Sony Cybershot Megapixels Charger Pack From Family Dollar

The Imaging Resource

Quick Review

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P51 Digital Camera

	Camera QuickLook
	Review Date	2/20/2002
	Revision Date	5/sixteen/2002
	User Level	Novice
	Product Uses	Family / Travel / Special Events
	Digicam Blueprint	Indicate and Shoot
	Picture Quality	Skilful, two-megapixel CCD
	Print Sizes	Up to 8x10
	Availability	May, 2002
	Suggested Retail Cost	$280

Introduction
Sony has clearly been a dominant thespian in the entire digicam market for a number of years at present. - And for good reason: Their cameras offer excellent features and performance, practiced build quality and neat picture quality. They currently offer no fewer than five distinct lines of cameras, spanning an incredible range of features, price, and performance. In their "Compact" line, they've now added a new, zoom-equipped 2 megapixel model, the DSC-P51. (This is the "little brother" to their new three megapixel P71 model.) With a non-telescoping 2x optical zoom lens and compact pattern, the P51 is comfortably small-scale, offering two megapixel resolution in a package that's both portable and comfortable in the hand. (I find the slightly elongated case design easier to hold than some ultra-meaty digicams yet its thin profile ways it's still easy to sideslip in a pocket.) A range of artistic options permit you shoot in a wide variety of conditions, while its automobile-connect USB connexion (on Windows Me, 2000, XP, and Mac OS eight.6 or higher), makes downloading images piece of cake. Read the review below for the details, merely if you're looking for a compact and highly functional two megapixel digicam, the Sony DSC-P51 deserves serious consideration.

Camera Overview
With a nearly identical size and mode as the DSC-P71, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P51 is portable and compact enough to travel just about anywhere (fifty-fifty underwater with Sony's optional Marine Pack camera housing). The DSC-P51's small size gives information technology shirt pocket entreatment, and it should fit into nigh small purses and hip packs. A wrist strap secures the camera to your wrist when shooting. The compact design includes a shutter-like, congenital-in lens encompass which conveniently slides open whenever the camera is powered on, though the static lens does non telescope from the camera body. The DSC-P51's 2x, 6.iii-12.6mm zoom lens (equivalent to a 42 - 84mm lens on a 35mm film photographic camera) features automatic focus control, with several stock-still focus settings available besides as an adjustable focus expanse. The 2-megapixel CCD produces moderately-high resolution, impress quality images, as well as lower resolution images improve suited for e-mail purposes. Combine this with the ease of automatic shooting, special Scene modes, and the creative Picture Effects card, and the DSC-P51 is an splendid choice for novice consumers who want to accept pictures and not waste product time worrying about the exposure.

The DSC-P51 is equipped with a 2x, half-dozen.iii-12.6mm lens, with a focus altitude ranging from approximately 1.64 feet (0.5 meters) to infinity (no Macro manner is available). In addition to automatic focus control, the DSC-P51 offers a range of stock-still focus settings through the Record carte du jour, every bit well as Eye AF and Multi AF focus area options. An AF illuminator lamp on the front of the photographic camera helps the camera focus nether low lite levels. A 3x Precision digital zoom pick increases the DSC-P51's zoom capabilities to 6x, though we ever remind readers that digital zoom often decreases the overall image quality because it simply enlarges the center pixels of the CCD image. That said, we've always experienced good, sharp results from Sony'south Precision digital zoom. For composing images, the DSC-P51 offers a real-image optical viewfinder and an approximate ane.8-inch, color LCD monitor with full information display.

