Customer Reviews

Sony DSCU20 Cyber-shot 2MP Digital Camera (Silver)+B2

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been using my new Cyber-shot U camera for several days now and I have to say that overall, this little camera is terrific.

All I want to do is to take some pictures, have the immediate gratification of being able to see them immediately, crop them and post them on a website or email them. MAYBE sometimes print them out. I have no intentions of blowing them up to 8x10". In my entire life I have never blown up a photo that big...biggest I ever got was 4x6, so I'm a little surprised why all of the companies are thumping this 8x10 thing.

I played with my friend's 3.2 megapixel Sony camera and I was seriously considering buying a more full featured camera such as that, until I saw and tried this camera.

Here is my list of pros and cons:

---- The good list ----

EXCELLENT SOFTWARE:
The software driver makes it *so* easy to transfer images to my computer. The camera comes with a USB cord that you simply plug into the camera, and a "Removeable Drive" appears in Explorer. There's one folder for still images, and one folder for MPEGS. This was one of the selling points for me for a Sony camera in general.

QUICK INITIALIZATION:
As soon as the camera is turned on, its ready to shoot. This is an EXCELLENT feature for those of us who want to be able to capture a real-life image that may not be there for too long. Many other cameras have agonizingly-long initialization processes that can seriously impede many photographic impulses.

NON-PROPRIETARY BATTERIES:
This camera (like some other Sony models) uses a pair of Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries. I like the fact that I can go to a non-Sony company and buy extra batteries if I need to. Plus, if I am in a pinch, I can buy alkaline batteries and use them (even though alkalines are not recommended because of how quickly they are drained).

MANUAL LENS COVER:
The cover to the lens is a manually-operated "door" that you slide sideways to reveal the lens. Plus it also turns the unit on when it is opened. I like this feature very much because it allows me to control how quickly I can open the unit, and therefore, how quickly the unit is ready to shoot. I DON'T have to wait for some motor to do it's thing and tell me when it's ready to shoot (like most other digital cameras).

And by the way, all of the other cameras I looked at had so many delicate moving parts to their mechanized contraptions that I believed that over time I would have eventually lost a spring and would've had to send it to the manufacturer for repair. Most models have super-small moving parts, especially for the lens. Usually they have tiny little doors over the lens. They are very thin and have springs attached to them. I like the idea that I won't be carrying around something so delicate in my pocket.

VERY GOOD PICTURE QUALITY:
This is a 2 megapixel camera and takes excellent photos for what I need them for (web). I have taken hundreds of shots and am extremely satisfied with the results.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
If you've seen the unit, you'll know. It's very light and very small. It fits easily in my pants pocket. You'd never know it was a camera. I don't know many other cameras that fit into pants pockets easily.

GOOD DESIGN:
It's very intuitive to use and the features are easy to find.

--- The not-so-good list ----

SMALL PREVIEW SCREEN:
The window is too small to let you know if the shot you took is clear. Definitely one of the weaker aspects.

BRIGHT FLASH:
The flash is a bit too bright. It tends to have a "drowning out" effect for images shot close up. I contrast this to my friends Sony 3.2 megapixel camera that did not have the drowning out effect as much. I muted the flash by taping a piece of white paper over it. So far this is working great.

CHARGER UNIT DOESN'T DISCHARGE THE BATTERIES:
The camera comes with a charging unit to recharge the batteries, but it doesn't discharge the batteries first. The manual recommends that you should discharge the batteries before recharging, and I suppose this has to do with what I have been reading about Nickel Metal Hydride batteries' slight "memory effect" whereby battery life can be shortened depending on when they are recharged.

For me, the benefit of having a compact camera is that, before I begin my expedition, I am going to grab a fresh set of batteries, drop them into the camera, and then go. I figure the battery life will last me a day at least, so I don' t need (or want) to carry extra batteries if I don't have to.

So, this means that I would have 2 options if I didn't buy a new charging unit that first discharged the batteries:
a) carry extra batteries and then switch them out when/if the first ones die, which I don't want to do.
b) start with fresh batteries and then when I get home use the camera to discharge the partially charged batteries before recharging them. Let's not forget that the camera has a auto-off feature that turns the camera off after 3 idle minutes. So discharging the batteries can be a real chore.

NO ZOOM:
There is no zoom. But my non digital camera didn't have a zoom either. This doesn't bother me too much. This could arguably belong in the "good" section simply for the fact that simple is better here.

BAD MPEG QUALITY:
I didn't buy the camera to capture mpegs, and this is icing on the cake. However, the mpeg quality is dismally bad.

Overall, I LOVE this camera. It amazes me that Sony was able to put so much into such a small unit.

