Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

I own several photo equipment and nothing will suit every situation. For huge enlargements needed for professional work nothing beats medium and large format film. Which is not what these cameras are made for. In the 7MP range the V3 is the best choice. Fairly priced and very good quality picture in a reasonably compact body.

Canon G6 may have a little better quality image, but what is also important for snapshots is shutter lag time, that is the time between the moment you press the button and when the picture is taken. Here the V3 is unbeatable with less than 0.1 sec. This means that you won't loose the photo or have a blur instead of your children recorded. This is why I bought this camera, it is better to have a little less detail looking through a lupe than loosing the picture. Despite the startup time, 3 sec, which is not too long I think that this camera beats the other 7MPs because of the smaller shutter lag.

Another thing that helps is that it accepts Compactflash. the only problem is having to buy a MS pro to be able to record high quality video, but I can live with that.

When I can carry heavy stuff I bring film equipment or my Canon 10D. Otherwise the V3 is my choice, the ultra compact ones just don't have good enough picture quality for printing and the shutter lag is usually unbearable, so I think it is better to carry something a little bigger.

If you want very high quality pictures, film like quality, you have to buy bulkier equipment like the Canon 20D (US$1,500.00). And for professional work Canon 1DS Mark II or a medium format digital, but then you have to spend from US$8,000.00 to US$25,000.00.

So there is no point in people complaining about picture quality in a compact US$700,00 digital camera that delivers pictures with about the same quality as its competition. Sony makes very good digital cameras, not miracles.

I Own a Sony DSC-F828, and really wasn't looking for another camera, but the fact of the matter is that since the 828 is essentially a SLR camera, once you had the flash Etc. you got yourself one heavy piece of equipment!So seeing as we had a new baby coming along I found my self in the market for something lighter, but I was determined that it have as much of the power and capabilities as my 828.This was a tall order! The first camera wasn't a Sony at all it was the Canon G6 wich all in all was a fine camera and one I considered seriously until I saw the V3 on sony's web site. I sell camera's at BestBuy as one of my many jobs and I can tell you that that for every G6 we sell we sell 4 V3's heres why. First of all is the general design of the body, the G6 is essentially a box with a lens stuck on it! While the V3 is smaller and more contoured in shape and feel. One minus here, and I'm sure you've heard about this before... the eye piece on the V3 is poorly placed, and virtually useless, but with that big beautiful 2.5 LCD screen on the back you wont need it! As far as optics the G6 and V3 are just about dead even both having 4X optical, I give this one to Sony also because next to Canon I fell Ziess lenses are superior in optics and quality. (just an opinion) Next moving to flash ability, as far as on board flash this one goes to the Canon, the onboard with the V3 is useless for anything more than 5 or 6 feet away the Canon fared slightly better, both cameras equip with a hot shoe for an external flash, an when you slap the Sony X-32 flash on the V3 the results or nothing short of astounding again blowing the G6 out of the water! Another quick note on the V3 flash, if you plan on buying the V3's lense hood from Sony or here at Amazon include an external flash in your budjet! The hood does cause shadowing!! Word to the wise. As far as function the V3 has a extremely fast start up time, 1.1 or 1.3 seconds,The G6 was a little slower. Getting into speed hear me when I tell you this...if you want a camera faster than this you need to start looking at SLR's. This ain't no Nikon 2600 or a Canon A85, the V3 and G6 are both extremely fast cameras, again I found the V3 to be faster ( remember because of my job I get to do hands on comparisons) On virtually every other score I found the V3 to be the better of the two cameras heres a quick list of some of the biggest advantages the V3 has:

1.BIG LCD screen!! At last you can see what your shooting! Don't bother with the eye piece however, it just about useless!

2.Easy to read and navagate menus. If you want to start messing around with shutters and apatures this is your camera.The scene settings are great too, but I recomend using "P" mode for most of your picture taking! (just remember to have a tri-pod ready in low light!)

3. Video, video, video Sony is the undisputed king of on board digital camera video! Great sound, great Resolution It aint DVC, but it ain't bad either! You can get upto 44Minutes worth on a 1GB card (stick)! NO MORE CLIPS!!

4. Decent battery life. About 220 minutes per charge. Im not sure about the G6 (A friend of mine owns one, and he said he got about the same.)

5. Dual memory capability! A huge plus here! The ability to carry twice the memory ready and available right on the camera!Just flick the switch!If you are a volume picture taker this is a Gift from above for you. One minus however the V3 can't use Micro-Drives. (Maybe on next years model!?!?) The V4?

