Sony DSC-M2 Review

The DSC-M2 employs a high-quality F3.5-4.4 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 6.33-19mm optical zoom lens with 38 to 114mm coverage (as compared to a 35mm camera.)   This is an all-glass lens consisting of 11 elements in 8 groups with 3 aspheric elements and 1 prism. When powered down, the lens is protected by a built in lens barrier.

Auto focus is handled by a 5 Area Multi-point system, with Center AF and 5-Step Manual. The working range is from 19.7 inches (50cm) to infinity. Macro mode is automatic with a coverage of 3.1 inches (8cm) to infinity. The Magnifying Glass Mode covers an even closer range down to 0.4 inches (1cm.) An AF Assist beam aids accurate focusing on subjects with little contrast in dark conditions. It also makes the LCD screen image brighten to aid in framing.

The built-in flash has modes for Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, and Slow Synchro. Red-eye reduction can be enabled or disabled via the Setup menu. It uses a pre-flash for precise metering of the exposure. It also has auto daylight synchro fill flash for backlit or shadowed subjects as well as dynamic flash white balance for greater color accuracy. The working range for the flash is approx. 4 in. - 8.5 ft. (0.1 - 2.6m), when using ISO Auto.

The M2 has a large 2.5-inch Transflective LCD that swivels 270° and rotates 90° from the closed to open position. It's the only viewfinder and is also used to browse the menu system and to review photos and movies.

On the side is the manual Power button, the M2 powers up automatically whenever the LCD is opened. The Charging, Record and Playback indicator lights can be seen from this side or from the back.

Controls on the back: On the LCD bezel is the playback INDEX button, the Image Resolution button that serves as the DELETE button in playback mode, and the MENU button. The 4-way controller lets you navigate menus or select images during playback. Pressing the center button accepts selections. In record it lets you select the flash mode, spot metering, self-timer and Macro focus mode. The ring around the 4-way controller also lets you select photos by turning it clockwise or counter-clockwise. The Zoom lens controls in playback act as the magnify and index controls. There are two shutter buttons, one is for Photo and the other is for Movie recording. The Photo release has a selector switch for Normal or Hybrid recording, hybrid records a still image followed by a short movie clip. The Movie release has a Normal and 5-Sec position. The MODE button selects record or playback mode.

Located on the bottom with the battery is the Memory Stick DUO card slot. The DSC-M2 comes with internal memory and a Memory Stick DUO card slot, it can use any capacity Memory Stick DUO or Memory Stick DUO Pro card. The use of a Memory Stick DUO Pro card is required for recording the high-quality 30fps movie clips.

The M2 has stereo microphones on the backside of the LCD.

Power is supplied by a rechargeable Sony InfoLithium NP-FT1 3.6v 2.4Wh battery.

Sony includes the AC power adapter/charger and this Cyber-Station docking cradle, the battery is charged in-camera. As always, we recommend the purchase of a second battery pack, just in case.

The Cyber-Station docking cradle provides the USB 2.0 connection to the host computer as well as the Audio (stereo) and Video (NTSC or PAL selectable) output.