As you can see from some of the reviews, this camera gets great marks as something you can always carry, and shoot quickly with. (The simplicity of the camera reduces the "shutter lag" that is so frustrating on some digicams - many digicams miss the shot you want because of a delay between when you press the shutter and when it captures the image.) With this tiny Sony, you get the benefit of the several generations of Sony design of compact digicams, and Sony's skill at miniaturizing electronics. For some, this really can be the perfect camera.

But there are some big compromises, so make sure this is what you want. There's no optical zoom, so it's harder to make the most of the somewhat limited pixel resolution by zooming in just the part of the scene you want. Lack of a viewfinder means you'll drain the battery quicker, and may have trouble seeing what's in the picture in bright sun (which washes out the LCD). And the optics and flash do suffer on a camera this small.

So think about what you need. This camera will be a dream for some. But others can get much better quality and lots of useful features - without much more size or cost - in the Sony DSC-P2 or P7.

Basically, this product could either get a 3 or a 5. It all depends on the needs of the user. I recently sold my higher performance digital camera (for which i had bought a couple high quality lenses) and replaced it with the Sony dsc-u20. The only reason for anyone to give this camera a bad review is because it does not suit their personal needs. The whole point of this camera is it's size and sexiness. The common complaints: no viewfinder, small lcd, no zoom. These features though (or lack therof for some) are what kept this camera small and sexy. Bottom Line: This camera can fit anywhere and it looks amazing. The picture quality is not bad at all. It boggles the mind to consider the size of this camera, EXCLUDING memory stick and batteries. If you want to take amazing pictures, get a nice 3 or 4 megapixel sony cybershot with optical zoom. Keep in mind though, that you wont use your nice full feature camera half as much as this one, as it is ten times as easy to take with you, and it wont discomfort you one bit to have it in your pocket during any regular activities. Keeping all this in mind, i give this camera a 5. I can take it anywhere with me and take good pictures. I never wanted to take my old digital cam with me anywhere because i had to keep it in a case and carry it externally. This baby can fit anywhere (around your neck even if you feel like looking like a tourist). Guaranteed to be the sexiest camera you've ever seen.

then this is the one.

For its small size this camera can't be beat.
This camera is basically about the size of a pack of bubble gum and is completely functional as well. The flash is powerfull, the camera "boots up" instantly, pictures transfer quickly to your computer, the battery life is good and the picture quality is comparable to the canon digital elph. I have used for almost a month now and taken around 300 pictures. Which is 300 more than I took the month before :). There are, however, some people that have had a few bad things to say about this camera. Most complaints I have read such as the "battery charge time" are easily refuted. Sony included a cheap battery charger with the package. I picked up a fast NIMH battery charger from an electronics store and some extra rechargeable AAA batteries for and the problem was solved, case closed. This is my first and will probably be my only review on amazon. I just wanted to share some info on a great camera. I hope everyone found this helpful.

After looking into other micro-digital cameras, I thought I would take a chance on the SONY because of it's 2MP and other reviews. I AM NOT DISAPPOINTED.
Positives:
1.The size and weight are impressive and easy to handle.
2.Picture taking clear and simple.
3.5x7 quality is 5 outdoors and 4 indoors.

Negatives:
1.No zoom (which I would sacrifice for weight and size).
2.Flash limited in distance. Excellent quality indoor pictures up to 8'.

Overall:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for size, weight, quality and ease of us.

Okay, so it is not as good as a full sized 35mm SLR in the image quality/features department. But for the price, and most importantly the size, it is perfect.

The size factor is what sold me on this. After owning an Aiptek Pencam SD for a few weeks, I decided that having a flash would be nice. That was one of the things that drew me to the U20. Being small means it travels everywhere with me. I am now never without a camera. It is so tiny you can't help but take it with you, and if you don't you are doing yourself a great injustice.

The image quality is extremely good. Not perfect, mind you, but still excellent. There are a few things I wish it had such as zoom, but that would only end up making the camera big, which defeats the idea behind this dude.

The camera is also very easy to use. I did have to consult the manual to figure out how to do some of the things on the menus, and I always pride myself in never reading a manual. But once I saw how to change settings I tossed the book to the side and figured out the rest in about 5 minutes.

My one gripe is the 15 second time limit and extremely small image size on video. What is up with that? The Pencam SD is able to capture 640x480 video in one go as long as the batteries hold up. Limiting the user the way Sony has with this cam is pretty dumb in my book.

I see no problems at all with "slow shutter speed". You push the button and it instantly takes a picture. The only time there is any delay is when it is very dark and the camera is trying to focus - but that happens with all cameras. In normal lighting conditions this thing is every bit as fast at snapping a picture as my Canon A1.

This camera rocks.

