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Short - viewSony Cybershot DSC-U20
Introduction Before Christmas, I was able to get a Sony U10, a 1.3 megapixel marvel of electronics. Since much of the U20 is the same as the U10, I encourage you to read the review for the U10 FIRST as in this review I'll try to focus more on the differences rather than repeat every similar feature. Click here for the U10 review.Just barely larger than a larger pack of chewing gum, you got a full fledged digital camera with built-in flash, memory stick for photo storage, and NiMh batteries for power instead of a proprietary battery. The images were great for emails or to put into newsletters, but the resolution just wasn't quite good enough for prints. Now enter model U20, a 2 megapixel version of this same camera. Until recently available only directly from Sony, it is now arriving in retail stores in the U.S.
The U10 (back) and the darker finish of the U20 (front)The body of the U20 remains unchanged from it's 1.3 megapixel sibling. At just slightly more than 3 inches long, it can fit into most pockets, purses, or into the palm of most hands. Those with larger hands may have an awkward time using it, but it's definitely a "take anywhere" camera, which is the goal Sony had in mind; create a camera so small people will take it places they may not normally take a larger camera. Men might appreciate the subtle but updated color change this time around. While the U10 had what some called a more "feminine" look to it with gray, metal, and pearl coloring, the U20 comes standard in a more metallic finish (though it is not actually made of metal), with darker gray highlights - a bit more masculine looking. There are also versions of the U20 available in deep blue and black, but these must be ordered directly from Sony, as retail stores will mostly only be carrying the metallic finish model. A metallic neck strap in the box adds to the "wear me" image Sony gives this camera, but I'd have appreciated an actual wrist strap, more. Check with your local camera shop to see if they have any extras, as you always want to use your wrist strap to avoid dropping your camera.Features / Image Quality Once again, nearly every feature about the U20 is identical to the U10. The main difference is that the U20 offers a higher resolution of 2 megapixels, with the largest image size being 1632 x 1224 pixels, (instead of the maximum size of 1280 x 960 for the photos from the U10). This increase in maximum image size on the U20 allows you to make pretty good 4 x 6 inch prints, whereas on the U10, even smaller prints weren't quite up to par with some other cameras in that same megapixel class. There is also a 640 x 480 size available for email shots. Like the U10, and unlike many other Sony cameras, you do not have a choice in quality and compression settings; while most other models in the Sony line allow you to choose "fine" or "normal" quality settings (fine offering less compression of the images) the U20 has a preset (and rather heavy) amount of compression which cannot be changed. If you're using the top image size, this isn't a tremendous problem, but when using the camera in 640 x 480 mode, this heavy compression does manifest itself by showing "artifacts" around the edges of objects - blurry distortions which a neighbor's child likes to call "squigglies". Just below is a section of an image taken with the U20 set at 640 x 480, and slightly enlarged to show you an example of what artifacts are, and how they show up on an image, as at normal viewing sizes they are not this pronounced:
Again, this is an enlarged section of a photo to show you compression artifacts. While they are not as large or visible in the actual-size image, they can still be seen here and there upon close inspection. Certainly not the end of the world for casual email photos to mom and dad, but if you're a perfectionist they can be irritating. Some image software packages such as "Paint Shop Pro" have a command titled "jpg artifact removal" which is pretty helpful in removing these artifacts from images, though at the loss of some detail in the images.Unfortunately, Sony did not increase the resolution of the movie clips on the U20. Like the U10, you can take 15 second silent movie clips, but they are again only 160 pixels in size, making them very "pixely" in appearance and of little use. I'm hoping future incarnations of this series includes the "standard" 320 x 240 movie clip sizes (or larger) and maybe even a small microphone for basic sound capture as well. Again as with the U10, the U20 allows you to add some effects to your photos such as taking a photo in black and white, negative effect, solarize effect, and Sepia for an older photo appearance. There is no zoom on either model of camera, digital or optical, so for closer shots, you'll need to move physically closer to your subject. While you can manually adjust macro (close-up) focusing to as close as .2 meters, the camera's auto focus does a very good job at