Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S700 Digital Camera
- Digital Zoom: 2x
- Camera Type: Compact
- Weight: 5.3 lb.
- LCD Screen Size: 2.4 in.
- Resolution: 7.2 Megapixel
- Optical Zoom: 3x
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2884
Sony DSC-S700 7mp 3x Opt Digital Camera.
Pros
Convenient size
Cons
poor visibility in bright light.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
I wouldn't recommend this camera. Primarily because of the card size that must be purchased for it. It doesn't match any of our other cameras.
My wife and I took off early one morning for a one night two day getaway for our anniversary. We didn't need to do much packing and took off without my checking the usual list I refer to when taking a vacation. Big Mistake! Both of us forgot our cameras. We love taking photos and this outing would be no different. We stopped in a /mart store out in one of the Hamptons. We looked at a poor selection of cameras and settle on this one the Sony DSC-S700 7mp 3x Opt Digital Camera that we purchased for $106.
We have owned a Sony Cybershot before. This one had what we needed for the day with a 7.2 mega pixel rating and a ISO to 1000.
Our Experience
We took a couple of images in the store. All seemed OK. It was when we were out in the field. OK, really on the beach, that we realised the camera does not have a viewer to look through. Most of the time that's just fine but in bright sunlight reflected again on the light coloured beaches we could barely see anything through the 2.4" LCD monitor. Bad news for us.
In spite of the problem we were able to take a number of fine photos those two days. One of the reasons we did purchase this camera is because it takes two AA batteries that are found most anywhere. The camera did come with two batteries that didn't even make the two day getaway. A quick walk to a local convenience store and we were back in business. I didn't notice any warnings that the battery was getting weak. At one point the camera would not open. I was able however, to get to see the images already taken in the camera. At first we thought we broke something. I then realized there wasn't enough power to open the camera. I realized later that there is a low battery warning but it's near invisible on the screen in bright light. The Duracell batteries we purchased have lasted quite a while longer than the original junk they gave us.
Not Doing It's Job
We took about forty or fifty images those two days. Most seemed just fine. I could tell however that the flash was not as strong as other basic cameras that cost just a few dollars more. We use the flash to get rid of harsh shadows in bright sun. The flash didn't do it's job in most instances.
I did notice that my wife's hair, quite blond came out whitewashed in many pictures where the rest of the image was perfect. It showed her with white hair.
There is a "Snow" setting on the camera that is specifically designed for shooting when there is a lot of white in the picture. I wonder if that would have helped with the problem we had. We didn't try it.
Most of the photos without her hair, we do tend to shoot portraits, were of good quality and when my wife brought home photos made from the camera we were pleased.
The camera does come with a nice little strap but doesn't come with a case. We babied this camera those two days because we didn't have a home for it.
Little Extras We Liked
One thing I like to do after taking images and going through them is to scroll through and crop a bit. This can be previewed on this camera. What I liked was once I was on the image and pressed the telephoto rocker switch it brought the image closer but not nearly as close as other cameras I have owned do. I found that advantageous because most of the photos were close enough to what I was looking for in the first place.
My wife enjoyed taking photos on the docks loaded with old fishing boats in the sepia tone. That for her, the artist, added a little extra fun.
The camera does take movie shots while recording sound however one can't hear the recording on the camera playback. It will be heard when on the PC. The movie images are OK for the quality of the camera. You won't be showing those images on a wide screen though.
I liked the "Soft shot" setting. That's where you can take a portrait shot and the background is slightly blurred. It's almost like shooting with a large aperture opening creating a depth of field that contrasts foreground and background.
Good Starter Camera
Some of the features we liked about the Sony DSC-S700 digital camera, and were already mentioned, might be of interest to a first time digital camera owner. The feature where one turns the knob and the setting is posted in text on the screen is helpful. It shows both the setting and explains with just three or four words the benefits of the feature. An example is turning to the Twilight Portrait In addition to the setting being viewed a few words pop up stating Shoot portraits in low light with flash
I would also like to mention, especially noted for a first time digital camera owner, that the instructions given with this camera make set-up of basic functions easy to understand by clearly stating how a feature can become a benefit. Having simple to understand text and images happen to be a huge selling point for this guy who is always trying to learn something new.
Another point is that this camera like most now on the market will not delete images without a clear message. A beginner can't just "hit the wrong button and poof goes all".
When hooking up to the computer all is easy and the prompts and the editing software is easy to follow and includes basics to adjust brightness, sharpness and tone. Images can be cropped too.
Last Thoughts
I posted that I would not recommend this camera, the Sony DSC-S700. That said, my daughter is buying it from us...for a good price...for her. It's a fairly good beginner camera having all the basic features one would need in a camera. The 3X zoom is a bit weak though.
This camera does not have an no image stabilizer so one must be quite steady in taking photos.
This also uses a memory stick that is different than the one that works in three of our other cameras. That I didn't like. We had to pay for the card but unfortunately we can't use it in any of our other cameras or use one of theirs as a spare. The camera has built in memory for about ten images.
