 MegaPixels, this camera will pick up hairs on a persons head and it will even be able to define a flea in the hair. 5 MP is enough to make clear 8x10 prints. There are 6+ MegaPixel cameras out there, but at the consumer level there is really no point in spending the money on one (7.2 MP won't come in handy unless you are making 15x20 prints or are a student taking pictures through a microscope or a telescope--it is more of a prosumer level) All around, while Sony's camera lenses may not compare with Canon or Olympus, Sony makes up for it with their superior knowledge of how to make a great consumer digital device and turn it into a decent digital camera. It is a great value for the price.

In the market for a new camera 2005-05-09

Like many other reviewers, I had terrible problems with blurry indoor photos and redeye. Some favorable reviews suggest there are ways to correct this, but I will never know because I picked up the camera one day and the LCD was broken. I can't think of anything I did that caused the break, but it rendered the camera completely unusable since it does not have a viewfinder. Like another reviewer who had the same problem, I found the cost of the repair was more than the cost to replace. Even if the picture quality problems could be resolved, I would never buy another camera without a viewfinder, regardless of how "sexy" the design...

a great little camera 2005-04-30

DSC-T1 is excellent. all the features of my old bulky DSC-F717. perfect for traveling, compact for all occasions. great price compared to F-717. easy download to computer. some reviews described disappointments. read the operating instructions and practice a little. it's fun. no problems indoors. battery life is fine. turn off when not in use or get a spare and go all day. i bought the soft case too. all around nice shooter.

Disappointed 2005-04-27

I brought the T1 because of the LCD screen size, I love the fact that you can actually see what you are taking a picture of. Good battery life, easy to carry around but that is where the positives stop. The most important things about having a camera, to capture those "Kodak" moments are the picture quality. With the T1 they are poor for a 5 mp camera. Unless you are shooting within 3-5 feet the pictures are very poor quality, you get red eye if you shoot outside of 5 feet and use the zoom. The software that comes with the camera to transfer the photos to your PC is not user friendly. When you have to drill down into multiple folders just so you can transfer them to a program that you can edit from is not what I call user friendly.I have tried to play with the settings and turned on the red eye feature but still have poor quality. Not something you would expect from a so-called high end camera given the price!
I would like to thank some of you other reviewers for giving tips on how to try to correct some of the issues I'm having with the over priced camera...Sony layed an egg with this one!

Excellent Product... Excellent Results...... 2005-04-22

I bought this camera 2 months back and till date it is working excellent. I made few changes in settings for picture and i had least red eye / blurry image problems. I owned Sony DSC-W1 and then i bought T1 and both of them have been Super products. User interface is excellent and very convinient. Images gets transferred very quickly and it have lot of image modes. I would say more then any other Digi-cam available in this series.

If you are really looking for long term Digi-cam then go for this one... Sony rocks..... !!!

nice design, poor quality.... you should pass 2005-04-21

poor quality images...
whenever you use a flash, everyone in frame has red eye, overall the pictures are somewhat grainy and the color is dull, very dull. You'd be better off getting a Samsung or a Cannon.

Need Help with Settings 2005-03-21

I love this camera. Everything about it, portable, ease of use, and clarity in images. I recently though have had a problem, I was playing around with the camera and changed the original settings I had that worked very well.

It would be great if someone has a good settings combination and can share it with me. So if you have an optimal settings combination please email it to me at bsidman@aol.com and also post it on this website for all to share. I am sure that would be greatly appreciated by every cybershot owner.

Thank you very much!

Great Camera - When you learn how to use it properly 2005-03-20

My main camera is a Digital SLR, so comparing the T1 to it head-to-head would be pointless. I did, however, get the T1 to replace my Pentax Optio S4, and the the T1 beats it in all categories.

The T1 starts up quickly (maybe even faster than my Canon 10D), and using a Mem Stick Duo PRO, it is FAST shot-to-shot. You will get considerable noise when shooting above ISO 200, so get some good noise removal software to go with it if you plan to shoot in less than the brightest light (Neat Image or Noise Ninja). The noise is quite bothersome on screen if not removed, but hardly shows in smaller prints - unless severly scrutinized under a magnifying glass.

As previously mentioned, the flash range is quite short, but I have been able to work around this by using a lower contrast setting (and higher flash setting at times), and simply boosting the brightness in Photoshop. So far, so good - with noise removal software, of course. The dynamic range is quite respactable for an ultracompact, so detail can still be salvaged using this method.

The lens is a llttle slow (3.5 at the widest) so low light performance is average at best. The lack of a tripod mount aggravates this, so be sure to steady your hand by leaning on a table, wall or other nearby object.

If thise were you ONLY digicam, then you may be disappointed if the utmost image quality for larger prints is what you are looking for. But as a companion to a huge, clunky DSLR it is perfect. Take it for what it is, a small, fashionable, ULTRAcompact digicam.

Perfectly-Sized Digital Produces Amazingly Clear Pics 2005-03-13

I am among the last of my friends to have bought a digital camera as I held stubbornly onto my 35-mm Canon Rebel no matter how unwieldy my camera bag got. My wait turned out to be inadvertently wise, as I think the SONY DSC-T1 is really the digital camera made specifically for me. Granted the price seems steep, but the quality of the photos have truly been a relative shock to my traditionalist senses. On a recent trip to New York, it was sheer bliss to have such a high quality camera that I could carry in my shirt pocket all day, every day. The slim size and barely-there weight are ideal for ultimate portability. And there are a variety of settings that make for some great point-and-shoot pictures, whether it's using the 5M pixel camera at 3M pixel resolution, the amazing Smart Zoom feature, or the 5 MP mode, all produce excellent results. I also like the Photoshop-like extras such as the in-camera cropping of images, and in-camera image resizing for e-mail purposes. Although I barely use it, the movie mode is top-notch, easily comparable to the high quality digital-video tape camcorders I have tried in the past, 30 frames per second at 640x480 pixel size image.

Whether using the static or movie settings, the quality of the imagery is easily comparable to the results I get with my traditional Canon Rebel. I am amazed at the color quality, saturation and preciseness in image detail, having now produced a number of 8x10" photos suitable for framing. Reading the 100-page instruction book is essential to maximize the features of the camera, and allow time to practice before using it for special occasion shots. And you should buy a few high cost high speed 256MB or 512MB memory cards to avoid frustrating capacity issues. I will still use my hefty Canon Rebel 35-mm camera with the even 300-mm zoom lens attachment, as I am used to the shoulder camera bag when I travel to far-away places, but the SONY DSC-T1 will serve me in a pinch whether it's taking a picture of an unexpected sunset or being backstage at the Metropolitan Opera waiting for my favorite singer or even documenting a fender bender for insurance purposes. After all, the camera one can take everywhere is truly the best camera to have.

Good camera... 2005-03-13

I purchased this camera a couple of months ago, and have taken numerous shots with this little fellow. An excellent picture quality on all shots, even when I am not in the proper shooting mode. There are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of extra features in the camera, some of which I still don't even know how to use. This is a great camera, and you can't go wrong with this one. Next time, I would want a little more optical zoom, but for the size of this, it is understandable. Also, maybe a little more than the 32 MB pro duo memory card to come with it. But all-in-all, I love this camera. I got it for a great price, and with the size, you cannot go wrong.

Great camera for snap and go 2005-03-13

This is what having a regular camera used to be like. You point, focus for a second and snap the shot. It is very easy to use for beginners and if you want you can manually delve into some of the settings. This is good for night, day, scene shots etc... For the underwater scuba divers, sony also sells an underwater casing for it. You do not have to use the dock to recharge or to download. It makes things a little easier, but is not necessary.

I have only 1 gripe that kept it from getting a 5 rating in my book. There is no place for a stand on this camera. Some people will say big deal. I you do not have the most steady hand or a surface on the right level for your picture it is hard to get a time elapse shot right. Or if you want to get into the picture yourself you have to find a level surface for the camera to put it on. This is just very inconvienent.
Other than that a great camera for all around everyday use, and small with lots of features. Makes everyday photography fun again.

easy if you travel alot its great 2005-03-12

i got this and my other sony cybershot for christmas, i was going to vegas for new years and this is discreet, easy to use, i love it.

