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WHAT'S HOT: When we reviewed Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-F707 last April, we noted its inventive design, uncommon low-light shooting capabilities, long battery life, and dazzling images. The DSC-F717 retains all of that and adds USB 2.0 connectivity, zone autofocus, a manual zoom ring, and numerous smaller refinements.
Like its predecessor, the F717 has an unusual shape--it's basically a large "L" with a 5X optical zoom lens making up one leg and the square-shaped body making up the other. It's neither compact nor light, and it takes two hands to operate comfortably, but for the most part its controls are well placed. The F717 is a touch more flexible than most of its competitors: The lens rotates vertically around the body, which helps when you're trying for awkward ground- level shots or shooting over the heads in a crowd. (With the former, the LCD panel is facing up; for the latter, it's pointing down.)
Differing from the menus of many advanced cameras,...