It is the best in it's class. awesome pictures..

The Sony V3 is a total worhorse. I take photos all over the world, and need a great, compact, super high quality camera that's also durable. this is it. Kudos to Sony on this one.

no txt ...super camera

thid is my 4th dig camera, first sony; only minus is the zoom is a little too enthusiastic sometimes because it is positioned too close to the fingers somehow, but thats all, otherwise compact and quality camera .

This lil genius from Sony is eally great stepover from toy digitals to the SLRs. compact and speedy

Having been the owner of about 16 digital cameras in the past 4 years, I'd say that this is one of the best that I have run across. The camera will cost around 400-500 dollars and is well worth the money. Some of the people describe the bluriness of the night shot pictures but they apparently don't understand about infrared light and night shot. Do not expect to take action shots at night with the night shot on. I don't know of ANY camera that will have clear motion shots using infrared technology. Knowing what I know about infrared technology, I know that you have to have the camera mounted on a tripod in order to use the night shot feature.

A great overall camera.

It took nice pictures. It worked great. Then it died with less than 1000 pictures taken, less than 6 months of use. So I sent it in for repair it was under warranty I thought. I was told it had corrosion damage. Not to offend Sony but it doesn't exactly rain where I live. Well the corrosion damage is not covered by the warranty and the estimate for repair was in the $1500 range. In summary the warranty is useless, the camera has a high susceptibility to corrosion so make sure you take very good care of the baby and apparently keep it in a plastic bag at all times even in the desert. I will never buy a Sony again.

WOW factor

I was cleaning the lens of my V3 , and the DUST that was frontside the lens , somehow dropped inside the camera lens , i don't know how this happened , but i saw another p150 , w series and etc. users , with the same problem .
If you are looking for a V3 , well , it's an excellent camera overall , but , don't forget to buy a lens cover or something like ....it's a very good camera , and this is the only problem i detected over here.

I am extremely happy with the options & flexability this camera gives and the output quality is great!

The Sony CyberShot DSC-V3 is the best camera i've ever used and seen in my intire life!!!!!!!

I searched long and hard before I selected the V3. My key need was for low-light shooting, so I needed a hot shoe for an external flash, which eliminated most cameras in this price range. I felt the low-light focussing capabilities due to the laser hologram were a bonus in this model. I also liked the fact it takes two memory cards of different formats. The rest of the features are similar to competitive models.

After six months use, I'm disappointed, though. The low-light focussing only works well up to 10 or 12 ft; and it seems to slow the shot processing considerably. And it doesn't focus every time, especially when you're in a hurry. It's still impossible to take a photo of a speaker in a conference room and get his or her eyes open because of the digital delay, which is longer than the specs would indicate.

The Sony flash, which was very expensive — almost as much as the camera itself (in Canada) — is quite heavy and completely unbalances the camera. I'm sure the flimsy plastic cover on the DC in outlet won't last long. Also, the charge life of the batteries (I bought a spare) is diminishing, and they now hold a charge of about 40 minutes less than when new.

And there are two operational drawbacks. It's very easy, when carrying the camera in your right hand while taking shots, to inadvertently press the zoom button with your thumb when you didn't intend to.

Finally, my biggest complaint is a problem that started a month ago. Sometimes when I press the main snapshot button, nothing happens, and I have to repress it two or three times to get a shot. Have not had time to take it back to the store and see if it can be repaired under warranty. Am concerned it will work fine in the store, as it happens randomly and only occasionally.

Would I buy Sony again? Probably not … because the low-light focussing I wanted is not as good as I'd expected. But especially because of the snapshot button, which may turn out to be a big problem.

I am a casual photographer who loves good optics. This is one of the reasons why I was never impressed by zoom lenses and always shot with fixed focal length lenses before the V3. In any case, I love the Sony Cybershot DSC-V3, which is a an excellent compact and light weight replacement of an SLR. It has a very good lens, much better than any other point and shoot camera lens that I have tried to date. And the V3 has a much better lens than the Canon G6, although the G6 lens has a wider focusing range and supposedly a lower aperture of 2.0, which I was not able to confirm on any of the test pictures I saw. The autofocus of the V3 is relatively fast and responsive. It is far from the lightning fast autofocus of the Nikon F5, but do not forget that the V3 is a point and shoot camera and the F5 is a top of the line professional equipment. The color rendition of the V3 is surprisingly accurate, saturated and sharp and matches closely the color rendition of professional Zeiss lenses. Moreover, the V3 does not have default software color correction, which allows higher fidelity pictures.