You won't be disappointed 2005-03-09

I got this camera about a month ago and I love it! Its so easy to use. BUT, you need to read the owners manual and keep it handy for reference. I've not taken a bad picture with it.

I love love this Camera.. 2005-02-17

People are nuts!I have no idea what they are talking about, this is the best camera ever..It's so easy to use and is so durable and takes great pictures..It's light and compact and I love this camera..I find no problems with it..It's so great that even all my friends are buying it..I am a mother of 2 fiesty toddlers and I can get great pictures..The best part there is no couple second delay when shooting the picture and that's why I always get that smile..If you are a parent or just looking for a small camera this the best you can get..
I would recommed this camera to everyone...

It's not worth it if you can't see what you're doing 2005-02-14

Always having had good experiences with Sony products, and having decided it was time to go digital, I was immediately drawn to this camera, but found it wasn't "well rated". It took me a while to figure out that the reviews in consumer and even photo magazines may be putting (or not putting) a dollar value on features which the individual consumer may have more or less use for. For me, perhaps more than for them, it's hard to see the display on many cameras.
The large display on this camera makes it easier to see what image you're going to end up with, and this makes it far superior to any other five megapixel camera I considered. Since everyone who has been in the vicinity since I began taking pictures with it has been impressed, I believe any photographer will appreciate this feature.
The small, flat, size also makes it as convenient as, well, a camera phone, and you can't take pictures if your camera is too much of a nuisance to carry around.

Not impressed with this camera 2005-02-12

I bought this camera as an upgrade to our first Olympus digital camera and was very unimpressed. The 2 major issues I found was that the indoor pictures were dark and the red eye was awful, even with the red eye reduction on. The camera looks good but I didn't find much more to be impressed with. I am going back to Olympus.

For All Of You Who Have Read The Bad Reviews... STOP! 2005-02-05

I am one of the most skeptical people you will meet and I am also very neurotic, which means when it came to doing the research for a new digital camera I was extremely thourough. The first thing I did was place a call to my geekiest friend who I knew I would recieve good advice from. Knowing what I was looking for in a camera he instantly suggested the sony dsc t1. I began to read approx. 150 reviews only to become very confused by all the horrible reviews I was reading. I called my buddy back to ask what he thought about this and he told me to STOP reading user reviews, because most people who write a review never have anything good to say and he suggested i check out steves digcam online for a very thorough and informed review. I did this and found that the camera got quite a wonderful review on this site, and I figured if I read anymore I wouldn't end up with a camera...just a headache! I purchased the sony dsc t1(which also came highly recommonded from the salesman) and I could not be happier with my purchase. Once you get past the cool level of the camera, based on size, sleekness and overall screaming of "play with me" by this camera you'll find it is much more than that. It takes excellent pictures. Is extremely easy to use, and like you'll read in most of the good reviews of this camera, the suggestion to READ THE MANUAL, is very beneficial. All the naysayers out there seem to me, to have no idea how to use this camera, because I can't believe all the complaints people seem to have, with blur, and red eye, and blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is that all cameras have idio syncracies and as the owner it is your job to figure them out and make the appropriate adjustments, and if you take the time to read this manual you'll find how easy it is to correct the problems you might find your having, and then you'll find what a joy this pocket size marvel is. Last but not least, I am very much a beginner, but what I've learned quickly is that any program you use, be it photoshop, picture manager, and my recommended Picasa2 from google, the ease in which you can correct problems like red eye or sharpness, blurring etc. are as easy to fix as one click away, so if your worried that your pictures dont look good when viewed on your beautifully massive lcd screen, DONT. Thats not the way you or your friends are going to look at your pictures. They'll see the pictures that you've taken time to correct(if you need to) on your computer, to which I promise can be absolutely stunning if you take a little time. I guess what I'mn trying to say is BUY THIS CAMERA AND YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!

DSC-T1 NOT for everyone 2005-02-04

I bought the DSC-T1 as a replacement for my older and E:92.00 code plagued DSC-P50. My older Sony Cyber-shot lasted for years and I've had trust in Sony for all sorts of products. However like the other reviews state, this camera is NOT the best when it comes to indoors/flash pictures. They come out too dark, out of focus, and red eye redux will not work. I learned this the hard way at an indoor event. I tried Auto and manual settings but still I was only able to capture a few good shots. I was able to capture better pictures that night with my old DSC-P50. Another issue is battery life; it just doesn't cut it for an event that will go on for hours. Also I bought a 512mb card because the supplied one is worthless. But for outdoor pictures, MPEG at 640 Fine, being compact, features and the USB cradle, it gets a 5. But for everything else I give it a 3. I wish I had researched this better. The DSCP-100 would have been better for what I need. Note: Most vendors don't exchange digital cameras and those that do, charge a 15% restocking fee. So be aware of your final purchase.

not worth it 2005-02-03

I am not a serious photographer. However, it doesn't take one to know that this camera just takes bad pictures. Fuzzy, blurry, noisy, and dull. How do I know? I held it side by side with a friend's Canon A400 (which costs about 1/3 the price of this Sony) and took the exact same pictures with both cameras on auto adjust, since that is the setting I would be using almost all of the time. The difference was both ridiculous and sad. I nearly set fire to the carpet running out to return this thing. Other reviews have said that one must read the manual to become familiar enough with the camera to achieve good results. This is of course a logical and valid point. Still, this is supposed to be a "point-and-shoot" camera. If one must study for hours to simply take a decent picture without using any special functions, the camera ceases to be "point-and-shoot". I ended up going with a Canon SD200 instead and I am more than impressed.

The LCD needs protection 2005-01-28

It's a great little camera. It feels solid in your hands and, in bright sunlight, can take some absolutely amazing shots. This camera is very fast which helped quite a bit when taking pics of my toddler and preschooler who are always moving. The other reviews explain the camera very well, but there's something I'd really like people to know.

The beautiful LCD on this camera can break very easily and is very expensive to fix. This camera has no regular view hole, so if the LCD is broken, you have no idea what you're taking pictures of. My Olympus C3040 has a nice LCD too, but Olympus was smart enough to put a heavy plastic lens over the LCD to protect it. For some reason Sony made the choice to leave the LCD exposed. I've broken the lens on mine twice and have now given up on the camera. The first time, it was in it's case and the second time it was in my pocket (which you'll be tempted to do since it's so small and easy to carry). If you break it, you can have it fixed, but that will cost about 3/4 of what you paid for the camera or you can buy an LCD and try to fix it yourself. Doing it yourself is not so simple because of the way it was made. My husband who sometimes works on circuit boards had to use a microscope to solder it because it just didn't go together correctly.

So.... SONY! PLEASE UPDATE THE CAMERA AND ADD A PLASTIC LENS OVER THE LCD!

And...If you do buy the camera, please consider buying a hard sided case for it. I've heard the marine kit works well to protect it.

I still miss my sweet little camera and it makes me sort of sad to have to give up on it.

Sweet little camera 2005-01-28

I love it. I wanted a tiny camera to tote everywhere for any moment. It's quick and easy and you can edit right on it. The zoom in great and you can zoom even more once the picture is taken. I'm so impressed, it's exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I've found that I can't figure out is that it takes great pictures outside and not nearly as great inside.

Copact goes big. 2005-01-26

I recently bought the Sony DSC-T1 after doing a lot of research on digital cameras. I chose the DSC-T1 because of what I was looking for in a digital camera; convenience, and portability. I wanted to be able to take pictures whenever I desired, and be sure I was able to as well. I can carry this camera everywhere I go. Although, this is not your typical tiny digital camera, the DSC-T1 requires more attention than one might want to give a point-and-shoot camera. I strongly recommend reading the manual in order to better understand the camera and all the different modes. Learning a little about photography wouldn't hurt either, since you're gonna be investing a few hundred dollars into the subject. Best of luck to everyone.

