Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 First Impressions Review

Likes

- Hybrid record mode - 57 MB internal memory - Stereo audio recording - Optical zoom in movie and still shooting - Slide shows with my own music

Dislikes

- Weak flash - Limited aperture range - No image stabilization - Non-intuitive button placement

Conclusion
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 succeeds the M1 and keeps many of its features. The cameras have identical auto and program modes and boast the same nine scene modes. Their 3x optical zoom lenses are the exact same – from their aperture ranges to the number of elements in each group. The cameras both have 2.5-inch LCD monitors that flip outward from the vertically designed body. The screens have 123,000 pixels, which isn’t as good as it could be considering the current place of the market.

The M2 does add some interesting features though. It throws in a Hybrid Record Mode that merges still and video recording into a sequence. The camera also adds 57 MB of internal memory that holds up to 1,100 640 x 480 pictures that can be played back on televisions with good quality. Every time a full resolution picture is taken, a small copy is saved within the internal memory album to make for easy emailing. This album can be called up for fancy slide shows. Users can play slide shows with transitions and even preloaded soundtracks. Sony provides four music clips, but users can upload their own beats with the included software. The Cyber-shot M2 also includes a Sony Cyber-shot Station cradle that easily transfers pictures to computers, televisions, and printers.

The Sony M2 is designed to appeal to consumers who don’t want to buy separate digital cameras and camcorders. It does merge the technologies, but doesn’t provide any truly advanced features. The digital camera portion of the M2 is extremely simplified. There are a few manual selections like ISO, but even the white balance cannot be custom set. The camcorder portion of the M2 isn’t overly impressive either. It has a 3x optical zoom lens, which is laughable compared to what other true camcorders are offering. Further, there is no image stabilization to keep videos from looking jumpy. The zoom does work while recording, but this is becoming more and more common among the M2’s competitors. All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is marketed as a great hybrid model but its 3x optical zoom, lack of image stabilization, and convoluted interface make the device only sub-par.