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The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 looks nothing
like any of its Cyber-Shot
predecessors, with an unusual (and
honestly, rather difficult to describe)
body
that will definitely attract attention
wherever you use it. Somewhat akin to a
cell-phone (although a bit larger), the
camera's vertical body has two sections
attached at the top by a 90-degree
swivel. The camera opens out into an
inverted L shape for use, with the LCD
sticking out the left side, where it can
also be swivelled to face up, down or
even forwards towards your subject. The
camera's profile is quite attractive,
with smooth, brushed black metal body
panels and very few protrusions, and its
mostly-metal body conveys an
impression of ruggedness (although on
our prototype, the main swivel
mechanism had quite a bit of "flex" in
it).sThe M1 has a vertical lens design
(similar to what we've seen on Minolta's
DiMAGE X series digicams), which
eliminates any lens protrusion on the
front panel. Almost as small and light
as
Sony's compact Cyber-shot DSC-P100
model, the DSC-M1 should fit easily in
most coat pockets or purses, and is
quite travel-worthy. The most noticeable
feature on the DSC-M1 is its large,
2.5-inch color LCD monitor, which serves
as
a grip for your left hand once you
"unfold" the camera. With your right
hand
wrapped around the lower half of the
vertical portion of the camera body,
your
thumb falls naturally over not one, but
two large shutter buttons (one for
photos,
and one for movies). Though compact, the
DSC-M1 doesn't skimp on features,
offering a 3x optical zoom lens with a
range of focus options, a 5.1-megapixel
CCD for high-resolution images, and a
host of preset shooting modes and
exposure options.
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