Great Little Camera 2005-01-20

I bought this camera a little over a week ago. Honestly I was a little afraid getting it because of all the negative feedback. Since I had a week to try it out I too a chance and bought it. Circuit city matched the sale price of Wolf Camera and I got it (...) which isn't bad when you think that the New York stores were almost as much and I got my camera that day without having to wait over a week. I have not printed off any pictures yet, but they seem to be nice, clear and sharp. What sold me on this camera first was the big Lcd and the thinness of the camera itself. I had my choices limited down to two that being the P150 and the T1. The T1 finally won out because of its size and big lcd. Yes, the camera is a little weak on the flash, but the pictures aren't all that bad. Yes, the memory sticks are a little high when comared to some others. You don't have to buy the Sony brand which cost almost 30 dollars more. I picked up a 512 MB (...). The camera is very easy to use. No, I haven't had a picture yet that came out blurry. I don't know what these other people are talking about. Yes, you have to be a little careful that your finger is not covering the lens, but hey you can see it if it is there. The camera is fast to start up and ready to shoot. The lcd is a little darker than your smaller ones, but not so much as to make a big difference. Yes, the battery could last a little longer, but then I don't think I will take more than a 150 pictures a day, or use the camera for up to 90 minutes.
Overall if you are looking for a small good camera, this is it. Sure there are others out there that are better for the price, but then they are much bigger and bulkier too.

Very cool 2005-01-17

I got this for my brother for Christmas and he couldn't be happier. The camera is not much larger than a credit card and nearly as thin. And unbelievably it has 5 megapixel digital resolution. Essentially it has incredible features and resolution for a camera its size. This is highly recommended for a simple point-and-shoot digital camera.

I dont know what other people are complaining about...... 2005-01-16

This camera is great! I bought this camera right after christmas to replace another Sony camera, the FD550. I was looking for something small, rechargeable, with little wait time between taking shots. I have a 1 year old son, and I need the camera to take the picture as soon as I hit the button, not 1-2 seconds later or I have lost my shot!

I cant begin to tell you how pleased I am with this camera. I have had NO RED EYE problems whatsoever. This camera comes with a great red-eye pre-flash built in. Other people that complained might not have had this turned on. Also, the camera takes shot after shot with little pause between shots. The size is about that of a credit card, a little bigger and wider of course. It's lightweight and the battery charges in no time whatsover in the cradle. Getting pictures off of the camera was a snap- I just plug and played it into my XP PC and didnt even need to install a driver.

If you are thinking about this camera, I highly recommend it. Dont let the other negative reviews fool you!

Good, could have been great 2005-01-13

My first problem is the lack of a tripod mount. There is NO excuse for a $500.00 camera to lack this most basic part- even if it were a part of the USB cradle. While I am on the subject of USB- You cannot connect to your computer unless you sit it inside the cradle, or buy another special cable to plug directly into the camera. My final peeve with this camera is that it eats it's battery even when turned off. Charge the battery, put it in your bag, and 3 days later, the battery is at 50% capacity.
On the + side, the display is wonderful, and picture quality is excellent as well. But unless you absolutely have to have the tiny size, you can do a LOT better.

Perfect camera for traveling 2005-01-12

I bought this camera for my wife while on our last motorcycle trip to Yellowstone. She knows nothing about technology but this camera is so simple to use she took hundreds of pictures, some while we were moving, and they turned out fantastic. She even took movie clips while were riding through the mountains and I must say they are really fun to watch. I never dreamed that they could turn out so good from such a small camera.

You will see some redeye when shooting indoors with flash, but any photo program you use can easily remove the redeye before you print them out.

We love this camera also because it is easy to keep with you and get those shots you always missed before.

Battery life is great. Easily take pictures all day long and have battery life left. Charges quickly and easily.

Good luck and hope this helps.

DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA 2005-01-06

My husband bought this for me to replace our 1.2 Sony digital camera (which we loved for years but had recently had problems with).

Pictures taken with the flash with this camera are HORRIBLE. The red eye problem, as others have reported, is SEVERE. The red eye reduction feature does NOTHING to help this. We tried every "trick" and mode and all indoor flash pictures came out terrible. Everyone in our family, even the brown eyed ones, come out with red eye.

It's going back to the store first thing in the morning. Save yourself the trouble and don't buy this camera. I am very dispoointed in paying $369 for a camera that takes worse pictures than a $5 disposable camera.

I don't know what your doing wrong.... 2005-01-04

I bought this camera for my wife as a Christmas present in Dec 2004.

This camera is so cool. At first I was very unsure about the purchase of this camera with all the negative reviews. But once I got the camera and READ THE MANUAL, this camera takes pictures I can't believe! The pictures are crisp and clear! I was very scared about the reviews on blurry pictures... If you hold the button halfway before you shoot the camera auto focus kicks in!

I don't understand all the negative reviews on this camera...It is all it is worked up to be and more!

I'm very, very happy!!!!!!!

Small size - Powerful camera 2005-01-03

I was looking for a digital camera that was small enough for my wife to carry in her purse for vacations, travel, and for everyday photo opportunities. Purchased an additional 512 memory stick and with the exceptional battery life, we usually travel without the cables and charger for weekend trips (3-5 days). Image quality is excellent. Simple to use, provided that you don't utilize all the features. Very powerful if you want to take the time to use all the features. Overall it has exceeded the expectaions for small size and performance.

BEST Camera ever!!! 2005-01-03

This is our 3rd sony camera and I love them all, but this one.. wow the pictures are so clear, the screen size is huge, and the compact size is amazing. I keep it in my purse all the time for those shots when your just at the playground with the kids and you'd have wished you had your camera, WELL I DO... all the time and use it almost everyday. So easy to use, and such an amazing camera. I would never buy anything but sony, ever. You'll LOVE this camera, it truely is the best!

Are you people reviewing the same camera????? 2004-12-29

Judging from the extreme differences of reviews of this product, it makes me think we aren't talking about the same camera. I bought this camera after doing EXTENSIVE research and I am ecstatic with my decision. I compared this to the Canon Elph, Kodak, and Olympus models. The DSC-T1 just had more features and the HUGE LCD was ultimately the deciding factor. Blurry photos?? Red Eye?? I have taken pics while running, of subjects that are moving quickly, in every type of light imagineable at various distances and NOT ONE TRACE OF BLURRY PHOTOS OR RED EYE. There must be some defected cameras going around because I CANNOT GET THIS CAMERA TO TAKE A BAD PICTURE. The ONLY downside is the program mode, which doesn't offer much flexibility. No big deal to me. I am generally a point and shoot type of photographer anyway. The movie mode is unbelievable. With a 512MB duo card, you can get at least 20 minutes of video at the standard picture quality. Looks FANTASTIC viewing in Windows media player. The dock is a great tool to charge your camera at the same time you are viewing them either on your computer or TV. YOU CAN CHARGE THE CAMERA WITHOUT THE DOCK WITH THE SUPPLIED POWER CORD. But you shouldn't need to very often, the batter life is EPIC and has a counter in minutes of how much juice you have left. VERY COOL! The more and more I use this camera the more I like it. If something were to happen to this camera, I would instantly go out and buy another. It breaks my heart to hear the negative reviews of this product. Most of them contain statements that simply are not true. I have been showing off this camera to my friends and family for 2 months now. 3 of which now own their own and are as happy with their purchase as I am. That is best thing that could possibly be said about any product.

Poor picture quality ruins an otherwise good camera 2004-12-28

This camera could've been great. Battery life is good, size is awesome, no speed problems and movies are very good. But in the end, these features don't make up for the poor indoor picture quality. This camera is perfectly sized for taking to parties and get togethers but the pictures it produces at those events are not worth the $450 price tag. In anything but outdoor sunlight, expect to see lots of noise in pictures and very bad red eye (even with the red eye setting turned on). I'm going back to my 4 year old digital camera because this one is so bad.

