What are the negative things about buying a Sony Cybershot camera?

I really, really, really want a Sony camera especially a black T700 for my coming birthday but it seems like my dad doesn't agree. He'll buy me something alright, but just not a Sony camera. He says the memory card can't be used in any other than a Sony product and they are costly. Is he right? Should I just choose another camera brand? If so, any suggestions?





Thanks in advance!|||If you are a serious photo enthusiast then T700 may not fit your requirements. As your dad says, go for some semi-pro models like Canon S5 or higher.





If you are just a point and shoot type who like no bells and whistles, T700 will suffice. But remember small cameras are cute and compact, but they have some downside too. Technically small cameras use smaller sensors which results in average quality of photos. The bigger the sensors, the better the quality.





And yes, Memory stick cannot be used in any other cameras. It's a Sony proprietary format and costly too.





Concluding, the choice is based on whether ou are a photo enthusiast or a casual shooter. :-)





|||I'd suggest one of Canon's excellent ultra compact, SD models instead. They have better image quality and I'm sure you will not be disappointed if you owned one of these very popular models.





They use SD or SDHC cards (most compact cameras use this type of card, except for Olympus, Fujifilm and Sony, of course).





Have a look at the SD 1100 IS (Ixus 80). It's available in several colours (except black) and it costs around half of what the T700 does (that would be enough to make your Dad smile).|||On top of all the other concerns, the Sony Cybershot cameras have a much too high failure rate. There is every likelihood that yours will break. They're really horrible.





Tell him to get you a Nikon. Not only will your pictures look great, but you'll have a very reliable, durable camera.





And the SD memory card can simply be popped out and inserted directly into your computer to transfer your pictures.|||he is correct about the memory card.





I believe the usb cable is a slightly different size as well, so you can only get replacements from sony at high prices