Although the DSC-W100 is equipped
with an optical viewfinder, it is rather small and is clearly
intended more as stop-gap than a primary tool to frame images,
and as a result one tends to use the monitor. The most important
camera settings are indicated on the edges of the image and
when the shutter release is pressed halfway, so are the shutter
speed and aperture, which can be useful. Similarly, when the
Mode dial is turned, the camera displays a dial animation
on the monitor and if desired a short explanation of the mode
as it is selected.
The menu side of the interface is typical of Sony cameras.
Menu options are shown as a strip on the lower part of the
monitor, limiting the visual interference of the menu on the
image coming from the lens, or the image under review. Moreover,
all menus end with an access to the Setup menu. The
presentation of the Setup menu is different from the other
menus. The Setup menu is not superimposed on the image, but
instead takes over the entire screen. Divided into 4 parts,
the first section is entitled Camera:
AF Mode selects the autofocus mode:
Single (S-AF): autofocus operates only when
the shutter release button reaches the halfway point.
Monitor (M-AF): adjusts focus continuously
when the shutter release button is pressed to the halfway
point.
Digital Zoom provides three settings: Smart,
Precision or Off(see the Characteristics
section of the review for more information).
Function Guide: On or Off. Displays a short explanation
on the monitor for a mode when it is selected, or for any
of the functions selected using the 4-direction control.
Red Eye Reduction: turns on or off the pre flashes
that are used to reduce the possibility of red eye and that
precede the main flash.
AF Illuminator: Auto or Off. Controls the AF lamp
that assists the autofocus when the ambient light is too
soft for the AF to operate reliably by itself. The AF illuminator
also serves as a self-timer indicator.
Auto Review: selects whether or not a just captured
photo is displayed on the monitor for 2 seconds.
The next section is called either
Memory Stick Tool if a memory card is in the camera,
or Internal Memory Tool. With a Memory Stick Duo, four
options are offered:
Format: to format a memory card, or the internal
memory. The is the only option shown if there is no Memory
Stick in the DSC-W100.
Create REC. Folder: serves to create a new folder
into which images and movies will be stored.
Change REC. Folder: serves to change from one folder
to another.
Copy: to copy images or movies between the internal
memory and a Memory Stick Duo.
The last 2 sections of the menu serve to set the basic configuration
of the DSC-W100:
Setup 1:
LCD Back light: serves to adjust the brightness
of the LCD monitor's back light (Bright or Normal).
Beep to select when the camera produces sounds:
Shutter only.
Shutter and operations.
Off.
Language: selects the interface language (English,
French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese).
Initialize: resets the camera to its factory default
settings.
Setup 2:
File Number: determines whether images get numbered
consecutively, or re-start at 0001 when the card or internal
memory has been formatted, or a fresh Memory Stick Duo is
used.
USB connect selects the USB protocol:
Auto: lets the camera decide the protocol according
to the device to which it is connected, and is intended
to be used when the camera is connected to a PictBridge
compatible printer.
MassStorage: allows the camera's memory, or
Memory Stick, to be recognized as a removable hard disk
by a computer.
PTP: (Picture Transfer Protocol) allows
for the automatic transfer of images to a computer.
Video Out: offers a choice of NTSC or PAL, so
that the camera can be connected to a television.
Clock Set: servers to set the internal clock and
calendar of the DSC-W100.
A printed manual is included with the DSC-W100, and a foldout
sheet entitled "Read Me First". Basic information
to start to use the DSC-W100 is provided in the foldout, while
the manual is a bit more informative. Regrettably, both the
foldout and the manual lack depth and refer back to each other,
making it overly difficult to locate needed information.
Software
Please note that the software supplied with
the camera can vary from country to country.
In North America the DSC-W100
is bundled with a single CD called Cyber-shot Application
Software, which is exclusively for Microsoft Windows
computers (ME, 2000 Pro or XP).
The disc contains Cyber-shot Viewer (version 1.0)
and the USB driver for the versions of Windows that require
it. Cyber-shot Viewer is an image browser that requires images
to be imported into its database before they can be seen.
Once imported, images are presented jumbled up and have to
be sorted by date before use.
Images are presented as thumbnails, the size of which can
be adjusted. Shooting data can also be displayed. A few tools
are aligned below the drop down menus of the program, making
it possible to change the orientation of the selected image,
print it, e-mail it, or review images as a slide show. In
addition, one of the buttons makes it possible to open a selected
image in an editing window, something that can also be done
by double-clicking an image's thumbnail.
The Editing window
opens with the image to be edited on the right, and the other
images presented in a vertical strip of thumbnails on the
left.
The tools provided to edit images give control over brightness,
which can be modified selectively for highlights or shadows,
contrast, sharpness and colour saturation. Red-eye can also
be corrected automatically, and another tool allows cropping
the image.
At first Cyber-shot Viewer
appears a bit confused, and confusing. Some time must be devoted
to learning how to sort and organize photos since the program
imports all the images contained in folders and sub-folders
into a single group that does not retain the folder structure.
But even with sorting, it remains difficult to locate a single
image when there are hundreds.
Nevertheless, the editing tools the program offers are quite
functional and easy to use.
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Interface & Software