Excellent 2004-12-27

This camera rocks! The 2.5 in LCD display is amazing, the camera takes incredible pictures that are highly detailed. Everyone that says the photos are blurry, there is an easy way to prevent this from happening...keep your hands steady when taking a picture, its that simple. I have had no problem with red-eye thanks to the built in red eye reduction option. I love that i can record small movies with sound then easily upload them to my computer. This camera is very user friendly. If youve got the cash, pick this one up...no regrets from me.

almost perfect 2004-12-27

This camera takes great pictures. The only bad thing is sometimes it does show up with red eyes. When i bought this camera I was worried about the quality of the pictures(because of all the bad reviews on Amazon). When i first got it out and took some pictures they were blurry. But when i read my manual ,and found out to take the pictures right, they couldn't get any better. So to all you people that complain about the quality of the pictures, I suggest you sit down and read your manual

Sony DSC-T1 - Patience and understanding to get the most... 2004-12-24

I have recently purchased this digital camera, and like many others, fell in love with it right away. Problems/issues that other reviewers have noted do come up. I have already found ways of resolving them, either in the manual, or simply by trial and error. Photography is a hobby that takes patience. Digital photography is no different.

It seems like many had high expectations for this camera, given it's $500 price tag. I agree that the price is a little too high for what you are getting in the DSC-T1. Realize that this still is considered a simple point-and-shoot camera though.

This is the perfect camera if you're looking to carry a digital camera everywhere you go. The picture quality is very good, and realize that different conditions while taking the pictures need different settings. If you're looking for a camera that will take perfect pics on the Auto-everything mode... good luck with that!

Blurry pictures are usually a result of camera movement. Like other reviewers have said, because of the compact size of DCS-T1 it makes it more difficult to steady in your hand(s). Keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of it. I also recommend that if the situation permits (time), you press the shutter button down halfway to allow the camera to focus and get a better read on the surrounding conditions, before pressing all the way. There is another reviewer who said that their blurry picture issue was resolved after a reset, which is worth a try too if you want. I have not had to reset my camera.

The battery life is great. The AC adapter does connect directly to the camera, if needed. The Duo Memory stick is not too big of a problem simply because Sony includes the MS adapter, so the Duo will work in MS Pro slots just as easily. Definitely buy larger capacity MS Pro Duo sticks (most from SanDisk come with MS Pro adaptors). A tip for the LCD screen: cut to size and place a PDA screen protector over it for added protection against scratches.

If you're frustrated with your DSC-T1, don't get discouraged so quickly. Keep using it, keep reading about it, and you'll find that it really is a great camera.

4 out of 5 stars. Not 5 stars because of the price.

Pretty good 2004-12-22

This camera takes very nice pictures. However pictures with flash are difficult. Your subject has to be close, much closer than other cameras I have seen. It has a feature to increase the flashwhich helps slightly but they usually come out dark.

I have read the manual thoroughly and it is pretty good but I still do have questions. One writer says that there is a tripod mount available. I will look for it because it would come in handy for dark shots. I have taken night pictures in Hong Kong which would be very nice if I could have held the camera steady enough.

Bad investment 2004-12-14

I am ready to get rid of my camera.
Like everone else says too many blurry pictures, thats a lot of money to pay and get all these bad pictures. Sony let us down this time.

Too many blurry pictures 2004-12-05

I'm a die-hard Sony fan and have owned many Sony cameras, but I do not recommend this one: Far too many blurry pictures.

Great Camera, Should have bought it first 2004-12-03

I was in the market of purchasing a digital camera about a month ago. It was a hard decision it was between the Canon s500 and the Sony DSC-T1. Well, it all boiled down to price and I wound up buying the Canon S500. I got the camera and was impressed with the photos but wasn't impressed about the speed. I have a 18month old and everytime I was ready to take a picture of him, he would turn his head when the camera would actually take the picture. It was very slow and frustrating. I then decided to look at the T1 after the fact and found out the camera is very fast in taking pictures. To make a long story short, I wound up selling my canon and buying the SONY. It was the best decision I can make. The picture quality is the same or better than the canon and it is SOO MUCH FASTER in taking pictures and transferring pictures. I highly reccomend the camera.

Not quite...... 2004-11-28

Before you purchase this camera go somewhere where you can physically handle it. The size is VERY small and the controls are close for anyone who has above medium sized hands. The memory format is not the standard Sony memory stick, it is the new Duo which is a good format but not widely accepted ( remember the BetaMax). We used a friends for as day and then opted for the DSC W1 which is more user friendly( the camera
takes a great picture but you have to be very conscious of the mode and where those extra fingers are!). Again go somewhere where you can handle this unit.
Sony didn't quite get this one............

Great pocket camera 2004-11-22

I bought this camera a couple of months ago, and I'm enjoying it very much. Fits perfectly on any pocket, take great shots and movies, it's very easy to use, and defintly have a WOW feature. For those who want a small amateur camera and yet powerful I recommed.

Cons: In fact, when using the flash, you'll get red eyes even those people who aren't looking directly to the camera, but it can be easyly fixed turning on the red eye reduction feature.

The flash have a very limited range.

You can easyly slip a finger in the camera lens, so you must pay attention every time. Yet, when you ask someone to shot with this camera, you must warn him too.

Some shot that I took indoor looked poor when it comes to color depth, but I can't really blame the camera because the light was poor.

Pros: Very easy to use, even my father that never used a digital camera before took great photos.

Very small and slim, yet with a huge lcd and amazing features.

The movies are amazing, it looked perfect on tv (shooting on fine, with a memory stick PRO).

Great shots, full of color and detail.

Fast startup and fast recording.

I never had problems with the focus, it worked fine all the time, even when using the macro (I use the camera on auto most of the time). Try to push the button half way down before take the picture, it'll force the camera to focus and lock on the subject. For those who had problems with it, I recomend to read the manual for tips about focusing.

You don't need to use the cradle to charge the battery. You can directly connect the camera on the ac adaptor (you can find this information on the manual too).

For those who are complaning about the tripod, I belive that you're not looking for a small amateur camera.

Cute, Convenient & Stylish, Yet Blurry, Muted, Dull 2004-11-16

This camera gives me gas. It was a replacement for a Canon S50 that was crushed by the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney (the bar came down on the open lens - oops!). That Canon was an amazing camera. The pictures were so clear, bright, and colorful that I had forsaken my beloved 35mm ELAN SLR. Home printed pictures were beautiful. But alas, it was crushed. The friendly people at Best Buy even gave me replacement value for it. One problem - no more Canon S50s. So I chose the Sony DSC-T1 on the recommendation of a salesperson(boy) because of the "amazing Carl Zeiss lens". Big Mistake.

This compact camera IS beautiful, sleek, and very cool looking. It IS a head turner, a supermodel - people want to see it and touch it. The LCD screen is HUGE, great for showing off your shots. It is intuitive and feature-rich. For all these things I give it 2 stars. For actual photos I give it ZERO stars.

It turns out that the Carl Ziess lens is too small to produce any quality. Every subject is blurry against its backround. Prints have muted colors with a yellow tint and you can see obvious pixelation. I took 150 5M pictures on a trip to Italy - and they all suck. I even took the memory cards to a professional shop for prints and the colors are grey and the lines blurry. These are not challenging shots, either, in low light or with motion. Compose scene, click. Simple. So I am very bummed about this camera and beg you not to waste your money on it.

Disappointed 2004-11-16

Hum.. So I am new to this.. but here u go.
In September I visited a local store to see about a camera. I was shown the Cybershot by a friend ( who worked there ) that happened to be a display. It was never used and I got it for $350. I thought what a deal. WRONG.

I liked it for the first month, but noticed that not all the pictures were clear. In fact, the further away the subject, the more blurrier it got. I played with the camera and tried all settings. Even tried resetting it after reading a review on here. It did not help. In certain lighting the pictures came out yellow, and unfocused. I am a store manager that just had a major event with Santa and took many pictures with it that just did not come out good enough for the kids.

