Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 Review

October 2005 | Simon Joinson

Review based on a production Sony DSC-P200

Announced in January 2005, The DSC-P200 is the direct replacement for the DSC-P150, the first ultra-compact 7 megapixel compact. The changes are minimal (a slight redesign, a new, larger screen, an additional metering mode and the addition of custom white balance) - though pricing is inevitably a lot keener after a year in this fast-moving market. As with the P-150 before it, the P-200 is essentially a 'point and shoot' camera with a Carl Zeiss 3x zoom lens, 7.2 megapixel sensor and a smattering of photographic controls.

7.2 effective Megapixels
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens
3x Optical Zoom, up to 14x Smart Zoom, 6x Precision Digital Zoom
Large 2.0" LCD
Stamina Battery Life (approx 370 shots by CIPA standard)
Manual Exposure Setting
Slim and Compact High Quality Aluminium Body with Hair Line Finishing
MPEG VX Fine with Audio
AF Illuminator
Histogram Indication
USB 2.0 High Speed Transfer
Scene Selection Mode
Available in Red, Silver and Black versions
Conversion Lens Compatible (Optional
Cyber-shot Station Compatible (Optional)

Note: Due to the minor nature of the changes, the majority of this review is based on the DSC-P150 review, September 2004.

Sony DSC-P200 Key specifications

Street price	• US: $370 • UK: £230
Body Material	Metal (aluminum)
Sensor	• 1/1.8" Sony Super HAD CCD • 7.2 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 3,072 x 2,304 • 3,072 x 2,048 (3:2) • 2,592 x 1,944 • 2,048 x 1,536 • 1,600 x 1,200 • 640 x 480
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 pixels @ 30fps • 640 x 480 pixels @ 15fps • 160 x 112 pixels @ 8fps • Motion JPEG (.avi) • With sound • Clip length limited only by media capacity (streaming) • 640 x 480 pixels / 30 fps only with Memory Stick PRO media
Lens	• Carl Zeiss 38 - 114mm equiv. (3x optical zoom) • F2.8-F5.2 • 7 Elements in 5 Groups, 3 Aspheric Elements
Focus	• TTL autofocus • 5 Area Multi-Point AF • 5-step Manual focus • 6cm macro mode (Wide), 30cm (Tele)
Shooting mode	• Auto • Program • Manual • Twilight • Twilight Portrait • Landscape • Soft Snap • Candle • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • High Speed Shutter • AE compensation -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
Metering	• Center, Multi-Segment, Spot
Sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400
White Balance	• Auto • 5 presets • Custom (manual)
Image parameters	• Saturation (3 levels) • Contrast (3 levels) • Sharpness (3 levels) • Color effects (Sepia, Black and White)
Continuous	• 0.6 to 0.9 fps (5 shots 7MP / JPEG fine)
Flash	• Built-in flash • Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Synchro • Range (ISO auto): Wide; 0.2 - 3.5 m (0.66 - 11.48 ft) Tele; 0.3 - 3.5 m (0.98 - 11.48 ft)
Storage	• Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO • 32MB Memory Stick supplied*
Viewfinder	• Real Image Optical
LCD monitor	• 2.0 " TFT, 134,000 pixels
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 • A/V out • DC-IN
Power	• NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium® Battery, • AC adapter included (in-camera charging)
In the box*	• NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium Battery • AC-LS5 Battery Charger • Combined AV / USB Cable • Wrist Strap • MSA-32A 32MB Memory Stick® Media • Software CD-ROM (Picture Package™ for Sony v1.0 (Windows), Pixela™ ImageMixer VCD2 (Macintosh), SPVD-012.1 USB Driver, Cyber-shot Life tutorial (Windows)
Other features	• PictBridge and DPOF compatible • Live Histogram & playback histogram • Autofocus Illuminator • Optional 2.6x Tele converter lens (VCL-DH2630) • Optional 1.7x Tele converter lens (VCL-DH1730) • Optional 0.7x Wide converter lens (VCL-DH0730) • Optional Camera Dock (Cyber-shot Station CSS-PHA) • Optional Slave flash + bracket • Optional filter kits and filter adapter
Weight (inc batt)	144 g (5.4 oz)
Dimensions	104 x 52 x 28 mm (4.1 x 2 x 1.1 in)

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

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