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I have a measly Sony Cybershot 7.2MP digital camera and I was wondering if it is possible to manually adjust the exposure length. My goal is to try and take a photo of lightning. It seems like the night mode has a longer exposure length than the rest... Grahh am I limited in functionality because of this model?

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I suggest a quick look at the manual. Or a quick google search. – Andres May 3 '11 at 23:54
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Sooo... Can you give us a specific model number to go on? – Jay Lance Photography May 4 '11 at 0:24
I don't have the camera with me >.< Give me a couple hours until I get home to find out. Sorry for the inconvenience! – O_O May 4 '11 at 0:31
Ok, it is the Cybershot DSC-W55 – O_O May 4 '11 at 3:37
Yeah, it looks like it isn't possible from this link.. flickr.com/groups/353670@N21/discuss/72157604369985582 – O_O May 4 '11 at 3:44

1 Answer

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According to the manual for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W80- currently the highest-end model in the Cyber-shot lineup which has a 7.2mp sensor- there is no direct way to adjust the exposure length (e.g. the shutter speed and aperture) on this camera model.

Sooo, without knowing exactly which model Cyber-shot camera you have, since the DSC-W80 (the highest-end Cyber-shot model) does not have this functionality, it's a pretty safe assumption that any lower-end model would also not have the ability to manually change exposure length. Thus, it does appear that you will be limited in this functionality with your current camera.

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You are right that we are missing a model number but your assumption is wrong. It is frequently the case that older models had more exposure controls than newer ones. Yes, it feels backwards but I know that Sony, Canon, Pentax and Casio have all done it. The Canon A-series started with full-manual controls (P/A/S/M modes), lost the A & S modes a few years ago and now most models are only left with Automatic modes. – Itai May 4 '11 at 0:17
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Learnin' new stuff here! :-) Hopefully the OP will update his question with a model number so I can remove the speculation in my answer... – Jay Lance Photography May 4 '11 at 0:23
@Itai Is this the market segmentation idea you were talking about on your blog? – Billare May 4 '11 at 1:58
@Billare - IIRC among almost 6 years of posts, yes ;) Removing lesser used features forces the minority requiring more to a higher-priced bracket. Sometimes an intermediate bracket is introduced to capture people seeking more advanced features but not able to reach the next bracket. Think of the segment taken by the EOS 7D between the xxD and 5D series. – Itai May 4 '11 at 3:03

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