Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P72

Reviews: Electronics

Digital Cameras | PDAs | Communications

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
Iocombo
Oct. 14, 2003

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Camera Controls & Layout

To start off, let's turn on the camera. The power button is located on the top of the camera. When you turn the camera on it will make a chiming sound and the LCD will turn on. On the back of the camera is where you will find the LCD screen and all of the buttons and plugs. The rotating dial is used to toggle between four modes: Playback, Still Image, Moving Image, and Setup.

Playback Mode - Check pictures and movies you have taken. (See animation below)
Still Image Mode - Shoot still images. From here you can choose between the following record modes: Normal, Burst 2, E-Mail, or Voice.
Moving Image Mode - Record movies or series of images. From here you can choose between one of the following record modes: MPEG Movie, Clip Motion, and Multi Burst.
Setup Mode - Fairly obvious. There are many options to be had in this mode, see animation below or consult the manual for details.

Playback Mode Animation

Setup Menu Animation
The zoom switch has a couple of uses, the most obvious being to zoom in and out. W (wide) is used to zoom out, and T (telephoto) is used to zoom in. In addition to being able to zoom for taking pictures, the "T' side can be used to zoom in up to 5x in playback mode when viewing images. Using the "W' side while in playback mode, you can enter index mode, and by pressing again, you will be able to view exposure info for each image you have taken.

The menu button is mysterious and powerful. Okay, so it may not be all that mysterious after all, but it is powerful. This button will allow you to change between camera presets, exposure settings, focus settings, metering mode (spot or multi), White Balance, ISO setting, Picture Quality, Record Mode, Flash Level, and Special Effects.

The first button under the Menu button is used to toggle between turning certain LCD elements off, turning the whole LCD off, and turning the LCD back on (default).

The second button under the Menu button has a couple of functions. In Playback mode this button is used to delete images or movies. In Still or Moving Image modes this button can be used to change the Image Size.

There is also a directional selector with four buttons plus one in the middle. Each button (up, left, right, down) lets you navigate through menus. The center button is used to select options (i.e. hit "OK' etc.). While in Still or Moving Image modes the directional buttons each serve another purpose. Up = Flash Modes, Left = Quick Review, Right = Macro, and Down = Self-Timer.

To the right of all the buttons there is a grey piece of rubber which can be moved out of the way to allow access to the DC IN, USB plug, and A/V Out. The DC In will only be used if you purchase the optional AC Adapter. The USB plug will be used whenever you wish to transfer files from the camera to your PC. The A/V Out is used to plug the camera into a TV for displaying pictures.

On the front of the camera you will notice that there is a small finger grip. Sure, the finger grip looks cool, but its small size makes you question its usefulness. I would like to see a larger finger grip on this camera that lets you firmly hold it. (The camera comes with a wrist strap for added security)

On the left side of the camera, toward the bottom, you will find the memory stick compartment. Simply pull the door open, and push in the memory card as shown in picture. To remove a memory stick, just push it in further and it will pop right out.

On the right side of the camera is the battery compartment. Just push down the button and slide the panel towards the front of the camera and then it will swing back.

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Page 3 of 12

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks
Page 3: Camera Controls & Layout
Page 4: LCD Screen
Page 5: Features
Page 6: Included Software (Image Mixer 1.5)
Page 7: Sample Photos Pg. 1
Page 8: Sample Photos Pg. 2
Page 9: Sample Photos Pg. 3
Page 10: Sample Photos Pg. 4
Page 11: Pictures of DSC-P72
Page 12: Overview & Conclusion

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8 User Comments

1 - Posted by EmoMakesMeCry on October 14, 2003 - 10:21 pm

that's the camera that i've been lookin at getting......now to just get the $200

2 - Posted by Kurtis on October 14, 2003 - 10:24 pm

$200? where do you plan to buy it for that amount? lowest ive seen is like $300.

Ebay or something?

3 - Posted by EmoMakesMeCry on October 14, 2003 - 10:27 pm

my friend has one and bought a bigger better digicam so he has offered to sell it to me for $200.

4 - Posted by Kurtis on October 14, 2003 - 10:33 pm

ah nice. don't forget you could get a nice new one from ioCombo $321.95 - $10.00 with coupon code: ttlio0001

$311.95 :D

5 - Posted by Mister E on October 15, 2003 - 9:08 pm

I was just researching this camera... Anyway, thanks for the great review. I just have one question: How long is the shutter lag (time from pressing the button to taking the picture)? I really hate having to wait a second or two to take a picture, and I need to know this before I buy the camera. Any reply would be greatly appreciated.

6 - Posted by Kurtis on October 15, 2003 - 9:40 pm

when you use flash, there isnt really shutter lag, but you ahve to wait for the flash to recharge, which takes 2-3 seconds.

When you use no flash, it will take about half a second to take the shot, and then you can immediately take another picture, but you will want to focus again first which takes about another second.

We use this camera for all our reviews, and i used it on vacation etc... and the short wait wasn't a problem for me

hope this helps, and thanks for your kind words. let me know if you have any more questions

7 - Posted by Neolander on November 23, 2003 - 7:01 pm

I still love my Nikon Coolpix 950, even though it's considered obsolete and in the aging process.

The Nikon Coolpix 950 is only a 2MP digital camera, but I'm still amazed at the quality of the photos it takes that rivals the quality of some of these new 3-4MP cameras. Given the resolution/pixel count is not as high, the balance between the colors and capture of the depth aspect and shadows is amazing.

Since my Coolpix was bought as remanufactured and it's already considered old going on 2-3yrs, it's already showing its signs of wear and tear with the switch that's going out on me, but it still takes awesome pictures :) Nikon is a bit more pricey than other digital cameras, but the quality shows for it.

A review I found on the CoolPix 950:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/nikon950.html

8 - Posted by Guest on April 15, 2004 - 7:10 pm

Great review - extremely through! Nice to have real photos to review as well.

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