Exposure is automatically controlled on the DSC-P51, great for novices who desire to proceed things unproblematic. An On/Off button on top of the camera powers the photographic camera on, and a Manner dial on the dorsum panel allows you to select between Scene, Automatic, and Movie exposure modes. Within Scene manner, you lot tin can select Twilight, Twilight Portrait, or Mural "scenes." Both Twilight modes optimize the photographic camera for low-light shooting, and Mural style captures broad vistas of scenery. Though the camera controls aperture and shutter speed, the Record carte du jour offers White Residuum, Exposure Compensation, ISO, Record Mode (Normal or Email), Sharpness, Flash Level, Picture Effects, Focus, and image quality and size settings. Under the Picture Effects setting, you lot can record images in blackness and white or sepia monotones, or select the Solarize or Negative Art options. The DSC-P51's flash operates in Forced, Suppressed, Auto, Crimson-Eye Reduction, and Slow-Sync modes. A Spot Metering push provides a more precise metering option for high-contrast or off-center subjects.

In Movie exposure mode, the camera captures either 320 x 240-, or 160 x 112-pixel resolution moving images (without audio) for as long as the memory carte du jour has bachelor storage space, with an bachelor HQX quality setting. The DSC-P51 also offers Clip Move and Multi Flare-up modes. Clip Motion records a series of 10 images to be played back every bit an animation sequence, a feature we've enjoyed on previous Cyber-shot digicams. Multi Burst mode captures an extremely rapid flare-up of images, which are played back as a single moving-picture show (giving a slow-movement consequence when played back), and offers three frame interval rates. A Self-Timer manner provides a 10-2d delay between the time the Shutter button is pressed and the photographic camera actually takes the picture, great for cocky-portraits.

The DSC-P51 stores images on Sony Memory Sticks, bachelor separately in capacities as big as 128MB (a 16MB card ships with the camera). The photographic camera uses two AA batteries for power, merely but NiMH rechargeable batteries are recommended. - No Lithium, alkaline, manganese, or NiCd demand utilize! A set of two rechargeable NiMH AAs and a battery charger are included with the photographic camera, so you needn't worry most the restrictions on the battery type. (Simply definitely *do* immediately purchase a pair or two of loftier-capacity NiMH cells to take every bit spares.) The optional Air-conditioning adapter is also useful for preserving bombardment power when reviewing and downloading images. The DSC-P51 features a Video Out jack, for connecting to a idiot box prepare, and a USB jack for downloading images to a computer. A software CD is loaded with Pixela Image Mixer software and USB drivers, which facilitates image downloading and organization.

Bones Features

• two-megapixel CCD.
• Real-image optical viewfinder.
• 1.eight-inch color LCD monitor with backlight option.
• Glass, 2x half-dozen.3-12.6mm lens. (Equivalent to a 42-84mm lens on a 35mm camera)
• 3x digital zoom.
• Automated exposure control.
• Maximum discontinuity of f/3.8.
• Shutter speeds from one/500 to 2 seconds.
• Born flash.
• Retentiveness Stick bill of fare storage. (16 MB card included)
• Ability supplied by two AA NiMH batteries or optional Air-conditioning adapter.
• Pixela Image Mixer software and USB drivers included for both Windows and Mac platforms.

Special Features

• Movie manner with MPEG Movie, Clip Movement, and Multi Outburst options.
• Continuous picture show recording in all modes, fifty-fifty MPEG EX. (No buffer limits.)
• Scene mode with Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and Mural preset modes.
• x-second Self-Timer for delayed shutter release.
• Motion picture Effects menu with Black-and-White, Sepia, Negative Art, and Solarize effects.
• White balance (color) adjustment with five modes.
• Sharpness aligning.
• E-mail (320 10 240-pixel) record mode.
• Spot metering option.
• Sensitivity setting with iii ISO equivalents and an Auto setting.
• Five fixed focus settings.
• Adjustable autofocus area.
• DPOF (Digital Print Lodge Format) compatibility.
• USB cablevision for connexion to a calculator (commuter software included).
• NTSC video cable for connection to a television gear up.
• High-capacity NiMH batteries and charger included(!)

