Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S60 Digital Camera
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- Digital Zoom: 2x
- Camera Type: Standard Point and Shoot
- Weight: 0.43 lb.
- LCD Screen Size: 2 in.
- Resolution: 4.1 Megapixel
- Optical Zoom: 3x
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Great for older eyes
Pros
large screen, excellent photo quality, quiet operation, large movie capture
Cons
horrible-terrible-awful manual, needs rechargeable batteries, annoying USB cord
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you don't want a large LCD screen at this price, check out a similarly priced Nikon or Canon with rechargeable batteries.
I purchased this Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60 for my parents, but have been using it extensively for the last week to see how it performs. I have owned both Kodak and Nikon brand digital cameras in the past, and had high expectations for this Sony.
The good news is that the camera lives up to most of my expectations. The biggest selling point for me was the large 2" LCD screen and the price. Make sure to research prices online before purchasing - some local stores were charging much more for this camera than I paid online.
The Sony D60 seems to be a great choice for people who have a good zoom 35mm film camera and want to upgrade to digital. It doesn't offer enough manual control options to appeal to creative hobby photographers, but it does an excellent job taking pictures in Automatic mode and captures colors beautifully.
First Impression - 2 out of 5
In typical Sony fashion, all of the paperwork is in 50 languages and whoever wrote the English version didn't seem to know what they were talking about. The manual is essentially useless - while it seems to cover all of the camera's features, it doesn't actually explain how to use anything. It is just page after page of tables and pictures with arrows. You would think Sony would have at least a few employees in the Unites States who could write a useful manual. The Quick Start poster is only slightly better.
The included Sony Alkaline AA batteries only lasted about 15 minutes. The camera then turned itself off and refused to turn back on until I put in fresh NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, which I just happened to have. Not a good first impression.
Focus/Picture Quality - 4 out of 5
Picture quality is very high, but isn't as sharp or crisp looking as I had expected. This is not to say that the pictures are out of focus or fuzzy - this is not what I mean. However, the Sony D60 tends to focus more on the entire photograph rather than focusing directly on the main subject in the photo - similar to what a normal 35mm film camera will do. For example, if you take a picture of a statue the D60 will focus on the statue while also keeping the background in focus to a large degree. This results in photographs that appear "soft" because the entire photograph is in focus, rather than focusing sharply on the main object and slightly blurring the background. The camera focuses quickly and very quietly - you can barely hear the lens moving (great if you plan to be taking pictures at a wedding or something where you don't want to be a distraction). The D60 allows you to take pictures at 4MP, 3MP, 2MP, 1MP, and 640x480 (VGA). Quicktime movies can be 640x480 or 160x120 and don't seem to have a maximum length - you can record as long as you have memory left. Sound is recorded with videos, but you cannot zoom during a video.
Indoor/Low Light Performance - 5 out of 5
One thing that most digital cameras seem to have trouble with is indoor, low light photographs. Luckily, the D60 has an auto-focus illuminator light (which means it can focus in complete darkness) and powerful flash, and does a great job taking pictures in low light situations. The D60 does an excellent job of capturing realistic color when the flash is on - something I can't say of previous digital cameras I've owned. Even when outdoors, the flash worked well as a "fill flash" and captures color tones correctly. The red-eye reducer flash kills the battery and is slow, so I use the built in Red Eye remover in iPhoto instead.
Memory - 2 out of 5
Comparatively speaking, the fact that the camera comes with 32MB built in is a good thing. Many of the other 4MP cameras I looked at only came with a 16MB memory card. But don't let this fool you - since the D60 uses Sony's proprietary Memory Stick storage card you will end up paying a premium when you decide that you want to take more than 16 pictures at a time. Unfortunately, Memory Stick media is about twice as expensive than competition like SD and xD. There is no way to tell the camera where you want to store pictures - if you have a Memory Stick in the camera, it stores them on there. If you don't have one inserted, it stores it inside the built in memory. There is no way to access the internal memory on the camera when a Memory Stick is inserted.
Design - 2.5 out of 5
I think the D60 is a classy looking digital camera. It feels substantial and nothing is flimsy. However, it isn't quite as easy to hold as many other digital cameras I've used. It is easy to cover the flash with your finger inadvertently, and I would be nervous to use the camera without the included hand strap because the hand grips don't work as well as those on a Nikon or Canon. You have to open the battery compartment to access the Memory Stick, making it easy to drop the two AA batteries. Also, the tripod mount is practically in the back corner of the camera, rather than the center. This makes it hard to take seamless panoramic images, especially 360-degree panos. Also, the USB cord is a proprietary Sony connector on one side and a USB/RCA cord on the other side (allowing you to show pictures on a TV screen). Unfortunately, the cord plugs into the BOTTOM of the camera, meaning you have to lay it down anytime you have it plugged in. Also, since it doesn't use a standard mini A/B USB cord, you won't be able to share cords with your other USB devices or replace it easily if you break or lose it.
I would recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60 to:
-moms and dads
-those who have an off-brand or Kodak digital camera and want better picture quality
-anyone with poor vision who needs a large LCD
-those who have already invested in Memory Stick storage cards
I would not recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60 to:
-graphic designers/creatives
-hobby photographers (such as those used to SLR-type cameras)
-those wanting to take extreme close-up pictures
-those wanting to use their camera to make copies of printed document
-those wanting to do 360-degree panoramas
-those who currently have a Nikon
Accessories you'll want:
-rechargable NiMH "AA" battery kit
-128MB or larger Memory Stick Pro
-protective camera bag
Conclusion:
The biggest advantage the D60 has over other cameras in it's price range is the large LCD screen. It takes good pictures and does a great job in low light situations, so it is a good choice for the average person. However, picture quality isn't quite up to par with comparable Nikon cameras and the high price of Memory Stick media is a huge disadvantage. If Nikon had a camera with a large screen for this price, I would return the Sony and exchange it.
