Sony Cybershot DSC-W100 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Photography afficionados have long had two choices when it comes to buying a digital camera: a tiny everything-automatic portable camera that takes decent pictures or a brick-sized everything-manual professional camera that takes fantastic pictures. Almost a decade after the introduction of the consumer digital camera, Sony has finally taken a swing at combining the best qualities of both worlds into one package, and the DSC-W100 is a solid first effort.Sony has had the tiny part down for some time - dimensionally, the W100 is on par with other recent Cybershot models and competitor brands' offerings, and features the now-common 2.5" bright LCD display with a minimum of buttons on the back. Aside from the attractive mini-diamondplate face and chrome trim, visually there's little to set this camera apart among the others at your local electronics counter.Initial toying with the camera doesn't dispel any first impressions. All the prerequisite automatic features are there, the buttons are smartly arranged so all the most common functions are right at hand, it's obviously a point-and-shoot camera. But it's when you begin to delve into the features that you realize that the W100 is something entirely different.The usual mode knob is there on the back with the Auto mode and Scenes modes, but now there's Program and Manual modes - something standard issue on professional cameras but radically new for a point-and-shoot. This means you can use any combination of auto or manual settings on all functions to get a shot. For example, shooting in a dimly lit room, you can use a slow shutter flash to even out lightning, or turn off the flash with a slower shutter for richer colors, or raise the ISO so you can get a steady shot with a higher shutter speed, or just put it in auto and shoot, etc. All the different possibilities previously reserved just for professional cameras are now at your disposal. The camera is as simple or as involved as you want, and it still fits in your pocket.I've owned several other digital cameras, both portable and pro, and they've all had somewhat manual features, but the W100 takes it to a new level. Mounting the W100 on a tripod, I attempted to get a long exposure shot of the night sky, something all the other digital cameras have done adequately. Manually setting the shutter speed, the camera displayed the overall exposure value as I adjusted - the camera was telling me before even touching the shutter button if the resulting picture would be dark, bright, or even. I set the shutter as slow as it could go and using the two-second timer, fired away. The picture was amazing; though only a few stars were visible to the eye, the W100 caught the light of well over a hundred. I noticed a bit of radial blur on the stars around the border of the image, only to realize later that the camera was pointed North - the shutter speed was so slow that I was actually *capturing the rotation of the Earth*. Now THAT'S manual.Also of special note is the W100's digital "Smart Zoom". As a general rule with digital cameras, you should disable the digital zoom feature, as zooming in beyond the optical range produces a cropped and therefore lower-quality image. But here again Sony has a trick up it's sleeve, by cropping from an 8.1 megapixel capture regardless of where you have the image size set. If you shoot a 5 megapixel-size picture that utilizes the digital zoom, the image is actually captured at a full 8.1 Mps and then your 5Mp picture is cropped from that. The result is an optically-zoomed clear picture. This also means that at the lowest image size, you can get a full 15x zoom (the equivalent of a 500+ mm telephoto - in a pocket camera!). It's an absolutely brilliant technique that you'll probably see on all future digital cameras.Sony still has a bit more work to do on the pocket SLR idea. Included with your purchase is an accessories catalog featuring an array of lenses and filters, none of which are compatible with the W100. It's typical of Sony to have a bizarre distribution of features in any given product lineup, but it would seem obvious that the most SLR-like camera should have SLR-like accessories. And W100 owners should disable the Auto Focus Illumination light when shooting people; the blazing red light is great for focusing on inanimate subjects, but could probably be used as a tactical light to blind assailants in a pinch.Overall, the W100 is a remarkable newcomer that truly raises the bar for what you can expect from a point and shoot pocket camera. Novices are accommodated with full automation, and can learn gradually by trying out individual manual functions while other settings remain automatic. And experienced photogs will be right at home with the Manual mode and wide range of settings. Five stars for what is hopefully Sony's work in progress.

Loved everything about this camera... smart looking, took amazing photos with no effort, etc., etc., etc.But it didn't hold up... a few days after initial warranty expired, the camera zoom lens stuck, and kept given a message to 'restart' ... then it would stick again .. The lens doesn't retract back into the body, even with the power off and battery removed. Have followed all instructions and get nowhere. The camera was never dropped, never abused, and always cased when not in use.Not worth the price to even have it evaulated, plus repairs and/or parts ... Disappointing,, but I've moved on to Canon and no problems there!

I bought this little camera recently from Amazon. Thanks for tremendous service and speedy delivery, Amazon.The Sony DSC-W100 is terrific. It is very simple to operate. The menu system is well-organized and easy to understand. Inserting the battery and memory card is a snap. The Zeiss lens system yields incredibly sharp photos even at the automatic setting. The flash is pretty powerful,too! I took some shots in a rather dark restaurant, and the pictures came out really nice and clear. The macro function is superb with crisp, well-defined details at very close range.The powerup time on this camera is fast as well as time between shots. There is very little shutter lag, and you usually get the picture you intended to get. Autofocus can be a little slower until it "finds" the target perfectly in certain situations. But this is no big deal compared to older digicams.I like being able to switch quickly from viewing the pictures in replay mode back to camera mode by simply tapping the shutter release button lightly. You are quickly ready for another picture.The camera is not miniature and weighs nearly six ounces, which is not extremely light--but is comfortable to carry or place in purse or pocket.I also have a Canon Digital Rebel XT, and this little camera does take sharper pictures. Of course, you do not have the versatility of the SLR, but it is a great everyday camera to take along with you for all the shots you would otherwise miss. I highly recommend this camera and recommend purchase from Amazon.Update: I have now used this camera in the video mode. WOW. It produces incredibly sharp videos with a fast frame rate that looks terrific on our television. A multi-purpose cable is supplied with the camera that allows USB 2.0 and audio/video hookup. You must decide what zoom level before you start shooting your video because once you start, you cannot zoom in and out. If you have a 1 Gb memory stick Pro Duo you can take about 12 minutes of video. I want to get the 2 Gb Pro Duo stick which allows almost 25 minutes of video. This would be ideal to take along when you want to switch between still and video shots and keep your video shots consistent and consecutive in order. You must use the PRO Duo stick for the high quality (fine) video mode.

I have had this camera for 2 months now and I love it.There are a few downfalls.1. If you have never seen this camera in person, its a bit bigger then most of the smaller camera's. So if you are looking for something tiny, this is not it.2. Also, when you make videos you cannot zoom in at all, so don't purchase this to make videos.This camera is very user friendly, without the manual it took me a few minutes to play with it & figure everything out. (Plus I have owned a SONY before). It takes beautiful pictures in all kind of lights & environments, you just to need set it on appropriate settings. Also you need to purchase a bigger storage card, if you plan on taking lots of pictures.