Recommendation
The P51 is a very workmanlike entry in the "full feature but cheap" two megapixel arena. Like the rest of the smaller-sized Sony Cyber-shot line, the DSC-P51 comes across every bit a well-built, meaty digicam. Information technology offers bespeak & shoot simplicity, but with enough advanced features to let you take photos in otherwise challenging situations. (Depression lite, fast action, etc). The two-megapixel CCD delivers enough resolution for any utilize from printing (upwardly to about 8x10 inches) to distributing via email, and its compact design makes information technology a good candidate for travel. Overall, the P51 should be a proficient choice for anyone wanting a capable, portable photographic camera that's easy to employ, merely with enough flexibility to handle a range of conditions. - Its ease of use and portability arrive a skillful "family" photographic camera, without resorting to a "dumbed downwardly" photographic camera with express capabilities.

Design
Small and compact, the DSC-P51 has an almost identical outline to the three megapixel DSC-P71 model. Its sleek, smooth design is gratis from any major protrusions apart for the lens, which protrudes less than a half-inch from the photographic camera body. With guess dimensions of 5.0 x ii.3 ten 1.85 inches (127 x 58 x 47 mm), the DSC-P51 is merely pocket-size enough for shirt pockets, well-nigh purses, hip packs, etc. Thus, we tin can see the DSC-P51 tagging along on hikes, flea market trips, or any outing.

The front of the DSC-P51 is rounded on the lens side, following the shape of the lens barrel and reinforcing the smooth pattern style. A shutter-similar, retractable lens comprehend protects the lens whenever the camera is powered off, sliding quickly out of the way when the camera is turned on. The lens doesn't telescope out from the body, so startup and shutdown are very quick. Also on the front panel are the flash, optical viewfinder window, and AF Illuminator lamp. A small handgrip provides a secure finger rest when holding the photographic camera, but is small enough that you'll probably want to go along the wrist strap securely in place while shooting.

The bombardment compartment is on the right side of the photographic camera, as viewed from the back. A sliding plastic door protects the compartment, and features a latch that prevents information technology from accidentally flight open up while shooting. Just above the compartment is the wrist strap attachment eyelet. You can likewise run across the Memory Stick compartment door from this view, which opens from the lesser of the photographic camera.

The contrary side of the camera is featureless, curving slightly to accommodate the lens.

The DSC-P51's meridian panel is fairly smooth and flat, featuring the Shutter and Power buttons, both of which barely protrude from the photographic camera's surface.

The remaining photographic camera controls are on the back panel, along with the optical viewfinder eyepiece, LCD monitor, speaker, and connector jacks. Three LED lamps next to the optical viewfinder report camera status, such as when focus is set or the flash is charging. Next to the optical viewfinder eyepiece is the Power Relieve on/off switch. The Mode dial and Zoom rocker control dominate the top left corner of the dorsum panel, while the Carte du jour, Display, and Four Way Arrow pad flank the left side of the LCD monitor. The pocket-size speaker plays simply photographic camera sounds, as the camera does not record audio with its movies. In the lower left corner, beneath a tethered plastic door, are the Video Out and USB connector jacks. The DC In jack is on the opposite side, beneath a more flexible plastic flap. As well on the right side is a set of raised bumps, which provide a thumb grip when belongings the camera in shooting position.

In record mode, the LCD monitor optionally displays but the field of study, the subject plus an data overlay, or nothing at all. (That is, the LCD may be turned off.)

In playback manner, the LCD display tin show the captured images with or without an data overlay, a thumbnail index showing multiple images at once, or detailed information regarding the exposure parameters for a given epitome. Y'all tin also zoom in on the recorded images in playback mode, helpful for checking framing or focus.

