Customer Reviews

Sony DSC-S70 Cyber-shot 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought the S70 about two months ago and I shot a lot of pictures with it: its light weight, compact size and ease of use even with one hand (the right of course :) ) make the perfect digital camera for ME. I was really impressed by the quality of its pictures (colors, shades, contrast...) although I've read a pretty bad review about it in a magazine. As many other digital cameras, there are many features such as crop/resize a picture, choose between 6 different resolutions, zoom in a picture (to look for a specific detail for instance), USB connection to your PC (which is a lot faster), optical and digital zoom (even though I don't recommend using the digital one unless you're perfectly still), several effects (sepia, black and white, solarize, negative and two or three others), a viewfinder with a focus ring (very convenient at night, believe me, you can't see anything using the LCD display)... you can even shoot a movie with it! Why only 4 stars ? Simply because it comes with a 8Mo memory stick (come on Sony! we can't do anything with 8Mo unless we use the 640x480 resolution!), there is no carrying case or something to protect it and the menu is not that intuitive... it can get pretty complicated to find what you're looking for when you don't know your camera. However, it's still very easy to use... turn it on, point and shoot... delete if you're not satisfied and try again! Want to have a look at your pictures ? Turn a switch to "play mode" and use the arrows of a small pad to navigate among them, delete, resize... then just plug your USB connector to your PC and with the driver installed, a removable disk appears on your machine, just like a zip drive or a hard drive! Drag and drop your pictures where you want. The stamina rechargeable battery allows you to know exactly how much time you have. In short, I think the S70 is worth the price you pay for it even if you'll have to buy another memory stick (around $140 for a 64Mo but you can go with a 32Mo). It has all the features of the other digital cameras of its range of prices plus others, the quality of the picture is commendable (and again I'm not talking about the 3.3 megapixels resolution which is obviously excellent but the colors, contrast...) and it's easy to use, except for the menu. I've used it in trade shows, parties with friends, during weekends (sceneries...), I've even taken some pictures from a plane! Last but not least, even if I print a lot of pictures with this camera, using a pretty good Epson printer (but not a photo printer, no need for it), I still have a good 35mm when I want to have a professional result. That makes sense, doesn't it?

If you're looking for a digital camera that will give you film level quality (3.3 megapixels of data capture) in an easy to use, compact package, the Sony DSC-S70 is a great choice. Not only does it take wonderful pictures in a variety of settings, but it also comes with a lot of small, easy to forget about features that add up to a great overall usage experience and that make the camera a much better real value than most of its competitors.

Some of these include an internal, rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that shows you, in minutes, how much more time you have left before recharging is required, a built in USB port (no external cradles are required), all required cables, a built in memory stick slot and included memory stick (although the included 8MB stick is too small, you should definitely pick up at least a 32MB stick), and an AC adapter included (believe it or not, a lot of digital cameras don't come with an AC adapter and since digicams eat up batteries this really makes a big difference).

These types of small things are often overlooked in reviews, but in long-term, real-world use, they really do make a difference.

The only negatives that I've experienced are things that other reviewers have mentioned, the included memory stick is too small and the camera does not come with a carrying case, which you should definitely get if you plan on traveling with the camera.

Some quick notes, while the camera works flawlessly with both Windows 98 and MacOS based computers, a Windows 2000 driver does not yet seem to be available.

This is my 3rd digital camera in 5 years ( AGFA e307 and Mavica 7 ) and by far the best of the lot. Every thing good/bad about this camera has already been said here so I would like to cover a couple other features not mentioned - some of these notes are mine, others from WWW sites and newsgroup posts.

The one second shutter delay can be somewhat shortened by half depressing the shutter button. The S-70 will the autofocus, which makes up most of the shutter lag. When you then press down the button all the way you'll find it will almost instantly take the picture. Several other techniques can be used to minimize the delay: 1) go to manual focus, 2) go to AE mode, 3) go to manual WB - the less auto, the faster the camera.

