Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S700 review

Image quality
The results look a bit more middling when it comes to photo quality. Though it certainly fares no worse than many competing cameras, its pictures don't match up to those of models such as the Canon PowerShot A550 or Fujifilm FinePix A900.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon PowerShot A550

1.7

1.5

1.2

0.5

Nikon Coolpix L12

2.4

2.5

2

0.7

Fujifilm FinePix A900

3.1

2.8

1.7

0.8

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S700

1.8

2

1.1

0.8

HP Photosmart M537

2

4.1

2

1.1

You can get some decent snapshots in good light, as long as you stick to the lowest ISO sensitivity setting, though they might not stand up to printing larger than A4. There's surprisingly little fringing.

Beyond that, however, problems arise. The default evaluative metering mode tends to underexpose shots and photos lack sharpness. There's visible vignetting at the widest angle of the zoom range. Depending upon the subject matter, photos shot at ISO 200 can be OK, but above that there's simply too much noise and detail smearing from aggressive noise suppression. The automatic white balance remains within acceptable limits, but occasionally gets confused.

Conclusion
In the highly competitive low-end camera market, it takes more work to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, the frill-free Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S700 can't quite keep up with better same-priced models like the Canon PowerShot A550 or Sony's own, slightly more expensive DSC-W55.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday