the Sony DSC W5... i call it the "set, point and shoot camera"!!!

i'm just one among those who love gadgets... (a typical male! :D) i decided to go for a digital camera and was out here on the internet to do some research; reading reviews about digicams...
and then i found this master piece, Sony's DSC-W5!

before i could share my opinion on the W5, i would like to thank all those who shared their sorrowful stories! oops.. reviews here.

- i am using the W5 for about 10 months now, having shot ~9000 stills and still counting!

- one thing i have noticed on the reviews page is the "power on" problem after 1 1/2 year! and a $181 fixing charge! that many users mentioned - people, may be you were unlucky and had the product from a faulty prodution lot or someone who hate sony's product put a 1 1/2 year self destruction timer into your digicams?!!! *blink* hmmm let me wait for another 8 months and see if i am one among you.

- and there is this lens movement issue; i believe Sony's cybershot cams had this issue in the w1 series that was launched a few year ago and they corrected it in the later models.

i had this lens issue only once on my w5 where i turned the cam off and the lens wouldnt retract. i powered it on and off back again and things were fine. after all things go wrong... how many times has ur pc using windows hung?! ;)

- i read a user mention about "design flaw" (page 7, last but second review) that the camera needs to be turned off to access the memory stick.

my friend, believe me, this is a perfect design!
you could damage your memory stick permanently if u'd tried to remove it with the power ON.

-----------------------------------------------now for the good things about a "genuine" sony DSC-W5

*- brillian pictures! the main purpose of a camera
*- has full manual control option; 2 step aperture and 46 step shutter speed with a max of 30secs long exposure. you wont find a 30 secs exposure on some DSLRs!
*- very good quality mpeg4 movie mode with loud & clear audio capture
*- this camera can take lenses & filters to get those creative pro like shots and that’s something the other cameras in its category lack.
*- battery life is superb, uses ordinary standard AA size batteries which are cheaper.
*- not to forget the big 2.5"LCD that does its job well
*- connects directly to the TV
*- usb 2.0 for high speed transfer
*- startup time and shot to shot interval are pretty fast!
*-thanks to the traditional box type design.
weighing almost half a pound (yet compact) gives a steady grip and strong feel.

overall: a "little master" in its category of digital cameras and competitively priced.

the bads about DSC W5

NONE!

i felt these were missing in the W5.
--dedicated buttons for toggling red-eye, manual focus and white balance.
--music in slide show mode (some latest models have this, that lets you play your favorite mp3s

well, you cant expect DSLRs features on a point and shoot ;)

unfortunately this model, i believe, has been archived.

well i am lucky to have one!

parting shot:

and for those who have problems with blurr images and red-eye while using W5 or any other camera, i suggest know more about your camera's capabilities.

visit these sites

www.photographyknowhow.com
www.cambridgeincolor.com
www.photoinf.com
www.fodors.com

and there is this wonderful e-Book in pdf format for free; curtins guide to digicam - a must have. Google it.

thanks for your time, happy photography! :)