The Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-W55

Powerful, colorful and pocket-sized, the ultra-compact Cyber-shot® DSC-W55 camera offers 7.2 mega pixel imaging, a Carl Zeiss® 3X optical zoom lens, high ISO 1000 sensitivity for low-light shooting and Stamina® battery power for extra long life and up to 380 shots. A bright 2.5" LCD screen makes it easy to compose shots, check results and read menus even in bright sunlight. The 56MB of onboard memory allows you to save photographs without a flash memory card. And the optional Memory Stick Duo™ media slot makes it easy to save and exchange photos. The Cyber-shot® DSC-W55 is available in four stylish colors including: black, blue, pink, and silver.

Features include….

* 7.2 Mega pixel with Super HAD™ CCD - The Sony® Super HAD™ (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design lets more light pass to each pixel, improving sensitivity and reducing noise.

* Carl Zeiss® 3X Optical Zoom Lens Design - This advanced lens design allows the DSC-W55 to bring distant subjects closer and lets the user frame shots quickly—a significant advantage for action shots, outdoor fun and travel photos.

* Large 2.5" LCD Screen - a large and bright LCD screen that is easy for the eyes, letting the user compose shots, check results, share photos instantly and read camera setup menus even in full sunlight.

* High Sensitivity Mode - with high ISO 1000 sensitivity, the DSC-W55 takes better shots in low light so the user can shoot without flash to preserve the mood—fantastic for birthday parties, indoor gatherings and candid portraits.

* Original Sony® Clear RAW™ NR (Noise Reduction) image processing technology - helps negate color noise that can happen with high-sensitivity shooting.

* 56 MB Internal Memory - capture a large number of images with the onboard memory, great for traveling or for quick snapshots.

* Memory Stick Duo™ Media Convenience - a built-in slot for optional Memory Stick Duo™ or Memory Stick PRO Duo™ media is provided, making it easily to upload photos to your computer or make lab-quality prints at home on your Sony Picture Station™ digital printer (sold separately).

* Function Guide Text/Icon Display - skip the user manual and let the on-screen Function Guide text/icon display teach you the camera functions that you want, giving you greater creative freedom to adjust the photo settings you are interested in.

* Versatile Color Modes - greater creative freedom to adjust color mode for the creative results you want is yours—use the Natural setting for subtle colors, the Rich setting for more intense colors, and the Monochrome and Sepia color settings for special effects.

* Convenient Photo Modes - easily adjust to specific shooting situations by choosing from several available photo modes: Auto, P-Auto, and Scene Selections for Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, High Sensitivity, Soft Snap, Snow, and Beach environments.

* 14X Smart Zoom® Feature - this camera feature intelligently "crops into" the central portion of interest in your photo, avoiding the image degradation found with many other digital zooms.

* MPEG Movie VX Fine Mode - capture VGA (640 x 480) audio/video clips at high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second), with length limited only by the capacity of your media.

* Stamina® Battery Power - capture up to 380 shots with a fully charged NP-BG1 Lithium Ion battery.

* Burst Mode - fire off four successive shots automatically at 7.2 MP mode or up to 64 shots at VGA Standard mode, and get that perfect shot of even unpredictable subjects like animals and small children.

* Picture Motion Browser Software - easily upload, organize and search photos on your PC with the supplied software package. Includes a convenient map view function to sort photos by location and display their origin on a world map by using an optional GPS unit.

Other specifications:

Dimensions: 2.3" high x 3.5" wide x .9" deep
Weight: 4.2 oz
PictBridge Enabled: yes

Users give solid reviews of this product, with the ease of use and zoom capacity being particular favorites. Unlike many digital cameras, users are generally happy with the battery life of this model. Users do complain that the software is not compatible with lower-end or home-built computers, that the factory-specific batteries are expensive, and some users would prefer slightly larger control buttons.

This camera sells in the $150-$200 range.