Simple enough for my wife to use!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Ease of use, save speed, fast USB download to PC

Cons: Red-eye should be easier.

The Bottom Line: 
Excellent value for the money in a small, convenient package that the whole family can use

Author's Review
I purchased the camera about 3 weeks ago and have used it enough times to feel qualified to write a review. I love the camera and have been very pleased with the results. Features are easy to access and quick to select. The shutter lag is what I would expect from a digital camera - not as fast as a 35mm camera - but not as slow as other digital cameras I tested. The MPG movie feature (with sound) is very nice in addition to some other nice features such as 'burst mode' which takes three sequential shots (for moving subjects), quick preview that allows you to see the last shot, multi-point focusing, auto-focus spot light (an infra-red light for focusing in low light situations), beautiful flash and incredible details. I took a shot of my daughters and sent it to a local photo shot for an 8x10 enlargement. I honestly cannot tell the difference from a film picture. Very pleased overall. I would have preferred that selecting red-eye reduction was easier, but when selected, it does a great job. I would purchase a 256 mb Memory Stick right away, as the images at 5 mega-pixel are about 2.2 mb each. Since the camera only comes with a 16mb stick, you'll be hurting real quick!

Another feature I like is that it won't try to do a digital zoom once you get to 3x optical if you are in 5 mega-pixel mode. Some cameras just assume you want to go to digital mode once you've come to the end of your optical zoom range. Since the 5 mega-pixel shots are so detailed, you don't need to go to digital zoom... you can zoom in using your photo editing software.

I don't have any complaints about battery life.... that's why they deliver it with rechargables. One nice feature of this camera over the similar model (can't remember model #) is that it takes AA batteries. the other model takes a Sony Nickel-Metal battery special from Sony which means if it runs out and you're out for the day or on vacation, you can't just pick up a set of batteries in a store or film kiosk at an amusement park. This model is very versatile and you never have to worry about batteries.