The DSC-P51 has a flat bottom console, which holds the metal tripod mount and Retentivity Stick slot. (Kudos for the rugged metal tripod socket, many cameras use plastic hither.) The Retentiveness Stick compartment door slides open to reveal the menu, which pops outward when pushed slightly. I was glad to come across that the space betwixt the tripod mount and Retentivity Stick slot allows y'all to change out the card even when mounted to a tripod (and the side-access bombardment compartment is a squeamish bonus as well). I was glad to see enough space between the tripod mount and Memory Stick slot to let you lot modify the card even when mounted to a tripod. (The side-access bombardment compartment is a plus too). That said, I did notice that the off-middle tripod mount left the camera slightly tilted on my tripod head, making more difficult to level the photographic camera body exactly. Given the very portable nature of the DSC-P51 though, I don't retrieve this will be much of an issue for most users.

Photographic camera Functioning
The DSC-P51's user interface is very straightforward, with simply a few external controls and a very curtailed LCD carte system. For standard point-and-shoot operation, the nearly bones features (flash, spot metering, and zoom) accept external controls, while settings like White Balance, Exposure Compensation, etc. are adjusted through the menu. The Mode dial allows you lot to apace set the camera'due south operating mode, with just a quick turn to one of five settings. When it is necessary to enter the LCD carte du jour organization, you'll find it simple to navigate, as each setting appears as a discipline tab at the lesser of the screen. The arrow keys of the Four Way Arrow pad roll through each selection, and the OK push button in the center of the pad confirms any changes. It shouldn't accept much more then half an hour to an hour to go familiar with the camera setup, as information technology's fairly intuitive and near identical to other Sony Cyber-shot models.

External Controls

Power Push: Placed unobtrusively on the photographic camera'due south superlative panel, this push turns the camera on and off.

Shutter Button: Located on the far right of the meridian panel, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed, and fires the shutter when fully pressed.

Power Save Switch: Adjacent to the right side of the optical viewfinder eyepiece, this sliding switch turns the Power Salvage function on or off. (Ability Save appears to do several things. It sets the photographic camera to shut off more quickly after a catamenia of inactivity, turns off the continuous autofocus action, then the lens simply autofocuses when the shutter push button is one-half-pressed, and dims the backlight on the LCD display slightly.)

Mode Punch: This ridged punch is on the photographic camera's rear panel, and offers the post-obit settings:

• Scene: Allows the user to select one of three Scene modes (Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and Landscape).
• Automatic Record: Places the camera in Record way, with the user able to adjust all exposure features except for shutter speed and aperture.
• Playback: Replays captured all the same images and movie files, with options for image management and printing.
• Film: Records silent, moving images, for as long as the Memory Stick has space. Also accesses Clip Motion and Multi Burst modes when either of those options is activated through the Set-Up bill of fare.
• Setup: Displays the Setup menu, for changing camera settings.

Zoom Toggle: Located in the top right corner of the back panel, this rocker switch controls the optical and digital zoom in any record way.

In Playback mode, this button controls the digital enlargement of captured images and accesses the index display mode every bit well as a detailed information brandish. (The "T" side zooms in, the "West" side zooms out. Zooming out from the normal-sized single image view brings up an index display of tiny "thumbnail" images.)

Menu Button: Situated to the right of the speaker, this push button displays or dismisses the settings menu in any Record way or in Playback mode.

Display/LCD Button: Simply adjacent to the Menu button, this button controls the LCD monitor's display manner. In both Tape and Playback modes, the push button cycles through the image and information displays, and turns the LCD monitor on and off.

Iv Mode Arrow Pad: Below the Menu and Display buttons, this rocker control features iv arrow keys and navigates through any settings menu. The center of the pad acts as the "OK" button to confirm carte du jour selections.

In Automatic Record mode, the upwards arrow controls wink mode, cycling through Auto, Forced, and Suppressed modes (it simply activates Irksome-Sync in Twilight Portrait way, and no flash modes are bachelor in Twilight or Moving picture modes). The downwardly arrow activates the Self-Timer pick, while the right arrow controls the Macro fashion. The left arrow calls up a quick review of the virtually recently-captured image.

