The S series from Sony is offering compact affordable cameras different from the ultra-compact stylish ones not just because of the design but also because these have less shooting options. The S700 in particular is a 7.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and a 2.4 inch LCD. In program auto, you can change color settings, metering modes, white balance, ISO, JPEG compression level, flash level, and sharpness. The mode dial and shutter release on the top are easy to operate and the zoom button is a bit tiny.
Shutter lag, when you’ve already achieved a focus and exposure lock, is around 0.2-0.3 seconds and, in well-lit conditions, focus is achieved in under 0.5 seconds (low light condition under 1 sec.). LCD is fairly visible in bright sun; if you purchase high power AA rechargeable batteries, you’ll be able to take allot of pictures (over 400) due to the camera’s low power consumption.
Colors are bright and saturated, details are soft and shooting against the natural light might result in chromatic aberrations. Noisiness is not a problem. The flash in the S700 is not strong at all, I might consider it a real issue of the camera performance, and, concluding with the rest of the facts, I say Sony DSC-S700 is a good camera for outdoor and low light family photos.
Sony Cybershot DSC-S700
Sony Cybershot DSC-S700 Digital Camera Specifications
Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Auto, P-Auto, and Scene Selections
• Scene Modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Snow, High Sensitivity and Beach
• Movie Mode: 320 x 240 audio/video clips at high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second)
• Effects: B&W, sepia, natural, rich, and normal
• Flash Modes: auto, always on, disabled, and slow synchro
• White Balance: auto, daylight, cloudy, fluorescent, and incandescent
• Metering: Multi, Spot
Technical Data:
• 2.4 inch LCD
• 7.2 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom + 2x digital zoom
• Focal Length: 5.8 to 17.4 mm (35-105mm)
• Aperture: f2.8-9.7(W), f4.8-9.7 (T)
• ISO Range: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000
• Focus Range: Normal Minimum: 19 3/4″ (50cm), Macro Minimun: 2” (5 cm)
• Flash Range: 0.5 – 3.5 meters
• Exposure Compensation: ±2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
• Shutter Speed: 1/8-1/2000 sec. (Auto); 1-1/2000 sec. (Program Auto)
• Continuos Shooting: 3 shots at 1-second intervals (VGA standard mode) or 2-second intervals (7.2 MP mode)
• Self Timer: 2, 10 sec
• File Format: JPEG
• Memory Stick DUO+ 24MB internal memory
• 2 X AA Batteries or NiMH Rechargeable – up to 460 shots
