The good: Stylish, brushed-metal beauty; large 3.0-inch recessed LCD prevents accidental scratches; Pocket Album; creative Paint function; usable images at ISO 800.

The bad: Lingering fingerprints; requires high-capacity Memory Stick Duo; limited to four music tracks for playback; MPEG-1 video format; purple fringing.

The bottom line: You can paint your pictures and enjoy a laid-back afternoon going through your photos with the too-cool transition slides. But once the initial curiosity dies down, you will still want your camera to perform what it's built for--to take photographs.

Read full review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N1 »

By Damian Koh
Nov 7, 2005

The latest gizmos are usually the topic starters at gatherings. Now you can add Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-N1 to the list. Its large 3.0-inch LCD screen makes it easier on the eyes when previewing images, especially when you are passing the camera around at a party.

However, if you are used to dedicated keys for changing settings, you may get a little frustrated visiting the onscreen menu each time you decide to do something. Read on to find out more about this 8-megapixel, 3x optical zoom camera.

Design

	A lime green halo: Perhaps Sony will release a new gaming feature on the N1's successor?

This sleek yet rugged, brushed-metal beauty will win the affection of the style-conscious. Measuring 96.7 x 61.1 x 22.7mm, the Cyber-shot N1 just about straddles the line between an ultracompact and a compact digital camera. Even though the unit weighs a hefty 185g (with battery and Memory Stick Duo installed), it actually gives the N1 a substantial feel without exerting too much strain on your fingers. However, you wouldn't want to be caught with this unit tucked away in your breast pocket unless you want to have a bulge on your chest--definitely uncool.

The N1 adopts a minimalist approach and does away with the usual fanfare of controls on the rear estate of the camera. What greets the user is a large 3.0-inch touch-screen LCD which lies recessed to prevent it from being scratched. Unfortunately, it is still not spared from lingering fingerprints. A hard and flat plastic stylus measuring approximately 3.4cm across and 3.4cm at its longest width, is a nice addition. Otherwise, you can also use your fingertips to navigate the menus on the screen and leave the stylus out altogether.

	There was no compartment to stow the stylus away on the N1. So we decided to get it out of the way, totally, and use our fingertips.

A three-way slider on the right edge allows you to switch between the functions you will probably access most often--record movies, stills and playback. The square zoom (3x optical) lever on the top right corner and two circular black buttons at the bottom occupy the otherwise sparse area at the back.

Upon powering up the unit, the two buttons lit up with a whitish hue displaying Menu and Display options. Individual options are highlighted in a cool blue fashion backed by two different shades of grey, making it easy on the eyes. While some users may like the idea of visiting the onscreen menu to change the settings, having to make frequent trips down the tiered system makes it a chore sometimes. The good thing is the camera remembers that last saved preference.

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