In Playback mode, the left and correct keys scroll through captured images on the memory card. When an epitome has been enlarged, all four arrow keys motion around within the enlarged view.

Battery Compartment Latch: Tucked in the center of the battery compartment door, this button unlocks the door, allowing it to slide outward.

Camera Modes and Menus

Record Mode: In this fashion, the photographic camera captures standard yet images, controlling aperture and shutter speed. Pressing the Menu button displays a menu shown below. (This menu is actually overlaid on the viewfinder view, I've only shot it with the lens blocked, to produce a smaller GIF blitheness here.):

• Exposure Compensation: Lightens or darkens the exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in ane-third pace increments.
• Focus: Changes the focus area to Multi AF or Centre AF, or selects from a range of fixed focus settings (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, or 7.0 meters, or Infinity).
• White Balance: Adjusts the color balance for Automobile, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Incandescent light sources.
• Spot Metering: Turns on Spot Metering or shuts it off.
• ISO: Sets the photographic camera'southward sensitivity to Auto, or to 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents. - Utilize ISO 200 or 400 for activity shots, where you need a faster shutter speed to freeze the action. Higher ISOs produce "noisier" images though.
• Image Size: Sets the image size to 1,600 x 1,200; 1,600 - 3:2 aspect ratio (matches the standard 4x6 print size); i,280 x 960; or 640 x 480 pixels.
• Quality: Sets the JPEG compression level to Fine or Standard.
• Mode: Changes the recording style to Normal or Email (records a 320 x 240-pixel epitome in add-on to one at the selected image size).
• Flash Level: Adjusts the wink intensity to Normal, Low, or High.
• Picture Effects: Applies creative furnishings like Solarize, Black and White, Sepia, or Negative Fine art, or turns Picture Effects off.
• Sharpness: Adjusts the overall image sharpness in arbitrary units from -2 to +ii.

Scene Style: This record style offers three preset "scene" modes, for shooting in specific situations. Flash, zoom, Macro, and Cocky-Timer modes are all bachelor, though flash style is express in some cases, and Macro isn't available when in Landscape scene mode. Carte options are about identical to those in normal Tape mode, except the ISO option isn't present. Pressing the Menu button displays the post-obit options:

• Scene: Selects betwixt Twilight, Twilight Portrait, and Landscape "scenes." Twilight allows much longer exposure times than does the normal shooting mode, but disables the wink. Twilight Portrait combines longer exposures with the flash. ISO options aren't bachelor, but the Twilight modes apparently boost ISO to 200 automatically. Mural patently just sets the camera'southward focus to infinity. (I confess to not being sure why you'd need this, the autofocus lens could only focus on distant objects usually.)
• Exposure Compensation: Lightens or darkens the exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-tertiary step increments. Needed to get correct exposures for scenes that are light or night overall. (E.g., beach/snow scenes, etc.)
• Focus: Changes the focus expanse to Multi AF or Eye AF, or selects from a range of stock-still focus settings (0.5, ane.0, 3.0, or 7.0 meters, or Infinity).
• White Residuum: Adjusts the color residuum for Motorcar, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Incandescent calorie-free sources.
• Image Size: Sets the resolution size to 1,600 x 1,200; 1,600 (3:two aspect); 1,280 x 960; or 640 10 480 pixels.
• Quality: Sets the JPEG compression level to Fine or Standard.
• Mode: Changes the recording mode to Normal or Eastward-Mail (records a 320 x 240-pixel image in addition to ane at the set resolution size).
• Wink Level: Adjusts the wink intensity to Normal, Low, or High. (Flash is only available in Twilight Portrait scene mode though, not Twilight or Landscape.)
• Picture Effects: Applies artistic furnishings like Solarize, Blackness and White, Sepia, or Negative Art, or turns Moving picture Effects off.
• Sharpness: Sets the overall epitome sharpness in arbitrary units from -ii to +2.

