Help choosing Cyber-shot DSC-L1 or DSC-W1

[goomba]

Hi i'm new : ) i've recently come to a decision to get a digital camera, preferably from the Sony Cybershot range (because someone can help me get it at a cheaper price : D)

After much researching, i've narrowed down to the Cyber-shot DSC-L1 and DSC-W1.

I'm not that old (let's say under 18yrs old : p ) and the DSC-L1's small sleek compact design really appeals to me, along with the fact that you can wear it around your neck and carry it around : ) However, i'm also attracted the DSC-W1's many features and large LCD screen... and so i'm having a lot of trouble choosing between the two...

I'll be the main person using the camera (if not the only one in my family), and it'd probably be used mainly for outings with friends and indoor parties etc...

So i'd just like to get some opnions from others before making my first purchase of a digital camera : ) oh, and it should probably last me awhile too... as i don't think i could afford to update my camera constantly : P

Quick replies would really be appreciated, as i would like to get my order in soon so i can receive it in time to bring it to a major upcoming event : ) (which happens to be in a weeks time... harhar : p )

Thanks everyone and Cheers : D

[thebanker]

why dont you get the T3 or T1, you get the small size and the large LCD.

[Johnjp]

The Sony DSC-W1 is preset in auto mode to take photos with flash (indoors or in darker environments) at a shutter speed of 1/40. This means you will likely experience blurry photos unless you use a tripod in these circumstances or make use of the manual mode to alter the shutter speed. I have one myself and am quite happy to live with this little issue. As for yourself, maybe you`ve made your decision already anyway... :)

[ReF]

not sure if this reply comes too late, but have you considered the sony p100 or the more expensive and better (not just resolution wise) p150? The P100 seems to be the Exact same camera as the W1 but is much smaller and uses a proprietary battery. I know it's now reviewed here but it is reviewed on Imaging-resource.com along with the W1 and the P150. The L1 seems more convenient to carry around, but I can't find any reviews on it and you don't have direct shutter speed control, while the p100 does. Blurry indoor pictures from slow shutter speeds can be a big problem. Another issue is that since you will be shooting is low light, the LCD may not be visible in those conditions and you would then use the viewfinder; the L1 is the only one in the group that does not have one, and it also has a weak flash.

My personal ranking:

1. p150 best combination of manual controls, picture quality, and fairly small size (see the reviews on dpreview.com and imaging-resource.com), but expensive.

2. p100 same appearance as p150 but picture quality not as good. better price.

tied for 3rd: W1- same as p100 but probably too big to carry at a party.
L1- no reliable opinions/reviews, giving up too much content for
small size

I'd also like to mention, a replacement battery for all but the W1 is expensive ($60 for a sony brand battery). You mentioned that you will be keeping the camera for a while, so while you may not need to have a spare battery now, it may be very difficult finding a replacement battery when the one that comes with your cameras starts to lose it's capacity. Just remember to never charge the spare until you need it.

hope that helps. good luck making the right decision.