Source: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/sony_s40.html

Camera will enlarge using optical zoom up to 3 times.

Smart zoom further enlarges the image with little distortion. Precision zoom enlarges to a maximum of 6 times, but the image quality deteriorates.

Microphone

Top View

Speaker

Memory Card Door

Bottom View

Requires 2 AA

Back Controls: Mode switch for Playback / Record / Movie mode. The Zoom Lens controls for Wide and Telephoto - also function as Index and Magnify when in review mode. The MENU button calls up and dismisses menu screens. The 4-way controller is for navigating menus, changing settings and selecting playback images. The center button accepts menu selections. In record mode the 4-way buttons are used for: "Up" change flash modes, "Down" enable self-timer, "Left" is Quick View for reviewing the last image captured and "Right" is for Spot metering or Multi-metering (if not on automatic). The MONITOR button turns the color LCD on/off and controls the amount of information displayed. The TRASHCAN button is for image deletion in review mode and is used to select the Image Resolution in record mode.

The Sony camera comes with a built in 32 mb memory capability. The division has fitted each camera with a removable 256 mb memory card. The number of pictures you are able to store on the card is determined by the level of resolution selected. Resolution 4M requires much more space than would resolution 1M. To set the resolution, have the camera in its record mode and press the trash can button. Scroll up or down as needed.

Here is the Auto mode screen display. Minimal information is displayed and only a few parameters such as image size or recording mode can be changed. Upper left is the battery level that's constantly displayed. The image size is "4M"egapixels, the image folder is 101, there's space for 108 shots, a graphical icon of the Memory Stick's available space, in the center are the Auto Focus area target marks and the S AF on the bottom indicates Single-AF focus mode

Record mode menu:

Camera - Auto, Program, Manual, Scene Modes (Night, Night Portrait, Candle, Snow, Beach, Landscape, Portrait)

Exposure Compensation - Override the metering by +/- 2.0EV in 0.3EV steps

Focus - Multi AF, Center AF

White Balance - Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent or Incandescent

ISO - Auto or fixed at 80, 100, 200, 400

Picture Quality - Fine or Standard

Mode - Normal, Burst or Multi Burst

Multi Burst - 1/7.5, 1/15 or 1/30 (option appears only when mode is Multi Burst)

Flash Level - High, Normal or Low

Picture Effect - Off, Sepia, Black & White

Saturation - Default is 0 but may be + or –

Contrast - Default is 0 but may be + or –

Sharpness - Default is 0 but may be + or -

Capture the best-looking picture using the simple Scene Selection modes available with the Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-S60 digital camera. Whether at the beach, the ski slopes, or out on the town, you can shoot clear, incredible-looking scenes without ever having to worry about exposure or shutter speed. Choose from up to seven modes including “beach”, “twilight portrait” or “landscape”. The Cyber-shot® DSC-S60’s Scene Selection adjusts modes automatically for any condition and guarantee a crisp look to your digital images.

The screen in the 640 Fine Movie mode. Fine mode is VGA resolution 640 x 480 full screen @ 30fps with audio and the length is limited only by the space available on the memory card.

                                                            

                                                                                             

Movie resolution can be set to 640 Fine (30fps), 640 Standard (16 fps) or 160 for E-mail (160x120, 8.3 fps), these movies will playback in a smaller window. The advantage is that the file sizes are smaller and more practical for email purposes. Movie menu options:

Exposure Compensation - Override the metering by +/- 2.0EV in 0.3EV steps

Focus - Multi AF, Center AF

Metering - Multi-pattern (default) or Spot

White Balance - Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent or Incandescent

Picture Effect - Off, Sepia, Black & White

Good composition is essential in photography. It allows you to convey messages and emotions through the images that you shoot. Fortunately, good photo composition is easy to achieve by following a few simple guidelines.

Rule of thirds

First, learn the "rule of thirds." As you look through your camera's viewfinder, imagine there are lines dividing the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, essentially dividing your image into nine equal-shaped blocks. Frame your subject at one of the intersection points instead of in the center of the viewfinder, as shown in the following illustration.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/learnmore/composition.mspxSource:

Framing

Careful framing of your subject can make a dramatic difference in your photos. Remember—every photo has a foreground and background, so use them together to add an interesting element to the shot.

Use foreground elements to frame your photo's subject. Architectural elements work well (windows, doorways, arches, and so on), but you can find any number of interesting elements to use for framing your photos. The important point here is the subject. It doesn't do much good to frame your subject with interesting elements if they overshadow the subject, making it difficult to determine what the subject is supposed to be.

Visual cropping

Crop your photos visually before you take them. Look into the corners of the viewfinder. Do you see things that shouldn't be there? You can remove, or crop, these elements from your photos simply by moving closer to your subject, zooming in on your subject, or moving your subject within the viewfinder. Try different angles. Look for anything that will diminish the impact of unwanted objects in your photos.

Angle of the view

Believe it or not, the best angle for a photo is not always upright and directly in front of the subject. Some of the most interesting photographs are those taken from a unique vantage point. Get down to the level of the flowers before taking the picture. Climb a tree to take a picture of a meadow. Always ask yourself if the photo would look better taken as a landscape or portrait shot. Experiment and try different perspectives. Look for angles that are interesting and demonstrate the mood and inspiration you're trying to capture.

BalanceAchieving good balance in your photographs requires the correct combination of colors, shapes, and areas of light and dark that complement one another. Achieving the right balance in your photos is easier than it appears. Think about your subject and capture it from an angle, viewpoint, or even time of day that focuses attention on the subject.

Perspective

To capture the essence of what you experience when viewing a scene, it helps to add an element to your photo to convey this perspective. In the following picture, the bow of the boat helps to add an interesting perspective to the vastness of the scene.

Without the bow of the boat in the picture, the scene would be far less interesting and void of any drama.

Draw the viewer's eyes through the photo

A path, a row of telephone poles, or even a line of chairs at the beach can serve as elements in a good photo.