6. Picture. The V3 takes clearer shrper pictures than it's counterpart, bottom line. Not to mention the fact that you can crop your shots within the camera, and even select the resolution of the new image!! Fantastic! Beat the snot out of the G6 in ambient and low light settings. The G6 does have better ISO response, but not by enough for me to reccomend it over the V3.

7. A sane, Useful array of shutter speeds, and apature settings. I hate it when a camera adds a 40 or 60 second shutter delay, or a 1/2000 shutter speed, and then charges you 300 or 400 bucks for your trouble! Most mortal picture takers like you and me don't need these! (hell Im a professional photographer and I rarely do) the V3 shutter speeds range from 30 seconds all the way up to a scorching 1/1000, the apatures are set up likewise, It's a nice selection of speeds, allowing the use some really nice creativity options!

the apaturesThe Bottom Line, and what is it?

Sony has again set the new standard for so called point and shoot cameras, by increasing functionality and power while maintaining a compact size.Just search through Amazon here and you will be astounded at all the extra's available for this little camera! I like to call these new cameras Hybrids because they combine a little of both worlds. Sony proved they are the masters at this when they released the DSC-F828 which in my opinion is one of the most amazing digital cameras ever made! Tempramental but amazing! And that is where I can best describe the V3, It has many of the features and most of power of its predacessor (F-828) but is much more user friendly and tolerent of misgudgement on the photographers part. With the G6 like the 828 I found I have to work for great shots (not that I mind working) but with the V3 they just seemed to happen. The camera seems to act like an extension of yourself, and that is what any great camera should do. So to Sony I say Bravo again!! I bought one for my father, one for me and every damn accessory for it I can lay my hands on! If your ready this could be and will be the last digital camera you'll ever have to buy. To the Canon people out there don't get mad, the G6 is a fantastic camera in every sense of the words, but the V3 is an experience in photography not just another tool for taking snapshots!Sorry!

This is (if you'll excuse the pun) the best buy!

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom Now

If one is looking at this camera you should be glad that this camera can record not only on Memory stick but also on CompactFlash Type I cards. So, for anyone trying to upgrade from Sony digicams with plenty of Memory Sticks, you can't beat this one. Also, for all those who complain about expensive Memory sticks, you have no reason to complain on this Sony ;-)!

V3 has lot of advanced features professional photographers demand like those found in F717 while having all the auto features needed for normal family photographer.

For someone trying to move from V-1 to V-3, you will be glad about the higer capacity battery and larger LCD, while you will miss the compactness of V-1. If you prefer smaller pocketable size, this will not fit your needs. You should consider DSC-W1.

I feel V3's main strength is it's capability to take excellent indoor pictures. As a dad of two, I take most of my pictures indoors at parties and home and this camera stands up to the best digital camera I used for indoor photography namely, Sony's DSC-F717.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom Here

This camera though very similar to the Canon G6 comes out ahead in some aspects:

1) Cool Sleek Black Body with a nice feel and made out of metal and plastic;

2) Several Night shooting modes including a very nice laser hologram focus tool;

3) Dual memory slots for CF and MS;

4) This one is the killer: Full Screen VGA video (G6 does not even come close);

5) Pictures are more detailed and sharper than G6.

6) Great 2.5-inch LCD which auto-brightens in low light

7) Full on high speed USB2.0. Canon G6 has the older slower USB 1.0.

I have always found the Sonys to be more reliable than the Canons.. So as far as this one is concerened..I went for the Sony

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Took about 100-150 photographs before realizing this camera needed a little help with both indoor and outdoor photographs.

Indoor: The onboard flash is just not sufficient. Large amounts of redeye, pets eyes looked like something off a horror movie and picture colors weren't the quality I was expecting. I spent 3-4 hours touching up my first set of pictures with photo software (not included). I purchased the HVL-F32X flash and the whole indoor world changed. Redeye almost totally disappeared, my pets look friendly again and colors were much richer and fuller. So add $140-150 to the price for an external flash, don't go cheap here.

Outdoor: Pictures weren't as crisp as expected. I believe it was caused by sunlight glare and the cameras aperture choice, so I added the VAD-VHA adapter and a Circular Polarizer which helped along with opening the aperture a little. Other online reviews can explain how to do this.

So my second set of photos needed almost no editing and I am very impressed by the quality. The camera is solid and time from shot to shot is amazingly fast. I am using a High-Speed MSX-512N Sony memory stick and a 256MB SanDisk Ultra II CF Card. I noticed the write speed on the memory stick are slightly faster than the CF card. But to be honest, I don't think the difference is that much to justify the extra cost of the memory stick.