I finally just took it back. There were things I liked.. like the viewing screen and movie with sound. Yet... I want pictures that are clear.. and this just did not do it for me.

Sony T1 amd T-11 have problems with blurry pictures. 2004-11-15

I got my T-11 in August and have been struggling with blurry pictures. It almost looks like the camera is taking a double exposure. I finally called Sony customer service and they recommended reseting camera. After the reboot the camera began taking amazing pictures and they are crystal clear Even if shot indoors at night. The procedure is simple and is the the service manual. It is the first thing in the trouble shooting section. Just removed the battery and memory stick from camora and push the reset button (located back side lower right corner) in for 20 seconds with a tooth pick. Put memory stick and battery back in and turn it on. Then set time and start taking great pictures.

My Sony T1 Shopping Saga & Comparison to the Canon A95 2004-11-10

I spent about an hour and a half last night debating between the Sony T1 5 MP and the Canon Power Shot A95.

I'm sure my friend and I drove the poor sales clerk crazy - but he was very patient and we examined each extensively.

I walked into the store primarily considering three cameras -- the Nikon CoolPix 5200, the Cybershot DSCP 100, and the Canon A95. Going in I'd done a lot of research and found the A95's reputation is outstanding. But Sony's general reputation -- and especially on the Cybershot DSCP 100 -- is outstanding too.

The store was out of the Nikon, and since it had been the camera I was least impressed with after reading the reviews, I didn't worry about it too much. The DSCP 100 had all the right numbers and features, but didn't feel right to me for some reason. Maybe the shape threw me off? Honestly, I'm not sure. But the vibe wasn't right and so I asked to see the A95.

By this time, the clerk and I had started chatting, and he pulled out the T1. Honestly, I had not come across the T1 in my research, so when the store clerk pulled out this little gem from behind the counter, I was blown away.

The thing is tiny. And oh-so-beautiful. The LCD screen on the back is almost the same size as the screen on my Treo 600 -- on other words, huge. The camera felt great in my hands. And a Zeiss lens -- wow. That's top quality there. As soon as I touched it, I began lusting after this mystery camera. But was it any good?

But let me digress. The A95 is solid. Just pure solid. Nice quality. Good build. Picture quality looks good. Screen is ... well, small -- especially compared to the T1. The A95 is physically a much larger camera -- though surprisingly, the weight felt about the same as the T1. Controls seemed intuitive and it's got lots of settings to play around with, but that don't get in the way of taking a simple snap shot.

But the T1 has the sex appeal. So I kept going back to it. Without reviews, I was flying a little blind, but the fit and finish felt good. And, did I mention the sex appeal?

But as I kept looking, practicality began creeping into the deliberations. For instance, the T1 uses a Sony-proprietary battery and memory system. The A95 uses AA batteries and SD memory.

There's no way of easily protecting the T1's super-large (and super fragile) LCD screen. The A95's LCD flips around so that the screen is protected by the camera body.

The T1 has no view finder and no way to take pictures if you aren't using the LCD. The A95 can be used with or without the LCD (which increases battery life).

The T1 has a 3x optical zoom. The A95 has a 3x optical zoom, coupled with a digital zoom.

The T1 has no tripod mount. The A95 does.

"Weighing" in favor of the T1 are the A95's larger size, smaller screen, and the "cool" factor of the T1.

As I played with both cameras (until the store just about closed), I noted a couple of other things about the T1 in the back of my mind. It wasn't until I read many of the reviews here that these perceptions began to crystallize.

Holding the T1 steady is a major issue. (With the A95 I was able to take handheld low-light, no-flash pictures with minimal blurring.) The flash on the T1 was ho-hum. And despite the large LCD screen, telling which images were crisp and which were blurry was a major challenge with the T1. Really, the only way to tell would be to download the images to your computer before deciding which pictures are keepers and which are deleters.

In the end, I listened to my wallet and my brain. I bought the A95. I needed reliability and quality more than glamour and glitz. The SD storage cards are about half the price as the Sony cards -- and that issue of the proprietary batteries is a big one.

So far so good -- picture quality on the A95 looks good, although I can tell that I'm going to have to learn to use the different "scene" settings in order to get the best out of the camera. Even so, the A95 is easy to use. (It even fit perfectly in a cheap generic camera case!) I'll have to post again as I get to know my new camera better.

Hopefully you'll find this review of use. In the end -- both cameras are keepers in my opinion. Which one you pick is probably more a matter of personal preference than anything else. Good luck to everyone in picking out the right camera!

Why doesn't this camera work well in "idiot mode" 2004-11-08

I bought this camera 3 weeks ago to replace a Minolta Dimage X 2MP camera. I love the design, big LCD, and higher resolution. I must admit though, that I am very disappointed in the performance of this right out of the box. My Minolta took great pictures ALL the time, with hardly ANY need to dive into menus and modify settings - in other words it worked GREAT in idiot mode. Let's face it, this is an out of the town/ party camera and i don't want to be fiddling with settings all the time. I keep wondering why a $500 camera will not shoot at least decent photos on its normal, basic settings.

I am a casual photographer and have a sweet Nikon D70 camera that I use for "photography." With that camera, I expect to dive in and play with settings, shutters speeds to maximize the performance of that camera. With the Sony, I just wanted a camera to whip out of my pocket and catch a friend of mine laughing, not to be stuck fiddling with adjustments. I will try some of the adjustments suggested in these threads as I left my Minolta at home and brought the Sony with me for 2 months in Brazil.

I expected much more 2004-11-05

I have had this camera for about 6 months. I wanted a simple point & shoot to replace a old and dead Kodak DX3900. The kodak was great, except it lasted about a year (seems to be a common problem). I never got a blurred image, and very rarely was anything other than crystal clear. With the T1, it has been a battle. I have gone to other sites trying to find tweaks, etc.

First the good:
1. The LCD screen is really great. Large, clear, and seems to repel fingerprints (not one in 6 months of use).
2. This fits in your pocket (but I do NOT recommend it, as scratching the screen will be VERY expensive).
3. The buttons, although having a decent learning curve, become easy to use pretty quickly (except for deleting pictures you just took....because that button also controls the resolution, I sometimes switch back and forth accidently).
4. Lens cover. Not only does it protect the lens, but it's kind of cool, and turns it on and off.
5. Close-ups are just astounding (if you are steady). I can get less than an inch from something with absolute clarity (just make sure you have enough light).
6. The video is better than on my Sony Camcorder (when recorded on the memory stick).

Now the Bad & the Ugly:
1. Flash is terrible indoors without tweaking
2. Auto mode is useless unless you have plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of light
3. Lag is so long that my 17 month is sometimes completely out of the frame when the picture is actually taken, or, there is such a blur that it looks like he's a world class sprinter.
4. Telephoto is weak, and produces more noise than I would like.
5. Battery life is terrible, and appears to drain even while off!
6. This is not a point and shoot, at least not what I was looking for. You have to change the settings for every different situation.
7. Impossible to take video indoors unless there is PLENTY of light.
8. Red eye is terrible, even with reduction on, people look like demons.

Now, for those who went ahead and bought this camera:
For indoor shots, I have found the best way to get good light shots is by playing with the white balance. This also eliminates the yellow hue that is in most of the indoor pictures I had previously taken. I only switch to Auto mode if I am outside and it is sunny. Otherwise, you are stuck in program mode and have to set things up semi-manually. You don't need to pick your f-stops or anything, but it is a bit of a hassle making the needed adjustments for each particular shot. The night shots are very tricky. You can get some great effects, but it takes a lot of practice and experimenting.

This is more a camera for a hobbyist than someone who wants to just snap pictures. And that is why I give it only 2 stars. With all that said, I am still looking for an easy P&S (my wife still hates the camera and finds no redeeming qualities).

