Sony DSCU30 Cybershot 2 MP Digital Camera (Silver)
by Sony

Our Price: $18.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• 2 megapixel sensor captures 1,600 x 1,200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• Small enough to go anywhere; fast start up (0.9 seconds)
• Built-in flash with red-eye reduction; 1-inch LCD monitor
• Includes 8 MB Memory Stick; compatible with Memory Stick Pro media
• Includes rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries and charger; connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

• Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
• Serif PhotoPlus X3
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade [OLD VERSION]
• Aperture 3
• Pixelmator [Old Version]

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony DSCU30 Cybershot 2 MP Digital Camera (Silver)

Customer Review: Pocket Rocket
Summary: 5 Stars

I just got this camera a week ago, and it's great. I wanted a small camera that fit in my pocket, and offered good combination of resolution and size: this is probably the best example of that compromise that exists in the market today. When I got the camera, I was amazed at how small it actually was. It fits right in the palm of my hand and is a little bit bigger than a pack of Extra gum (the 15 stick pack). It's perfect for the shirt or pants pocket.

THE GOOD:

I figure most people that buy this camera are looking at the size first, then the picture quality second. Overall, the picture quality is right in line with what you'd expect from a 2.0 mp camera these days. It's not top notch, but for it's optics size, it's what I expected. Indoor shots come out pretty good, outdoor is excellent, and pictures at dusk seem even better. The pictures can be a little washed out on occasion, especially when using the flash, but it's great for what I wanted - a camera I could take with me and use when out with my friends.

It's got a great constructed feel to it. The shell is practically all metal and feels very solid in the hand. It's not heavy at all, but not so light that it feels unworkable in the hand.

The controls are simple to use - there's shoot, review and movie mode. Plus, there's a "joy stick" style dial (with buttons) underneath the viewfinder where you can scroll through images, zoom, and set shooting modes. The a short learning curve considering there's so few buttons to control all the functions of the camera: It's very intuitively made.

The viewfinder even offers some power saving options, where you can turn just about everything off. You can turn off all sounds, and even turn off the backlight on the lcd display. It gets really hard to see anything, but I'm glad that Sony actually thought enough about it to include it as a feature.

The camera includes a standard USB connection so that you don't have to buy a reader for the card.

It uses two NIMH AAA batteries, which includes the charger. Even at full price, I think it's great they kept it affordable enough to include a charger and you can use it to charge both AA and AAA batteries. Plus, the charger only needs an adaptor (instead of a converter) when in foreign countries.

Power management is really great considering the size. It takes some time for initial battery charge (6 hours recommended), but they seem to last a good amount of time. I've been using it pretty much all week, taking a total of 40 pictures (also, scanning through them, deleting, etc) and the battery indicator never went to low (half bar indicator).

COULD IMPROVE ON:

There's only two things that kind of get me down about this camera. First, is the sliding door. Don't get me wrong, it's well constructed, but it's just way to easy to accidentally open the sliding door when it's in your pocket. It takes very little effort to move it open.

Also, the USB connector on the back is not that great. It kind of has a cheap feel to it and once you get it connected, disconnecting it takes some delicate shimmying. Plus, the drivers do not work in WinXP (actually, I take it back - it worked once and hasn't since).

The mirror is a cool feature and it does work, but I think you'll get bored with it after the first day. Unless, of course, you plan on using it for self portais a lot.

This is being nitpicky I think, but the battery charger takes a great deal of time to charge the battery (as I stated - 6 hours). Plus, when it's fully charged I expected the amber colored light to turn to green - instead it just shuts off. Which makes me think I lost power in the outlet or worse.

Lastly, I admit that this is probably my fault, but I tend to want to hold the camera with both hands to steady the shot. However, the lens is so close to the left hand that you may occasionally cover up the lens. I thought a centered location for the lens would be best.

Anyway, this camera is great, and I highly recommend it. It's relatively inexpensive, you get great Sony quality, and the pictures are great for the size. Enjoy!

Description of Sony DSCU30 Cybershot 2 MP Digital Camera (Silver)

Optics and Resolution
The Cybershot U30 features a 2-megapixel Super HAD (hole accumulation diod) CCD that captures excellent image quality by allowing more light to pass through to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing image noise. It has two resolution modes: high (1632 x 1224) for prints up to 8 x 10 inches, and low (640 x 480) for e-mailing to friends and family. A fixed-focus camera, the Cybershot U30 has no optical or digital zoom.

Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the Cybershot U30 can also record up to 15 seconds of 160 x 112 MPEG video (without audio). The QuickTime Motion JPEG format offers a limited resolution, which is great for capturing a short movie that can be e-mailed to friends and family, but is no replacement for a true camcorder.

More Features
The Cybershot U30 has a fast start-up time of 0.9 seconds, enabling you to capture those important shots that other cameras might miss. The camera includes 5 scene modes (soft snap, illumination snap, twilight, active outdoor, and vivid nature) and pre-flash metering, which illuminates the subject and calculates exposure through the lens directly from the CCD for accurate calculation for a flash-lit shot.

Other features include:

• 1.0-inch LCD for reviewing shots
• VGA burst mode captures five 640 x 480 frames
• Built-in flash with auto, forced on, forced off, and red-eye reduction modes
• Shutter speed: 1/8 - 1/2000 seconds
• Picture effects: solarize, black and white, sepia, and negative art
• Automatic ISO and white balance settings

Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via ultrafast USB 2.0, which means it can be connected to any USB-compatible Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software. When used with USB 1.1 connection, transfer will slow to USB 1.1 rate.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by 2 AAA batteries (rechargeable NiMH batteries included). It measures 3.3 by 1.6 by 1.1 inches and weighs 4.3 ounces (including batteries).

What's In The Box
This package includes the Cybershot DSC-U30 digital camera, 8 MB Memory Stick, neck strap, 2 AAA rechargeable NiMH batteries, battery charger (BC-CS2), and USB cable. The included CD-ROM features Pixela Image Mixer for Sony v1.5 and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

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