Sony DSC P 200 Manual mode

I just bought a Sony DSC P200 camera, and must say that for what I have been able to see so far, the camera is good. I think it renders colors very well and the images are quite crisp, even if if you use the Auto mode the image quality is not really that good. Luckily there is a Manual mode. Yet, I found a small problem with it, even if I don't know if that's a problem of my camera or if the Sony is supposed to work like that. When I use the fully manual mode to set the exposure times and the F value, I can choose whichever value I want for the time, but just choose between two values for the F value. So for example, on the widest lenses distance (1x), I can choose only 2.8 F OR 5.2 F. Where is 4 F??

and Sony isn't the only one doing it.

The new Manual mode that is creeping into these small cameras is often limited like this, giving you the choice of only a pair of apertures (which may be different at the WA and telephoto ends of the zoom range).

As a general rule, if a camera doesn't offer at least Aperture Priority mode -- usually with Shutter priority also available -- then there's a high probability that any "Manual" mode that it features will be of this half-baked variety.

While I don't have a P200 (or the PDF user manual, as yet), I'd be willing to bet that this is how it's configured. I don't like this trend at all, and it has been the source of much confusion and disappointment for people awating manual options on new-release sub-compacts from other manufacturers as well.

Gian001 said:

I just bought a Sony DSC P200 camera, and must say that for what I
have been able to see so far, the camera is good. I think it
renders colors very well and the images are quite crisp, even if
if you use the Auto mode the image quality is not really that good.
Luckily there is a Manual mode. Yet, I found a small problem with
it, even if I don't know if that's a problem of my camera or if the
Sony is supposed to work like that. When I use the fully manual
mode to set the exposure times and the F value, I can choose
whichever value I want for the time, but just choose between two
values for the F value. So for example, on the widest lenses
distance (1x), I can choose only 2.8 F OR 5.2 F. Where is 4 F??

Click to expand...

--
Mike
Melbourne

Yea I was afraid of this. The fact is that the manual does not say much about the manual mode, just a single page, where they explain which button you must use to change the times, and which to change the F-value...... Not very helpful but they probably expect few people to use the manual mode. If that is so, too bad because they did not write it anywhere (at least not clearly) and because the camera is good enough, this problem apart.

Mike Fitzgerald said:

and Sony isn't the only one doing it.

The new Manual mode that is creeping into these small cameras is
often limited like this, giving you the choice of only a pair of
apertures (which may be different at the WA and telephoto ends of
the zoom range).

As a general rule, if a camera doesn't offer at least Aperture
Priority mode -- usually with Shutter priority also available --
then there's a high probability that any "Manual" mode that it
features will be of this half-baked variety.

While I don't have a P200 (or the PDF user manual, as yet), I'd be
willing to bet that this is how it's configured. I don't like this
trend at all, and it has been the source of much confusion and
disappointment for people awating manual options on new-release
sub-compacts from other manufacturers as well.

Click to expand...

Gian,

All Sony P&S manual mode allow 2 aperture value only. This is the design. I have a W1 and it does the same in manual mode.

Daniel.

Gian001 said:

Mike Fitzgerald said:

and Sony isn't the only one doing it.

The new Manual mode that is creeping into these small cameras is
often limited like this, giving you the choice of only a pair of
apertures (which may be different at the WA and telephoto ends of
the zoom range).

As a general rule, if a camera doesn't offer at least Aperture
Priority mode -- usually with Shutter priority also available --
then there's a high probability that any "Manual" mode that it
features will be of this half-baked variety.

While I don't have a P200 (or the PDF user manual, as yet), I'd be
willing to bet that this is how it's configured. I don't like this
trend at all, and it has been the source of much confusion and
disappointment for people awating manual options on new-release
sub-compacts from other manufacturers as well.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

It only has two apertures no matter what mode you are in.

Keith.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v345/keith1200rs/

Ok everything is clear now. I tried working more on the other modes and I saw that indeed I (or the camera software) can only use two apertures for any given picture scene. Well, still there is more than enough to work on with the times, and the image quality is very good nonetheless..
I am not unsatisfied of my camera considering what I paid for it....

keith1200rs said:

It only has two apertures no matter what mode you are in.

Keith.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v345/keith1200rs/

Click to expand...