Top Notch Camera! A Few Suggestions 2004-11-05

The Sony T1 fits comfortably in any pocket, is easy to use, and takes terrific pictures. The LCD screen can be described as "monstrously huge", but that's being a bit conservative. That said, here are a few thoughts to get the most out of it:
1. When taking pictures, make sure to hold the shutter button down until the photo is done. The camera is so small that any movement can make a shot blurry.
2. Use the optional strap; sooner or later this camera will slip out of your fingers. Trust me on this one.
3. DEFINITELY buy a hard case (eBay was my source). The LCD screen is huge, and it can't be protected by soft cases, which are the only kind that Sony makes. BAD Sony! NAUGHTY Sony!

I wonderful camera with a few issues 2004-11-03

I bought this camera when it first came to the states early last spring. I love the size of the LCD, write speed and video capabilities. There are two problems with this camera that I wanted to share just so everyone can make an informed decision.

1) The LCD is impossible to see in dimly light setting, even with the background set to high. (i.e., bars, natural formations like caves, some unlit tourist sites at dusk) The only way to make out what you're shooting is to switch into night mode. The problem here is that night mode with blur your picture without a tripod as the shutter is held open longer to bring in more light. I ran into this problem over and over again and it was one of two times I ever cared that the camera doesn't have an optical viewfinder.

2) While the huge LCD screen is wonderful for taking pictures, understand it is vulnerability for the camera. While I was traveling in China, my LCD screen was damaged, rendering my camera 100% useless. The cases Sony sells are crap, they do not actually protect the camera as none of them are a true hard case. I mention how easily the screen can be damaged because Sony charges $450 to **TRY** to repair the LCD screen. That is roughly the same cost as buying a new camera. I have yet to find a private dealer that can or will repair it and believe me, I've looked.

Basically, if you intend to do extensive traveling, this camera is a liability. Without a viewfinder you have no backup plan and my find yourself as I did, in a beautiful foreign place with a non-functioning camera and no means to replace it. If you are getting this to take out with your friends when you go out at night, again, opt of a camera with a viewfinder. You cannot see the LCD in the dark. If these things are not of concern for you, this camera is a wonderful little machine which produces beautiful images.

The Best Camera Ever! 2004-10-26

Love this camera, my husband says "more than him". Does everything except wash the dishes. Have had my camera since My 2004, still learing new ways in which to use the camera each day.
Love putting videos together to make a film. Everyone who sees my camera is totally impressed. Dottie L Holland

Takes great pictures if you read the manual 2004-10-25

I read every review on every site and in every magazine I could find before buying this camera. All of the professional reviewers said it took great pictures. The amature reviewers were a mixed lot, with some claiming it took poor pictures. I decided to go with the pros and purchase this item.

I'm glad I did. First, it does take great pictures IF YOU READ THE MANUAL. Red Eye reduction is turned OFF by default, you have to turn it ON to get rid of red eye. The flash has 3 settings, and it is in the MIDDLE one by default. Turn up the flash to HIGH and it works great indoors. Hold the camera STEADY when you take the picture, regardless of light conditions, and you'll get very sharp photos. Memory Stick Pro Duo cards aren't that expensive, especially if you buy the Lexmar ones, and the price just was cut by Sony. The charger is very compact, and unless you plan on taking more than 180 photos on your trip, you don't even need to bring it with you. The view screen is very viewable at night, if you change the default NORMAL setting to HIGH. Finally, the complaint about the tripod is absurd: please don't tell you bought the smallest camera on the market so you can use a tripod to take photos: get a larger camera and use this for what it is designed for. A tripod with this is like using a sports car to pull a trailer. If you insist on a tripod mount, get the active sleeve case from Sony ($25 on Amazon), which adds a tripod mount to the camera.

Pros: Crisp, sharp photos. Very compact design (size of a deck of cards). Bright, sharp, large view screen. Solid construction. Good manual.

Cons: Expensive, but worth it. You have to read the manual to get the most out of it.

Not good enough! 2004-10-20

Yes, I read the manual.
Yes, I tried all of the optional settings.
Yes, I gave this camera more than a fair chance to prove its worth.

Bottom line: All of the problems that are in the other reviews are a reality, folks. The photos that this camera takes are simply not good enough.

In my opinion, there are a lot of people out there that are taking a lot of crappy photos who either don't care or don't know the difference. This camera is apparently great for that type of person.

If YOU care about the pictures you take, don't buy this camera.

Great Camera... Memory Stick disfunction... :( 2004-10-11

We love this camera. It's small size, ease of use... the only problem is the Memory Stick Duo. We bought a 256 mb stick and every so often (and more than we'd like for sure) the memory stick kicks back an error message and we can't take pictures anymore. We have to power down then power up again to take another picture. This has been happening more and more and we've only had the camera less than 2 months. We've tried reformatting the stick several times to no avail. Not sure what to do next. But the problem with the memory aside, it's a fantastic camera. Just hope there's a way around this problem.

VERY GOOD! Super happy with this potent lil' baby!! 2004-10-11

I received this camera on Friday. I had read ALL the review posted here and was a bit nervous about some of the concerns that have been mentioned. The balance of positive reviews convinced me to give it a try and I am VERY happy I did. This is my 3rd digital camera so far, canon powershot, nikon coolpix and now the sony. The Sony is my favorite already!

I took the camera to Las Vegas for a party weekend to try it out. My real concern with the camera was blurry images. The camera is VERY small and I worried that I would not be able to hold it still while shooting and get a lot of motion blur in pics. I didn't get a SINGLE blurry image all weekend. It shot crystal clear shots consistently and under all conditions. I shot while dancing, running... all ways and never had an issue! You just have to find a comfortable way to hold the camera.
The lens is easy to drop your finger in front of... but if you pay attention to what you are doing, this doesn't need to be a problem.
The GIANT LCD display is probably my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE thing about this camera!! It is SO clear and BIG!! You can see GREAT detail in every photo with it! Serious PROPS on the designer of that element!
I read complaints about the flash on it. First, the color of the flash is GREAT! I know of several digitals that when you shoot semi-close, they turn everything yellow. This one is perfect. There are settings for the strength of the flash as well that you can adjust. It isn't ANY weaker than any other digital camera on the market! You cannot expect to shoot super far away with the tiny flash that you get on a point and shoot digital. It is sufficient in strength for what the camera is intended for. And, if you read the manual you will learn that there are wasy to change the metering of the camera for shooting far away in lower light situtations. Like any other electronic item you should spend a little time familiarizing yourself with all the settings before complaining about something you simply have not taken the time to understand.

Red eye setting on camera works great as well!! Not sure why others are having trouble with that. Maybe they have just not figured out how to turn the setting to ON.
The interactive menu is really easy to figure out and work. The pre-programmed settings are vast and very cool. They have a setting for almost any codition and the AUTO program worked perfectly for all different lighting conditions.
It has a very sturdy casing which is perfect for me... Feels like it will stand the test of time. I had a problem with my Nikon Coolpix because the casing was such lightweight plastic and after a week had to tape battery door closed. Very cheap and flimsy materials used on it.. but The sony FEELS very sturdy!
The drop down lens cover is perfect. It drops and BAM, ready to shoot. Looking at the product photo's on Amazon of this camera you can't really tell how it works. I almost thought that it didn't have a lens cover and was very relieved when it arrived and found it does.

I recommed the largest memory card you can afford for this baby! 5mp will fill a card in NO time. Of course you don't have to shoot that big and get more on the card but it is great to have the option! Why buy a 5mp unless you are going to shoot em! ;)
All in all I am REALLY pleased with this camera. No challenge to speak of for me! Great price on Amazon for it as well!

Small and Powerfull 2004-09-09

I bought this camera a month or so ago and love it. I was on vacation though and wanted to take some sunset pictures. I was quite disappointed to realize it didn't have a screw for a tripod for darker shots. Well, I work at a machine shop and designed one.
It works quite well and I'm selling them on ebay now. (...)
I use it and it works awesome. Sony should have included this with there package.