Playback Mode: This fashion lets you lot review captured images on the memory card, erase them, protect them, prepare them up for printing, etc. When playing back motion-picture show files, you tin as well opt for "queue" playback, which plays back the movie file more than quickly, several frames at a fourth dimension, to assistance you find a particular portion you lot're interested in. Pressing the Card button displays the following options:

• Delete: Erases the current image. There is an selection to abolish the functioning.
• Protect: Write-protects the currently image, or removes protection.
• Print: Marks the current epitome for printing on a DPOF device, or removes the impress marking.
• Slide: Enables a slide prove of all images captured on the Memory Stick. You can command the interval betwixt each image also as whether or non the slide evidence repeats.
• Resize: Resizes the current image to i of the available resolution sizes.
• Rotate: Rotates the current image ninety degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Divide: Divides film files into segments, providing a very bones editing tool y'all can use to "trim" your movies to just the portion yous want to proceed.

Movie Mode: Records short movie clips without sound, for equally long as the Memory Stick has available space. (This power to tape indefinitely, up to the limits of the retentiveness card size (even in HQX mode) is a new feature on this latest generation of Cyber-shot cameras.) If set through the Set-Up menu, this mode tin also tape Clip Motion or Multi Burst frames. Clip movement is a unique feature that assembles up to 10 successive images into a multi-frame animated GIF file. MultiBurst mode captures 16 pocket-size images very apace, saving them as a single 1280x1024 image. MultiBurst images play back sequentially on the camera, but announced as a single image when viewed on your reckoner. The LCD menu system offers the post-obit options:

• Exposure Compensation: Lightens or darkens the exposure from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments.
• Focus: Changes the focus expanse to Multi AF or Center AF, or selects from a range of fixed focus settings (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, or 7.0 meters, or Infinity).
• White Residual: Adjusts the color balance to Auto, or for Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Incandescent low-cal sources.
• Paradigm Size: Sets the movie resolution size to 320 x 240 (HQX); 320 10 240; or 160 x 112 pixels in MPEG Moving picture mode. In Clip Motion mode, offers Normal (160 x 120 pixels) or Mobile (80 x 72 pixels) sizes. In Multi Flare-up mode, offers frame intervals of 1/seven.5, ane/fifteen, or 1/30-2d.
• Picture Effects: Applies artistic effects like Solarize, Black and White, Sepia, or Negative Art, or turns Picture Furnishings off.

Gear up-Up Way: The post-obit three-page Fix-Up menu automatically displays when entering this mode:

• Camera:
  • Moving Epitome: Sets the Movie recording blazon to MPEG Picture, Clip Motion, or Multi Burst.
  • Appointment/Fourth dimension: Controls the appointment and time display, options are Day & Time, Date, or Off.
  • Digital Zoom: Turns the 2x digital zoom on or off.
  • Red-Eye Reduction: Enables the Red-Eye Reduction flash (which volition fire with all flash modes), or turns it off.
  • AF Illuminator: Puts the AF Illuminator into Auto mode, or simply turns it off.
• Prepare-Up ane
  • Format: Formats the Memory Stick, erasing all files (fifty-fifty protected ones).
  • File Number: Specifies whether file numbering resets with each new Memory Stick or continues in a series.
  • Linguistic communication: Changes the photographic camera's carte du jour linguistic communication to English or Japanese.
  • Clock Gear up: Sets the photographic camera's internal clock.
• Set-Up two
  • LCD Brightness: Adjusts the LCD display brightness level to Normal, Bright, or Night.
  • LCD Backlight: Controls the LCD backlight characteristic, setting information technology to Normal or Bright.
  • Beep: Controls the photographic camera'southward beep sound, setting it to Shutter, On, or Off.
  • Video Out: Specifies the photographic camera'due south Video Out signal equally NTSC or PAL.
  • USB Connect: Places the USB connection into PTP or Normal modes.