The good news is that the camera lives up to most of my expectations. The biggest selling point for me was the large 2" LCD screen and the price. Make sure to research prices online before purchasing - some local stores were charging much more for this camera than I paid online.
The Sony D60 seems to be a great choice for people who have a good zoom 35mm film camera and want to upgrade to digital. It doesn't offer enough manual control options to appeal to creative hobby photographers, but it does an excellent job taking pictures in Automatic mode and captures colors beautifully.
First Impression - 2 out of 5
In typical Sony fashion, all of the paperwork is in 50 languages and whoever wrote the English version didn't seem to know what they were talking about. The manual is essentially useless - while it seems to cover all of the camera's features, it doesn't actually explain how to use anything. It is just page after page of tables and pictures with arrows. You would think Sony would have at least a few employees in the Unites States who could write a useful manual. The Quick Start poster is only slightly better.
The included Sony Alkaline AA batteries only lasted about 15 minutes. The camera then turned itself off and refused to turn back on until I put in fresh NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, which I just happened to have. Not a good first impression.
Focus/Picture Quality - 4 out of 5
Picture quality is very high, but isn't as sharp or crisp looking as I had expected. This is not to say that the pictures are out of focus or fuzzy - this is not what I mean. However, the Sony D60 tends to focus more on the entire photograph rather than focusing directly on the main subject in the photo - similar to what a normal 35mm film camera will do. For example, if you take a picture of a statue the D60 will focus on the statue while also keeping the background in focus to a large degree. This results in photographs that appear "soft" because the entire photograph is in focus, rather than focusing sharply on the main object and slightly blurring the background. The camera focuses quickly and very quietly - you can barely hear the lens moving (great if you plan to be taking pictures at a wedding or something where you don't want to be a distraction). The D60 allows you to take pictures at 4MP, 3MP, 2MP, 1MP, and 640x480 (VGA). Quicktime movies can be 640x480 or 160x120 and don't seem to have a maximum length - you can record as long as you have memory left. Sound is recorded with videos, but you cannot zoom during a video.
Indoor/Low Light Performance - 5 out of 5
One thing that most digital cameras seem to have trouble with is indoor, low light photographs. Luckily, the D60 has an auto-focus illuminator light (which means it can focus in complete darkness) and powerful flash, and does a great job taking pictures in low light situations. The D60 does an excellent job of capturing realistic color when the flash is on - something I can't say of previous digital cameras I've owned. Even when outdoors, the flash worked well as a "fill flash" and captures color tones correctly. The red-eye reducer flash kills the battery and is slow, so I use the built in Red Eye remover in iPhoto instead.
Memory - 2 out of 5
Comparatively speaking, the fact that the camera comes with 32MB built in is a good thing. Many of the other 4MP cameras I looked at only came with a 16MB memory card. But don't let this fool you - since the D60 uses Sony's proprietary Memory Stick storage card you will end up paying a premium when you decide that you want to take more than 16 pictures at a time. Unfortunately, Memory Stick media is about twice as expensive than competition like SD and xD. There is no way to tell the camera where you want to store pictures - if you have a Memory Stick in the camera, it stores them on there. If you don't have one inserted, it stores it inside the built in memory. There is no way to access the internal memory on the camera when a Memory Stick is inserted.
Design - 2.5 out of 5
I think the D60 is a classy looking digital camera. It feels substantial and nothing is flimsy. However, it isn't quite as easy to hold as many other digital cameras I've used. It is easy to cover the flash with your finger inadvertently, and I would be nervous to use the camera without the included hand strap because the hand grips don't work as well as those on a Nikon or Canon. You have to open the battery compartment to access the Memory Stick, making it easy to drop the two AA batteries. Also, the tripod mount is practically in the back corner of the camera, rather than the center. This makes it hard to take seamless panoramic images, especially 360-degree panos. Also, the USB cord is a proprietary Sony connector on one side and a USB/RCA cord on the other side (allowing you to show pictures on a TV screen). Unfortunately, the cord plugs into the BOTTOM of the camera, meaning you have to lay it down anytime you have it plugged in. Also, since it doesn't use a standard mini A/B USB cord, you won't be able to share cords with your other USB devices or replace it easily if you break or lose it.
I would recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60 to:
-moms and dads
-those who have an off-brand or Kodak digital camera and want better picture quality
-anyone with poor vision who needs a large LCD
-those who have already invested in Memory Stick storage cards
I would not recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60 to:
-graphic designers/creatives
-hobby photographers (such as those used to SLR-type cameras)
-those wanting to take extreme close-up pictures
-those wanting to use their camera to make copies of printed document
-those wanting to do 360-degree panoramas
-those who currently have a Nikon
Accessories you'll want:
-rechargable NiMH "AA" battery kit
-128MB or larger Memory Stick Pro
-protective camera bag
Conclusion:
The biggest advantage the D60 has over other cameras in it's price range is the large LCD screen. It takes good pictures and does a great job in low light situations, so it is a good choice for the average person. However, picture quality isn't quite up to par with comparable Nikon cameras and the high price of Memory Stick media is a huge disadvantage. If Nikon had a camera with a large screen for this price, I would return the Sony and exchange it.