My biggest objection to this camera is not having a viewer in combination with a LCD screen that is barely visible is a poor combination. The images it takes in most circumstances are OK.
Without a cover and an exposed screen scratches will start appearing soon. I did drop this camera once and to my joy it continued working like a charm. That said, a case is needed! I do like the overall slim profile of the camera.
Looking for some great subject matter to take images of? Click if you dare.
We have owned a Sony Cybershot before. This one had what we needed for the day with a 7.2 mega pixel rating and a ISO to 1000.
Our Experience
We took a couple of images in the store. All seemed OK. It was when we were out in the field. OK, really on the beach, that we realised the camera does not have a viewer to look through. Most of the time that's just fine but in bright sunlight reflected again on the light coloured beaches we could barely see anything through the 2.4" LCD monitor. Bad news for us.
In spite of the problem we were able to take a number of fine photos those two days. One of the reasons we did purchase this camera is because it takes two AA batteries that are found most anywhere. The camera did come with two batteries that didn't even make the two day getaway. A quick walk to a local convenience store and we were back in business. I didn't notice any warnings that the battery was getting weak. At one point the camera would not open. I was able however, to get to see the images already taken in the camera. At first we thought we broke something. I then realized there wasn't enough power to open the camera. I realized later that there is a low battery warning but it's near invisible on the screen in bright light. The Duracell batteries we purchased have lasted quite a while longer than the original junk they gave us.
Not Doing It's Job
We took about forty or fifty images those two days. Most seemed just fine. I could tell however that the flash was not as strong as other basic cameras that cost just a few dollars more. We use the flash to get rid of harsh shadows in bright sun. The flash didn't do it's job in most instances.
I did notice that my wife's hair, quite blond came out whitewashed in many pictures where the rest of the image was perfect. It showed her with white hair.
There is a "Snow" setting on the camera that is specifically designed for shooting when there is a lot of white in the picture. I wonder if that would have helped with the problem we had. We didn't try it.
Most of the photos without her hair, we do tend to shoot portraits, were of good quality and when my wife brought home photos made from the camera we were pleased.
The camera does come with a nice little strap but doesn't come with a case. We babied this camera those two days because we didn't have a home for it.
Little Extras We Liked
One thing I like to do after taking images and going through them is to scroll through and crop a bit. This can be previewed on this camera. What I liked was once I was on the image and pressed the telephoto rocker switch it brought the image closer but not nearly as close as other cameras I have owned do. I found that advantageous because most of the photos were close enough to what I was looking for in the first place.
My wife enjoyed taking photos on the docks loaded with old fishing boats in the sepia tone. That for her, the artist, added a little extra fun.
The camera does take movie shots while recording sound however one can't hear the recording on the camera playback. It will be heard when on the PC. The movie images are OK for the quality of the camera. You won't be showing those images on a wide screen though.
I liked the "Soft shot" setting. That's where you can take a portrait shot and the background is slightly blurred. It's almost like shooting with a large aperture opening creating a depth of field that contrasts foreground and background.
Good Starter Camera
Some of the features we liked about the Sony DSC-S700 digital camera, and were already mentioned, might be of interest to a first time digital camera owner. The feature where one turns the knob and the setting is posted in text on the screen is helpful. It shows both the setting and explains with just three or four words the benefits of the feature. An example is turning to the Twilight Portrait In addition to the setting being viewed a few words pop up stating Shoot portraits in low light with flash
I would also like to mention, especially noted for a first time digital camera owner, that the instructions given with this camera make set-up of basic functions easy to understand by clearly stating how a feature can become a benefit. Having simple to understand text and images happen to be a huge selling point for this guy who is always trying to learn something new.
Another point is that this camera like most now on the market will not delete images without a clear message. A beginner can't just "hit the wrong button and poof goes all".
When hooking up to the computer all is easy and the prompts and the editing software is easy to follow and includes basics to adjust brightness, sharpness and tone. Images can be cropped too.
Last Thoughts
I posted that I would not recommend this camera, the Sony DSC-S700. That said, my daughter is buying it from us...for a good price...for her. It's a fairly good beginner camera having all the basic features one would need in a camera. The 3X zoom is a bit weak though.
This camera does not have an no image stabilizer so one must be quite steady in taking photos.
This also uses a memory stick that is different than the one that works in three of our other cameras. That I didn't like. We had to pay for the card but unfortunately we can't use it in any of our other cameras or use one of theirs as a spare. The camera has built in memory for about ten images.
My biggest objection to this camera is not having a viewer in combination with a LCD screen that is barely visible is a poor combination. The images it takes in most circumstances are OK.
Without a cover and an exposed screen scratches will start appearing soon. I did drop this camera once and to my joy it continued working like a charm. That said, a case is needed! I do like the overall slim profile of the camera.
Looking for some great subject matter to take images of? Click if you dare.