Sample Pictures

Come across my sample pictures and detailed analysis hither. The thumbnails beneath testify a subset of my test images. Click on a thumbnail to run into the total-size photo.

Outdoor	Indoor	Indoor Flash
Business firm	Musicians	Macro
Davebox	Resolution	Viewfinder Accuracy

Specifications
Run into the specifications sail here.

Picky Details
Information on shooting speed, battery life, etc. can be found here.

Test Results
Because our evaluation unit was a very early prototype, I didn't shoot a full series of test images, and Sony has asked that I not prove any samples here on the site. I did, nonetheless, examination the resolution, macro performance, and viewfinder accuracy, with the results shown hither.

• Color: The DSC-P51 showed good colour in about of my testing. Skin tones were expert, with just a slight ruddiness, and white balance was quite good under a broad variety of shooting conditions. The master objection I had to its color treatment was a trend toward yellowish greens, specially in new foliage. (That is, greens with a lot of yellow in them to begin with ended up looking very yellow in my testing.) That said, the colors on the MacBeth chart in my Davebox target came out just near right, with authentic hue and good saturation. Overall, practiced to very expert colour, with the exception of the new-foliage greens.
• Exposure: The P51's exposure was pretty authentic nether most lighting conditions, generally requiring less transmission exposure compensation than other cameras I've tested. (Only +0.iii EV in the outdoor portrait test for example, where nearly cameras require +0.7 or more than.) Information technology generally did a good task of holding onto highlight item, even in very harsh lighting, plainly thanks to its high-resolution A/D converter.
• Resolution: The P51's resolution is near typical among adept-quality ii megapixel cameras I've tested. It's photos should exist good for making prints equally large equally 8x10 inches, with good sharpness.
• Closeups: The DSC-P51 performed well in the macro category, capturing a minimum area of 3.5 ten ii.6 inches (89 x 67 millimeters). Resolution was high, with great detail in the coins, brooch, and dollar bill. Details were soft in all four corners, but fairly precipitous in the center of the frame. It overexposed my test shot slightly, washing out the color, but the color remainder was pretty accurate. I also noticed a little barrel baloney from the lens, from its full broad-bending position, but it's less than many cameras show in their macro shots. A good performance overall.
• Night Shots: The DSC-P51 only accesses its longer shutter speeds in Twilight fashion, which automatically disables the camera's variable ISO option. Twilight mode also automatically applies a negative exposure compensation, so y'all demand to adjust the exposure with the manual exposure bounty adjustment. (The negative compensation would help with typical night scenes, where pools of light would be overexposed if the camera paid too much attention to all the dark areas. The automatic exposure reduction of Twilight Fashion is what you'll want for shooting typical night scenes, but isn't what you want for typical indoor photography.) The net of all this is that the P51 doesn't perform too well in the low-lite shooting category. In my tests, the camera captured bright, articulate images at light levels only equally depression equally about two foot-candles (22 lux). The target is visible but dim at the one foot-candle light level (11 lux), and could arguably be used. Since boilerplate city street lighting at dark is equivalent to about one human foot-candle, you'd demand the flash for anything darker, and volition only just be able to utilise it at all in normal outdoor city dark scenes.
• Viewfinder: The optical viewfinder proved to exist rather tight, showing just 81 pct of the final image area at both wide-angle and telephoto. Surprisingly, the LCD monitor was likewise a little tight, showing approximately 91 percentage frame accuracy at wide-angle, and approximately 93 percent at telephoto. I normally prefer LCD monitors to be as shut to 100 percent accuracy every bit possible, and then the P51 comes upward a little short in this department.
• Optical Distortion: Optical baloney was lower than average at wide-angle, where I measured an judge 0.54 percentage barrel distortion. (Average is nearly 0.8 percent, but frankly even 0.54 percent is too high, IMHO.) The telephoto end fared slightly ameliorate, as I measured an 0.38 per centum pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration was fairly low, showing virtually three or iv pixels of very light coloration on either side of the target lines, although there was a moderate amount of "coma" that softened the edges of the res target elements in the far corners of the image. (Chromatic aberration is visible as a slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)
• Battery Life: The DSC-P51'southward bombardment life was surprisingly good for a camera that uses only ii AA-cell batteries. Worst-example run time (capture mode with LCD monitor on) was a very respectable 140 minutes, stretching to 220 minutes with the LCD turned off. I still strongly recommend picking up a couple of actress sets of high-capacity NiMH batteries, but you'll be able to run longer than usual with the P51. (See my Battery Shoot-out commodity for the latest information which batteries practice all-time in digicams.)

