Auto Mode
The auto mode is just what it says it is. Once the Auto option is selected, all other options disappear except the image size and setup menu items. Users need only to point, zoom (if desired), and shoot. This is just what most users want. If not, the Program mode offers the widest range of menu options complete with white balance and ISO settings.
Movie Mode
The movie mode on the Sony M2 is supposed to be so good that consumers won’t even want to carry around a separate video camera. Indeed, it has television-quality video with its 640 x 480-pixel picture that records at a quick 30 frames per second (though only with the MemoryStick Duo Pro card). There is also a QVGA 320 x 240-pixel option that captures at a selectable 30 or 15 frames a second. The Sony M2 records the MPEG-4 video to the MemoryStick up to its capacity or to 90 minutes, whichever comes first.
Optical zoom is available in the movie mode, although there is no image stabilization to keep distant objects from looking like footage of an earthquake. To its credit, the M2 can focus quickly in the movie mode. Backlit subjects didn’t fare as well in the movie mode; they looked a bit dark and lights took on the crossed look.
The M2 records stereo audio with its video and plays it back within the camera in stereo as well. I tried to test this in the convention center, but due to the giant PlayStation about six feet from my left ear, I couldn’t tell how effective the stereo audio was. The Sony Cyber-shot M2 has a unique hybrid recording mode that allows users to shoot 5 seconds of video, take a full resolution still image, and then capture another 3 seconds of video. If users only want to snap a shot and record the 3 seconds afterwards, they may; that is possible too. More options for how long the two video segments could be would be nice, but this is still an innovative feature.
Drive / Burst Mode
If action shots are desired, the M2 does have a burst mode, although it doesn’t blow the competition away with its endurance. It takes only 4 shots in a burst, which is normal for a relatively inexpensive camera but insufficient for a $500 model. The 4-shot burst does not lengthen with smaller image sizes, but the time it takes to write the burst to the memory card shortens. At full resolution, it takes about 7-8 seconds to write a 4-shot burst to the memory. Still, the M2 shoots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution. There is a faster multi-burst mode that shoots 16 frames, but they are at a tiny 320 x 240 pixels. Each of those 16 frames is stitched together to form a single image. Sony markets this mode as a great way to check out quick movements like golf swings.
The M2 has a self-timer that is activated on the multi-selector; it consists of an orange LED that flashes and a beeping noise to indicate when the picture is captured ten seconds after the shutter release button is pushed. It also has exposure bracketing; see the Exposure section of Control Options for more on this feature.
Playback Mode
The playback mode is one of the most updated features on the M2. While the M1 had the standard index views and slide shows and such, the Sony M2 adds some unique and interesting features. First, the basics. The M2 can scroll through individual pictures or through index pages with 9 or 16 images on each frame. Scrolling through individual frames is more fun with the large ring dial that surrounds the multi-selector; the contraption scrolls quickly through images and has a flipbook-type effect. Pictures can be viewed right after taking them with the 2-second quick review function that can be turned on or off in the setup menu. Users can delete pictures from the quick view or can enter the playback mode via the Mode button and delete them from there. Individual images can be zoomed in from 1.1-5x. As in many recent Sony digital cameras, the M2 offers trimming and resizing options (these are saved as separate files).
The more unique features come in the pocket album function. The Sony M2 has 57 MB of internal memory that it uses to hold up to 1,100 VGA-sized copies of original full resolution photos. This pocket album concept is similar to the one on the Kodak EasyShare-one. Users store small pictures so they can easily access them and play them on televisions or computers with cool slide shows. The Sony M2 has all the bells and whistles for a slide show. There are fades, wipes, zooms, and other transitions that cannot be selected and only appear randomly. Users can choose how fast the transitions appear: Slow, Normal, or Quick. Users can choose whether to play all of the pictures or just selected ones in a folder. Even better, users can choose one of four preloaded soundtracks to play with their pictures. And even better than that is the option to load music from a computer onto the camera with the included Picture Project software. This way, users can use their own soundtrack instead of Sony’s preloaded tunes. The preloaded music lasts for 3 minutes; that is the time limit for customized music as well. Only four soundtracks can be saved on the camera at one time.
Custom Image Presets
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has nine scene modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, High Speed Shutter, Candle, and Magnifying Glass. The last scene mode is really a glorified focus mode, the super macro mode that can take pictures as close as 1 cm. The only option missing from this list is the common and necessary Portrait mode. All of the scene modes are found within the menu; there are none located on a mode dial.
