Great Entry-Level Camera!
Written: Jan 13 '04
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Pros: Compact, ease of use, variety of functions, quality built
Cons: Not much flexibility, shutter lag, relatively low resolution
The Bottom Line: Because of its easy of use, compact size and acceptable picture quality, I recommend this camera to anyone looking to get into digital cameras or have an everyday camera.
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| gsxrpilot's Full Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P31 Digital Camera |
If you are trying to decide whether to make the move to a digital camera or not, this is a good entry-level camera to do just that. The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P31 Digital Camera is compact and sizes up against the smallest of the portable digital cameras. It fits neatly in a jacket pocket. I have large hands and sometimes fumble around the tightly placed controls.
Because of my large hands, I have also been known to take a lovely picture of my finger from time to time. The best thing about this, and all digital cameras, is that you can immediately look at the picture(s) you have taken and keep or delete it right on the spot. No more paying to develop images you didn’t want!
You can get information on the specific details of this camera by selecting "View Details" on the Epinions page. A few that I have found useful are:
Exposure Control – this camera will take very good pictures as long as you set the shutter speed and white balance in the menu before taking the picture. Normally I set the shutter to “auto,” but I change the white balance depending on the environment (inside, outside, full sun, etc.). If I forget to set the balance or leave it on “auto” it tends to take pics darker than expected.
Image Quality – this is a 2 megapixel camera. This will NOT take images intended to be reproduced in printed publications. This camera WILL take pictures of good enough quality for the Internet and printing at home on your Epson, HP, Canon, or whatever printer you have.
Interface – The USB interface works seamlessly on my Apple computers and I would safely assume it would do the same on a PC. From your computer you can transfer the images to your hard drive then erase the Memory Stick and take more pictures. I purchased the Memory Stick® USB Reader/Writer (MSAC-US30) which makes the transfer of images much faster and a bit easier. It lists for $59 but I got a discount when I registered my camera online. I think the discount was $50?!
Lens – The zoom is nice but the picture quality deteriorates quickly when you zoom on items. The auto-focus feature works very well.
Memory - Think of the “Memory Stick” as a very small floppy disc or Zip disc. My Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P31 Digital Camera came with an 8 Mb stick. This is about an eighth of what is useful. I can only get about 20 pictures at decent resolution with this 8 Mb. Do yourself a favor and purchase and additional 64 or 128 MB “Memory Stick.” Going rates are currently $.50 to $.90 per Mb.
Battery – This camera uses 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries at a time and my camera came with the batteries and a charger. The life of the batteries depends on the resolution you shoot at and whether or not you use the built-in flash. I haven’t had any problem with insufficient battery life in two years of use.
Other – The menu selection control button takes a little time to get used to and at times you have to ‘press’ the button, which takes a bit of practice (try it and you will understand). The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P31 Digital Camera also takes short MPEG movies but this eats up a lot of memory and battery.
I recommend this camera to all who ask, provided they are just getting into the digital field. If you want something to match your old Canon AE-1 then this camera will not fit your needs. However, if you are looking for something to take on vacation, take to a birthday party, shoot pics at the bachelorette party, and any general purpose pictures, this is the perfect camera at a very reasonable price. Remember to get the additional Memory Stick though!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
gsxrpilot
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Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 2 members
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