User Reviews: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 Digital Camera
$499.95
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4.3 out of 5.0 stars 253 Ratings (64 Reviews)
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    Best Camera Ever

    By Kelley  Jun 22, 2004 | 174 out of 193 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: everything

    Cons: none

    this camer is amazing. It is excellent for taking pictures quickly instead of those cameras that make you wait for a while in between each picture. Also, the pictures come out amazingly clear. One of the things I love best is the large 2.5 in LCD scr...een. It makes it easier to take the pictures and look and pictures you have already taken. I highly recommend this camera. It is good for all sorts of different things. Its good for taking nice scenery pictures, quick pictures to capture a precious moment, or just taking pictures with your friends and family. Read more Less

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    all around great camera

    By Julienne  Jul 18, 2004 | 59 out of 61 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: huge lcd, easy to use, awesome pics

    Cons: everytime you turn the menu dial it shows up on the screen too often

    this was my first digital camera, so everything was new to me. however, i found that the camera is easy to use for beginners like me. the pictures i printed out were perfect. everytime you turn the menu dial at the top of the camera to change a setti...ng, a picture of the dial shows up on the lcd screen too often. maybe it's just annoying to me. the movies are ok. don't expect perfect quality on that when playing it back on a tv. using the 2.5 lcd makes me wonder how people can use digital cameras with smaller lcd screens. probably a little too expensive compared to other brands' 5 megapixel cameras, but this camera is probably better in more aspects. you will definitely want to get a bigger memory card. the 32mb stick is not enough. get at least a 256 mb stick. don't get a sony memory stick if you're tight on budget. i'm using a 256 mb san disk memory pro stick and it works fine even though it is $40 cheaper and it doesn't have sony written on it. startup for the camera is super fast and so is the shutdown. if you have any other questions about this camera just email me. Read more Less

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    Great Digital Camera

    By Patrick  Oct 22, 2004 | 49 out of 49 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: Sharp Image

    Cons: Red Eye Reduction

    Took the camera on a long vacation. The battery life is great even with the flash and the 2.5" screen on all the time...lasted over 200 photos of on stop action...I used the camera for a 4 hours wedding ceremony with no problem. The image was ...surprisely very sharp, beyond my expectation...and I'm a freelance photographer. The colors are vivid with sharp contrast.Best value for the camera...recommend to buy the 512 Meg memory stick to cover short video and 5M photos...however of the photo I took was on 1M setting each is more amazing for the sharp image.The 2.5" screen is excellent to help with composing the photo before a shot. I use the 2.5" as guide to take excellent photos on all shots.Only down side is red eye reduction is weak on low lights. Read more Less

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    Very good

    By Ambunge  Jun 9, 2004 | 31 out of 40 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: Too many

    Cons: No bracketing option

    Apart from the lack of bracketing, which would a joy to use given the camera's speed, everything is fine so far. Even indoor images come out clear.

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    BEST ALL IN ONE package (POUND for POUND)

    By Jake  Mar 6, 2005 | 18 out of 18 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: 5.1 Megapixels, Carl Zeiss Lens, Real Imaging Processor, Big LCD, Direct A/V(TV) out, User Friendly, Great Software included, accepts disposable batteries, MPEGMovie, upgradable, value for money

