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print-optimized page. Manufacturer Overview More than any other single
company, Sony has dominated the digital camera market the last few years, thanks
in large part to the easy computer interfacing offered by their Mavica(tm) line
of floppy-disk based cameras. They've also been active at the high end of the
market, with products like the DSC-D770 and DSC-F505, which caught the eye of
many pros and advanced amateurs for their excellent optics and exposure
control. This spring
(February, 2000), Sony stunned the digicam world by announcing no fewer than
six new models. At the lower end, they extended their Mavica line,
cleverly using special versions of the "FlashPath" floppy disk memory card
adapter in conjunction with their Memory Stick technology to deliver "floppy
disk" cameras with potential storage capacities as high as 64 megabytes. In
their CyberShot still camera line, they brought out several new models,
providing a range of resolutions and feature sets. This review covers a
mid-range CyberShot model, the DSC-S50, which sports a 2.1 megapixel sensor, 3x
optical zoom lens, and features like advanced exposure modes (aperture and
shutter priority) and MPEG movie recording with full sound and video. Highlights
2.1 megapixel CCD delivering up to 1600 x 1200 pixel images.
560 x 240 pixel, TFT color, rotating LCD monitor.
3x, 6.1 to 18.3mm lens (equivalent to a 39 to 117mm lens on a 35mm
camera).