Product Description

2x high speed 3.5" floppy disc drive, disc can transfer images to your computer, 10x optical zoom lens, VGA resolution, progressive scan CCD, 2.5" color LCD w/brightness control, manual exposure, one charge takes up to 950 shots, includes lithium battery and charger

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42752 in Camera & Photo
• Size: Medium Size
• Brand: Sony
• Model: DSCS85
• Platforms: Windows XP, Windows NT, PowerMac, Windows NT 5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 3.5, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Macintosh, Windows 2000 Server, Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 and below, Windows, Windows Me
• Dimensions: 2.90" h x 4.70" w x 2.50" l, 1.00 pounds
• Memory: 16MB
• Display size: 1.8

Features

• 4-megapixel sensor captures 2,272 x 1,704 images for prints at sizes up to 11 x 14 inches
• Carl Zeiss autofocus lens with 3x optical/2x digital (6x total) zoom
• Included 16 MB Memory Stick stores 15 images at default settings
• Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
• Uses proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery(included)

Customer Reviews

As good as it gets...
I looked around to pick a good digital camera. I had a few things in mind that I wanted but I could never find a right all together piece. I think that Sony was the best compromise in terms of features, size and durability. I shoot a lot of film and a lot of times I really don't have to, since the pictures don't go further than web. Using S85 saved me on processing cost, time and gave me more options as far as manipulation of the images go. Since my original purchase was to ease the load and free me up in my "professional" life I find that more often I happen to pack the digital on my hiking or camping trips. I still carry my film camera but I supplement my film shots with a lot of digital snaps. Using Sony manual modes also allows me to become better photographer and it's really fool proof. I see the results immediately and if something is wrong I can re-shoot it again which was impossible with film. I mean yes I can always shoot two or three frames but you surly never know until you get the film from the lab what came out. When I shoot concerts or band shots this is a one time deal. They can't go back and replay the gig. So to be perfect and on the dime is very important for me. I choose S85 for couple of reasons:

1) Optics. Can't go wrong with Carl Zeiss glass. It's a really sharp and warm saturated tone that keeps me buying into Zeiss family.
2) Lens brightness (f/stops). Maybe there are better cameras out there with higher zoom range but f/stops on this camera (S85) rock. It's bright and fast enough which means that in combination with faster film setting it will get the job done.
3) Battery life. I originally was very skeptic of using rechargeable battery because of the possible what if I run out of juice scenario. I assumed that I will feel more secure with AAs that rechargeable proprietary battery. I was wrong. Sony battery lasts forever and with one spare everything is pretty much covered.
4) Quality. Good enough for nice and crisp 8 by 10 shots. If I really push it I can get 11 by 14. But for my application it gets the job done.
5) Controls. Easily accessible, options are always at the finger tips.
6) Construction. It's a one big solid unit. No swivel lens, sliding doors, build in lens covers or pop up flashes. There is very few moving parts which makes it a durable piece. Plus build in charger keeps all your things organized.
7) Flash and Sharpness control. At the finger tips I have full override on functions that were always problematic with digital cameras. This saves post production time required for touch ups.

What could have Sony done to make it better?

1) ISO. Highest ISO setting is 400 I wish they went for 800.
2) Accessories. There is a load of after market accessories for this camera by other manufactures than Sony. I would like to see some more lenses or maybe even external battery packs made by Sony itself. Underwater housing would be great.
3) Little bit slow start up time. That needs some works.
4) Memory stick. Great concept and I couldn't care less if I'm using memory sticks, flash cards or smart media cards but with 128 MB max Sony media is not the hottest choice out there.

Sony S85 is a good camera, probably the best out of the bunch out there. I would highly recommend it to amateurs and semi pros alike. It's a good value for the money.

