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Photograph: Rick Rizner
Sony Cybershot DSC-S90 Digital Camera (4.1MP, 2304x1728, 3x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory)
- Spec Navigator
- Image Processor
- Storage
- LCD Screen
- Exposure Controls
- Dimensions
- Power
- Flash
- Lens Features
- Video
- Connectivity
- Other Features
- Tags
Image Processor
| Number of image sensor pixels | 4.1 megapixels |
| Image sensor | CCD |
| Maximum horizontal image resolution | 2304 |
| Maximum vertical image resolution | 1728 |
| Image sensor size | 0.37 inches |
| Image sensor quantity | 1 |
| Image format |
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| Number of resolution modes | 6 |
| White balance |
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Exposure Controls
| Bulb setting | No |
| ISO equivalencies |
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| Exposure settings |
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| Metering characteristics | Multi-Segment |
| Number of scene modes | 7 |
Lens Features
| Optical zoom | 3 X |
| Maximum zoom | 6 |
| Digital zoom | 2 |
| Minimum focal length | 6 |
| Maximum focal length | 18 |
| Minimum aperture | 10 |
| Maximum aperture | 2.8 |
| Minimum focus distance | 3.8 |
| Lens mount | Fixed |
| Focus features |
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Video
| Maximum video capture resolution | 640 x 480 (VGA) pixels |
| Maximum frame rate | 30 |
| Video capture format | MPEG |
Connectivity
| Interface connection |
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S90
Cybershot DSC-S90 Digital Camera (4.1MP, 2304x1728, 3x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory) Review, by Anush Yegyazarian June 10, 2005
Sony's $300 4.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-S90 is a well-priced point-and-shoot camera that offers many of the features found on its higher-priced sibling, the 7.2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-W7.
Like the W7, the S90 starts up quickly and boasts a big 2.5-inch LCD display. The large size of the display makes reviewing your pictures enjoyable, and also improves the rudimentary trimming you can do on-camera. The controls of the two cameras are identical: There's a dial on top with seven scene modes, including general modes such as automatic and manual; stored image review; and VGA movie mode. The well-positioned thumbpad gives you quick access to the last picture you took and lets you scroll through flash, macro, self-timer and other settings, but the menus still take a few minutes to get acquainted with. You use the quick-launch button to set image quality, which ranges from VGA to 2304 by 1728, and to delete images when reviewing them.
In our image quality tests, the camera scored slightly below the average for point-and-shoots costing $300 to $400, earning a score of Good. Casual snapshot takers aren't likely to notice details lacking in 4-by-6-inch prints; however, of the 11 point-and-shoots we tested, the S90 earned the lowest score for the sharpness of its images printed at 8 by 10 inches.
If you're looking for a lot of metaphorical handholding as you take your shots, you may be disappointed with having just seven presets (two portrait modes, landscape, evening, beach, snowy or whitish scenes, and candlelit). Presets for backlit subjects and panoramic shots are obviously absent, though when I used the standard automatic settings to photograph a backlit object, I was pleased with the results. On the plus side, you can tweak a few more controls with the S90 than you can with many other point-and-shoot cameras; for example, the manual mode lets you adjust shutter speed, though it limits you to two choices of aperture ranging from f2.8 to f10. The camera gives you some guidance in this mode, comparing your settings to what it considers optimal for the subject.
The S90 offers a 3X optical zoom. There are four presets for white balance, and ISO ranges from 80 to 400. The camera offers center-point or multi-point autofocus, or you can choose one of five distance settings. You can also add lenses and filters to the camera, which is a nice touch for a low-priced point-and-shoot.
The silver plastic case could be lighter, but at 9 ounces with the battery it's not an albatross. Neither is it as sleek as some other models--the right side of the case is thicker to provide an easier grip--but the camera slips painlessly into a shirt pocket. The unit comes with two rechargeable batteries, but takes AA disposables in a pinch. The S90 performed well in our battery tests, lasting 432 shots.