    Cons: Memory Stick

    The Sony DSC-W1 is the BEST "pound for pound" digital still camera! PROS- It is user friendly, it has all the features an amateur photographer wants and needs, and I dare say even a professional would not be found wanting with this camera. ...I didn't know much about the the "Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens" when I bought this camera, but I'm glad I trusted Sony, when they advertised that this lens gives really clear and crisp pictures, WOW... they weren't kidding, combined with a 5.1 megapixel setting, you can get pictures that will literally leave you in awe. I'm glad I got a camera that has 5.1 Mega Pixels, it really does make a difference, it gives you versatility and sharper pictures at larger sizes. I don't think you need anything higher though unless you’re a professional. There are various pre-settings available at a turn of a dial that will cover practically any type of shot so it's really an easy camera to use. There's a pre-set mode where you can literally just click away without worrying about anything. If you want to be a little more creative you can customize each shot to produce even greater pics, create effects like black and white and sepia. You can use the "burst" and "multi-burst" functions to get multiple shots per second, great for sports aficionados-good for studying your form frame by frame while taking that swing with a golf club or tennis racket or whatever you want it for! Picture quality settings can be at "ordinary" which is really good, or the higher setting - "fine" which is, well,...WOW! It has 3X optical zoom and Smart zoom which if activated can use 6X digital zoom after you've reached the limit of the optical zoom. And its digital zoom is clearer and sharper than ordinary digital zooms. The LCD is big for a still cam, 2.5", believe me this really makes a difference, you don't have to squint or stick your head so near the camera just to take pics or review shots or your camera settings. You can directly view your pictures or videos on your TV cause of the A/V out and cable of the camera. It's really more convenient to watch on your TV than on your Personal Computer (PC), and that's important, why? Two things, 1. Your TV is bigger than your PC monitor and reproduces better pictures, 2. Your TV is probably in a place you can watch in comfort and with a bigger audience as opposed to where your PC is located. However, you will still need your PC, and that's not a problem 'cause the DSCW1 like most digicams can be connected to your PC via a highspeed USB cable.You'll love that 'cause of the software that comes with this camera-Picture Package is really awesome, it’s like Powerpoint but much much easier and better. You can EASILY (and I do mean easily) make great slide shows of your pictures, with pre-set music or music the software allows you to get from your CDs. There are around 5 preset effects from where you can choose for your slide show and more you can buy I think. Me and my wife really enjoyed the "mini-movies" we made from our kids' pictures and videos. You can also "burn" your videos and slideshows to a CD after you've added the effects and music, this you can do either in MPEG or VCD format. This camera also has Sony's "Real Imaging Processor" which Sony claims makes the digital images clearer and sharper. By the results, I believe them :) The included batteries are 2 size "AA" nickel metal Hydride (NMH) batteries which are rechargeable but you have to discharge them completely before you recharge them which is a hassle since the included charger takes 6 hours to fully charge them. There are quick chargers for sale though which allow you to recharge the batteries as quickly as an hour and a half. Bottomline, you need to buy spare batteries. You don't necessarily have to buy the quick charger or NMH batteries since this camera accepts disposable size "AA" ALKALINE batteries, but they are just for emergencies though or home use since they'll last only 30 min. to an hour depending on use and the brand of battery, but over all it's really cool since in emergencies, you can just buy a couple at your local 7/11 or supermarket, so if you keep more than a pair in stock you'll never worry 'bout running out of battery. All in all I prefer its batteries to the lithium ones 'cause even though the latter are rechargeable at anytime, they’re more expensive and are NOT available at any 7/11 or supermarket. The size is just right too. Small and lightweight but not too small that you'll have a hard time taking pics or videos...and it looks good too. This camera is Pictbridge compatible, meaning you can directly connect it via the USB cable to a Pictbridge compatible printer and print the pictures directly from your camera. Its optional accessories are really nice, you can upgrade the lens to get a higher zoom capacity or a wider angle shot (specially good for serious photographers). CONS- So the only real downside is the kind of memory this camera uses, not because it’s not good function wise ('cause it is), but 'cause it's expensive. And you will want a higher capacity memory stick (especially if you like using the video camera function). Otherwise, you'll have to frequently upload your pics and videos to your PC. Canon uses Flash memory which is cheaper. There are cheaper alternatives to Sony memory stick, you can get cheaper memory sticks though (non-Sony brands) which are around half the price. So this is really not so bad given the rest of the package. OVERALL- It has many other features and combined with the price, I think this is the best over-all digital still camera out there right now. A lot of people told me that Canon is the best in cameras, that Sony is new in the camera market, but I think Canon’s reputation was earned before the digital camera age. I’m not saying Canon isn’t good, but rather, in Digital Cameras, I don’t think they’re necessarily the best. In electronics, I believe Sony, is the best, and digital cameras are essentially electronic gadgets, so I thought with the DSC-W1 with "Carl Zeiss lens", they had the best package. I made the right decision; the Sony DSC-W1 is one of the best buys I've made in my life. And my wife thinks so too :) I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of buying a digital camera. -Jason Read more Less

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    My DSC-W1

    By RICK  Nov 14, 2004 | 14 out of 15 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: Lots of shooting options. It feels solid. Takes great pix.

    Cons: Only 3X opt. zoom.

    Just got back from an 11 night cruise. Took great pix. Camera functioned well both in the tropical jungle and inside the air conditioned ship. The 2.5" screen makes it so much easier to take great shots. The transition time between pictures is v...ery short so there were fewer missed shots. I also like the strobe directly over the lens. This eliminates shadows on the side of the object. Read more Less

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    Best ever!

    By sreie  Jan 20, 2005 | 10 out of 10 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: 2.5LCD, very easy to handle, zeiss lens.

    Cons: almost none.

    This camera was recently purchased by me. I did see lot many other cameras before trying this one. Believe me, this one is the best ever. I am impressed...especially the quality of the picture is great! Even in the dark this camera does a wonderful j...ob. I was unhappy with the other cameras cos the images used to look dark which is very disappointing each time u review the pictuers in the computer.But this is not so with this cam. The pictures look very bright no matter what time of the day it was taken. Also, if u r like me ..crazy enough to review the pictures immediately, then THIS IS the camera for YOU. The screen size is so big that u'll get a perfect picture of what u have clicked and make sure u r satisfied with that. Well, just taking pictures is not a big deal..if u want to make sure they look great then I strongly recommend sony cyber shot DSC-W1. It has everything to make u a good photographer. Read more Less

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    Great Buy

    By Andrew  Nov 15, 2004 | 9 out of 10 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: shooting modes, battery life, huge LCD, compact design, upgradable

    Cons: none

    there are so many options with this camera that i have yet to explore them all. one thing is that holding the camera with one hand has an awkward feel bacause there isnt much grip. i would also like to be able to shoot video in low light. i have neve...r used the software because it is easy enough to use plug and play if you have Windows XP. shooting quality pictures that arent blurry can be tricky sometimes, but all it takes is practice to become better at it. i literally take this camera everywhere. since it is best to recharge the battery when it is completely empty, many times i have had to wait for the battery to run down, which can take some time. ironic how i was annoyed waiting for the battery to die while with many other electronics you get annoyed because of the short battery life. Read more Less

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    Fantastic

    By nrip  Nov 26, 2004 | 8 out of 8 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: The LCD Screen, Good Resolution, Zoom, , Basic add on photography features

    Cons: slight pixellation is observed at times,no advanced anti vibration

    Great Camera..Its main selling point is its larger than all LCD screen..Its a big Yes Yes..I had picked up a Canon before I saw this model...and I just left it and picked this...No regrets at all...fantastic camera...after all..Its a Sony:)....Nrip N...ihalani Read more Less

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    Great camera!

    By James  Sep 1, 2004 | 8 out of 9 found this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 review helpful

    Pros: Very easy to use and creates very detailed, excellent pictures. I looked at a lot of cameras before purchasing this one. I really like the size of the 2.5" view screen and enjoy how easy it was to learn how to operate the camera. I wouldn't think twice about purchasing it again!

    Cons: Rather expensive, but if you want to own a above average camera, it will cost you. Also I wish it had a larger zoom (3 x optical).

    See pros and cons.

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