Sony DSC-F88 Review

Click on the F88 for a 360° QTVR tour

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F88 features a compact, metal body, fitted with an internal Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3X optical zoom lens that allows it to rotate 300 degrees, so you can see your pose in the camera's 1.8-inch LCD screen before snapping the picture, providing you with a flexible shooting style.

Its 5.1 megapixel CCD image sensor ensures great picture quality, while its Sony Real Imaging Processor makes it blazingly fast with a near immediate start-up and impressive shot-to-shot time, so you can capture memories as they happen.

There are several angles you can capture with the F88's rotating lens including waist level and above-the-head shots. Its ability to rotate makes the camera perfect for hard-to-obtain low angle candid shots and for taking above-the-head close-up shots during crowded events. Creative shots can also be captured with the camera's self-timer feature. Set the camera on table, angle the lens as needed and trigger the self-timer for steady self-portraits.

Beginners or anyone can capture a picture quickly using the Auto or Program AE exposure modes. For those wanting complete control over the photographic process, the Manual exposure mode allows users to adjust the aperture from f3.5 - f8 (Wide): f4.2 - f9 (Tele), and set the shutter speed from 30 - 1/500 seconds. And the ten pre-programmed Scene modes allow users to capture optimum images in various shooting situations. Other advanced features include five-area auto focus, multi-pattern metering, auto fill flash, live histogram, and USB 2.0 High speed connectivity.

The F88 employs a rechargeable InfoLithium battery system for quick recharging time, which means that you will spend less time charging and more time taking pictures. The new camera also accepts both the Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO memory cards.

DSC-F88 Features:

• Sony 5.1 Megapixel effective CCD image sensor
• Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom 6.7-20.1mm (38-114mm equivalent in 35mm photography)
• Rotating lens (300 degrees)
• Still Image: 2592x1944, 2592(3:2), 2048x1536, 1280x960, 640x480
• MPEG VX with audio (640 X 480, 16.6fps), Video Mail with audio (160 x 112, 8.3fps)
• Auto, Program AE, Full Manual plus 10 pre-programmed Scene modes
• 9 Shot (JPEG fine), 16 Shot (JPEG std.), 1.6 fps
• Focus-Assist lamp for low light shooting
• Live histogram display
• 5 Area Multi-point AF, Center AF, 5-Step Manual
• 1.8" (134,000 pixels) LCD Screen with Auto Brightness
• ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400
• Adjustable color saturation, contrast and sharpness
• Clear Color/Clear Luminance Noise Reduction: Automatically cleans up long exposure images
• 14bit A/D Conversion - allows a wider dynamic range from highlight to shadow
• Built-in flash: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, and Slow Synchro (Red-Eye reduction On or Off)
• Supports High Speed USB 2.0
• NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium 3.6V 4.4Wh Battery and charger included
• Memory Stick & Memory Stick Pro compatible to 1GB, 32MB MS included.
• DPOF and PictBridge direct-print USB compatible

The Sony Cyber-shot F88 is available now for about $450

Sony DSC-F88 Specifications