You have to learn the tricks of the V3 camera nonetheless. Shoot at low aperture and the highest speed possible, even if it means choosing shutter or aperture priority modes. Also, you can use an external flash, I am using the Nikon Speedlight SB-22, which requires much manual adjustment. The Sony external flash is fully integrated and controlled by the camera CPU. The external flash, and particularly the bounce capability allows for much better portraits than the built-in flash. They are softer, the light is more evenly distributed, not a white spot on the closest object, and one can see clearly the surroundings, not only their contouring silhouettes. Moreover, red-eye is completely eliminated for bounce and considerably reduced for direct frontal exposure with the external flash.

Overall, the V3 is an excellent choice for portraits, probably unmatched as a combination of color rendition, lens quality and focusing speed. I am pleased with nature shots as well, although if I had the budget and the willingness to carry heavy equipment I will probably opt out for a Leica M6/7 or a Contax with a good Zeiss lens.

Alas, I strongly recommend it for those who take photography as an art, rather than a mechanical click at a view. It does have all the manual controls to allow the versatility an artist needs. Of course, with the caveat that the artist knows what they are doing.

Playing with the camera I have been able to take successful night shots moon shots city night scape shots etc with out tripod even though manual clearly states it is suggested to use one lol. Like any SLR with long exposures your going to need something solid to steady your camera regardless of how steady you think you are. You really need to experiment with the settings, which they have plenty of and I guess if I had any criticism it would be if your not prepared for a awesome shot you might miss it if your not familiar with all the settings ... if you need to switch to manual mode set your aperture focus speed of film(ISO) speed of shot perch your camera on the roof of the car while that eagle is flying in front of the moon might be gone(this is also true with SLR) so obviously not a fault. Toggling back and forth between aperture and speed may not be as fast as with SLR but the more you use the camera the faster you get and more comfortable switching modes. Overall I have been blown away with the quality and how far they have come with digital photography. This coming from someone who would never by a digital camera and truly converted.

It is a the most suitable Digital Camera for non-professional photographer, Just for hobby,but It also includes manual macrofocus for detail focusing.
It is very easy to operate, and can produce good quality pictures.

I have bought Sony V3 in Greece 2 weeks ago and today while I was shooting I felt that the main snapshot button needed more pressure to work and sometime doesn't work. (serious problem for pro users).

Hello,
I bought the Sony V3 after much thought and search through magazines and reviews.
I payed 600 euros (which i thought was too much) but I said to myself what the h... I am buying one of the best cameras in the market so it is worth it.
I was very impressed with it (analysis - overall use) until one day as I was trying to take a picture I realized that the main snapshot button did not work!
I kept pushing for a while with no result until the button detached from the camera and fell on the floor along with a small spring which was placed under it.
I could not believe it!!!
I took the camera to the store where I bought it and demanded a new one.
after a few days I got a response from Sony - Greece that not only would they not give me a new camera but I would have to pay for the repair of this on since the guarantee did not cover the damage!!! w h y ????
The camera was returned to Sony in mint condition scratch-free and with no sign of misuse!
Why did Sony refuse to cover the faulty part???
Now 2 months later I am still waiting for my camera which is not yet fixed.
Sorry Sony never again!!!

I will rate this camera as excellent, and that is a sincere comment, I immediately gained recognition from the Manila Bulletin when I submit a sample photo, and it was chosen as picture of week, my former camera is a cybershot V1, and this also gave me recognitions, I like the solid black body and its almost professional functions, the only limitation is the aperture and when you attach a conversion lens, the hologram AF is blocked.
However it is a camera that I shall keep for a long time.

i am amazed at sony's high tech features rolled into one camera- amazing pics and ease of use - keep it up sony

4.0 out of 5 - Click for more Information "Good overall camera, But" (DCHQ). I bought the V3 as an upgrade from Sony S85 to photo a wedding in November. I noticed during the ceremony where no flash was allowed, that it is harder to hold focus than it was with the S85. During the Xmas season, I went around taking photos of the lights and found it impossible to hold focus in the "twilight" mode without a tripod. No tripod was needed with my S85, just a rigid, two arm lock to body. I also found the twilight mode to allow too much brightness when the houses were decorated with mostly white lights. Using ASA 800 with shutter priority mode returned a more accurate photo both color and focus although a tripod was still needed. The normal flash wedding photos were as good as any that I've done with a 35mm SLR and so were the normal Xmas morning unwrapping photos. Has anyone else experienced this Low Light issue?---I experienced the same issues. My S85 actually took better indoor/non-flash pics. However, for low light flash or outdoor the V3 was great.

