Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1/B 10MP "Exmor R" CMOS Digital Camera with 5x Optical Steady Shot Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black)

I won't pretend to know the lingo's and spec's that professional (or even amateur) photographers use, all I know is that this camera works great for my everyday needs. I've had this camera for 2 weeks now and I've shot a weekend cabin trip, my dog at the park and some potential properties for my company and I have to say... it's amazing! I love that it doesn't have a touch screen (I don't have the patience for those) which adds to it's ease of use. The camera size is perfect for carrying in your pack or cargo pocket (it's a little large for reg. pant pockets in my opinion) and I love the 5x optical zoom. All my shots have turned out great! I love the low light shots of my dog indoors and the panoramic is great as well. The other neat thing about the panoramic shot is that you can view the motion of the panoramic when you are viewing those photos on your camera (hope that makes sense). Basically when reviewing panoramic shots on your cam, you can see the entire flow of motion from when you took the shot:) Oh, and I dropped the camera on my 2nd day of owning it (outside, on my concrete driveway at that!) and it didn't affect performance at all. I just have a small ding on one of the corners of the unit. I've had a Sony DSC T1 (5MP) for the past 7 years and felt it was time to upgrade. I was looking for better zoom while still maintaining the compact feel. I did all my research (reading product reviews from Amazon, CNET, BestBuy etc.) and decided to try out the WX1 and I'm glad I did. I will update my review as I use it more (I have a trip to Disney world coming up so I'm sure it will get plenty of use :).

I have been using Sony digicams for almost 10 years now. I was always impressed with their speed, size, and the great pictures I would get from them. As the go to guy to take pictures at birthday parties, reunions, school plays, etc, I rely heavily on my cameras and I can't be left with a camera that won't cut it. With that, I am very pleased with my new WX-1 camera. Start up time is super quick, ensuring that I can go from having the camera in my pocket, to turning it on, and getting the shot. The high speed mode is one of the best I have seen in a small digicam. Of course it does not equal my slr, but I am very impressed with the pictures I yield from it. The new panaramic feature is very fun and I really like using the many scene modes the camera offers.Many people complain about the memory stick. Back in the day, the memory stick was lightening quick compared to the SD cards. Now the SD cards have finally caught up to the speed of the MS. With that, I do not mind paying $20 for a 4GB memory stick pro. Since my other cameras have been Sony cameras, I have already had memory stick cards and readers, so to me, its not a big deal. If you have had other cameras that used SD, just think of making a $20 investment into a very reliable, fast card for your camera, and use the SD card in your Wii.The only two complaints I have for this camera are it's low light picture taking, and the format it uses when recording video. The low light picture taking is always a problem with cameras this size. I can still take decent pictures of a rock concert from high up, or a sporting event from the nose bleed sections. Birthday party pictures come out good as well. I do notice that some of the action shots I take in low light situations tend to be on the softer side. With video recording, I was very happy to finally be able to zoom in and out while recording, however, I am not happy that it records in mp4 format. Usually, I use the digicam to record home movies, and then view them using media player before putting them on dvd. Now, I have to convert them to mpg format (which is what the other cameras used to record in). Just an extra step I shouldn't have to be bothered with.

I bought this camera a little over a year ago as a Christmas present for my girlfriend. Initially, and for some time afterwards, we were both thrilled with the purchase. The camera is very easy to use and took beautiful pictures. The panoramic pictures were awesome, and the video was very clean (both picture and audio). Then JUST after the one year mark had passed (of course! Manufacturer warranty only good for one year) the camera began failing in multiple ways.I'd power the camera on and immediately a message would pop up indicating that I needed to use a compatible battery, then would power off. It did this with the battery that came with the camera. I did some research and found that I was FAR from the only one experiencing this issue. Many suggested that buying a cheap knock-off battery would fix the issue, and they were absolutely correct. Now the camera powers on and stays on.Unfortunately, my problems were not over. Once I finally got a battery that functioned again, I found that the shutter would no longer open/close properly. Even if I force the shutter open with my fingers, it will just slowly fall back to the closed position.I called Sony and they refused to help (predictably, as it is no longer under warranty). I took it to my local camera shop to see if they could fix it, but all they do is send it in to Sony to have them repair it (for $260!). Just about 13-14 months after purchasing the camera, it sits on my desk as a paper weight while I try to sell it as broken on an auction site. I now need to buy a new camera for an upcoming trip, and I can assure you it will not be a Sony.Hope this helps,Damian