focusing as close as around 4 to 5 inches from your subject. The U10/U20 cameras also have little trouble focusing in lower light rooms as well - doing better than many much more expensive cameras I've seen which also do not have an auto focus assist light. Though there is some "noise" on indoor shots in darker conditions, it's not really much worse than I've seen on many other cameras with larger lenses. The small flash works well to bring out accurate colors when needed in shade or indoors, and though it can blow out faces if you get too close, it's not usually that bad.The included NiMh battery charger hasn't changed in this kit, still being a slow overnight charger (but enough to get you started and it saves you from having to immediately go out and buy a setup) and again, you get 2 AAA sized NiMh batteries to go with it. Though some have emailed me saying that they have used high capacity alkaline batteries in their U10/U20 models, Sony does NOT recommend you do this, and says you should only use NiMh batteries of the same type (same mah rating) in these cameras. A neighbor who also owns a U10 placed two alkaline batteries in his unit, and though it powered "on", they died after he took about 5 shots, so I'd take Sony's advice and stick to the NiMh cells to avoid possibly damaging the circuitry of the camera. The included 8 meg memory stick will get you started, but as with all digital cameras these days, it's too small and you need to budget for a larger card if you plan on taking photos all day. The "Pixela" software will allow you to download your images into your computer via the included cables, and give you some very basic abilities to manipulate and adjust your images. If your budget allows, I strongly suggest either Photoshop Elements 2.0, or Paint Shop Pro 7 as two excellent image editor choices that will let you do almost anything an amateur or mid-level photo enthusiast might want to do. They run about $75 each or so, and have a little bit of a learning curve, but the results are worth it to me.
Final Words and Image Samples Aside from the artifacts in the lower resolution images as seen in the example earlier, the image quality of the U20 overall is good. The 4 x 6 inch prints I've done from the 1632 x 1224 pixel images looked just fine; not quite what you'd call "35mm film quality", but still more than acceptable, and noticeably better than those from the U10. If your entire goal from owning a digital camera is simply to email photos to friends and family, or post photos on a web site, then the lower specified U10 would be just fine for those needs; recent retail price drops as low as $169.00 for that model make it very attractive. The U20 has a street price of $269.00, so you're paying $100.00 for that extra megapixel of resolution. If you intend on using your camera for making prints however, the image quality difference between the two may make the U20 a better buy.In my U10 review I said that I would not pick that model as a primary digital camera due to it's overall image quality, but it makes a fine secondary camera to carry around for casual snapshots. The U20 however, comes much closer to being able to classify itself as someone's primary camera so long as that person only has very basic photo and print needs. If you require a zoom, manual controls, or the ability to print at 5 x 7 or larger sizes, then you'll again need to look at a higher level of camera.Below I'm including two sample images from the camera (and will try to add more at a later date). The first of each is a resized image so that those with slower connections will at least be able to see a basic sample. Just below, you'll see a thumbnail of the same image. If you have a broadband connection such as DSL or Cable, you can click on the thumbnail and a FULL SIZE version (unaltered except for some minor cropping) will load up on your screen so you can download that image into your favorite image editor to tinker with it and see if it meets your approval for quality.
Image one: This image is of my dog in her usual model pose for me. It was a cloudy day, so I switched the small flash on the U20 from it's auto setting to "On". This is called "fill-flash" and using it on a subject in shade helps to bring out details. In this case, her coat stands out, and more details are seen than if I were to just take the photo with no flash.
Click the thumbnail below to see the FULL SIZE version of this image
Image two: A sunny day in the park. Keeping in mind it is still winter when taken, the dull colors are accurate on the grass and muddy lake water. Sharpness is good, though at full size you can see the effects of the heavier compression the U20 uses around the edges of objects. I've seen much worse, however.
Click the thumbnail below to see the FULL SIZE version of this image (slightly cropped)
My "Grade" for this camera on a scale of 1 - 10? 8( Nice improvement over the U10, but still missing a few options to make it an A+ )
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