Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1

usability, portability, performance, size, screen

image quality, price, flash, durability, focus

83% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Sleek, light and small. Unique, striking design; very good photo and video quality; special video presets, including two buffer modes.

Proprietary MPEG-4 videos require an MPEG 4 CODEC or Sony's software to view and convert. 3X optical zoom lens feels too short for video. Slow recycle time; too easy to cover the lens with a finger.

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Eye-catching design; big, bright 2.5-inch LCD screen; solid snapshot feature set; pleasing photos and excellent movie quality for a combo unit; great performance.

Horrible bundled software; control layout takes some acclimation; low-light shutter lag.

If you're looking to buy a digital camera that takes decent movies, this is your best current option.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 looks nothing like any of its Cyber-Shot predecessors, with an unusual (and honestly, rather difficult to describe) body that will definitely attract attention wherever you use it. Somewhat akin to a cell-phone (although a...

Interesting" design - you love it or hate it ; Excellent movie mode: long recording times, small file sizes, zoom during filming, stereo sound ; Robust performance ; Large, rotating 2.5" LCD visible even in bright outdoor light ; AF-assist lamp ;...

Expensive for what it does ; Clumsy design: poorly placed controls, flash, AF-assist lamp; buttons are too small; poorly-designed battery compartment ; Picture quality is disappointing: images seem soft and fuzzy ; Redeye a problem ; Weak flash ; LCD...

All-in-all, I can see how gadget lovers would find the DSC-M1 appealing. But for the average person, you could get a nicer camera (in all respects except for total movie recording time) for less money -- so my advice is to pass on the M1.

While the Sony DSC-M1 may not take the best photos, the movie capabilities definitely make up for this fault.

The coolest-looking fusion camera on the market, high resolution movie mode with stereo sound capture, unique hybrid still/video-in-one capture mode, good point-and-shoot feature set, comes with charge/ transfer station.

Pricey, slight learning curve, tiny flash with short reach, average still-image quality.

Larger Memory Stick Duo card

The Sony Cybershot DSC-M1 is a camera designed to increase the quality of video that digital cameras can offer. It offers MPEG4 (MPEGMOVIE4TV) which means higher quality video (up to 50% more vertical resolution). It also offers not one but two...