MPEG recording for 60 seconds. I would like to correct one reviewer regarding making videos with this camera - If you switch to the smaller resolution, and hold down the shutter button, you will get a minute of video. This is the max though. The camera has to store the raw video in internal memory, then convert it to mpeg and write it to the memory stick. The camera can only fit 15 seconds of large resolution video, and 60 seconds of small resolution video in the internal memory. There is no way to get more than this much video. OR.. reduce the size to 160 x 120 and get 1 minute per segment.

EXIF information - data is automatically imbedded into the file when saved in the camera. The data includes the time and date the picture was taken, but also all information on the f-stop used, program mode chosen, shutter speed, flash utilisation and more. Much of this information can be seen by opening the image in MGI PhotoSuite (the version that came with your camera--or a later version) and selecting "Image Information" under the Image menu. If you choose to keep the information after downloading to your computer, you must ensure that the original is kept ( if you save the jpg file as something else, you lose the exif information). You can RENAME the file, but opening it and saving or modifying it in any way will lose the info.

I use Photoshop to edit and crop files, but always save as the PSD photoshop native format, which keeps the original jpg file untouched. I also chose the "serial" numbering option on the camera, which allows the memory stick contents to be moved to the PC in the same folder without having the "file exists" problem. (It carries on automatically with DSC00678.jpg etc, rather than going back to DSC0001.jpg every time a new stick is inserted or reused).

With nearly seventy years as an amature photographer, I became fascinated at an early age. The DSC-S70 seems like starting all over again. I was impressed with the feel and weight of this camera, it's a pleasure to use. The color and resolution surpasses anything my 1.3 pixcels camrea did, The S70 give me great choice of image sizes, I use 1280x960 most of the time, this size makes fine 8x10 and excellent 4x6 prints. The ability to trim and enlarge a pic in the camera before downloading into the computer is only one of the many fascinating features of this camera. I also purchased a Sony floppy disc adaptor for the Memory Stick making it easy to use with most any computer. I've been using the S70 for a little over a month and try something different nearly every day. Totally Fascinated !

I considered and compared digital cameras that were pricier than the S70. However, the S70 earned my money because of its image quality, ease of use, and USB connectivity.

In the past, Sony built good cameras with innovative features; however, the image quality has always been suspect in the minds of aspiring photo amateurs and professionals. With the DSC-S70, Sony got it right!

One of the reasons that older Sony digital cameras had mediocre image quality was because of their mediocre lenses. Sony knew this; so, they found someone who was really good at making lenses: Carl Zeiss. For me, the most impressive feature of this camera is the 21 mm Carl Zeiss, Vario-Sonnar lens. I've used and admired Zeiss optics for many years in film photography. This lens yields excellent resolution, coupled with brilliant colors. Lesser lenses yield images with a focused center; however, the edges and corners would not be as sharp. Not with this camera -- every pixel is clear and the details are impressive for even the most discerning eyes.

Another reason that I got this camera is because of the wide variety of apertures and shutter speeds. The aperture ranges from f/2.0 to f/8.0 and the shutter speed can vary from 8 to 1/1000 seconds. Although the S70 doesn't feature a full manual exposure mode, you get a reasonable degree of control.

At the time I got this camera, Sony only offered Windows 95 & 98 drivers. I'm delighted that Sony now offers support for Windows 2000. Installation was a breeze. You can find the Win2K drivers here on Sony's site ...

The battery life is pretty good. On a full charge, you can take roughly 2 hours worth of use. The battery meter is pretty accurate, which indicates the number of minutes remaining. Although the memory stick technology is proprietary, it's easy to use and very convenient. The 8 MB memory stick that comes with the camera is pathetic. You need more to take many high resolution pictures, preferably the 64 MB, which is the Sony's largest to date. Rumor has it that Sony is making a 128 MB version of their popular memory stick -- way cool! I would recommend getting an extra battery and a 64 MB memory stick -- using the 8MB memory stick as an emergency only backup.

Good luck, and have fun with your new S70!

I read the reviews (both in magazines and online forums) and have to say this camera is quite good. Great resolution (hey, its 3 megapixels, that should say it all!), execllent color, impressive zoom. The one thing I wish this camera had was a flipout screen like the model below it, the dsc-s50. Perhaps that is something Sony can implement in future models.

