Physical Tour

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**Back **

This digital camera definitely does not look like its competitors. Most compact cameras have a horizontal design; the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has a distinctly vertical look. The top of the back flips sideways for better LCD screen viewing. The back of the LCD screen has the usual gamut of slogans: "5.1 Megapixels and MPEG Movie 4TV." In between the left and right speakers is the word "Stereo." All of these words and features are neatly placed in the center of the LCD screen.

The joint between the LCD screen and the main portion of the body isn’t as nicely organized. There are three circular buttons: the top one lets users view pictures as thumbnails in the playback mode. The bottom two buttons are for deleting files and bringing up the menu. To the right of these buttons (when the LCD is flipped outward) is the large, circular multi-selector. There is a large outer rim that surrounds the four navigational buttons and the central selection button. The navigational buttons all have separate functions when they are not scrolling through menu options. The top button accesses the self-timer. The button on the left calls up the macro and landscape focus modes. The bottom button changes flash settings. The right button selects different focus modes. Centered directly below the multi-selector is the zoom toggle, which is reminiscent of a teeter-totter with the ‘W’ on the left to access the wide angle of the lens and the ‘T’ on the right to zoom in closely to subjects. To the right of the zoom toggle are three LED lights that are all properly labeled. The top one indicates when the flash is ready to go and when the battery is charging. The middle light blinks when recording. The bottom LED indicates when users are in the playback mode.

Directly below the zoom toggle is a V-shaped light-colored panel with three circular silver buttons at each point in the ‘V’. The left button is for the Photo mode that takes still images. The middle button is labeled Mode but is used to enter the playback mode. The button on the right enters the Movie mode and begins recording when pressed. Below the outer buttons are tiny switches that adjust the time recording before and after the snapshot in the hybrid recording mode.

**Left Side
**The left side is completely void of features.

**Right Side
**There is a power button at the top of the right side, although this is hardly used since the power automatically turns on when the LCD screen is flipped out. Below the power button is the built-in microphone, which is strangely placed. Fingers can easily cover it up, garbling the audio. Below the mic is a rubber rectangle that covers the DC in port. If the camera is viewed very closely, you can see a tiny wrist strap eyelet below the rubber door.

**Top
**There aren’t many features on the top of the Sony M2 because there simply isn’t much room. Atop the little lens are a few words hailing the camera’s 3x optical zoom lens, but that’s about it.

**Bottom
**The underside of the M2 reveals a tripod mount on the left side and a plastic hinged door on the right side. The door houses the lithium-ion battery and the Sony MemoryStick Duo or Duo Pro. Below the door is a jack that connects to the Cyber-shot Station cradle.

Components

**Viewfinder
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 does not have an optical viewfinder, but opts for the view on the LCD screen instead to serve as the method to frame shots. The LCD monitor flips outward from the camera body so users can get a better view without having to smash their noses into the camera, as they would with a conventional viewfinder. When a picture is taken, the live view on the screen blacks out for almost a half second. Many digital cameras black out, but usually not for this long.

On the LCD, users can check out the following information: the number of pictures left on the card or memory, mode used, a live histogram, image size, and the auto focus mode used. When manual selections like ISO are made, they also show up on the screen. The LCD has a decent view and provides plenty of info. The best part is that users won’t have to get too close to see what’s going on.

**LCD Screen
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With a transmissive, reflective LCD monitor that flips up and out to the left side, the Sony M2 provides decent views while recording and in playback. The screen is a large 2.5 inches, but its resolution isn’t up to par with some of its competitors. While some models with similarly sized screens have 230,000 pixels, the M2 only has 123,000. The low numbers show in the images. Users can see the stair-step-like patterns where straight diagonal lines are supposed to be. Still, the image is good enough that users can tell whether the image is in focus or not.

On a better note, the Sony M2’s LCD can be viewed from almost any angle. There is no backlight control, but the LCD looked decent in the dim Las Vegas convention center. Bright daylight could yield different results though. The LCD screen still provides decent views in live and playback modes because of its 100 percent field coverage and its decent color and contrast. Its only area of improvement could be the screen resolution.

To the left side of the LCD are some buttons that look like very flat icons at first glance. The top button plays slide shows with music when pushed. The middle button changes the LCD display to include grid lines and file information. The bottom button accesses movies.

