Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I owned the predecessor to this camera, the DSC-T1, for 1 year but dropped it in water last week and killed it. I tried drying it out for a few days but when I plugged it into the charger it just got overheated. I liked my DSC-1 and had paid $500 for it so when I was shopping and comparing cameras I was happy to see that Sony upgraded to the DSC-T5 with many improvements in the last year. I got this almost as soon as it hit the stores and paid $345 more technology for a cheaper price. Here are several reasons I chose this camera again over higher MP rivals and brands:

1 I love the slim, sleek design and the large 2.5" viewing screen which is larger than most cameras, large or small, provide.

2 The Carl Zeiss lens takes a very crisp, clear picture with 5.1 MP but you must make minimal adjustments to the built-in configuration with the camera once you take it out of the box. Otherwise, you will see darkened and blurred photos if you use the factory settings.

3 This camera practically fits in the palm of my hand and it does fit into a shirt pocket or a back seat jeans pocket to go anywhere, and it does go everywhere with me. I do not recommend the back seat pocket though. You can also use the supplied wrist strap for portability (and safety) and you should definitely buy a small, padded protective case.

4There is no pop out lens, you just flip down the small plate on the face and you have instant power, ready to snap a pic in 2 seconds.

5 The movie length is only limited to the size of your memory card, unlike most camera that have more MP but are limited to 3 minute movies. Good for when I want to film speeches or mini-movies such as: my 2 nieces having a watermelon eating contest. A 1 GB stick = 12 minute movie. I paid $75 for a 1 GB stick and there is a 2 GB available so far (SanDisk makes a compatible version of the Sony stick and SanDisk is almost half the $)

6 Even though I killed my DSC-T1, the battery, memory, adapters etc are compatible so I can use them all with the DSC-T5 EXCEPT the docking station from the T1 does not fit the T5.

7 The DSC-T5 has a faster shutter speed THANK GOD because the only think I disliked about the T1 is that, by the time I hit the button to take the picture, there was a 3-4 second delay between the flash and the actual picture being taken. Most people lost their smile thinking that the flash meant the picture had been taken. Sony fixed that problem with the T5

8 I seriously considered buying a camera with 8, 10, or 12 MP and pretty much decided on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel because a friend who is a professional photographer has it and he loves it, even better than his Nikon. The Canon shutter speed is much faster and I will probably buy it later when I am ready for a professional camera. However, the Canon is bulky and this Sony is so small and sleek it goes everywhere with me, is very light and I love the compact design. I have a small leather pouch that I had with my T1 and the T5 fits fine. It clips on my belt or I throw it in my purse and I am out the door. You can not do that with the Canon Digital Rebel. Make sure to get a camera bag for this camera, it is very delicate. My leather one was $25, it clips on my belt and it holds the camera, extra memory sticks and an extra battery.

9 The T5 is lighter than my T1 was but the ONLY things I would change are . . . had to be something rightthe camera body on the new T5 is very shiny and glares like a mirror in sunlight. The old T1 had a flat silver surface and no glare. Another thing I wish for is you can not use zoom while in movie mode, but it has a great zoom while in picture mode. The movie screen size can be adjusted and yes, the movie is a little grainy but you see and hear people from 15 feet away with no problem. I would also like to plug the camera into my laptop and store movies directly to my hard drive rather than transferring them later via the supplied cable. However, transfer time from camera to PC is very fast with the supplied USB cable and software and the cable will also plug into your TV for a slide show.

10 If you have patience, the next generation of this camera is due to hit the shelves in Jan 06 and should have a 6 MP with a flat black body optionmuch like the RAZR. Should be other improvements that Sony is just releasing and you can get the latest on that from the Digital Camera Review website where I get valuable info (I swear this is an independent review I do own this camera and I do not write for anybody)

Overall, I like this camera for its convenience and 5.1 MP delivers a very nice photo quality picture. Great convenience.