Again, as nearly everyone has eluded to, the biggest problem is the 8mb memory stick. Save yourselves the hassle and order a higher capacity stick the moment you buy the camera. I would also suggest picking up a sony case for the camera. Its only $20. The model number is lsc-csc

Available accessories are as follows:

MSA-32A/64A Memory Stick Media (forget the 8 or 16mb sticks) MSAC-PC2 Type II PC Card Reader (for those of us w/ laptops)

PHD-A55 CyberFrame, Digital Photo Frame (very cool but expensive!!!)

DPP-MS300 Memory Stick Printer (I'd wait for the new one coming)

MSAC-FD1A Memory Stick Floppy Disk Adapter

MSAC-PR1 PC Card Reader (if you have USB, don't need it)

NP-FM50/70/90 InfoLithium Battery (could help heavy users)

HVL-1000 Externally mounted light (not needed)

I had read reviews for two weeks trying to decide which digital camera to buy. I had it narrowed down the the Coolpix 990, Olympus C3000/C3030 and the Sony DSC-S70. With all four of these in the store, I had a great opportunity to compare. I chose the DSC-S70 at the recommendation of the sales person who also owned one. It is very easy to use out of the box and you can get as deep as you want into the many features of the camera. The pictures are very impressive - excellent resolution with vibrant colors! I am having a blast with the movie feature - excellent for e-mails. The rechargeable battery has a long life and is quickly recharged. I did buy a 64M memory stick and that has been very adequate, the 8M does not cut it.

I highly recommend this camera. If you do a lot of shooting I would definitely purchase another battery and a larger memory stick however.

My wife wanted ease of use and I wanted optical resolution and zoom. The DSC-S70 met both our requirements. We've had the camera for about four months and are still very satisfied.

Some good things about the camera: The pictures are great. Printed on an Epson 2500 they look photo quality. The Info lithium battery goes forever and is quick to recharge. The LCD display controls are easy to learn. Lot's of flexibility in recording and exposure modes if you care to operate other than automatic. The video playback, both pictures and video clips, is straight forward and works well.

Some things to think about: The included 8MB memory stick is too small. I ended up buying two 64MB sticks, and at about $120 each I think they're too spendy, but then so is SmartMedia and Flash. If you have any other Sony products that use memory sticks it takes some of the sting out of buying extra memory. The delay when the camera 'sets up the exposure' (shutter button part way down) takes some getting used to. Picture processing time at the highest resolution is about half a second so there's no 'rapid fire' picture taking.

If you're a Windows 2000 user you'll have to get the USB drivers from Sony's website. It took a Sony technician almost one-hour to find them for me. Once installed the camera worked fine with Windows 2000.

Like many of the other reviewers, I have read countless reviews about Digital Cameras before I made my choice. While many reviews preferred the Nikon CoolPix 990 or Olympus 3030Z better, I chose this one for several reasons. First off, the image quality is phenominal thanks to the Zeiss lens. Secondly, this camera is around ($)cheaper than both of the others with comparable features. Finally, you'll need to spend a lot less on accessories with this one as compared to the other two. This camera comes with a built in battery charger and an AC-Adapter. Those two things would run you about ($) with the other cameras. Also, the memory sticks aren't as hard to find as everyone makes them out to be and they are in fact cheaper than SmartMedia or CompactFlash cards of equivalent sizes. Throw that in with the fact that this camera bears the Sony name, and does a much better job of reducing the red-eye phenominon (which really really plagues the other two cameras I mentioned) during portraits, and you have the best value available in this price range, period.

The picture quality and versatility of this camera is outstanding. I was able to begin using all of the camera features immediately without having to read the manual. What made it less than perfect? The auto-focus and processing delay when shooting in high resolution is slow enough to make moving/action shots almost impossible to time properly. (2-3 seconds) I also experienced some problems interfacing the USB port to some Windows 95 R2 (with USB updates)based PCs. I found it to work perfectly with Windows 98. Best Features: The camcorder battery (lasts almost forever)and the availability of a 64MB stick (especially important for high resolution shooting).