You definitely need to hold one in your hands to get just how insanely small it is.
All in all an excellent camera. The 8MB stick holds 15 pics at 1632 x 1224, and around 80 at 800 x 600. A 128MB stick would then give you an absurd amount of pics at either res. It conveniently turns on when you open the lens cover; you can do this single-handedly while pulling it out of your pocket, and you'd be ready to shoot as soon as you spot the LCD. The LCD itself, while small, is still very viewable and very good. Transflective, so you can turn off the backlight to save batteries. Batteries do take 13 hours to charge, but the super charger will charge ya a set at around 3 hours. The camera itself is ready to use right off the box; you get the rechargable batteries, the charger, the usb cable, 8MB stick, neck strap thingy and software cd (drivers, image transfer, etc).

My only actual compaint is it's inability to get low-light pics. Strangely enough it'll brighten up on the LCD if you've got the flash feature turned off, but the pic itself will be recorded as dark. Granted, if you honestly wanna photograph still life, prone to glare and ruin your shot if flashed at.. you might be better off leaving consumer-level camera county. Although the camera in itself is entirely capable of shooting anything that can be shot at wide angle.

Without optical zoom.. you're left with the ultimate point-and-shoot. Extremely small, extremely appealing, very good picture quality, tons of features.

When I first saw the DSC-U20 at the Sony Style showroom in midtown Manhattan, I was totally awed. This is definitely the smallest digital camera on the market today, and the styling is superb, making it one of the things you want to own the moment you see it on display.

Under the beautiful skin is a capable digital camera, with 1632x1224 resolution (good for prints up to 6"x4") and very good image quality. The small flash does limit its use in dark settings, and the lack of optical zoom sticks out as a disappointment, but considering the typical use for a camera like this -- quick snapshots, party memories, candid exposures -- the overall package is still excellent and the feature compromises understandable.

(For the ultra-cool and compact digital camera with optical zoom -- 3X at that! -- I heartily recommend the Minolta Dimage X and Xi, also available on Amazon.com.)

The camera's lens, rated at the 35mm equivalent of 33mm (which makes it a wide-angle), is well made, as is the case with all of Sony's cameras. The camera has center-weighted auto focus with macro capability, and also center-weighted auto exposure. Shutter speed is rated in the 1/30 - 1/2000 range, typical for consumer-class digital cameras. The LCD viewfinder measures 1", which is quite small but still usable to most people except those who need thick reading glasses. You get a few digital effects (black&white, negative, solarize, soft snap, etc.) when you do feel the creative juice flowing. You can also take 160x112 MPEG-format video clips, but I find this feature pretty much useless

For power the U20 uses two AAA NiMH rechargable batteries. You can buy these batteries for cheap at Radio Shack, for example, and the camera kit comes with a recharger, although you can buy fancier ones that charge in less time and condition the batteries as well (actual benefit: unknown). I've taken about 30 pictures, all with flash, so far, and the batteries are still good. I definitely prefer these batteries to LiIon since 1) NiMH AAA is cheap and sold everywhere, and 2) they hold more power than LiIon and also have more rechargable cycles (i.e., they can be recharged more times). I'll update the real-world battery life rating once I get a better picture of it.

Weighing in at 4.5 ounces with batteries and sporting the "I'm just cool" styling of Sony, the U20 is a little digital camera you'll love and carry with you all the while.

If you just want an easily available (shirt pocket set-up)digital camera this is the way to go. The software worked on my no-name 98 box - Apple commercials aside. And, it is easy to use. Once you are passed the initial date seting etc. it is the proverbial piece of cake. The Sony case - don't bother - [$$$] for a case that small is ridiculous. Also, watch what you spend on memory sticks - if you are JPEG'ing it to send e-mails you only need the lowest format. I am happy with it. Would suggest Adobe Photoshop or whatever for editing before sending to friends. One other warning - not for the visually challenged - the 1 inch LCD display is not for folks who have put off a trip to the eye doctor a tad too long.

Sony products has always been known for their style and quality, and this tiny (and I mean tiny) camera is no exception. Easily fit into your palm, this camera would fit into your pocket without you knowing it's there. Form factor wise, this camera just can't be beaten.

When it comes to quality of photo taken, I found after 3 months of use that outdoor pictures come out near perfect. The only 2 pictures that I had problem with is in one Chinese Eatery where the light is dim and in weird yellowish colour, and I highly suspect that some of the bigger "higher MP" camera would give have given me the same result.

This camera does not have zoom, and it does take a while to get used to the fact that you have to bring the camera forward physically. A camera this small means it is very easy to have covered the lens or the flash without knowing. But you'd get used to all these and be snapping pictures whenever people least expect it.

If you have a normal camera that you find yourself leaving at home most of the time, this camera is for you. I have it with me almost 24/7.