say cheeeeeeeeeeese! (Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W80)

Member Name: charlie1979

Product:	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W80
Date:	01/10/08 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small and lightweight, good value for money

Disadvantages: None yet

Reason For Buying
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My search for a digital camera began about a year ago when I decided that it was about time I invested in one rather than relying on dodgy mobile phone pictures!

What a minefield! I was originally looking at cameras with megapixels over 10 thinking that the higher the megapixels the better quailty of photo, I was assured I was wrong by an 'expert' friend of mine! I was informed that it was more the quality of the lens and the megapixels only really matter if you wanted to zoom in close on a photo.

I decided to look at the Sony cameras as this is a brand I trust as my TV and laptop are both Sony and I thought I would stick with what I knew. The Sony cameras also have Carl Zeiss lenses which I was advised were very good.

One of my other main reasons for choosing the Sony camera was the battery. The battery in this camera is a Lithium Ion and it lasts for ages before I have to charge it, in excess of 300 shots! A battery charger is supplied and all you need to do is remove the battery from the camera and place it into the mains powered charger.

Features
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- Super steady shot to help avoid blurry photos, handy if you don't have a steady hand!

- Face detection to focus the photo on faces rather that objects in background or foreground.

- 3x optical zoom

- Ability to retouch photos on the camera itself including red eye.

- High definition slideshow on the camera or play through your tv though the HD output.

- MPEG movie so you can record movies aswell as photos!

- Pictbridge so you can print direct to your printer without going through your pc.

A Few Technical Bits!
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- 31MB internal memory (enough for about a dozen photos)
- Auto focus
- Red eye reduction
- Pre flash and auto flash
- LCD screen size 2.5 inches
- Weight 124g
- Size of camera 9.1cm x 2.3cm x 5.8cm
- Built in microphone

Price
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I paid approximately £120 for this camera about a year ago. After a quick search online the price for this camera now seems to range from £95 to £175! It just goes to show you really must shop around for everything!

Summary
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Overall I think this is a really good value for money pocket sized camera. It's easy to use and has some great features.

The only thing that annoyed me was that it doesn't come with a case but I think that is quite common. I brought a leather case from Currys for about £10.

I am by no means an expert when it comes to cameras and photography but for every day photos I would definately recommend this camera!

Summary: Great little camera!

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