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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P92 Digital Camera

The DSC-P92 digital still camera is an average size point-n-shoot camera. I emphasized its size because I have always been a fan of tiny point-n-shoot cameras, the smaller the better. If the camera is going to be big, then it better be a SLR and be as flexible as a SLR. The DSC-P92 is neither tiny nor huge, just average-sized. Its shape is also rather blend and unattractive. Obviously, I am unimpressed by its physical style.

Nevertheless, I took it on my recent Pacific Coast Highway trip with me. Due to unusual circumstances of this trip, I did not bring my primary digital camera: the Canon EOS D30 SLR. And I had passed on my secondary digital camera, Olympus Camedia C-2500L SLR, to another deserving soul. Instead I spent so much time with the Sony DSC-P92 on this trip that I have learnt all of its capabilities and limitations. I am so familiar with it now that it has became my secondary digital camera.

The Sony DSC-P92 digital camera has a 3x optical zoom lens. The focal length ranges from 7.9mm to 23.7mm. This is equivalent to 38mm to 114mm on a 35mm film camera. The largest aperture for the focal range is f/2.8 to f/5.6.

The Sony DSC-P92 has a 5 mega-pixel (MP) sensor. It also supports 4.5 MP (3:2), 3.1 MP, 1.2 MP, and VGA mode. Captured photos are stored on Memory Stick PRO in JPEG format. The camera supports two JPEG picture quality modes, fine and standard.

Being a point-n-shoot, the DSC-P92 comes with an optical viewfinder. After trying it a few times and seeing that my framing is slightly off, as expected with range finder cameras, I stopped using the optical viewfinder. Instead I used the digital viewfinder that is available on the LCD. It uses more energy than the optical counterpart, but at least the framing is exactly what I see, similar to a SLR camera.

Although the DSC-P92 is essentially a point-n-shoot camera, it has a number of manually controllable functions. It supports exposure compensation between -2.0 and 2.0 EV in 1/3 stop. That is amazing considering that some of my SLR cameras are only adjustable in 1/2 stop. However, I found that most Sony cameras tend to over-exposure a scene by one to two stops. This is a good feature for snap-shooters with little experience in exposure. But it means the exposure compensation is really only adjustable between -1.0 to 3.0 EV, because I tend to use -1.0 EV on virtually all of my pictures. The camera also supports flash compensation, rated at low, normal, and high. However, I have not used the flash compensation feature, because I rarely shoot photos with flash.

The camera also supports two auto-focus modes: Multi and Center. In Multi mode, the camera uses a wider set of AF sensors and attempts to automatically pick the right focus spot. I need more control, so I always use the Center mode, where I always AF in the center of the viewfinder and re-compose the picture manually. The camera also allows manual focus at the following pre-defined distances: 0.5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, 7.0m, and infinity. It is not the most flexible or convenient, but is sure beat no manual focus at all.

The camera supports three ISO speeds: 100, 200, and 400. It also has an auto mode where the camera adjusts the ISO speed itself depending on lighting condition.

Ever since I gone digital, I have not shot B/W at all. I have always been the type of photographer that finalizes the art in the camera, rarely in post-processing. The nice thing about Sony cameras is that they generally come with a number of special effect modes. I had thought that this camera could serve as my black and white camera. But then this camera supports only three special effect modes: solarize, sepia, and negative art. B/W is not available on this camera, so I use sepia and negative art often. Negative art has a soft pleasing bluish tint that I really like.

Macro mode is another feature on this camera. Unfortunately, I found it quite lacking. The minimum focus distance is about half feet. That is quite far for many macro shots. I remember the Olympus C-2500L digital camera could macro focus on objects just a few millimeters away from the subject. Now that is macro focus!

This Sony digital camera supports a video mode called MPEG Movie VX. Its ability to record MPEG4 video at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second is truly amazing. Even my camcorders cannot reach that kind of resolution and frame rate when recording in MPEG4 mode. Be prepared to have plenty of Memory Sticks handy if you are planning on shooting in this video mode. Other modes include a 640x480 at 15 frames per second mode and a 160x120 at 15 frames per second mode. It is disappointing that 320x240 video mode is not supported.

Three connector ports are available on this camera. They are DC in, mini-B USB 2.0, and A/V out. All three ports are hidden behind a rubber cover. The DC in is a very specialized proprietary connector. A DC power adapter is not included. The mini-USB port allows the camera to connect to a computer via the USB port. The computer sees the camera and Memory Stick card as a mass storage device. The A/V out port allows transferring audio and video to another device, such as TV or VCR.

Power source for the camera comes from two AA-sized NIMH batteries. The batteries and charger are included. The charger has the ability to charge two AA or two AAA batteries at any one time. It takes x hours to charge a set.

Overall this digital camera is very good. Its manual controls are versatile in different situations. The electronic viewfinder allows SLR-like functionality. But to really use this camera to its fullest potential, the Sony VAD-PEA lens adapter (reviewed else where on this site) is a must have item.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P92 Digital Camera

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