As far as the camera I have really enjoyed the small size. Lots of my friends have the larger Sony's and they all love mine. The red eye problem I solved since I have to work with the pictures in Adobe Photoshop and have been able to remove the red eye that has shown up in some picures. I realize that the camera is new to the market and that printer manufacture will probably catch up in the near future.


terrific optimization of inevitable tradeoffs   December 16, 1999
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I used the DSC-F55's predecessor unit for two years before losing it, sadly, on a Christmas vacation trip to Mexico a year ago... it was a terrific unit, easy to shoot with, good capacity (about 50+ in medium resolution mode); with all its shortcomings on resolution, etc...it had two features that I personally consider critical for easy, spontaneous day-to-day use, especially on travel: extremely lightweight/small (fits in pocket) and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. When I saw the DSC-F55 this spring, I jumped! While expensive, it very largely retained the best elements of the small form-factor/weight and rechargeability elements that I was looking for while presenting significantly enhanced resolution and(!) MPEG video, to boot. This latter capability has been a tremendous boon --- I've picked up a 16meg memory stick (have 2 4Meg sticks in addition); agree with another reviewer that compared with downloading to PC over serial port, nothing beats using memory stick in a PCMCIA port adapter directly in a notebook -- since trasferring images to the PC has to be the most time consuming and least attractive part of the digital photography value proposition, make no mistake: direct memory stick insertion into a PC is the way to go (especially if you're using a Sony PC -- I'm not, so the only drawback is having to pay a usurious amount on a PCMCIA adapter to carry the memory stick; maybe there are better third party alternatives now) Lithium ion battery recharges rapidly and is standard Sony issue (i.e., not proprietary to this camera, therefore relatively readily available in many video stores --- good for 60-70 minutes continuous use typically. I recognize there are some risks with Sony's proprietary memory stick form factor, versus Compact Flash, but it works brilliantly. Controls on camera look complex, but after a day, most features are intuitively accessed and ergonomics are first rate; continue to like the rotating lens; mpeg capabilities invariably wows anyone unfamiliar with the product; I always follow up with an email; agree that bundled software is not so-so --- album manager pretty helpful --- can always use Mediaplayer for MPEG. Audio went dead in second month but was easily repaired under warranty. Don't miss absence of optical zoom -- find digital 5x capability more than adequate given the resolution. My only regret is that these products, as compelling as they are, tend to have product cycle half-life of 9 months --- if you buy for features, you have to be ready for 70% depreciation in year 1. Conclusion: terrific product quality, great images --- most importantly, for me, delivers this with the best in portability and rechargeability.


great photo quality, lacks common controls   December 3, 1999
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

I got this one instead of some other digital camera because it could take short movies in MPEG format and the image quality was excellent. (There was another camera that did MPEG movies too.. I think it was the Hitachi InternetCam or something.) There are some aspects of the camera that I do find lacking. For example, I can not control the exposure time and it does not come with different flash modes or zoom functionality. The exposure time isn't really necessary since the camera takes care of it very well. In low light I have to hold the camera still or else the image may be blurred. I usually do not use the flash with this camera because it is overpowering and I can usually get away without it (and adjust the image later on the computer). I don't usually photographed people so I haven't had a problem with red-eye. The movie capability is great and helps capture a whole scenery or environment that can't be conveyed with a still image. Unfortunately the software that comes with the camera really sucks and I have yet to find software to work with the MPEG format. Transfering the files off of the memory stick is a drag with the serial adapter so I prefer to use the PCMCIA card on the laptop. Another feature I really love is the ability to take macro photos of things up-close and they come out incredibly well. I don't need to use the swivel feature of the lens but I find it's flexibility useful when I do. The battery lasts about an hour and is rechargeable or you can use the AC adapter. The 4 MB memory stick that comes with camera will hold about 8-10 images at the maximum quality/resolution or about 3-4 movies at 320x240. It seems this is the "first" in a new series by Sony so you may want to wait until you can buy the next model, the F505, when it comes out in your area. I have seem a couple of these for sale on Ebay.