Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 Review

September 2004 | By Simon Joinson

Review based on a production Sony DSC-P150

Announced in July 2004, The DSC-P150 is Sony's latest salvo in the megapixel wars, and the first truly compact 7 megapixel camera. It's based closely on the current DSC-P100, with the only differences - resolution aside - being the brushed metal casing. With 7 million pixels and a 3x Carl Zeiss lens squeezed into a body around 1" thick, the P150 is sure to appeal to those who want to pack a lot of power into their pocket.

7.2 effective megapixels
Aluminum body (130cc)
Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens (3x optical zoom)
F2.8 - F5.2, 38-114mm (35mm equiv.)
Long life STAMINA battery: 320 shots per charge
1.8” LCD (134,000 pixels)
Manual Exposure Function
Real Imaging Processor
Conversion lens compatibility via adapter
Scene Selection (9 modes)
Histogram Indication
USB Direct Print (PictBridge)
Memory Stick / Memory Stick PRO compatible (32mb Memory Stick supplied)

Sony DSC-P150 Key specifications

Street price	• US: $499 • UK: £330
Body Material	Metal (aluminum)
Sensor	• 1/1.8" Sony Super HAD CCD • 7.2 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 3,072 x 2,304 • 3,072 x 2,048 (3:2) • 2,592 x 1,944 • 2,048 x 1,536 • 1,600 x 1,200 • 640 x 480
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 pixels @ 30fps • 640 x 480 pixels @ 15fps • 160 x 112 pixels @ 8fps • Motion JPEG (.avi) • With sound • Clip length limited only by media capacity (streaming) • 640 x 480 pixels / 30 fps only with Memory Stick PRO media
Lens	• Carl Zeiss 38 - 114mm equiv. (3x optical zoom) • F2.8-F5.2 • 2x digital zoom
Focus	• TTL autofocus • 5 Area Multi-Point AF • 5-step Manual focus • 6cm macro mode (Wide), 30cm (Tele)
Shooting mode	• Auto • Program • Manual • Twilight • Twilight Portrait • Landscape • Soft Snap • Candle • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • High Speed Shutter • AE compensation -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
Sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400
White Balance	• Auto • 5 presets
Image parameters	• Saturation (3 levels) • Contrast (3 levels) • Sharpness (3 levels) • Color effects (Sepia, Black and White)
Continuous	• 0.6 to 0.9 fps (5 shots 7MP / JPEG fine)
Flash	• Built-in flash • Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Synchro • Range (ISO auto): Wide; 0.2 - 3.5 m (0.66 - 11.48 ft) Tele; 0.3 - 3.5 m (0.98 - 11.48 ft)
Storage	• Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO • 32MB Memory Stick supplied*
Viewfinder	• Real Image Optical
LCD monitor	• 1.8" TFT, 134,000 pixels
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 • A/V out • DC-IN
Power	• NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium® Battery, • AC adapter included (in-camera charging)
In the box*	• NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium Battery • AC-LS5 Battery Charger • A/V and USB Cables • Wrist Strap • MSA-32A 32MB Memory Stick® Media • Software CD-ROM (Picture Package™ for Sony v1.0 (Windows), Pixela™ ImageMixer VCD2 (Macintosh), SPVD-012.1 USB Driver, Cyber-shot Life tutorial (Windows)
Other features	• Spot & Multi-pattern metering • PictBridge and DPOF compatible • Live Histogram & playback histogram • Autofocus Illuminator • Optional 2.6x Tele converter lens (VCL-DH2630) • Optional 1.7x Tele converter lens (VCL-DH1730) • Optional 0.7x Wide converter lens (VCL-DH0730) • Optional Camera Dock (Cyber-shot Station CSS-PHA) • Optional Slave flash + bracket • Optional waterproof case (Marine Pack MPK-PHB) • Optional filter kits and filter adapter
Weight (inc batt)	147 g (5.4 oz)
Dimensions	108 x 52 x 26mm (4.25 x 2.1 x 1in)

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

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DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.

Sony DSCP150 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)	$39.99
Sony DSC-WX80/B 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)	$158.00
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Silver) (2012 Model)	$139.99
Sony DSCP150 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)	$39.99
SONY Cyber-shot DSC-W730 Compact Zoom Digital Camera in Silver + 16GB Secure Digital Memory Card + Sony Case in Black + Accessory Bundle	$108.00
Sony DSC-HX50V/B 20.4MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black)	Too low to display
Sony Cybershot DSCP200 7.2MP Digital Camera 3x Optical Zoom	$13.00
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Silver) (2012 Model)	$138.99
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black) (2012 Model)	$359.00
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black) + 16GB SDHC Class 10 Memory Card + Extended Life Battery + Ac/Dc Rapid Charger + USB Card Reader + Memory Card Wallet + Deluxe Case w/Strap + Shock Proof Deluxe Case + Mini HDMI to HDMI Cable + Accessory Saver Bundle!	$430.29
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W620 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Red) (2012 Model)	Too low to display

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