I bought the V3 as an upgrade from Sony S85 to photo a wedding in November. I noticed during the ceremony where no flash was allowed, that it is harder to hold focus than it was with the S85. During the Xmas season, I went around taking photos of the lights and found it impossible to hold focus in the "twilight" mode without a tripod. No tripod was needed with my S85, just a rigid, two arm lock to body. I also found the twilight mode to allow too much brightness when the houses were decorated with mostly white lights. Using ASA 800 with shutter priority mode returned a more accurate photo both color and focus although a tripod was still needed. The normal flash wedding photos were as good as any that I've done with a 35mm SLR and so were the normal Xmas morning unwrapping photos. Has anyone else experienced this Low Light issue?

This is a really great performer, easy to use functions, very intuitive and top results from the Carl Zeiss optics. Anyone who grew up with Hasselblad would recognize how good those lenses are. Image quality is superb. It is impossible to pick A4 glossy prints apart from film-produced ones, without magnification and color rendition straight from the camera is top notch (I tested it with a direct PictBridge connection to a Canon iP8500 8-ink printer). Movie mode in VX fine is as good on screen as any digital handi-cam can offer. Battery life is surprisingly good, despite the rather small (4.4watt-hour) capacity. The LCD measures a genuine 2.5" diagonal and what a great asset that is, under all lighting conditions. The "Night-framing" function that focuses in total darkness, then takes a normal flash pic is one of the best features. No more black LCD's in dim room light that make framing difficult and force you to use the optical viewfinder. On the down side, I can't find too much to criticize. The mode buttons are a touch small and I don't like the flimsy plastic port covers. These pop up and are attached by a short split plastic bit ... they're gonna break off, for sure. Why didn't they just use a swiveling pivot point at the end of the plastic, like on some Canon models? I guess it's still better than nothing and there are many units on the market with no covers at all to stop dirt and crud from getting in. I'm not real sure about the "Night-shot" function. It seems to be of limited use, with a bright circle in the middle, less than a third of the frame size, tapering off to darkness at the edges .. a kind of heavy vignetting. Even frame illumination cuts in at normal ambient light levels, but in total darkness, all you get is a "hot-spot" in the middle. I don't know if that's just peculiar to my camera, or is normal, but it makes sense that an infra-red illuminator would be concentrated in a narrow beam, like a spotlight. If it was strong enough to light up the whole frame, it would drain that battery a whole lot quicker. Overall, a truly great unit with excellent features and performance. I would stress though .. you MUST read the instructions through before actually using it. A CF memory card must be formatted in the camera before starting, or results can be unpredictable (Memory Stick Pro cards come already formatted). I initially thought it was not possible to do a bulk image erase, until I read the instructions. Resist the temptation to "point and shoot" without studying all the functions in the book.

this compact camera offers a great lens , large display and excellent color reproduction. start up is quick. pictures are very sharp and detailed. with 7 megapixels you have plenty of power to make large prints. picking it up you notice how light it is ,it is made of aluminum, so it is sturdy. one door on the bottom allows access to the battery and two media slots, both compact flash and memory stick. the large LCD is going to get grabbed because it is large and leaves little space to grab the camera, oh well, can't have a small camera and big display and not have it cause some handling problems, get used to it, other cameras have the same problem. control layout is pretty standard, menus are easy to use, overall pretty good layout.low light focusing is quick because of a laser pattern thrown on target, it even will focus in complete darkness without flash with night shot. the only problem i found is the power button is not in the best spot and it is a little too touchy, I had it come on when putting it into the case, have to keep that in mind now. other wise a good bet for an upscale point and shoot. it also has plenty of manual control if you want it.

So far I love the V3, the design, image and build quality is great. My only complaints are the cheap flexible plastic jack covers and the zoom button seems to be placed a little low. The LCD is great. The V3 uses the same LCD as the W1, it's not the highest resolution, but it produces sharp, clear images. The V3 is really a V1 on steroids, better build quality(although I like the USB door better on the V1) the startup time is the same, the focus is faster, write time to memory stick is faster, more resolution, bigger lcd, CF support, better battery life(about double) among quite a few other improvements. I think it's well worth it's price and won't be outdated anytime soon.

This camera did a nice job helping me follow my granddaughter around this weekend. Low light, no problem. The excellent movie mode allowed to get some nice footage of her on the swing. All the features you could want, and very good picture quality. Build quality seems very good. IT TAKES COMPACT FLASH, but doesn't come w/ memory. I bought an extra battery and a wall charger. Battery life is good. Best Buy had it on sale for $629.. I am an amateur and the camera is plenty easy to use, yet has all the goodies when I get good enough to use them. I am pleased with it to this point and would buy it again.