In burst mode, the S90 can take four successive shots at fine resolution, or 30 shots at VGA resolution. By comparison, at VGA resolution the Cyber-shot DSC-W7 can take 100 shots in burst mode. Perhaps most disappointing is the S90's limited shutter speed range. Its slowest speed is 1/8 second, which pretty much precludes tripod-mounted photography; all other cameras in this price range can keep their shutter open for at least 4 seconds. Likewise the S90's maximum speed is 1/1000 second; most other point-and-shoots reach 1/2000 second.
Upshot: The low-priced S90 offers more manual controls than a typical point-and-shoot, and its large LCD is alluring, but its middling image quality won't impress ambitious shutterbugs.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S90
4.1 megapixels, 2304 by 1728 maximum resolution, 38mm to 113mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2.8 to f10 maximum aperture range, shutter speeds from 1/8 second to 1/1000 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB connection, 32MB internal memory and Memory Stick slot, rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries, 8.9 ounces, Picture Package 1.6 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, 15-hour daily toll-free support.
$300
877/865-7669
www.sonystyle.com
Anush Yegyazarian
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User Reviews
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: galaxyworld
Strengths: Excellent image quality,quick start up,Stylish look
Overall: DSC-90 is a nice camera with lot of features. It have quick startup, Big 2.5" Screen, auto mode feature, 32 Megabytes of inbuilt memory which will be helpful sometimes if you forgot your memorystick,excellent picture quality even in low vision, stylish look. Good camera if you don't want to do settings manually as it have auto mode feature.
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Reviewed by: brucebenson
Strengths: Excellent results, even in auto mode. Flash works well.
Weaknesses: The manuals.
Overall: Sony has unkindly put its user info in 2 manuals. The User's Guide/Troubleshooting manual at 100 pages covers most of what you need to know, but it's poorly organized. One section refers you to another, then another, etc. Most perplexing, however, is that some of the very basic steps, such as how to delete, are not in this manual. Instead, you have to refer to a large "Read Me First" sheet. Guess what I've misplaced. I can't fathom why Sony would do this to its customers.
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Reviewed by: sellmen
Strengths: Compact and stylish body, large 2.5" LCD, great battery life, excellent photo quality, great movie mode
Weaknesses: Doesn't have full manual controls
Overall: I've used this camera for a couple months now and have very few complaints. The body is light and compact - the camera uses only 2 AA batteries for power. Despite this, battery life is superb. Using rechargeable NiMH AA's, I've taken hundreds of shots without needing to recharge. Picture quality outstanding. Images are sharp, colorful, and contrasty. Distortion is minimal, and noise levels below ISO400 are perfectly acceptable. ISO400 pictures are probably usable with some noise reduction software, but you'll end up loosing some detail. The 4MP resolution is more than enough for quality 8x10 prints. The camera performs very capably. It starts up in about 3 seconds. Autofocus is quick, and there is minimal shutter lag. The movie mode is outstanding. You can shoot at VGA resolution (640x480) at 30FPS until your memory card is full. There are lower quality options available if you want to extend your recording time. My list of complaints is short. I'd certainly like to see more manual controls. There are no aperture priority or shutter priority modes - you only get a fairly strange manual mode. In this mode, you can select any shutter speed you want, but you only get to pick between two aperture values. As you can imagine, this makes it very difficult to obtain a proper exposure with an aperture and shutter speed combination that you desire. My second complaint is that the burst mode is weak. You can only take four shots in a row. Otherwise, I highly recommend this camera. It has a nice 2.5" LCD, great battery life, and it takes excellent photos. If you plan to spend most of your time in "auto" mode or in one of the preprogrammed scene modes, this is a great camera for you. If you want more manual controls, I'd look elsewhere.
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Reviewed by: deshwasi
Strengths: Easy Operation, Good Build, Nice Pics
Overall: This ia an excellent camera that takes very nice pics and is easy to handle (not too small like many of the latest cameras). uses Memory Stick which is slightly expensive but pictures come out very nice, well saturated. low-light performance is adequate.
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Reviewed by: smithblack0
Strengths: Nice digital camera. big screen and fast shot. The lens is much better than that of other brands such as canon or kodak. small size
Weaknesses: expensive memory card if i have to name one
Overall: boght it month ago, already took 100 pictures. once had a s60, but this one is much better and i love it. highly recommend to everyone if you could get a cheap price as I got it from dell at 149.
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