Sony DSC-S90

Reviewed July 2005

Interface & Software

Interface

The interface of the DSC-S90 benefits from a 2.5-inch LCD screen which, by size alone, makes the icons, numbers and text that indicate settings that much easier to decipher. In addition, just like other recent Sony digital cameras, the interface uses an icon magnifying effect to draw the user's eye to any change in the settings for flash, macro or self-timer; a feature which can be turned off in the Setup menu if desired.

As explained in the Characteristics section of the review, the S90's Setup menu is reached as the last option of all menus, Shooting, Scene, Movie and Playback. The Setup menu itself is composed of 5 separate sections, each accessed through a tab on the left-hand side of the screen. The first sections are both called Camera and the first section, Camera 1 controls settings for:

• AF Mode controls how the S90's auto focus system functions:
  • Single (S-AF): activated only when the shutter release is pressed to the halfway point.
  • Monitor AF (M-AF): automatically adjusts the focus before the shutter release is pressed halfway, shortening the time it takes for the camera to be ready to shoot.
• Digital Zoom provides three options: Smart, Precision or Off. (See the Characteristics section of the review for more information about the settings of the digital zoom)

• Date/Time: selects if and how the image is permanently time/date stamped: Date, Day and Time, or Off.
• Red-eye Reduction On or Off. Controls the S90's red-eye reduction system, which emits brief flashes before the main flash fires.
• AF Illuminator: On or Off. Controls whether the AF assist lamp, which also serves as the Self-timer indicator, comes on when the ambient light is too low for the auto focus to operate reliably.
• Auto Review: decides whether an image will be briefly displayed (for 2 seconds) immediately after capture.

• Enlarged Icon: On or Off. As explained above, determines whether or not icons for flash, macro and self-timer are temporarily enlarged and shown in yellow when they current setting is changed.

• Format: formats the 32MB internal memory of the camera.

And, when a Memory Stick is present in the camera, the section is replaced by Memory Stick Tool and contains 4 options:

• Format: serves to format a Memory Stick.
• Create REC. Folder: allows creating a folder into which images will be stored.
• Change REC. Folder: changes the current Recording folder to another.
• Copy: allows copying all images stored in the internal memory to a Memory Stick with a capacity greater or equal to 32MB.

The last 2 sections of the Setup menu are simply entitled Setup 1 and 2:

Setup 1:

• LCD Backlight controls the brightness of the LCD monitor: Bright, Normal, or Dark.
• Beep controls the noises made by the camera:
  • Shutter: only makes a shutter sound when the shutter is released.
  • On: emits a sound for both shutter and camera operations.
  • Off: the S90 produces no sounds.
• Language selects the interface language: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese.
• Initialize: resets all the camera settings to their default settings.

Setup 2:

• File Number: Series or Reset. Series numbers images consecutively. Reset restart numbering images from 1 when an empty Memory Stick is used, or the memory/Memory Stick is formatted.
• USB Connect sets the communication protocol: Normal, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) or PictBridge (to print directly to a PictBridge compatible printer).
• Video Out decides the signal the camera will send out of the AV port: NTSC or PAL.
• Clock Set: serves to set the internal clock and calendar of the DSC-S90.

Software

Sony bundles a single CD with the DSC-S90 entitled Cyber-shot Application Software. The disc contains Picture Package version 1.6, USB Drivers for all operating systems that need them and ImageMixer VCD2 from Pixela (Windows and Macintosh OSX).

Picture Package starts out with a menu that offers choices to :

• Create a Music Video/Slideshow Producer.
• Save images on a CD-R.
• View videos and Pictures on a PC.
• Burn a Video CD.

The viewer part of the program presents images as thumbnails, or index sheets, and double-clicking any one image opens it in a larger window which provides an editing option.

In addition the program makes it possible to create compilations of photos and videos as albums and slide shows, and burn them onto CDs, through the use of ImageMixer VCD2.

Although installed at the same time as the rest of the software, ImageMixer VCD2 is only partly useable, and cannot be used to burn DVDs until its upgraded version is purchased online.