Inside this tiny little camera is a digital photgraphy powerhouse. My ONLY complaint is you cannot zoom while taking movies. Otherwise, the camera takes beautiful pictures (using one of many settings) and you can even take pictures in a widescreed HD format! The 2.5" LCD screen on the back is so large, you can see every detail of your pictures as you take them. And the biggest plus, your length of movies is limited only by the size of memory stick. If your memory stick is 1GB, you can take one continuous movie using the entire memory (About 14 minutes, depending on subject movement, lighting etc.)

If you use a digital camera for auction purposes, the magnifying glass setting will capture the smallest of detail for super close up photography.

An excellent camera for the price. Don't hesitate, you will be very pleased.

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Now

This camera really takes good pictures. It is so small and light that it goes just about anywhere. Sony really did a nice job with the Lithium battery. It's one of the few that actually tells you the time you have left to take pictures.

The only thing I could find wrong with this camera is the movie feature. While the sound is good the image is grainy.

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In the technical specifications above, it says that this camera will take "Memory Stick PRO Media". It will not. It will only take "Memory Stick Duo" and "Memory Stick Pro Duo" memory (the 1/2 size little Sony memory sticks) -such as this part number: SDMSPD-1024-A10

Love the camera.

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the online pictures do not do this camera justice... the black color makes it quite elegant, and the combination with silver and the svelte body is downright sexy. Sony has always been known for their design edge, and the T5 does not disappoint. the 2.5" LCD is large and bright, updates instantaneously with movement, and shows lots of detail; the matte coating helps the viewing under bright lighting. the operation of the camera is simple, because Sony has put very few buttons on the camera itself (most of the options will be via the internal menu). by the way, changing shooting options are updated live via the screen, so it's nice to get a glimpse of how that photo will look at EV+7 vs EV-7.

with any camera, the most important part obviously is the actual quality of the photo. with the T5, you're getting 5mp of very nice, clear photos. however, cameras with the internal zoom design tend to produce softer looking results, and T5 is not excluded; this means that at 100% viewing, the details are simply not as sharp as some of the cameras that use an external zoom design. (keep in mind that the tradeoff is very fast start-up times, slim and small body, and less "conspicuousness" -nothing screams "tourist" more than when those zoom lens start popping out.) but 70% and below, the pictures become very sharp and clean, and realistically, no one is buying this camera and expecting to use the photos without resizing, so the lens design can't really be considered a flaw. that said, 8x11 prints are very do-able with this camera. the colors are very natural, though perhaps comparatively cool if you look at Nikon or Canon (it's a matter of preference); if you'd like warmer photos, you can boost the saturation inside the camera menu. under less than optimal conditions (ie, indoors), camera shake becomes a problem, especially with today's diminutive models. T5 doesn't have a image stabilizer, so getting sharp photos indoors can be tricky, and the softness problem (from lens design) gets worse at the same time. i've figured out 2 ways around it. one, you can depress the shutter button completely at once (not the half press focus, then full press shoot); the camera will quickly focus and take the photo, and since you're using 1 motion, you decrease the chance of hand movements. the other is to use Burst mode: take 3-4 photos at once, then choose the best. using this latter method, usually 60-70% of the results i get are quite sharp and suitable for printing.

camera buying today is tricky business; you can't go by just the brand, since even famous makers produce flops (eg, Nikon's S series take pictures that are notorious for their blurry corners despite the reputation of the maker). the Sony T5 does not disappoint overall, because it doesn't have that many flaws; except for the lack of an image stabilizer, it has all the features a point-n-shooter (and even more advanced photographers needing a 2nd camera) will want and handles almost all lighting situations well, producing clean, pleasing results. at the end of the day, a camera is only as good as you learn to operate it; learn the weaknesses of a particular model, figure out how to bypass it, and you'll get great results everytime. with that said, in terms of pricing, design, and photo quality, it doesn't get much better than the T5; you'll not only get good photos, but look good taking them too.