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Sony Cybershot DSCF88 5MP Digital Camera with 3x optical Zoom | List Price: $743.80
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Brand: Sony
Binding: Electronics
Features: - 5.1-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 13-by-17-inch enlargements
- Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens combines with a 2x digital zoom for 6x total zoom
- 300-degree rotating lens design; 1.8-inch LCD monitor; 1.6 frame-per-second Shot Burst mode
- Store images on Memory Stick (32 MB Memory Stick included) or Memory Stick Pro media
- Powered by rechargeable InfoLithium battery (included with charger); connects to computers via USB 2.0
Good Pictures but Big Flaws [Posted on 2004-12-04]
I really like the lens quality and picture quality overall. My experience with it over the past 4+ months (which includes a 2 week vacation) are the following:
PRO's
- Fast start-up for more spontaneous shots.
- Good Image quality.
- Swivel lens gives nice, low eye level shots. Might be fun for pets and kids
CON's
- Colors can be a bit bluish sometimes
- Swivel Lens doesn't allow that many great shots of people with backgrounds. Since the distance from the lens to people (in self portraits) depends on your height and arm length, your mileage will vary. I'm about 6', and found the camera's ability to swivel back at you to be limited for capturing people and backgrounds. I bought the optional wide angle lens (x0.7) which helps... but that attachment prevents you from rotating the lens back into the camera body. This means it won't fold compactly for travel anymore.
- My biggest gripe, and this is a very big one, is that mode selection can be buggy due to the software. I've had almost 2 dozen instances in which the mode selection dial has failed me. In those instances, there is no way for me to access the set-up mode, the playback/review mode, or the movie mode. I find that extremely irritating and I don't know of any solution. I've tried taking the battery out, turning the power off, taking the battery out while the power is still on (Can you see how desparate this flaw can make you?). This flaw kills the camera for me.
UPDATE: Seems like the mode selection problem above was due to a faulty motherboard that Sony replaced. Their customer service handles the problem quickly and professionally. Be sure to save your receipt if this problem happens to you! I'd change my rating to 3 stars but the Amazon system won't let me.
ANOTHER UPDATE: After almost 2.5 years of use, one of the directional buttons (that lets you review a photo you've just taken) is very loose. I have 2 genuine batteries. One of these holds only a 30-45 minute charge. Once the battery goes out, all my settings (such as date, review and beep preferences) get deleted.
Perfect for self portraits ! [Posted on 2005-02-18]
The swivel lens is by far the best feature of this camera. It allows you to take very creative shots from many different angles. The swivel also serves two other purposes - (1) By swiveling the lens, it turns the camera on and off and (2) In the closed position, it acts as a lens cap protecting the lens from damage. Also new to the F-series is the inclusion of a viewfinder. This is helpful when the lcd screen is obscured by sun glare.
One aspect where this camera really shines is in taking unassisted portrait photos of my wife and me. All I do is stand the camera on a level surface, rotate and zoom the lens for proper framing, click on the timer and quickly get into position with my wife. And since the lcd is facing us, we can easily adjust our positioning. Also, since the camera acts as its own tripod, the pictures are always crisp (No more hunting down strangers for assistance and no more badly taken shots).
Picture quality is very good for a 5mp compact. I have found that the key to taking good photographs with this camera is by utilizing the manual and preset settings. Most people use the auto mode in their picture taking, and most of the time this is sufficient, however, I have found that by leveraging the built in Scene modes, I get a much clearer and crisper picture.
Battery life is excellent with over 300+ shots on a single charge. However, I would still recommend getting an extra one for backup power.
One accessory that I would recommend getting is the docking station. This item serves a dual purpose. It downloads your photos to your pc and charges the camera at the same time.
Because of its form this camera also has a strong WOW! factor. Every place I go, people always ask what kind of camera it is. They are quite surprised to hear that it is a Sony product. I guess most of them associate Sony digi cams with the candy bar shape of the P series.
For some reason this camera is not available at the usual retail outlets (at least not yet). It's a shame because in my opinion, this is one of the most versatile cameras I have ever purchased.
PROS:
Swivel Lens
Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3x optical zoom lens
Battery Life (300+ photos / charge)
Good 5mp picture quality
Very good Macro mode
Fast startup
Compact size
VGA video
USB2 support
Live Histogram display
CONS:
Small Memory Stick included (32 meg)
Weak Flash
No retail availability yet (only online)
Great consumer-level point-and-shoot digital camera [Posted on 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.
They brought back the swivel lens! [Posted on 2005-07-05]
I owned one of Sony's first digital cameras. It had the beloved swivel lens. No flimsy lcd screen that flips out, if you want to take a nice picture of yourself and a friend.
When I saw this camera at my local CompUSA, I pounced on it. I am getting married in December, and want to make sure I have decent pictures. That is what the swivel lens is good for. I am planning on using it to make sure my hair/make-up is camera friendly. Those pictures stay with you for life!
Beyond vainity, this is a great point and click camera. It also is great at taking movies with audio. The camera will play the movie, including audio. This is a feature that is a lot of fun.
I'm not taking pictures to be an artist. I just want a camera to capture moments with my friends. This is the perfect camera for that.
SONY RULES !! [Posted on 2005-09-01]
As I expected, SONY came thru again with just another superb Product !
I have taken Hundreds of excellent photos and continue to be awed by the flawless respomse this camera provides !
You don't have to spend a fortune to get the best quality.
Thank you SONY for making my life much more exciting !!
Click here for more details and discount information...
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