Customer Reviews

Sony DSCP8 Cyber-shot 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sony really got everything right on this little camera. My wife and I already own the higher end DSC-717 5 megapixel Sony. That camera is unbelievable in its own right, but I do home inspections and wanted something I could slip into a shirt pocket. This little Sony does that well, but it does so much more. I still can't believe all of the features they packed into something this small. It's 3.2 megapixels which is more than fine for 95% of the shots you'll take; that will print up to almost 8x10 with no noticeable loss of detail. Flash works very well, offering red-eye reduction if you want to use it. Zoom is very good, offering both digital and optical zoom modes. I personally don't mind the digital zoom, although some people prefer the optical only. In the >3x zoom mode, the digital only kicks in for the last tiny bit of the zoom, so I don't see it as a pro nor con. Battery life is amazing, as it has been for the past two years with all Sony digital cameras. The new Lithium batteries just last forever; well over 100 shots, easily. As we already have one Sony digital camera, I didn't have to install a thing; everything from the software to the transfer cable to the PC worked from the older Sony. Thankfully, Memory Stick prices are coming down; a good 128mb stick will likely be all you'll need. I'm using 64mb sticks and with the resolution set at 2mb, that's over 30 pictures per stick. And since it's digital, you can instantly delete what you don't like, so, literally, all of your shots, in the end, are keepers. Has an incredible movie mode; even better than the over $1,000 DSC-717; it eats up a ton of memory sticks to do it, but I'm thinking about tossing the videocam; it's really that good. Menu options allow filters for sepia (so nice to see interiors in sepia; makes them look turn-of-the-century), solarize, black and white, negative, etc. Plus it offers seven 'scene' modes, such as the beach (which corrects the balance to show the ocean in its correct shade of blue), fireworks, distance shots, etc. Also has a very good macro capability if you like shooting flowers in close detail. All in all, I spent some two hours with the camera when I first got it homeand was truly taken back by how many features it offers. And don't forget the biggest feature: IT IS SO SMALL!!!! Not so small like the new cell phones that are TOO tiny; just the right small so that you can put it in your shirt pocket. It doesn't weigh a thing either (it's in the ounces category). Just a real tour-de-force of what can be packed into a small package, still remain user-friendly, and put a true grin on your face when you use it. There are a ton of under 5 megapixel cameras out today; Sony, Canon, Olympia, Kodak, HP, Panasonic, Leica, Epson, etc. all make cameras that compete with this Sony. Yet I don't see any of them offering all of the features this camera has. I don't give out many 5 stars on products, but this one earns it in every way. If you're just starting out in digital photography, you'll appreciate getting this many features in such a small package and one that doesn't need a PhD in Engineering to operate. If you're a seasoned pro in the digital world, you'll love having this little guy in your pocket, just so you don't have to lug around the bigger equipment. Highly recommended in every way.

I was debating between a Canon S400 and this Sony P8 so Idecided to play with both cameras at my neighborhood bestbuy. The Sony P8 produces better image quality and color than the Canon. The guys at BestBuy let me print out images taken by the cameras so I can compare the results instantly as the print out quality is very important to me. To top it off, the sony has a much user friendly interface and I was able to master the camera navigation w/o asking questions nor looking at manual. I couldn't figure out the Canon at all.
I took some amazing photos from my recent trip and blew some up to 8x10. The quality is incredible and may I also add that I am no professional but the pictures turned out looking like pros!

Sony has really done it this time!

For a full review see Jeff Keller's Digital Camera Resource Page (he does a great job).

Hits:
This camera has the perfect balance of features for those who are "on the go." The durable all-metal body is sleek and small, fitting into most pockets easily. The battery life is excellent (second only to the DSC-P72/92). The 3x zoom is suitable for 95% of travel shooting situations. With the addition of a 128mb Memory Stick (which are very cheap after rebates, see Lexar/Sandisk), this camera - at full 3.2 megapixel resolution - can fit tons of shots.
The video mode is what sold me! Imagine taking 640x480 resolution video, with sound, for as long as the Memory Stick can hold... (Heck, I returned the DV camcorder I just bought, and waited for a month for this camera to be released.)
Good selection of accessories (although pricey). Best accessory? Two words: Underwater Housing.
The controls are VERY easy to use! I haven't look at the manual yet... but I will soon... there are probably many new tips/tricks to learn.

Quality of photos:
The wonderful thing about this camera is that on full-auto mode, the shots are outstanding. Are you in a tricky shooting situation? Take control with "Scene Modes," making those snowboarding pictures come out awesome!
The camera does lack fully-manual control over exposure, whitebalance, and f-stop, but my wife does not have the patience to learn photographic theory, nor does she have the patience to wait for me to tinker with the shot. Most of the photos I've taken have been in full-auto mode, and I'm very pleased at the results.

Misses:
No remote control... I love this about my Canon film camera. You don't realize how handy this is until you don't have it. Also, the add-on lenses require a plastic snap-on adapter. But that's the price you pay for unbelievable portability.
Slow focusing in low light (especially outdoors). Sometime you have to hold the shutter release button down for five seconds before it will fire. Set to (P) program mode and manually set the focus distance to speed up the process.

Conclusion:
Excellent camera for the price. Resolution is more than adequate for my shooting situations, and it fills up the Memory Sticks slower. Video mode is the best out there. Portability, durability, reliability.