**Flash **
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**A tiny built-in flash radiates from the front of the M2. It has four simple flash modes: Auto, Forced On, Slow Sync, and Forced Off. The red-eye reduction, which sends out about three pre-flashes, can also be turned on and off in the setup menu. This feature seemed to work quite well, as I didn’t get any red eyes while testing the camera at the CES booth. The flash is only effective from 0.3-8.5 feet, so it is quite weak even though there are Auto, Low (-), and High (+) flash level adjustments. I didn’t see much difference between the Low and the High levels. The flash is located directly above the lens and it lights the entire frame fairly evenly unless the subject is too close (then you get that shiny-forehead look).

**Zoom Lens
**The zoom lens isn’t incredibly impressive on this digital camera. It is a standard 3x optical zoom lens that ranges from 6.3-19mm, which is equivalent to 38-114mm. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is constructed from 11 elements – 3 of them aspheric - in 8 groups that do not protrude from the camera body.

A 3x optical zoom lens may not be enough to satisfy users who want a single device for both video and still image capture. In a "hybrid" model, more zoom is expected. Image stabilization is also becoming more common and almost expected, even if it’s digital. Unfortunately, the Sony M2 does not have this feature.

Perhaps the best aspect of the M2’s lens is that the focal length remains variable in both still and video recording modes. Many compact models still have only digital zoom available in the movie mode, and some still force a fixed focal length when recording video. The Sony M2 does have 2x digital zoom, but it degrades the picture quality and shouldn’t be used.

The Carl Zeiss-branded lens has maximum apertures of f/3.5 in the wide angle and f/4.4 in the telephoto. At a time when most compact models are offering wider f/2.8 aperture openings, the Sony M2 doesn’t live up to the standard. This will compromise low light capture and force more reliance on the flash. Another complaint: the zoom lens is controlled by an unnecessarily tiny toggle. Users will have to file their fingernails down to get to the ‘W’ or the ‘T’ end. The tiny toggle is very sensitive as well. It takes 12 taps of the fingernail to get from one end of the zoom range to the other. As you tour the range, a bar appears on the LCD screen with a ‘W’ on one end and a ‘T’ on the other. Many cameras with a 3x optical zoom lens will only allow about 6 stops within the range, so the Sony M2’s sensitive zoom control allows twice the flexibility of most—provided you have the physical dexterity to utilize it.

Design / Layout

**Model Design / Appearance **

Many compact digital cameras have a horizontal, boxy look. The Sony M2 veers away from tradition with its cell phone-like design. This Cyber-shot is vertically stacked with control buttons on the bottom, the lens on top, and the LCD screen either on top or to the left. Users can get a balanced grip with the M2 with one hand because of this vertical orientation.

The thin camera is constructed of a durable metal material and it feels like a drop or two on the cement wouldn’t faze it (although I didn’t test this). The only durability concern is if the M2 is dropped with the LCD screen pointed outward.

The dark metal has polished silver highlights around the rim of the lens and in select places to add some visual interest.

**Size / Portability
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is not incredibly thin, but is still quite compact with its 2 x 4.8 x 1.25 inch measurements. There are many smaller cameras, but the M2 is still small considering it is supposed to replace both a digital camera and a video camera. This Sony is heavier than it looks. It weighs 6.6 ounces without the lithium-ion battery and memory card. When it is loaded, it weighs 7.7 ounces. This isn’t enough to even strain a wrist, but is a substantial enough weight to justify spending $500 on it. The digital camera has a tiny wrist strap loop on the right side that will be tough to string anything through. The M2 isn’t incredibly slim, but is flat and would fit nicely in a pocket or purse.

**Handling Ability **

Turning on the M2 is easy—users have a choice of the power button or flipping the LCD outward and to the left side. After that, handling the Sony M2 can be a little tricky. The vertically designed model can be held with one hand, but some functions require two hands; the major complication to handling is the placement of buttons and controls. The multi-selector is at the top and the shutter release button is far below. And there isn’t a single shutter release button – there is one for still photos and one for video. Many conventioneers who handled this camera ended up recording when it wasn’t their intention. The non-intuitive setup made handling very difficult.

