Sony Cybershot DSC-S730 is Okay, But I Wouldn't Buy One Again...

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good quality pictures, excellent low-light performance, lightweight

Cons: Unusable LCD monitor, no viewfinder, MemoryStick...more...

The Bottom Line: 
Though the Cybershot S730 delivers good results at a low price, it has enough serious problems that I doubt I'd buy another one. Read on to see why...

Author's Review
I like traveling to places where security is sometimes questionable, so I make it a firm rule of thumb to never carry anything I'd cry about if it were stolen or destroyed. I don't carry credit cards, much cash, or jewelry, and I developed a big love for little cameras with small price tags. It's gotta fit in a shirt pocket and it can't cost too much more than $100.

For several years, I carried around a Sony Cybershot DSC-40 that fit the bill pretty well. Unfortunately, the motor on it died a fast and ugly death last year, so I was suddenly motivated to find a decent little camera that I could abuse with impunity. Thought about a Nikon Coolpix, but when my local Target store ran a sale on the Sonys again, the economics steered me towards the Sony Cybershot DSC-S730.

Compared to my previous Sony Cybershot, the DSC-S730 is a bit bigger in height and width, but considerably thinner and a tad lighter to carry. The pixel resolution on this baby is 7.2 megapixels compared to 4.1 on my old Sony, but as I use it, I'm finding that the usability has gotten worse with the new model and it lacks some features that I see as pretty darn important. I've been using the S730 for a year, and on the whole, I like it less than the old Sony. It takes crisp, clear photos, but the usability and functionality are sources of continuous irritation.


The Nagging Usability Irritations of the S730...
Most of my complaints about the Cybershot S730 fall into the realm of human factors engineering. Sony just did NOT do a very good job, in my opinion, of engineering this camera for real humans to use daily in real life situations. Here's my biggest complaints:

* Bad Quality Image Screen: The larger, 2.4-inch LCD monitor is all fine and good in theory, but when I'm trying to actually use the camera I find that it's damn near useless --- the image is washed out in even the dimmest daylight and I really can only use it indoors or in very low-light situations. This might not be horrible, except the camera has....

* No Viewfinder: I'm not sure why Sony took off the little peephole viewfinder, but the S730 desperately cries out for one because the screen is fundamentally unusable outdoors. These two points together team up to form what I see as a critical fail point of this camera --- I cannot recommend it because of this. The other negatives are somewhat annoying, but the inability to actually see what you're taking a picture of should be a real concern for any potential buyer.

* Small default resolutions/file sizes not available: those of us planning to use photos primarily on web sites or to send to friends via email would find more compact size options EXTREMELY useful. As it is, I use a software utility to convert my files after I save to the computer --- it's a hassle and I wish Sony wouldn't put its desire to sell overpriced MemorySticks ahead of customer needs.

* Mode selection control: You can select a mode, such as "auto", "landscape", "portrait", "close up" and so on and so forth. You change mode using a small dial (spinner wheel type control) mounted on the back of the camera. It's not a bad scheme, per se, but its poorly implemented on this camera --- it's positioned so that it's easily knocked into other positions and it's got very little friction to hold it in the setting you wanted. That means that 9 times out of 10, the camera is in the wrong mode when you snap the shutter. (Fortunately, the auto-focus works quite well and will compensate for this problem much of the time).


Technical Irritations of the Sony Cybershot S730...
The Sony Cybershot S730 stacks up fairly well against its competition. It's a solid, generally well built little camera. There are two main problems I see with the hardware itself on this camera:

* Non-standard battery: One of the things I liked about my old Cybershot was that it used regular AA-size batteries. Those are easy to find while still delivering acceptable usable life on a single charge. The oddly shaped batter on the S730 comes with its own charger, which is nice, and it delivers quite a good usable life on a single charge...but I'd still like to be able to carry an inexpensive backup or not worry about being able to replace the flimsy quality lightweight charger if (when) it ever breaks.

* Sony MemorySticks: If you've got any small Sony electronic device, you're probably as irritated as I am by Sony's consumer-surly use of a ridiculous propietary memory format when they could just as easily have used lighter, cheaper, better Compact Flash memory. Sony MemorySticks continue to leave a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to buying Sony products. Given equivalent price tags, it's enough of a reason to prefer a competing brand. If you're shopping cameras, be aware that Sony memory costs more: you could very well end up "saving money" on the camera price only to spend more in the long run than you would on a camer that used industry standard memory. And don't even THINK you can get away with not buying a MemoryStick. There's a small on-board memory, but with 7.2 megapixel images, you won't be able to store more than about 6 pictures before you're out of space.


Some Good Features About the Sony Cybershot S730...
If you're still hanging with me, you might get the wrong impression that I totally hate this camera. Not so! The S730 has been an okay companion to me over the past months. It's taken some decent pictures and it sometimes even surprises me by delivering good quality shots when I think it can't. I've gotten my money's worth out of the S730, and here's a few of the features that delivered some solid bang for the buck:

* Zoom: The camera's got a 3X optical zoom --- the only kind of zoom that actually counts. It does acceptably well bringing further objects into focus, though to do real close-up work, you need to pay a whole lot more money and get a camera that can actually use big zoom lenses. For the average Joe Phototaker, like me, the Sony Cybershot S730 is perfectly adequate.

* Low-light capability: This is one of those "surprises" that really pleases me with the S730. It can take pictures in VERY low-light situations. I find that it gives me excellent city night shots (as long as you don't move the camera) and it does amazingly well in old churches and in caves. I've recently been doing some cavern tours and some of the shots that the S730 has delivered (without flash) have been stunning.

* Auto-focus: I've gotten very few blurry images over the past year. The Cybershot S730 gives me very crisp image definition with excellent color and contrast. This is just about as "foolproof" as a point-n-shoot can get.

* Lightweight, compact size: This is a great little camera to carry around when you don't want to be flaunting anything. It tucks quickly into a jeans front pocket and fits easily in a standard shirt pocket. It weighs only about 6 ounces, so you can carry it all day without it weighing you down. It's an easy camera for the "on the go" kind of photographer.


A Few Sample Photos...
If you want to see what kind of quality the Cybershot S730 delivers, take a look at a few of the snapshots on my photo page: http://community.webshots.com/user/mrkstvns

All the pictures there from Colombia, Nicaragua, and Mexico were taken using the Sony Cybershot S730. I think they're pretty representative of what the camera does...


Bottom Line...
The Sony Cybershot S730 is a decent little 7.2 megapixel camera at a very affordable price. It delivers good quality photos without a great deal of technical expertise required. The camera is light and easily carried in a pocket or purse, but it suffers some annoying usability problems that make it less of a joy to use than it should be. Sony also relies on too much annoying non-standard technology, like its propietary memory scheme and non-standard battery sizes, that make it more expensive and less convenient for an owner in the long run.

Overall, the Cybershot S730 is a decent camera, but there are better choices on the market that I really wish I'd investigated better before buying the S730. I would not buy this camera again.