Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Jan 05, 2006 - By Emily Raymond
Sony announced the Cyber-shot DSC-M2 in January as the successor to the hybrid M1. The M2 has 5.1 megapixels on its 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD and the power of a Real Imaging Processor – just like the M1. Both models have Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lenses as well. They share similar dimensions and the same vertical design that makes them reminiscent of cell phones. The Sony M2 has not only still and video recording modes, but adds a Hybrid Record Mode that merges them further. The mode records 5 seconds of video, takes a full resolution shot, then finishes with 3 more seconds of video. The hybrid camera has a nice movie mode complete with editing functions, stereo audio, and optical zoom. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 also claims to have “advanced circuitry for bright, low noise images,” according to the Sony web site. The digital camera has 57 MB of internal memory which it uses as a pocket album to hold up to 1,100 VGA-quality shots. Users can play slide shows complete with transitions on the 2.5” LCD screen and even listen to background music while they do so. The Sony M2 comes with a Cyber-shot Station cradle and will be available in January for about $500.
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Picture Quality / Size Options
The Sony M2 has plenty of image size options in both 4:3 and 3:2 formats. The following sizes are available: 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480. A 3:2-sized, 2592 x 1728-pixel image size is available for users who want to make perfectly framed 4 x 6-inch prints. This model has Standard and Fine JPEG compression settings.

Picture Effects Mode
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has several picture effects that can be added during recording, but not during playback. Sharpening, contrast, and saturation all have Low (-), High (+), and Normal options. Unfortunately, there isn’t a live view of the results so I had a hard time telling the difference between the settings. There is also a Picture Effects option in the menu that accesses the Black & White and Sepia modes. Both modes have nice contrast and aren’t washed out. All of these effects are effective in both still and video shooting.

Control Options Page 7 of 10 Connectivity / Extras
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