Overview
The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC P73 is a four megapixel digital camera. It is a standard camera that is likely to appeal to anyone who enjoys taking social shots at weddings, on holidays and at various social gatherings. It will also handle all the standard shots you are likely to find in a family album.
It does have a number of features that lift it above the run of the mill digital camera. This includes a selection of scene modes as well as being able to take fully manual control of the DSC P73. Therefore this type of camera could appeal to a family where one member would like a degree of control over the final image while other members of the group would prefer an easy to use point and shoot model.
Image Quality
The DSC P73 takes very good pictures across the board. It performed well outdoors producing well balanced, clear images. The scenes were recorded as a very close reproduction to how each scene was at the time the shot was taken. The colours were true and the contrast in the shots was good for a camera in this price bracket. This means that even when there are both dark and light areas in the picture the camera still functions well.
It was indoors where I was particularly impressed with the results. The indoor portrait was very good compared to other cameras, whilst the DSC P73 handled the test for very low light exceptionally well.
Another area where the camera performed well was in the macro or close up shot. The picture it produced was one of if not the best I have managed to produce to date. This means that if you are looking for a camera that you can use to take pictures of small objects for display on the Internet this camera would be a good choice.
Features
For zooming in there is a three times optical zoom lens. This is supported by a 2x digital zoom function.
While the DSC P73 can be used in fully automatic mode where all you need to do is turn the camera on and point and shoot, it also has a number of preprogrammed scene modes. These help you to take the best possible shot in different photographic conditions. The scene modes are: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle and Beach.
For composing and reviewing images there is a 1.5" LCD screen on the back of the camera. This is on the small side for my liking and is one of the few drawbacks that the camera has. There is also a viewfinder if you prefer to use one to compose your photographs.
When you would like to appear in the shot there is a ten second delay self timer. For close up shots the macro mode can take you in as close as 10cms.
You can shoot movies with the DSC P73. The maximum resolution of 640x480 provides television quality. Movies can be recorded at a rate of 30 frames per second. There is also a low resolution that helps if you want to send short movies by email. Movies can be recorded up until the memory card is full. This is not quite as good as it sounds because it doesn't take long for a high resolution movie to fill up a small capacity memory card.
Other settings that give you control over the final image include exposure compensation, white balance and sensitivity between ISO equivalents of 100 and 400. You can also select from multi and spot metering. Other controls include saturation, contrast, picture sharpness and picture effects (sepia and black and white).
In fully manual mode you are able to select different apertures and shutter speeds. Shutter speeds range from 30 seconds to 1/1000 seconds. The aperture setting is dependant on how much zoom you are using for the shot.
Sony supply all the necessary cables and software to connect the DSC P73 to a television set or computer.
You can also add tele- or wide- conversion lenses. These are sold separately.
Ease of Use
I was impressed with just how easy the DSC P73 is to use. There are three main methods for controlling the camera. To start with there is a control dial on the top of the camera. This allows you to switch between the different shooting modes such as automatic, movie, scene modes and manual exposure. On the back of the camera there are buttons that you press to control flash, macro (close up) and the self timer.
Also on the back of the camera is a button that lets you access the menu system. The menu system is one of the most straightforward I have come across and it should take you little time to get to grips with it.
Cost
You can pick up a Sony Cyber-shot DSC P73 for around £160 including postage.
Style
Sony digital cameras have their own distinctive style. The DSC P73 is a typical Sony model which is basically a rectangular shape with a rounded end. There is also a grip inlaid into the front of the camera to help you keep a steady hold. I like the overall build quality of Sony cameras in general and this one is no exception. Minor points such as the door used to load batteries opens and closes with a minimum of fuss.
It weighs in at 175g and has dimensions of 117 x 54 x 36mm making it on the large side to be slipped into a small pocket, but it is easy enough to carry around with you.
Batteries and Memory Cards
The DSC P73 uses two AA batteries for power. A big plus point is that Sony supply rechargeable batteries and a charger as standard. There is nothing to stop you from buying a spare set of alkaline AA batteries. This means that you should always be covered if power runs out at the wrong time and running costs are also kept to a minimum by Sony's policy of supplying rechargeable batteries.
One area that I feel all digital camera companies now need to look at are the memory cards supplied with each camera. In this instance Memory Sticks are used to store images. I have no problem with Memory Stick, but it is only a 16mb one that is supplied. Once you have taken around seven pictures the card is full up. This means that you are more or less forced to buy a spare high capacity card to go with the DSC P73. Click here to find cheap Memory Sticks.
Points I like:
Build quality
Ease of use
Rechargeable batteries and a charger supplied by Sony
Where it is not so hot:
LCD screen is the minimum size - 1.5"
Summary
The Sony DSC P73 is a very impressive digital camera. A lot of digital cameras perform well outdoors, but once inside they struggle. This camera didn't and produced good shots even when the light became very low. When you couple this fact with the camera's feature set I would say that the DSC P73 offers very good value for money and is well worth adding to your shortlist. I also found it very hard to add anything under points where it is not so hot.
Sony DSC P73 Front View
Sony DSC P73 Back View
Sony DSC P73 Back View
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Sony DSC P73 Review Sony DSC P73 Specification Sony DSC P73 Sample Images