In the Box
Here's what's included in the box with the DSC-P51 (at least in the U.s.a. - other countries will have their ain bundle configurations):

• Wrist strap.
• 16 MB Memory Stick.
• USB cable.
• NTSC video cable.
• 2 AA NiMH batteries with charger.
• Software CD.
• Pedagogy manual and registration card.
  

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity Memory Stick.
• Boosted AA rechargeable batteries.
• Air-conditioning adapter.
• Small camera case.

Recommended Software: Rescue your images!
Just as of import as an extra memory bill of fare is a tool to rescue your images when 1 of your cards fails at some point in the future. I get a lot of electronic mail from readers who've lost photos due to a corrupted memory carte. Memory carte abuse can happen with any bill of fare type and any photographic camera manufacturer, nobody'due south immune. A surprising number of "lost" images can be recovered with an cheap, piece of cake to use slice of software though. Given the corporeality of email I've gotten on the topic, I now include this paragraph in all my digicam reviews. The program you need is called PhotoRescue, past DataRescue SA. Read our review of it if you'd similar, simply download the program at present, then you'll have it. It doesn't price a penny until you lot need it, and fifty-fifty and so it'due south only $29, with a money dorsum guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for Windows or PhotoRescue for Mac while you're thinking of it. (While you're at it, download the PDF transmission and quickstart guide as well.) Stash the file in a safety place and it'll exist there when y'all need it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when... PhotoRescue is almost the best and easiest tool for recovering digital photos I've seen. (Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of the product, merely I'd highly recommend the program even if we didn't.) OK, now back to our regularly scheduled review...

About Batteries
Fourth dimension for my standard bombardment tirade: I've gotten then many emails about ability issues for digicams, that I'chiliad now inserting this standard notice in the reviews of all AA-powered cameras on our site: Don't fifty-fifty *think* about using element of group i AA batteries in a digicam! Despite their existence packed in the box with many cameras, they but don't have the juice to handle typical digicam demands. Big kudos to Sony for including a very loftier capacity set of AA NiMH cells with the P51, likewise equally a prissy little charger. Practice yourself a favor though, and go a couple of extra sets of high-capacity NiMH AA cells, and always keep one fix charged and ready to go while the other is in the camera. The Sony batteries appear to exist of very practiced quality, and then you could just get another set up or two of them, or try a couple of sets of the new (every bit of this writing, in early 2002) Maha 1800 mAh PowerEx make cells from Thomas Distributing. (In my battery testing, these new Maha 1800s are currently running at the superlative of the chart for useful capacity.) There's nothing more frustrating than running out of battery power in the heart of an outing. Spend the money on good-quality batteries and yous'll be glad y'all did.

Conclusion
Every bit I said at the outset, the DSC-P51 is a very "workmanlike" two megapixel photographic camera. It offers a overnice array of features and good epitome quality in a compact, competitively-priced package. Build quality looks very skilful, as I've come to expect from Sony. The automatic exposure control and Scene modes make shooting in most situations easy, fifty-fifty for novices, while the optional exposure settings provide some flexibility for more avant-garde users. All in all, a overnice fit for novice users looking for an easily portable digicam with a good set of features.

luciasustoespen1936.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/P51/P51A.HTM

Share this post