4/30/2012

Sony DSCP71 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Review

Sony DSCP71 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Summary - the most camera I could find for [the price] in a small hanld held size. Lots of useful features. I am very satisfied with it as an artist tool. For landscapes less lens would be too far away, for blow up pics, less mega-pixels would be to grainy.
The Good.
Unlike film cameras, this camera produces all hues of the color wheel correctly. It also records a larger range of darks and lights. As an artist I have paid for professional studio shots of my watercolor paintings that are not as good as this camera. These qualities are mostly a function of digital vs. film camera. All camera films have color bias and less value range than what a painting can have. However, even among digital cameras there can be some color bias, this one has perfect balance. Also it can see into shadow areas revealing details better than most film cameras. With 3 meg Pixels it produces 4x6 inch pictures at 340 pdi on a printer, very sharp. Posters and magazine are printed at 150 dpi for this camera that would be about a 8x10 print, they still look better.
It has an amazing macro lens with a tulip icon. I took very close and very sharp pictures of tulips with it. Other subjests may work well, I don't know yet. It is packed with lots options like White Balance for cloudy days, very helpfull in Seatle. Other good features are manual focus, noise reduction, and in low contrst situations when the autofocus feature is confused it sends out a a flash to see the subject and get a fix, all cameras should have this feature.
The not so good.
Some low contrast areas have speckles in them at about the grainness level of ISO 400 film. This is very slight and most people will not notice. It also may be a factor of the "PaintShop Pro" software translation to the HP 1220 printer, because this graininess does not show up on the monitor.
Even with 3x optical zoom distant objects like Mt. Rainier show up at about 90 percent of their actual size, though this is pretty good at this price. Note 3x optical zoom cameras are not all alike. I depends on 3 times what size you start with. A Kodak 3x camera gives a much shaller or distant picture.
It comes with out a camera case and a slow battery charger, 13 hrs. But Sony gives you a $20 coupon towards buying a kit with a case, batteries and a fast charger 2hrs. for $40. You really want to have spare battieries and a charger that recharge them as fast as you can use them up.

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Sony's DSC-P71 combines compact dimensions with a high-performance 3-megapixel sensor and affordable AA battery power. If you're looking for a take-anywhere camera that's easy to use and produces crisp, detailed images, the P71 is worth a closer look.
Optics and Resolution The DSC-P71's 3-megapixel sensor captures ample detail for sharp prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches. For a serious amateur photographer, 3 megapixels is a great resolution, providing enough detail to perform some cropping and still have crisp prints.
A 3x optical zoom lens (39-117mm equivalent) helps you to capture exactly the picture you want, and an additional 2x digital zoom (6x total) further magnifies your image. Remember, however, that digital zoom tends to reduce the sharpness and detail of your image, so it's best used sparingly. In low-light situations (a particular weakness for many digital cameras), a focus-assist lamp sends out a small patterned beam to help the camera accurately determine distance.
To compose your images, either use the traditional camera viewfinder or the 1.5-inch LCD display (which is also used to review the shots you've taken). Having both types of viewfinders offers the best of both worlds: if you're used to using a film camera or want to conserve battery life, use the viewfinder; if you want to see exactly the picture you'll be capturing, use the LCD display.
More Features The P71 is designed to be a simple point-and-shoot, so it doesn't have a huge assortment of manual settings. However, more advanced photographers will appreciate the manual focus mode, adjustable ISO, and white-balance settings, and well as the exposure compensation and the ability to shoot black-and-white, sepia, solarized, and negative images.
Power The P71 uses two AA batteries--a pair of high-capacity nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeables and charger are included. The benefit to using standard AA batteries instead of a custom proprietary battery is that AA batteries are widely available, so missing a once-in-a-lifetime shot due to dead batteries won't be an issue. The downside is that a digital camera will kill a set of alkaline batteries extremely quickly, especially if you're using the camera's LCD display. To ensure you'll always be ready for action, we recommend getting a second pair of rechargeable batteries so you can always have one set in the camera and the other set in the charger.
Movie Mode In movie mode, the camera captures silent video clips. Most digital cameras' movie modes are limited to 15- or 30-second clips, but the P71 can keep shooting until you've filled the memory card. The limited resolution of your movies guarantees that this feature won't replace your camcorder, but it's perfect for when you just want to capture a quick movie and e-mail it to a friend or relative.
Storage and Transfer Images are stored on Memory Sticks, Sony's proprietary memory-card format. The included 16 MB stick holds approximately 16 images at the camera's default settings. Memory Sticks are reusable, but if you tend to take more than 16 images per outing, then you'll want a bigger card. A 128 MB stick is a great size for this camera, storing around 130 images. To transfer images to your computer, simply attach the included USB cable between your PC and your camera--your computer should automatically recognize the camera and let you move the pictures to your hard drive. If you own a Sony desktop or laptop, your computer may also have a built-in Memory Stick reader, which makes transferring as easy as reading a floppy disk.
Size At 5 by 2.3 by 1.75 inches and 10.4 ounces fully loaded, the P71 is a very compact and portable digital camera.
Contents and Recommended Accessories The package includes the DSC-P71 camera, two rechargeable NH-AA-D1 rechargeable batteries, BC-CS1 charger, video and USB cables, wrist strap, 16 MB Memory Stick, and software on CD.
Everything you need to get started is included in the box, but we recommend these accessories to make the most of your camera: a carrying case, a spare set of NiMH rechargeable size AA batteries, and a higher-capacity Memory Stick. Compatible accessories for this camera are listed near the top of this page. --Shane Burnett
Pros:
3-megapixel resolution provides ample detail for most users
Compact dimensions make it easy to bring this camera along on outings
Point-and-shoot operation makes it easy for even beginners to get great results

Cons:
Movie mode lacks sound
Proprietary Memory Stick memory card format less common and more expensive than other formats


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