Some credit needs to be given to the M2 though. The M1 and the M2 have very similar bodies, but the M2 has a few more subtle curves meant to improve ergonomics. If you’re still unsure of how the handling would be, just hold your cell phone up like you’re going to take a picture with it; it’s about the same feel.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
**Good luck navigating the M2. Users of the M1 may find the transition to the M2 a smooth one, but users who are unfamiliar with the control placement are in for quite a learning curve. There are buttons all over the place. There are three buttons on the left side of the LCD monitor. The multi-selector is to the LCD’s right. There are two shutter release buttons labeled Photo and Movie, but these look like mode buttons at first glance (which is why everyone accidentally recorded both photos and videos). There are also a few small buttons scattered on the body for activating the menu system and deleting photos. The tiny buttons won’t bother users as much as the non-intuitive placement. Users will constantly search for buttons; taking pictures and video will never take so long.

**Menu **

The Sony menu system hasn’t changed at all. It is the same on the M2 as it is on every other Sony digital camera. When the Menu button is pushed, a gray bar appears at the bottom of the screen. When users scroll left and right through the icons, a text title appears just above it and a list of options appears. The icons aren’t totally intuitive; the Sharpness icon was vague and unfortunately, there is no help function. When users scroll through subsections, the selected item appears in yellow to stand out. The live view can still be seen beyond this, but a truly live view is only available when scrolling through white balance options. Users can see the difference between the Incandescent and Fluorescent white balance modes in real time. The font is the same bland font used on all Sony cameras. It isn’t interesting at all and reminds me of the intro to Doogie Howser, M.D., but at least it is still easy to read.

Navigation through the menus is complicated by the multi-selector’s high position on the camera. The recording menu has the following options: Camera, EV, Focus, White Balance, ISO, Image Size, Recording Mode, Bracketing, Burst, Flash Compensation, Picture Effects, Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, and Setup.

In the Recording tab, these are the options: Hybrid Record (Normal and Pre-Recording options), Digital Zoom, Date/ Time, Red-eye Reduction, AF Illuminator, and Auto Review.

The Card tab yields these options: Format, Create Recording Folder, Change Recording Folder, and Copy.

The Album tab reveals the Write in Album and Format options.

The Setup menu has tabs along the left side for faster navigation because it has a nice long list of options. The Setup 1 tab has Beep, Format Music, and Language options. In the Setup 2 tab, the File Number, USB Connect, and Video Out options can be tweaked.

The Playback mode has Folder, Protect, DPOF, Print, Resize, Rotate, and Setup options. The Playback menu appears across the bottom of the screen like the Recording menu.

The menu systems are quite intuitive to navigate, but the placement of the multi-selector makes handling a bit tricky.

**Ease of Use
**If Sony M1 users are upgrading to the M2, they will find it familiar and easy to use. However, the transition will be tougher for users unaccustomed with the strange layout of this Cyber-shot. The placement of the control buttons is odd, so finding the right buttons will take a bit of time. The menu system is intuitive and easy to read, which is good. There is no help function, but all of the icons have accompanying text titles. But getting to the menu may be rough; overall, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 won’t be known for its ease of use and will likely require a large learning curve for new users.

Modes

**Auto Mode **

The auto mode is just what it says it is. Once the Auto option is selected, all other options disappear except the image size and setup menu items. Users need only to point, zoom (if desired), and shoot. This is just what most users want. If not, the Program mode offers the widest range of menu options complete with white balance and ISO settings.

**Movie Mode
**The movie mode on the Sony M2 is supposed to be so good that consumers won’t even want to carry around a separate video camera. Indeed, it has television-quality video with its 640 x 480-pixel picture that records at a quick 30 frames per second (though only with the MemoryStick Duo Pro card). There is also a QVGA 320 x 240-pixel option that captures at a selectable 30 or 15 frames a second. The Sony M2 records the MPEG-4 video to the MemoryStick up to its capacity or to 90 minutes, whichever comes first.

Optical zoom is available in the movie mode, although there is no image stabilization to keep distant objects from looking like footage of an earthquake. To its credit, the M2 can focus quickly in the movie mode. Backlit subjects didn’t fare as well in the movie mode; they looked a bit dark and lights took on the crossed look.

The M2 records stereo audio with its video and plays it back within the camera in stereo as well. I tried to test this in the convention center, but due to the giant PlayStation about six feet from my left ear, I couldn’t tell how effective the stereo audio was. The Sony Cyber-shot M2 has a unique hybrid recording mode that allows users to shoot 5 seconds of video, take a full resolution still image, and then capture another 3 seconds of video. If users only want to snap a shot and record the 3 seconds afterwards, they may; that is possible too. More options for how long the two video segments could be would be nice, but this is still an innovative feature.

