megapixels

I purchased this camera about 2-3 months ago for general purpose/travel photography with my family. I was leaning towards the Canon S500, but went with the Sony T1 due to it's minimal size. Since purchasing, we have taken numerous photos, using both the "auto" mode as well as the "program" mode with some of the suggestions from previous posters in this forum (adjusting ISO, EV, sharpness, etc.). Overall, about 50% of the images are good to very good, and the remainder are very poor. The problem seems to primarily be with the focusing sensor, as a lot of images are not in focus - now I know what you're thinking, maybe I just didn't have the subject in the center of the focusing brackets, or the subject moved after holding down the shutter, or whatever, but trust me - that is not the case. I take numerous digital photos for work with Nikon, Olympus, and Kodak cameras, and only 5-10% of these are not in focus.
In several of the pictures NOTHING is in focus, which doesn't make a lot of sense unless the AF sensor is just not picking anything to focus on!?
Also, several of the photos have been blurred, even in bright sunlight, as though the shutter speed was too slow. (Yes, even when adjusting the ISO to 400).
Anyway, it's now in for repairs to see if there actually is a specific problem with the camera. As to the other issues:
1. Yes, red-eye is pretty bad, but easy to fix with software (no, I'm not using Sony's software).
2. I don't care that much about the missing tripod slot.
3. I've had no trouble keeping the lid closed.
4. USB and charger are a little bulky, but you can buy a small charger and USB from Sony, and/or buy a big enough MD card to hold images until you can download.
5. Camera functionality/ease of use is good and intuitive; I'd like a way to set the shutter speed, though...
The bottom line is this - I would love this camera if I could consistently get good photos (i.e., in focus and not blurred) out of it. If the camera gets fixed to solve these problems, I'll let you know; otherwise, I can not recommend it.

Testing this SONY DSC-T1 during February 2004, has been a pleasure, carrying it in my pocket all day, every day. The size and weight is ideal for ultimate portability. Using this 5M pixel camera at 3M pixel resolution, using the smart zoom feature, or 5 MP mode produces excellent results. The T1 also allows in-camera croping of images, and in-camera image resizing for e-mail purposes. The high quality movie mode is comparable to high quality digital-video tape camcorders, 30 frames per second at 640x480 pixel size image, with the exception of typical camcorder better optical zoom capability. The camera also allows one to view and edit-out portions of the video. The image quality is stunning, and color quality and saturation is also spectacular. HQ video = 3 minutes fills 256MB card. SONY has definitely placed a great deal of engineering muscle into this device. I have produced a number of 8x10" photos and am stunned at the color and image detail. The trick in any photography activity is knowing how to take good pictures and finding correct lighting, etc. Taking care of business, when framing the image, and setting the camera features, will produce truly great results. "The camera that one can take everywhere is the best camera to have," is the remark I deliver to my students, and this device does not disappoint. Spend a few minutes reviewing the 100 page instruction book, buy several high cost high speed 256MB or 512MB memory cards, and have a great time capturing images every place you go throughout the day. As to a Camera Rating, it has earned a solid A+. I also shoot action sports events for FAU, NCAA Atlantic Sun Conference, and others using Canon's best digital equipment. Therefor, when I do not desire to carry large Digital 35mm size equipment, SONY's T1 is an ideal companion.

James L Wilson, Professor, Principles.of.Digital.Photography.and.Post.Image.Processing Florida.Atlantic.University Boca.Raton.Campus Operating.Entity.BocaDigital.LLC. Quality.Digital.Imaging Post.Office.Box.520 Boca.Raton.Florida.USA.33429 Internet.E.Mail.Address For.Faculty.and.Students.mail.please.use: FAU@bellsouth.net

I have tried adjusting the flash on this camera every which way, but my indoor pictures are still terrible. Everything is sooo dark. Red eye is terrible. For the price I thought I was getting a top of the line point and shoot camera. I love the size and the LCD, but I am not impressed by the photo quality.