Pros: Included rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery pack, USB connection, Plenty of features.
Cons: Small 4MB Memory Stick, Poor image quality, No viewfinder
The Bottom Line: Overall decent performance with plenty of features for everyday use. There are definitely better choices out there for the bucks though.
Ahab1973's Full Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S30 Digital Camera
I bought this digital camera a few days ago and returned it for an exchange today. I exchanged it for a Kodak DC3400, which was the same price ($399).
I was initially pleased with this camera. It has a rechargeable Lithium Ion (Sony's Info lithium) battery. This, of course was a major factor in my consideration of a digital camera. I have an older Kodak DC215 Zoom that uses 4 AA batteries and was tired of the constant battery swapping.
If you check the packaging of this Sony, it boasts a 1.6 megapixel maximum resolution. However, this is really a 1.3 megapixel camera. The 1.6 MP is achieved through some kind of artificial enhancement.
The camera really does have a lot of features that most digital cameras under $600 simply don't have, such as Aperture priority, white balance control, spot metering etc. USB was also one of my major criteria for any new digital camera. My old kodak had only a serial connection and to put it mildly, it was slower than molasses when you went to transfer the pictures to the PC.
I found the USB connection to be great on this camera. Although the supplied USB cable was rather short. Simply connecting, clicking on my computer on your desktop was really all that there was to it. Once there, the Sony camera showed up as a removable disk. By clicking on this, your pictures are right there.
So, why did I return it? I was dismayed by the actual performance of this camera. The colors had an overall dull and washed out look. The pictures often came out overly dark looking. I noticed that flesh tones tended to be overly reddish. The flash really did seem to be underpowered and very small.
There isn't an optical viewfinder on this camera. You have to use the flip up LCD screen. This may seem like an advantage but you can actually lose a little bit of stability by shooting this way. When you hold a camera up to your eye, you're in a better position for stability.
Also, the Sony Memory Stick that comes with this camera is only 4 MB. This only holds 5 or 6 pictures at the most in the high resolution mode. Clearly if anyone wanted to get any serious use out of this camera, a larger Memory Stick would be the first priority.
I am marginally recommending this camera because it is possible to get decent quality pictures with it if you play around with it enough and apply some of the advanced features.
Would anyone be pleased with this camera for the price I paid for it? Maybe. It really depends on what you expect for your money. If you're looking for maximum features and convenience for the price, this one may be for you. However, if you're looking for the best picture quality and overall performance with a minimum of fuss, you may want to look elsewhere.
I plan on writing a review of the Kodak DC3400 as soon as I've had enough time to use it a little more. So far, I'm much more satisfied with the quality of the images from it than I was with the Sony.
Sony (Cyber-Shot DSC-S30) Battery. 30 days money back & 12 months warranty on Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S30 Battery Slim. This 1500.00 mAh battery delivers...More at eBatts.com
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