**Drive / Burst Mode
**If action shots are desired, the M2 does have a burst mode, although it doesn’t blow the competition away with its endurance. It takes only 4 shots in a burst, which is normal for a relatively inexpensive camera but insufficient for a $500 model. The 4-shot burst does not lengthen with smaller image sizes, but the time it takes to write the burst to the memory card shortens. At full resolution, it takes about 7-8 seconds to write a 4-shot burst to the memory. Still, the M2 shoots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution. There is a faster multi-burst mode that shoots 16 frames, but they are at a tiny 320 x 240 pixels. Each of those 16 frames is stitched together to form a single image. Sony markets this mode as a great way to check out quick movements like golf swings.

The M2 has a self-timer that is activated on the multi-selector; it consists of an orange LED that flashes and a beeping noise to indicate when the picture is captured ten seconds after the shutter release button is pushed. It also has exposure bracketing; see the Exposure section of Control Options for more on this feature.

**Playback Mode **

The playback mode is one of the most updated features on the M2. While the M1 had the standard index views and slide shows and such, the Sony M2 adds some unique and interesting features. First, the basics. The M2 can scroll through individual pictures or through index pages with 9 or 16 images on each frame. Scrolling through individual frames is more fun with the large ring dial that surrounds the multi-selector; the contraption scrolls quickly through images and has a flipbook-type effect. Pictures can be viewed right after taking them with the 2-second quick review function that can be turned on or off in the setup menu. Users can delete pictures from the quick view or can enter the playback mode via the Mode button and delete them from there. Individual images can be zoomed in from 1.1-5x. As in many recent Sony digital cameras, the M2 offers trimming and resizing options (these are saved as separate files).

The more unique features come in the pocket album function. The Sony M2 has 57 MB of internal memory that it uses to hold up to 1,100 VGA-sized copies of original full resolution photos. This pocket album concept is similar to the one on the Kodak EasyShare-one. Users store small pictures so they can easily access them and play them on televisions or computers with cool slide shows. The Sony M2 has all the bells and whistles for a slide show. There are fades, wipes, zooms, and other transitions that cannot be selected and only appear randomly. Users can choose how fast the transitions appear: Slow, Normal, or Quick. Users can choose whether to play all of the pictures or just selected ones in a folder. Even better, users can choose one of four preloaded soundtracks to play with their pictures. And even better than that is the option to load music from a computer onto the camera with the included Picture Project software. This way, users can use their own soundtrack instead of Sony’s preloaded tunes. The preloaded music lasts for 3 minutes; that is the time limit for customized music as well. Only four soundtracks can be saved on the camera at one time.

**Custom Image Presets
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has nine scene modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, High Speed Shutter, Candle, and Magnifying Glass. The last scene mode is really a glorified focus mode, the super macro mode that can take pictures as close as 1 cm. The only option missing from this list is the common and necessary Portrait mode. All of the scene modes are found within the menu; there are none located on a mode dial.

Control Options

**Manual Control Options **

There is no manual mode on the M2 and manual controls are hard to come by. The few that exist can be found within the Program recording mode. Users can manually select options for white balance, ISO, and focus.

**Focus
***Auto Focus
*This Sony Cyber-shot uses a contrast detection system that is controlled by three modes: the default 5-area multi-point AF, the center-weighted AF, and the spot AF. All of them worked quite quickly, although oddly the default multi-point seemed to be the slowest of the three modes. Each mode shows a different set of brackets indicating where the central focus is. The orange auto focus illuminator can be turned on and off within the setup menu. The M2 can focus from 19.7 inches normally. The auto focus system is responsive and works fairly well-although this was not a final production model. In the M2’s macro mode, that shortens to 8 cm and shortens even more to 1 cm in the super macro mode. The macro mode is easy to access with the flower icon on the left portion of the multi-selector. The super macro mode is found within the scene mode menu as the Magnifying Glass mode.

*Manual Focus *

This Cyber-shot has a 5-step manual focus that can be found on just about any Sony digital camera. Users can select from five preset focus points, but it’s hard to tell whether the subject is actually in focus with the menu in front of the view.

**Metering
**The metering is not manually selectable, but an all-purpose multi-pattern metering mode is used in the Sony M2. It seems to work pretty well except when subjects are backlit in the movie mode. When taking backlit still images, it seemed to properly expose pictures just fine.

