Sony's 3.2-megapixel Cyber Shot DSC-P5 packs a wallop into a stylish, ultracompact body.
It's bound to garner compliments for both its good looks and its image quality, though more advanced photographers may find its picture-taking abilities limited by the absence of aperture and shutter controls.
At about only eight ounces with the battery and Memory Stick media installed, the sleek, brushed-aluminum DSC-P5 lets you shoot in style without weighing you down. Overall, this is a camera that's simple to use, with a logical control-button layout. It also offers Sony's intuitive menu system, allowing you to navigate without scrolling through endless screens.
You use the dial on top of the camera to set the camera on its Automatic Shooting, Video Capture, Playback, or Twilight Shooting mode. Then just tap the Menu button and all the functions for the mode you've selected will be displayed in a row at the bottom of the bright LCD viewfinder. A four-way rocker button lets you move across until you reach the feature you want; then you choose specific settings by scrolling through a pop-up submenu. This is a departure from the menu protocol found on most cameras, but it's quicker and easier, and it doesn't completely block the viewfinder image, as many menu systems do.
Loaded with bells and whistles, the DSC-P5 offers an extended MPEG Movie mode with sound, Clip Motion animation, voice annotation, a two-shot Burst mode, and a feature that makes low-resolution copies of high-res photos for posting on the Web or attaching to e-mail.
The camera also offers a few advanced-shooting controls, such as spot metering, manual white balance, and exposure compensation.
Unfortunately, the DSC-P5 falls short on two basic functions: shooting speed and image review. The shot-to-shot time is about two to three seconds, and in playback mode, you have to wait about four seconds for a picture to go from fuzzy to sharp. Once the picture clears up, though, the impressive 5X-zoom function can enlarge any section of the image so that you can check out the details. And speaking of details, Sony's long-lasting, fast-charging InfoLithium battery gives a continuous minutes-remaining readout at the top of the LCD screen--no guesswork required.
In our test shots, the exposure was usually right on the nose. The DSC-P5 also captured well-balanced, nicely saturated colours. We saw a good dynamic range in scenes that had both deep shadows and bright highlights, though we needed to use the camera's exposure-compensation feature at times to achieve optimal results. We saw more image noise than we would have liked--even in brightly lit shots--as well as some noticeable purple fringing around highlights in backlit scenes. However, in prints smaller than 8x10 inches, these flaws won't usually be visible enough to cause a problem.
In general, the DSC-P5's flash performed well, although when we used the camera's Macro mode, the flash proved too bright even its lowest-output setting for shooting small objects closer than 12 inches to the lens. We remedied the problem easily, though, by holding a layer or two of white handkerchief cloth over the flash.
If you're looking for a capable, hassle-free point-and-shoot camera that you can take on the road and on the town, the DSC-P5 represents a good value. It's also one of the few digital cameras for which Sony makes an underwater housing. Still, this digicam doesn't come cheap. If you're on a budget and you're willing to sacrifice a megapixel or two, there are less expensive cameras you may also want to check out.
Sony Cyber Shot DSC-P5
Company: Sony Australia
Price: AU$1699 (suggested retail, incl. GST)
Distributor: Sony Australia
Phone: 1300 137 669
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