gaelkm's Full Review: Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-W70 Digital Camera
My son talked me into getting one of these. Not sure if he wants to borrow it from me, but I suspect he does. He educated me on it, since I am a newbie when it comes to digital cameras. The first thing I noticed is that this silver Sony camera looks very sleek and small, and it’s very attractive and very functional.
It is essential to first prepare the battery pack of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W70. This is done by inserting the battery pack in to the back part of the camera and clicking it into place. This is an important first step because it will aid in keeping your batteries charged up later. (We neglected to do this with an older model digital camera and always had problems keeping it charged.) You then plug into the wall and charge (a charging lamp will be lit). Time recommended to charge is between 270 and 330 minutes time. Once the charging is done, remove the battery pack from the wall outlet and then remove the batteries from the charger. Insert the charged batteries into the slot on the side of the camera. To remove the battery pack, just slide the ejector lever to pull the battery pack out. Caution is to be used not to drop the battery pack.
A battery power indicator is very useful in checking the remaining power that the batteries have on the LCD screen. The LCD screen is really large, much larger than I have seen on other digital cameras, which is wonderful. You should take care not to expose the LCD screen to direct sunlight for extended periods, as this could cause some possible malfunction.
If you are traveling abroad, you can use your Sony Cyber Shot camera and charge it by using the AC-LS5K AC Adaptor (which is not supplied). This would be used where the power supply is within 100 V to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Warnings are given about not using an electronic transformer (travel converter), because it could possibly cause malfunction.
Setting the date and time is easy by following the instructions using the setup screen and the arrow buttons. There is also a language button for selecting messages in a specific language that you desire. The basic setup is fairly straightforward, even for me by using the menu buttons.
Selecting a mode for still images or movies is very important. I learned this the hard way when I took a couple of pictures and then found I had the camera accidentally on the movie setting. (They came out okay but it showed us making movements and arranging people lining up for still photos.) You can take short movie clips with audio. If you purchase another Memory Stick you can even take even longer movies with audio. Just make sure to set the camera on the correct setting.
Of the two types, this camera uses a "Memory Stick Duo" (not just a 'memory stick') as its IC recording medium. If you do not purchase a Memory Stick Duo, you can then just simply use the camera's internal memory, which works just fine.
BASICS:
The booklet gives tips on using basic techniques for better images, the four tips being: Focus, Exposure, Color, and Quality. These are pretty basic, but important tips. By pressing the shutter button halfway down, the camera will automatically focus. Of course, if you do experience any blurring, if necessary, you could rest your arm or the camera against an object nearby.
ISO is the recording sensitivity and a unit of measurement (sensitivity) "which estimates how much light an image pickup device receives". You can adjust this easily – the larger the number, the higher the sensitivity to help obtain a good quality photo. The User's Guide helps with details on this topic.
The color that is apparent in your subject is affected by different lighting conditions, such as daylight, clouds, or indoor lighting. These will be automatically adjusted in the camera, but you can manually adjust them if you prefer.
The quality of the image and the size is made up, as most already know, of a "collection of small dots called pixels". A large picture would naturally have a large number of pixels and therefore takes up more memory. It is considered normal to be able to see some color dots (pixels) on the LCD screen. The lens on our Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W-70 produces really sharp images with wonderful contrast.
Of course, this digital camera can copy images to either a Macintosh or PC. You can also print images to a compliant printer directly through the camera, or print from your computer (USB cable included). Of course, if you prefer, you can also print at a photo shop. Viewing your images on a television screen is done by connecting the camera to your TV. Basically, the sky's the limit.
PRECAUTIONS (mostly common sense):
Do not use this camera near water such as bathtub, hot tub, swimming pool or basement with wet floor.
Be careful not to place the power cord where it can be walked upon or tripped over.
Do not set on an unstable cart or table where it could fall over, causing damage to the camera or injury to a child.
Do not cover or block the slots on the camera which are there for ventilation.
Do not set the camera near a stove, radiator or in direct sunlight.
Do not use attachments other than recommended by the manufacturer.
Do not clean with liquid or aerosol cleaners.
DETAILS of the SONY CyberShot DSC-70
7.2 megapixels
iso high sensitivity 1000
2.5" LCD monitor
Macro Function 2 cm
Stamina approx. 360 shots or approximately 180 minutes
using battery NP-BG1
Accessories Included:
battery charger
Rechargeable battery pack
(Lithium ION Type G)
USB, A/V cable for multi-use terminal
CD-ROM
Wrist Strap
It is recommended to purchase a spare battery for when you travel: NP-BG1 (same as the type supplied)
The User's Guide has a troubleshooting section in case you run into problems or have questions.
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Bottom Line: I am VERY impressed with this SONY digital camera. From what I have seen of other digital cameras, it is far above and beyond what other digital cameras do. Of course, my experience is fairly limited, since I have only had experience with two other digital cameras. There is an ad on TV that shows a guy taking a picture of a hummingbird with this camera and it comes perfectly clearly. My son showed me how this feature works.
We did one experiment where he was moving the camera quite a bit, but the photo he took of the bookshelf came out as if the camera had been still. Then he took one of our dog as she was running by and it also came out perfectly clear. Amazing! If the camera is moving OR if the subject is moving makes no difference. This essentially eliminates blurry photos.
Another really nice feature is that it will take extreme close-ups. We did another experiment taking a close-up photo of one of the buttons on a keyboard and it came out, of course, crystal clear.
Another experiment we did was to get out our older digital camera and turn it on while attempting to take a photo while our pug was acting cute. The older camera took close to 10 seconds to come on, while the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W-70 was so fast it captured her image before she could move.
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W70 Zeiss (is named for Carl Zeiss*)
*Carl Zeiss (1816-1888) was from Germany and was an optician. During the 1840s he created high quality lenses that were "wide open", or in other words, had a very large aperture range that allowed for very clear images. At first his lenses were only used in the production of microscopes but when cameras were invented, his company (Zeiss) began manufacturing high quality lenses for cameras.
Manufactured by:
Sony Corporation
1-800-222-SONY (7669)
www.sony.net
For your information: Lithium-Ion Batteries can be recycled. For more information on recycling batteries: www.rbrc.org
(For those like me who did not know, DSC = Digital Still Camera)
We ordered this through our local Circuit City store (they were out of them!) and paid about $285.
7-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) al...More at Amazon Marketplace
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