Overview
The Sony DSC P100 is a five megapixel digital camera with a three times optical zoom lens. It has a good set of features and provides just about everything you need in a consumer level digital camera.
The person most likely to buy the DSC P100 is someone who is looking for a camera that is a sizeable step up on the most basic models without losing ease of use. This camera will comfortably take care of all the standard picture shots, social gatherings, holiday pictures and shots for the family album.
Image Quality
I was pleased with the outdoor shots produced by the DSC P100. There are plenty of areas of contrast in the pictures and the camera handles them well. There are some areas were detail is lost. This is in the dark areas of the trees.
The outdoor portrait produces a picture that I am very happy with.
Indoors I am happy with the DSC P100 too. In fact the indoor shot in poor lighting produces one of the best pictures to date. The camera is able to focus well even in low light and produces a well balanced shot, showing the flash working well.
The indoor portrait is good without being outstanding. There is a dark area in the hair where the detail is lost, but this is typical for most consumer digital cameras.
One shot that I find disappointing is the colour test. The colours are not as vibrant as I like to see and have a dull feel to them.
For close up work the macro shot produces a clear and bright image, but there is a hint of a light blue tinge to the picture in places.
Features
On the back of the camera you will find a 1.8" LCD screen. Although not the biggest screen you will find it is still a handy size. If you prefer there is also a viewfinder that you can use to compose your pictures.
The built in flash unit has a maximum range of a little less than four meters. This drops down to just half a meter when the zoom lens is fully extended. You can set the flash to always fire, always off, automatic where the DSC P100 decides whether or not the flash is needed and slow synchro. Slow synchro is normally used for night shots when you would like the background as well as the subject to be lit. Red eye reduction is also available is help reduce the instance of people and animals appearing to have red eyes in poor light.
To help you take the best possible shots in different photographic conditions a number of scene modes are available. All you need to do is select the most appropriate scene before you take the picture. The scene modes available are Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle, Snow, Beach, Fireworks and High Speed Shutter (to freeze action shots).
Backing up the 3x optical zoom is a 4x Smart Zoom and a 2x digital zoom. For taking close up shots there is a macro mode that lets you get as close as 10cms to the subject.
For when you would like to appear in the picture there is a self timer with a ten second delay.
You can shoot movies that should be of a quality high enough to view on a television. The maximum resolution is 640 x 480. Movies can be shot at a maximum rate of 30 frames per second. There is also a setting that allows you to shoot low resolution movies that are suitable for sending by email. These are at a resolution of 160 x 112 and at a rate of 8 frames per second.
Sony supply all the necessary software and cables to connect the DSC P100 to a computer, PictBridge compatible printer and television set.
There are a number of more advanced features including being able to operate the camera in manual mode and control the aperture and shutter speed settings. You also have access to Exposure Compensation (+/- 2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent) and ISO equivalents of 100, 200 and 400.
Pictures can be taken in sepia and black and white, plus you can take a short burst of shots, up to sixteen pictures at a rate of 1.6 frames per second.
Ease of Use
Overall the Sony DSC P100 is easy to use. With a single control dial on the back of the camera and a set of self explanatory buttons it should be relatively easy to get to grips with it. As with other Sony models I find the menu system of the DSC P100 well designed and easy to understand.
Cost
You can pick up a Sony DSC P100 for around £210 including postage.
Style
The DSC P100 is a typical Sony digital camera from their Cybershot range. Rather than the standard rectangular shape that remains popular with the majority of other manufactures this camera is rounded at one end. This helps it to fit well in the hand when you are taking a picture.
It is a silver model a little too large to squeeze into the pocket on a pair of jeans, but small and lightweight enough to make carrying it round easy enough. It has dimensions of 108 x 52 x 26mm and weighs in at 147g.
I like the look of the camera, compared with other standard compacts it has a very good look and feel.
Batteries and Memory Cards
The Sony DSC P100 runs on a rechargeable Info Lithium battery. Both the battery and a charger are supplied with the camera.
Points I like:
Good looking and well designed for standard compact
Good balance between features and ease of use
Produces good indoor pictures
Where it is not so hot:
Colour test failed to produce vivid results
Summary
The DSC P100 is another good digital camera from Sony. Although I feel the Sony DSC P73 and P93 offer better value for money. This model does offer a good balance of features and ease of use and with five megapixels it is likely to provide for all your printing needs.
Sony DSC P100 Front View
Sony DSC P100 Back View
Sony DSC P100 Top View
Sony DSC P100 Side View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Sony DSC P100 Review Sony DSC P100 Specification Sony DSC P100 Sample Images