**Exposure **

The Sony M2 has a standard +/-2 EV range with the typical 1/3 steps. Users unsure of which exposure value to use can activate the exposure bracketing function within the drive modes. This function takes three pictures in a selectable +/- 0.3, 0.7, or full stop increments. The pictures are taken in succession like a burst mode; it doesn’t take one frame and adjust it to three different exposure values like some digital cameras do.

**White Balance
**With its five preset modes, the Sony M2 is poised to capture accurately colored images in the following lighting situations: Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, and Flash. While this, along with the Auto mode, catches all the basics, mixed lighting could be tough to shoot in because there is no manual option. Many Sony digital cameras have a one-touch manual white balance option, but the M2 does not offer that. This is somewhat surprising for a $500 model.

**ISO **

Sony doesn’t go above and beyond in its ISO selections. Many compact models are starting to offer higher sensitivities; however, the Sony Cyber-shot M2 sticks with the standard range. It has an automatic ISO setting and manual options of 64, 100, 200, and 400. The ISO selection appears on the viewfinder so users can see what setting they’re in.

**Shutter Speed
**Night photography won’t be a strong point of the M2. Its shutter speeds range from 1-1/2000th of a second with extended speeds to 2 seconds. There is a slow shutter noise reduction feature that cleans up some pictures and will help in low light conditions. Getting the shutter to open for a long time is difficult though. The shutter speed cannot be manually adjusted, so users must activate the Twilight scene mode for the longest possible shutter duration.

**Aperture **

The Carl Zeiss lens on the M2 has apertures from f/3.5-f/8 when at its widest angle. When the lens is zoomed to its 19mm focal length, the apertures range shirts to f/4.3-f/10. The maximum apertures aren’t very impressive as many models now have wider f/2.8 openings. The small aperture settings further alienate the M2 from night photography and possibly more importantly takes away the low light video capture potential of the camera.

Image Parameters

**Picture Quality / Size Options
**The Sony M2 has plenty of image size options in both 4:3 and 3:2 formats. The following sizes are available: 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480. A 3:2-sized, 2592 x 1728-pixel image size is available for users who want to make perfectly framed 4 x 6-inch prints. This model has Standard and Fine JPEG compression settings.

**Picture Effects Mode **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has several picture effects that can be added during recording, but not during playback. Sharpening, contrast, and saturation all have Low (-), High (+), and Normal options. Unfortunately, there isn’t a live view of the results so I had a hard time telling the difference between the settings. There is also a Picture Effects option in the menu that accesses the Black & White and Sepia modes. Both modes have nice contrast and aren’t washed out. All of these effects are effective in both still and video shooting.

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity
***Software
*The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 comes with a suite of software that includes the standard Picture Package that comes with most Sony digital cameras. This software has basic editing features and adds a function that imports background music for the camera’s slide shows. The M2 also comes with Nero Vision Express 3 software that edits movie footage and burns DVDs.

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Jacks, Ports, Plugs *

The M2 comes with a Sony Cyber-shot Station cradle that eases transfer of images and video to the television and computer while charging the lithium-ion battery within the camera. The M2 has a jack that connects to the cradle. Users can connect directly with the camera’s DC in port, but must use the cradle to connect to the USB and A/V out ports. This is a great setup if the camera is used primarily at home. The cradle can always be connected to the computer or printer. However, if you’re on the road and you’re trying to pack light, do you really want to bring the cradle along with the camera? I wouldn’t want to carry it around, but I’d have to if I wanted to download images to a laptop to relieve my memory card.

*Direct Print Options
*The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is PictBridge compatible. From the Playback menu, printing is simple. Users can add individual pictures to the DPOF print order or they can print all pictures at once. There is no single button to print photos like on Kodak or Canon digital cameras, but it really isn’t difficult to figure this feature out.

*Battery *

The Sony M2 has an InfoLithium NP-FT1 battery that recharges within the camera body when it is docked at the included Sony Cyber-shot Station cradle. According to Sony, It survives 210 shots before needing a recharge.

*Memory
*This digital camera has a lot more included memory than most models. Many compact cameras have 16 or 32 MB at most, but the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has a vault of 57 MB. This supports the camera’s built-in photo album feature. For every full resolution shot taken, a smaller 640 x 480-pixel copy is stored in the internal photo album. Up to 1,100 shots of that size can be stored for easily accessible slide shows. The camera also has a slot for Sony MemoryStick Duo and Duo Pro cards.