This is my first digital camera, however before I purchased it, I did a lot of research and tried the various ones available in the market. Ok first off, if you are not planning to enlarge the picture greater than 8" by 10" [inches], then you dont need a camera with more than 3 MP[mega-pixel] resolution. The greater the MP, the more you can enlarge a digital picture without causing to blur. Just for comparison, the 'old' film [35 mm] camera took a 1 MP picture, so practically with a 3 MP camera, you can enlarge it about 2-3 times without causing it to blur, so make sure you keep that in mind before going for the 8 MP camera. Next, the zoom....consider only the optical zoom of a camera to get a great picture. The digital zoom, is a computer enhanced image, which is not so great.
Having said all this, this camera is unbelievable! The results are incredible. It allows you to take pictures in an email mode, which stores two copies of the same picture, one for emailing and one for printing[full size]. Also the flash is quite extraordinary. The best is the result with movie mode. The movie is with sound which is also incredible. However you would need at least 128 MB memory stick to get a 4 and a half minute video. Dont get fooled by the 90 min video advertisement, that is only in VGA mode, and quite unacceptable for viewing or showing it to friends. Other than that, the camera works great, results everyone will enjoy and you will cherish. Sony ROCKS!!

The camera has superb picture quality. It has SCN modes, that takes amazing pictures at night, snow, beaches, and in very bright condition. Live Histograms helps in taking good pictures and setting light focus. The camera also shows shutter time for its current setting. Its a good feature for doing good photography.

P8 has MACRO mode that takes superb closeups. For the naive photographers, it has auto option. You can take movie of 640x480 with sound till you fill up your memory. It is a superb option. The movie is very clear in daylight.

No other camera with this specification, in market can take better quality of indoor pictures as Sony Cybershots.

The camera is small and light in wieght. Sony has once again come up with the product that rocks in the market. I think its worth paying for this camera.

Camera comes with lots of options that helps in taking good pictures at different times. I recommend you to take tripod and extra memory stick.

I had a Fuji 2800 and I was pretty happy with it. It produced great pictures and I used it a lot but it finally broke after 2 years.
I did some research and I saw good reviews for this Sony camera and liked the compact size and the set of features. I bought it and did some pictures indoor of my daughter. Next day I connected it to the PC and downloaded the pictures. Big surprise. The pictures were grainy, yellowish and out of focus. Way worse than my old Fuji. I tried to play with the settings, do some pictures outside, read again the manual. I got better results outdoors but still not quite right.
Really disapointed with this camera. I returned it back to the store and I ordered something else.
Take my advice and try to see some pictures taken with this camera before you buy it.

I looked for months - every website out there that compares cameras, has user reviews and etc... Finally decided on the DSCP8 and am SOOOOO happy I did. I've had the camera for six months and didn't want to write a review till I took it on a trip. I'm now back and must tell you the only problem I had with this camera was trying to get night shots - really need to have the tripod for a serious shot. Everything else about this camera is amazing! I have the 128mb stick and can hold over 100 photos at the 2m setting.

The good stuff:
QUICK charge time (I have a spare battery for those long hikes)
Tons of built in settings for SCN's
Size - this thing is so small yet the LCD screen size and quality is unmatched on the market.
Great quality prints come out of this camera!

Skip all the rest the Sony DSCP8 is the only way to go!

This is the second sony Digital Camera I've purchased, the first being a DSC-F707, and I am not disappointed.

First of all, this is a VERY small camera. One of the smaller camera that Sony manufactures, but it also provides lots of features usually not present in cameras of this size.

MOVIE MODE: The MPEG movie quality is just as good as my bigger SONY, the only downside being you can't use the zoom feature while recording. On the other hand, there is also another movie function, 16 frame burst, which my bigger camera doesn't provide.

STILL IMAGE: Since my other camera was a 5.2 megapixel, the lesser picture quality on the DSC-P8 was very noticable, but they are still quite good. Considering the photographer is not a professional, this camera has VERY GOOD pictures for a small point and shoot camera.

SIZE: This camera is both light AND compact. It's designed well enough to fit comfortably in one's hand, yet compact enough to be carried in a persons pocket or purse. The only downside with the size is that with one hand shooting, it's easy for your fingers to accidentally press the buttons on the back.

INDOOR SHOOTING: Differences in lighting and distance has negative effects on this camera. The subject or objective you're trying to shoot may not always recieve the type of lighting you wish with the flash on this camera. The flash battery recovery time is VERY GOOD though, pausing only one or two seconds before you can take another picture.

OUTDOOR SHOOTING: Taking pictures outside with this camera is GREAT. If the flash is not needed, the camera takes care of everything, providing sharp, colorful pictures.

OVERALL: This camera is exactly the same size as the DSC-P10, only SLIGHTLY lighter, both in weight and in color. The DSC-P10 also has a bracketing feature which takes 3 pictures with different settings for you, so you can pick the best, but most people do not need that. If you're planning to get a small digital camera and don't need extreme quality, buy the DSC-P8 and save a hundred bucks.

I've had a Canon Powershot S330 and recently sold it in order to upgrade to Sony's Cybershot DSC-P8 model. Before making this particular purchase for myself, I've purchased it for someone and was particularly attracted to this camera's compact size and lightweight. Beyond that, everything including the menus and navigation were OK although I still find that Canon's operations are much easier. However, the most attractive feature of this camera is how silent the operations of its lens, particularly when zooming in and out, as compared to Canon's S330 noisy lens operations. I seriously recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a compact point-and-shoot digital camera.

I bought SONY P8 because friend had SONY P9 and was very satisfied with it. I must say it is very much comparable to the P9. Battery lasts 90 minutes and when you turn off the LCD, even when the battery is almost flat, you will still be able to make at least 20-30 pictures. The menu is easy to use. The only problem I feel with this model is that when using automat sometimes the pictures come out either too bright or too dark so it is actually better to use manual otherwise the pictures are a very good quality the same with the video. P8 makes excellent pictures in dark - flash is quite strong.The zoom is sufficient - I am only using the optical and switched off the digital zoom. To conclude, I like this camera, I knew what I was buying and I think it was a good deal (although I know that some other 3.2 MP may be cheaper), must recommmend it to everyone.