Good very good 2004-09-02

well i got this camera as a gift from my mom and after it was great!!! this camera has really risen up to it's reputation and it has really left me fascinated by the wonedrs of sch a small thing . with this camera i can do various things like ( obiously ) take pics and shoot movies and many other things. this camera was good for me in my trip to new york , chile, sanfransisco, and it also held very handy on some other trips of mine. to wrap it up in simple and descrite words .....this camera rocks!!!!! now i know tis may be a kid talking but i know good merchindize when i experience one and this truthfuly good product is worth all the money and all the rage.

My First Digital Camera 2004-09-02

I have been holding off on buying a digital camera for some time now, but I could no longer resist the inevitable pull of technology. So, after doing some research and going to a local Best Buy to play with some cameras, I settled on the Sony DSC.
I am very happy with my choice. The camera is extremely easy to use. I was surprised at how easy it is to take short movies -- one of my first videos turned out great and I emailed to a bunch of friends immediately.
A down point: The camera does have an issue taking pictures in low light. The flash is inadequate and night-time indoor pictures have a lot of blurriness. Daytime photos, however, have turned out great with excellent sharpness.
The 32MB card it comes with is good for a few photos and a couple of short videos. Definitely upgrade to a larger card at purchase. I've been told that a 128 MB card holds 60 pics at 5MP, and 80 at 3:2 ratio.

For $500 this camera sucks 2004-09-01

I've never reviewed a product as a 1. You can read the other reviews for the technical aspects. I don't care about technical. I want results.

My last digital broke while on a canoeing trip since I got it wet. My bad, I know it was dumb to take a digital on a canoe. But I was able to get pictures off my Cannon even after it was under 2 feet of water. Amazing. I needed a camera quick because I had a trip to San Francisco and Denver coming up. I always read reviews before buying a product but I didn't have time. I assumed that if I paid $500 for a camera it would work. I bought the Cybershot mainly for its size. I thought the LCD panel was cool. I got over the coolness quickly.

The camera looks awesome and everyone who looked at it said the same. Cool right? I snapped off about 30 pix in San Fran and another 40 at the Rocky Mountain National Park during my trip. Talk about bad timing to test a new camera. Like I get to the Rocky Mountains all the time. I get home and unload the pix. Results? Blurry DAYTIME pictures. I mean bad. I could see blurriness on the picture on the LCD panel. That's how bad. Night pix are worthless. I don't care about red eye since I can fix it but it was noticeably worse than my other cameras.

I get home and delete over half the pictures because quit frankly they sucked. I was pissed. I had some cool shots that I had to delete. Some of which was on my b-day with some hot chicks. Dammit!!

I then realized that I had to hold the camera absolutely still to get a descent shot. I didn't want to go through the hassle of returning it and wanted to be patient with the product. Even then I had blurry and out of focus shots. I took this camera to a party. Snapped a bunch of shots and same results. In fact every picture that someone else took I had to delete because they weren't holding the camera absolutely still. WTF. Normally I send all my pix to friends after we're out. I have none worthy enough to give them. Absolutely frustrating.

Many people said to use manual mode. What? $500 and the camera is not smart enough to adjust for even daytime pix. Give me a break. I'm not fussing around with settings every time I want to take a picture.

The only good thing I can say is that it can take long movies.

I read the other reviews and am surprised to see so many good reviews. Even the good reviews were really bad. People are giving this camera 5 while defending its flaws. You don't rate something 5 if it has flaws people. If you like the camera so much buy mine. It's only 3 weeks old. I'll give it to you for ½ price.

Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 2004-08-19

The coolest camera you can own for the money! If you actually learn how to use the camera by reading the manual you will have killer photos. All the complaints about blury pictures are the result of people not taking the time to learn how to use this equipment...period.

Another anti-purchase opinion 2004-08-16

I had a 2MB Canon digital camera. I bought the Sony for it's size, and for 5MB quality. However, as others have said, the vast majority of my pictures are blurry. With my Canon, I used to be driving and simply hold my camera out and snap away off to the side to get pretty good pics. With this camera, if you're not absolutely still, I mean not the slightest quiver, the pic is blurry. I've played with every possible setting, but the results are just crappy. I was about to see if I could get tech support, since I figured the camera was broken, but I see that it's just the way the camera is. Too bad. I'll have to return it.

Don't expect miracles 2004-08-13

Although this is a 5MP camera, it has a small lens and low power flash. This is the camera you put in your pocket rather than over your shoulder. If you can accept the trade-offs and want the ultimate in portability this unit is great. I wasn't interested in the video when I got it. I'm so impressed I want a bigger MS so I can do more. Picture quality is fair-good depending on lighting. It's not for art, it's for photos.

This is a Great camera! 2004-08-10

I read some of the negative reviews about this camera and I was reluctant to purchase it, even though I had read the good reviews. When I went to the store to see and test the camera, I was amazed that the picture quality was so good - and I knew the people writing the bad reviews were somehow wrong. I picked the camera up in the store, without reading any instruction manual, and took a picture in the store, which was then printed out for me on a HP 145. The picture was so clear... that sold me right then. I knew then that all I had to do was read and work with the camera a little and I was set. Have since taken the camera on vacation and I love it. My pictures overall are 100% better than I have ever taken and the fun and ease of this camera is great...not to mentin the wow factor if you like new little cameras.

You want a camera? this is it!! 2004-08-05

This camera is awesome!!! and the best thing is that is very easy to use and practical to carry it, the images are incredible even for night shots it has in its menu the option of night shot and the new fireworks that allows you to take pictures to those magnifiscent shows in the sky you will then see them in your camera even clearer than live!!.
It also has the beach mode that helps you to take pictures with a lot of sun and they will appear in the lcd screen as if you were in any place but in the beach, the snow mode is very useful too because in that case the image wont be that "bright" because of the snow it will appear like a beautiful postcard, forget about bad pictures in every weather, every place.

I also tested it taking pictures to a tv show and it looks like if you were taking a pic to a real person it erases the lines that usually are on the tv screen this a bonus thing huh!.

You may think that it uses a different memory stick because it is smaller but don't worry!! in the package it has an adaptor to make a normal memory stick so you can insert it in your computers (vaio users) or printers.
Also one of the things of why I bought this camera is because of the battery, forget about alkaline or rechargable AA batteries it includes a special one that lasts a lot!! so don't worry about this.

BUY THIS CAMERA IS THE BEST OPTION

A Camera for all occasions.... 2004-07-24

You are reading this review because you are wanting the best compact camera on the market.

I wanted a Camera which fits in my shirt pocket (or my wife's handbag)- YES
I wanted high resolution pictures - 5MPs - YES
I wanted the biggest and clearest LCD Screen - YES
I wanted to take pictures from cold in under 3 secs - YES
I wanted to take high quality pictures - YES - 101 5MP photos from 256MB Card
I wanted to take great quality video - YES - 11mins from 256MB Card
I wanted quality fast zoom - YES, 3x with the bonus it is internal!

Does it have it's faults - YES - too easy to put a finger over the lens.

Battery life is very good but with it's fast startup you don't need to keep the camera on all the time even for those spur of the moment shots. Slide the camera cover down and you are ready to take that photo in few seconds. Coupled with my Canon i990 Printer it can provide a 6x4inch photo-quality print in under a minute (from taking photo)using the pictbridge direct printer connection.

If you use the video option then I recommend a Tripper 20GB Portable Storage System so you can transfer you precious photos/videos to hard drive in the field/on a beach/top of a mountain. Also have a spare battery as it does drain it faster.

It is a Camera designed to be used anytime, anywhere.