**Other Features
***Hybrid Record Mode -* The Sony M2 records five seconds of video, then snaps a still image at full resolution, and then tops it off with a three second video. This feature is definitely unique to the Sony M2, although its true functionality is questionable. It seems like this will only lead to tiny random movie clips scattered across a computer’s hard drive.

Overall Impressions

**Value
**The Sony Cyber-shot M2 is meant to replace the necessity of buying separate imaging devices for still and video recording. So instead of buying a $300 digital camera and a $600 camcorder, consumers can opt for a $500 hybrid M2. You’re saving money, right? Maybe. Users must decide how much they’re willing to compromise to save a bit of cash. The pros: users won’t have to lug two big chunks of electronics on vacation to capture photos and videos. The cons: the video still isn’t camcorder quality and the camera’s lack of manual options makes it roughly equivalent to a cheaper point-and-shoot. All in all, the Sony M2 is marketed as a serious hybrid model, but there are other compact, cheaper models that offer just about the same functions and features.

**Comparison to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1
***Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 –* The first camera in Sony’s hybrid line has many very similar features. Both cameras have the same vertical design, but the M1 is slightly thicker and isn’t quite as comfortable to hold. The M1 is a tenth of an ounce lighter as well. Both cameras have 5.1 megapixels and a non-extending Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens. They have the same 2.5-inch LCD monitor that flips outward and boasts 123,000 pixels of resolution. The M1 does not have the pocket album function or the 57 MB of internal memory that the M2 has; this is the main distinguishing feature between the two cameras. The M1 retailed for $499 when it was released last year and can be found just above $400 online now.

**Who It’s For **
Point-and-Shooters – The Sony M2 has nine scene modes and hardly any manual controls, so it is definitely geared for consumers who don’t want to bother with extraneous features to get a good shot. Still, the layout isn’t completely intuitive for point-and-shooters.

Budget Consumers – At $500, the M2 isn’t the cheapest camera out there. But if consumers are still tempted by its cool slide shows and vertical look, they can justify it by arguing that it replaces buying both a digital camera and a video camera.

Gadget Freaks – These consumers will appreciate the unique vertical grip and the 57 MB of internal memory. The pocket album function with transitions and background music is the perfect venue to show off photos – and the new gadget.

Manual Control Freaks – Without manual control over shutter speed or aperture, the Sony M2 will have a hard time attracting this crowd. Even worse, white balance cannot be adjusted manually.

*Pros / Serious Hobbyists – *These individuals will have a hard time with the concept of this hybrid model. Serious hobbyists are more likely to get a Panasonic camcorder with three CCDs along with a high-end digital SLR for their imaging needs. These consumers don’t mind the pain of lugging 15 pounds of equipment. They’ll take the pain over the comparatively sub-par performance of a smaller model like the M2.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 succeeds the M1 and keeps many of its features. The cameras have identical auto and program modes and boast the same nine scene modes. Their 3x optical zoom lenses are the exact same – from their aperture ranges to the number of elements in each group. The cameras both have 2.5-inch LCD monitors that flip outward from the vertically designed body. The screens have 123,000 pixels, which isn’t as good as it could be considering the current place of the market.

The M2 does add some interesting features though. It throws in a Hybrid Record Mode that merges still and video recording into a sequence. The camera also adds 57 MB of internal memory that holds up to 1,100 640 x 480 pictures that can be played back on televisions with good quality. Every time a full resolution picture is taken, a small copy is saved within the internal memory album to make for easy emailing. This album can be called up for fancy slide shows. Users can play slide shows with transitions and even preloaded soundtracks. Sony provides four music clips, but users can upload their own beats with the included software. The Cyber-shot M2 also includes a Sony Cyber-shot Station cradle that easily transfers pictures to computers, televisions, and printers.

The Sony M2 is designed to appeal to consumers who don’t want to buy separate digital cameras and camcorders. It does merge the technologies, but doesn’t provide any truly advanced features. The digital camera portion of the M2 is extremely simplified. There are a few manual selections like ISO, but even the white balance cannot be custom set. The camcorder portion of the M2 isn’t overly impressive either. It has a 3x optical zoom lens, which is laughable compared to what other true camcorders are offering. Further, there is no image stabilization to keep videos from looking jumpy. The zoom does work while recording, but this is becoming more and more common among the M2’s competitors. All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is marketed as a great hybrid model but its 3x optical zoom, lack of image stabilization, and convoluted interface make the device only sub-par.