Digital Camera Review: The Sony Cyber Shot Takes All the Right Pictures

There are a lot of options, features and price combinations to evaluate while you're shopping for a digital camera. Luckily, my boyfriend did the hunting for me and bought me a 4.1 mega pixel Sony Cyber Shot DSC-S40 for Christmas last year. He made a great choice, and I have about 1,600 photographs racked up on my computer to prove it.

First things first, this little camera can fit into my smallest of purses, so it's sure to capture great moments at all times, even during nights out. The flash is bright enough to capture photos in low light and at night. Its silver body and rectangular shape make it a sleek little accessory, too.

And to make sure I can hold onto all those great shots, the Cyber Shot has 32 MB of internal memory. That memory isn't really a lot if you're taking high-quality photos, but it's a problem easily remedied by a memory stick.

My Sony Cyber Shot has great battery life, too. For example. I took a week-long vacation recently, and I was snapping pictures almost constantly. I brought along my battery charger just in case, but I never had to use it. I didn't even have to use the spare set of AA batteries I brought along!

The Cyber Shot has a Carl Zeiss 3X optical zoom (32-96mm), and for such a little camera, I've been impressed at how close I can get to my subjects. And to make sure I've gotten the shot I want, the Cyber Shot has a wonderful screen. The picture viewing screen is surprisingly large (1.5 inch color LCD with 77,000 pixels) and bright, which makes it easy to review pictures right after you take them.

For fun, the Cyber Shot has seven scene exposure options, including black and white and sepia tone. If your inner film maker takes over, you can record great video with sound. I just recommend finding a stable surface to set the camera down on while recording, as the slightest hand jiggle will shake the movie tremendously.

And for all the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-S40 offers, it's completely affordable. At amazon.com, it's possible to nab one for about $130. Shop around, though.

The only problem I've ever had with the Cyber Shot is missing a few shots because it wouldn't snap the picture fast enough. This is an occasional problem, and one I've learned to compensate for since getting the camera a year ago. So, if you're planning to take a lot of action shots (sports games, etc.) I would not recommend the Sony Cyber Shot.