Impresive quality for the price
I have been a 35mm film amateur photographer for many years. I have always used Nikon equipment and I value to control the camera myself for maximal creativity. I waited till now to try a digital camera, what I did two weeks ago buying the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S85 camera. These are my impressions when I compare it with classical 35 mm film and my reflex Nikon camera:
1.- The DSC-S85 is small, but not small enough to fit easily in a pocket. Nevertheless is easy to carry and the retractable lenses make it quite compact when the power is off. The camera comes with a lens cover for protection. It is a high quiality point a shot with manual settings capabilities.
2.- One of my concerns about digital photography is battery life. With the DSC-S85 this is not a problem at all. The battery will last a long time and unless you don’t have the chance to recharge the battery during several days, it will not run out of power. The battery recharges quite fast when connected to electrical power.
3.- The lenses and Carls Zeiss, and the quality shows. Impressive resolution across the whole picture, not only when you view the pictures in the computer screen but also in print. I have done up to 5x7 inches prints and the quality is as good as film. Resolution is as good as the one obtained with my Nikon lenses.
4.- It very easy to learn how to use the camera and very easy to control manually the shutter and aperture. In addition you have also aperture and shutter priority settings and full automatic setting. The easiest camera I have ever had.
5.- The light meter is very good, and most of the exposures will come perfect unless you try to fool the camera with difficult light situations. The exposures are better than when I use my Nikon SLR.
6.-Color balance is very good, saturated images but with real colors. Only very strong reds (i.e. a red rose) might fool a bit the camera and you might need to correct the image with software. Film here might be better and you can uses several film typoes, but one advantage of digital is that you have ISO 100-400 with no need to change the film.
7.-The LCD screen is very good, bright (you can regulate the brightness, and provides a quite realistic view of the actual image. I use the LCD a lot, and really is a great way to compose pictures, better than using the view finder.
8.-You can do MPG movies that are fine if all you want is to have a memory of a short moment (don’t expect top quality here, after all this is an still camera). You can not do this with a film camera.
9.- Although the Memory Sticks are not the cheapest memory in town they are reasonable after the recent price drop. With 128 MB you will be able to take >60 pictures at the top resolution. Film is not cheaper because you can reuse the Memory Stick for ever.
10.- Very good macro. Nice pictures taken at short distances (<4 inches). My macro fotos with the SLR Nikon are better though.

If you are a film photographer that wish to get very good quality in digital to have the opportunity of doing creative photos without caring about the price of film, I highly recommend this camera. You will enjoy it very much you will make more photos that before (without paying always for the film) and when the digital SLR cameras drop in price (2-3 years from now) you will be ready to move to a classical camera with digital power.

Fantastic Quality and a Fantastic Value
I have been shopping for a digital camera for about six months now, and I have been unable to make up my mind. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, so I was looking at several lower end 2.1 megapixel cameras. Well, I suppose my wife grew weary of my indecision, so she purchased the Sony DSC-S85 for me for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised by the gift, and even more surprised by the quality of the camera. I have been a camera buff for several years, and have been wanting to dabble in digital photography. I can't imagine a better camera for under $1,000.00. Granted I have only had it for a week, and I am just beginning to discover the incredible potential of this camera, but the options seem almost limitless. It is amazingly easy to use, and offers a host of choices to make your experience as challenging as you would like. The 3x optical zoom is quite adequate, but it is enhanced by the digital zoom which still provides a high quality image.

Here are the pros and cons as I have seen them:

Pros:
Easy to use
Packed with features & all functions are easily accessed
4.1 megapixels provide incredibly sharp images at highest resolution
Small & sturdy construction
Long Battery life w/ fairly quick recharge (battery meter is very accurate)
Bright LCD screen
MPEG movie option (memory hog)
Great value at just $800.00

Cons:
16mb Memory Stick is not enough to hold many high res images & additional Memory Sticks are expensive.
Images in LCD screen often appear in focus, but really aren't
Bright reds tend to cause a pink hue throughout image (but that could happen to a 35mm SLR)
Slight delay when taking pictures, but canbe overcome with some practice.

All things considered, I am very, very happy with this camera. As with any product it has it's negatives, but they are far outweighed by the positives. In addition to the camera, my wife also purchased the Memory Stick reader, that can remain attached to the PC via a USB port and functions like a zip drive. This is very helpful when it comes to downloading images, because you don't waste the camera battery life. She also purchased a 128mb Memory Stick. Yes, this is a very expensive accessory ($100 +), but it has been worth it. At it's highest resolution image it will hold 60 images, but if you are taking pictures to e-mail at 640 x 480 it will hold nearly 10 times as many. I also like the fact the Memory Stick can be used over and over again. If you are looking to take pictures and turn them into prints, then this a great camera. The color saturation is tremendous, and the image quality is outstanding. If all you wish to do is e-mail photos and post them to the web then you could get by with a much cheaper model. Even after only a week, I have no problem giving this camera my highest recommendation.