Not 100% pleased with this purchase 2004-07-20

I purchased this camera about 2-3 months ago for general purpose/travel photography with my family. I was leaning towards the Canon S500, but went with the Sony T1 due to it's minimal size. Since purchasing, we have taken numerous photos, using both the "auto" mode as well as the "program" mode with some of the suggestions from previous posters in this forum (adjusting ISO, EV, sharpness, etc.). Overall, about 50% of the images are good to very good, and the remainder are very poor. The problem seems to primarily be with the focusing sensor, as a lot of images are not in focus - now I know what you're thinking, maybe I just didn't have the subject in the center of the focusing brackets, or the subject moved after holding down the shutter, or whatever, but trust me - that is not the case. I take numerous digital photos for work with Nikon, Olympus, and Kodak cameras, and only 5-10% of these are not in focus.
In several of the pictures NOTHING is in focus, which doesn't make a lot of sense unless the AF sensor is just not picking anything to focus on!?
Also, several of the photos have been blurred, even in bright sunlight, as though the shutter speed was too slow. (Yes, even when adjusting the ISO to 400).
Anyway, it's now in for repairs to see if there actually is a specific problem with the camera. As to the other issues:
1. Yes, red-eye is pretty bad, but easy to fix with software (no, I'm not using Sony's software).
2. I don't care that much about the missing tripod slot.
3. I've had no trouble keeping the lid closed.
4. USB and charger are a little bulky, but you can buy a small charger and USB from Sony, and/or buy a big enough MD card to hold images until you can download.
5. Camera functionality/ease of use is good and intuitive; I'd like a way to set the shutter speed, though...
The bottom line is this - I would love this camera if I could consistently get good photos (i.e., in focus and not blurred) out of it. If the camera gets fixed to solve these problems, I'll let you know; otherwise, I can not recommend it.

Indoor pictures are terrible 2004-07-17

I have tried adjusting the flash on this camera every which way, but my indoor pictures are still terrible. Everything is sooo dark. Red eye is terrible. For the price I thought I was getting a top of the line point and shoot camera. I love the size and the LCD, but I am not impressed by the photo quality.

A real sweet spot in the digital camera world 2004-07-14

I have owned numerous digital cameras over the years, but the Sony T1 is the one I would pick if I could only have one. It is compact, turns on easily, intuitively, and quickly. Good battery life. High picture quality (at least for a non-pro camera). Slips into your pocket. No annoying retracting/extending lens. A great lens (Carl Zeiss is the kind used on Hasselblad cameras). 3x Optical zoom. Very large LCD screen - and it is VISIBLE in daylight. More features than most will ever use, but there if you need them. The only shortcoming is the small flash - it's only good out to about 5-6 feet - but hey, if you're further away than that for a picture of a person, you're too far away! This is a great everyday camera - I carry mine with me all the time, which makes it a camera that actually gets used, rather than just collecting dust in the closet.

Problems, problems, problems 2004-07-13

I'm not impressed at all with my purchase. I've had all sorts
of issues with this camera and I'm pretty unhappy.

First, previous posters have referred to the red eye problems
with this camera and they are very severe. Taking pictures of
people and using the flash guarantees you'll need to edit the
resulting pictures with Photoshop. It's the worst I've seen.

Second, the way the camera is charged and the way the images
are transferred using this big clumsy docking base means the

camera is a pain to pack for travel. Why no direct charger
hookup?

Third, I had my camera for 3 weeks when it suddenly quit
focusing. I sent it in to Sony and they replaced the lens
assembly. When I got it back, it now focused but almost always
on the wrong thing, whether or not spot focus mode was enabled.
Back to Sony again. They replaced the lens assembly AGAIN. Now
the camera seems to focus but there are still many problems.

For example, in automatic mode, it seems like at certain focal
lengths and in certain light conditions, the focus is wrong.
This means that I cannot leave the camera in automatic mode
because very often the resulting pictures are just blurry. So
now I use it almost exclusively in spot focus mode.

Finally, the exposure settings seem mis-calibrated. To get
pictures which aren't obviously overexposed, about half the time
I need to manually set the camera to under-expose images.

This camera has been a royal disappointment. I was so eager to
get it because I really wanted a small ditigal camera with the
sorts of options this camera had (many manual controls, large
LCD screen, etc) but I barely use it anymore.

The camera seems to me to be screaming out for more development
time and debugging time.

I love mine. 2004-07-12

I don't know what the one reviewer is complaining about when he says that the camera can't be directly plugged into the charger. Mine can and I usually leave the dock at home when I travel and just carry the charger with me. For storage I purchased a Timbuk2 soft case that is designed for the iPod and then if I'm really paranoid I put the whole assembly inside a small Pelican case. Anything that breaks this combo will probably kill me, so I'm not too concerned. The only complaint I have with the unit is the fact that it uses the Memory Stick Pro for storage, which is a smaller form factor memory stick that is incompatible with other Sony Memory Sticks. Save yourself some money and purchase the SanDisk Memory Stick Pro instead of the Sony. It works just as well. All in all this is a fantastic compact camera that produces great pictures, and the movie mode is lots of fun.

I am so proud 2004-07-12

I bought this camera and I feel like a spy guy using it. It is not a toy but it rocks out loud dude. BUY BUY BUY!!! I would take sony over canon any time.

What to go sony 2004-07-12

Sony you've done it again. You made and awsome amd expensive camera. This is highly recommended for all ages over 10. Go SONY.

Beautiful Shots in a Beautiful Package 2004-07-09

This little jewel is fantastic! It is state of the art Sony design and takes excellent shots with the Zeiss lens! I was attracted to the small size but big features of this camera. It will fit easily in your pocket and the dock is small and easy to store if you travel. Sure, Sony only includes a 32meg memory stick but hey do you blame them? I bought the 256meg and it will take 100 pics at 5 megapixs. The 2.5 in display is fantastic for quick views. And the camera allows you to use fully auto features for ease of use or there are many custom features for those who so choose. The color is superb. I use Microsoft picture it software and never have to edit color. I would highly recommend this to someone looking for great features in an attractive sleek package.

cannot use this camera to its advantage as per the manual 2004-07-08

could someone help me to obtain the best results as I am very unimpressed at this time. The manual is not helping me. I know that I am a very bad camera user so maybe this is not as friendly as they tell me. Have seen some great outdoor pictures but not mine. Leon PLEASE IF SOMEONE HAS THE TIME FOR AN OLDEN PLEASE TELEPHONE ME 020 8977 2125 and ask for LEON.

Great Camera!! 2004-07-08

I have owned this camera for three weeks now. I have some spectacular pictures from the top of a mountain, from a motorcycling trip and some close-ups. Every picture is crystal clear!!! I've taken motion shots, still shots, and video using many different features of this camera...again all extremely clear. My pictures have been taken in the dark and bright lights. This camera has exceeded my expectations. The compact design allows me to take this camera anywhere. On the motorcycling trip I took video while traveling down the road at 60 miles an hour...while watching the video I felt like I was back on the bike! I took pictures of objects moving in front of the bike....unbelievable! Battery life and the memory are going strong. I have printed out several pictures on glossy 8x10...they look professional and they're going up on my wall. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a small, easy to use, quality camera!!!

user friendly 2004-07-02

very easy to use point and shoot. fast picture taking ability and does a good job auto-focusing. with 256 mb card, can hold 140 pics at default settings (5mp, fine). lcd screen is awesome and makes this camera a joy to use and review shots to ensure you got what you wanted. couple minor annoyances...battery will fall out when you open compartment, no locking feature on front lense cover (sometimes it will open on its own in your purse/pocket), no included carrying case....to protect lcd screen while in pockets or purse from scratches.

quality of pictures is on par or better than my olympus c4000 at 1/4 th the size.

docking station is fast with usb 2.0 instead of 1.1 like most others. recharges battery in under 3 hours.

this camera has impressed me....size, quality, and easy to use.

i recommend for those that want to carry a camera with them at all times without extra luggage.

Canon S400 vs. Sony Cybershot 2004-06-29

I have had the Canon S400 4 mega pixel a new 5 mega pixel is either in stores or on the way! But my SISTER has the Sony cybershot and I have the Canon have ended or feud over which camera is best! CANON has won out! The Sony was one camera I wanted but