CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/17/2002
- Updated on: 12/02/2002
- Released on: 05/29/2002
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 Sony efficiently uses the space on the back of the camera. |
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Weighing 7.4 ounces with battery and media, the diminutive and attractive DSC-P7 makes a terrific travel companion. Whether traveling abroad or to a local soccer game, the camera is perfect for grab-and-go picture taking.
Thanks to the P7's long, rectangular body, there's more than enough room to hold the camera without your fingers blocking the lens or flash. Switching between horizontal and vertical shots is comfortable and convenient as well.
Pull this baby from the box, and you'll be taking pictures immediately. Basic functions such as quick review, macro, and flash on/off are easily accessed from a four-way rocker control.
Beginners will need a little coaching from the user guide to discover some of the features beyond point-and-shoot mode. On the other hand, adventurous or experienced photographers will do fine by accessing the camera's easy-to-navigate LCD menu. Sony clearly identifies functions with text, so there's no playing guess-the-icon. You'll have to dig into the setup menu to turn the red-eye reduction setting on or off, though, and there's no dedicated delete key; you must use the menu to get rid of unwanted pictures. If you want quick access to multiple functions, you'd best look for a different camera.
The battery and Memory Stick are housed in the side of the camera, allowing free access to the tripod mount. The speaker--for movie clips and voice annotation--sits on the camera's underside, so you must take care not to block it with your fingers or by putting the camera down on a table.
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 The simple command dial is novice-friendly. |
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The P7 is more than just a point-and-shoot camera--if you want it to be. Exposure compensation, white-balance presets, ISO settings up to 400, flash-power adjustments (low/normal/high), in-camera sharpening, and scene modes help compensate for the camera's lack of aperture- and shutter-priority modes. Spot and multimetering modes, multifocus, manual preset focus options, and an AF Illuminator for low-light focusing expand the camera's flexibility.
In-camera resizing and trimming of images is fast and convenient, although we recommend that you always resize down since enlarging images will degrade the quality. The e-mail feature allows you to take a picture that's sized appropriately for e-mail or to create an e-mail-ready copy of an existing image.
The P7 offers several motion options, including MPEG movies with sound. Unlike most other digital cameras with 15- and 30-second maximum recording times, the length of the P7's video clips is limited only by the free space on the Memory Stick.
Multiple frame options include a one-push, 16-frame Multi-Burst mode, which records the frames as a single image for a cool animated effect. You can set the time between shots, too.
In addition to black-and-white and sepia options, Sony has added negative art and solarization special effects. We were impressed with the sepia's warm tone and had fun with the new effects.
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 The P7 handles low-light scenes very well. |
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The P7, which produces smaller file sizes, just slightly outpaces the 4-megapixel P9 with a relatively snappy shot-to-shot time of about 3 seconds using standard resolution and flash. Add another second to that when the red-eye reduction preflash triggers. The P7's slight shutter delay while the camera locks into focus is barely noticeable under normal lighting conditions, and the AF Illuminator works well to focus under low-light conditions.
The camera's tiny lithium-ion rechargeable battery delivers enough power for a whole day of shooting and playback. A full recharge takes a little more than two hours, and overseas travelers will appreciate the dual-voltage charger, eliminating the need to carry a transformer on vacation. All you need is a plug adapter.
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 The flash evenly lights the scene despite the presence of other illumination. |
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Flash coverage is about average, with slight falloff at larger distances. The ability to power the flash up or down was helpful, but some macro shots still come out slightly overexposed even when the flash is set to low.
Other than in very low light, the LCD is bright and clear. The display is relatively small, however, and some display information is difficult to read.
The 3X optical zoom sounds a little noisy and doesn't feel terribly responsive but is adequate for day-to-day shooting. As with other small cameras with tiny optics, we saw slight barreling and pincushioning at either extreme but not enough to be highly noticeable.
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 There's some minor fringing. |
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The P7's image quality is quite good, with accurate white balance and crisp details. Automatic white balance works well most of the time, although mixed lighting situations produce uneven results.
We were impressed with the P7's dynamic range, with well-exposed highlights and shadows as well as deep blacks. Even pictures of shadows on a sidewalk turned out well.
Occasional minor purple halos are visible along high-contrast edges, and noise is present in some images, but neither seriously affects image quality.
 The camera delivers a broad tonal range. |
 Images have good detail and nicely rendered color. |
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