Customer Reviews

Sony DSC-P5 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am a huge fan of digital cameras. I owned a DSC-P1, and it is not so bad for beginners although the price is quite steep.
DSC-P5 does not dissapoint. I bought one for my wife, and she's happy, no complaints. :-) The enhancements especially in software dept made it worthwhile even for advanced amateurs. You can actually see the information on your aperture, mode settings for each of your shots. The flash has improved, much better than DSC-P1 which ocassionally gave you reddish hue.

SONY has done it's homework on feedback given to DSC-P1. DSC-P5 is thinner, the controls are easier to understand and are put into logical locations. Aesthetically, I give the controls 9 out of 10 points. The on/off switch has been changed from the sliding type to a push button type, which can be annoying at times, but it depends on individual preference.

Pictures are not bad at all. I can't see much difference from DSC-P1, but as a satisfied customer of both DSC-P1, and DSC-P5, I can say, you will not be dissapointed.

I was given this camera for Christmas (2001) as a present from my Girlfriend and am quite familiar with it. In a nutshell, the camera is excellent. I had previously used Sony digital cameras on a loan basis throughout Europe and Australia and to own this latest version is just fantastic and I am privileged.

The camera comes with software which allows editing of still and mpeg images. The supplied memory stick however, is only 8meg and this is the only criticism I have. I bought a 64 meg which helps more. Will be getting a 128 meg memory stick soon. Noting the size and quality of the pictures this camera is capable of taking - and the photos are brilliant, you need storage space so at least a 64mb stick is required. That is unless you want to concentrate on just taking small volume jpg's suitable for emailing. The camera doesn't come with a cover but this can be purchased separately, or any old camera cover will do. A spare battery would be a bonus. I guess its these add-ons which help Sony to maintain the profits.... Once again, only minor criticisms.
The quality of the P5 is very good and typical of Sony. The camera is very small and able to be carried quite easily in a pocket. Once again, the quality of photos are excellent and with all digital cameras, the savings in the long term must add up through editing the photos you want and simply printing the good ones. Possession of the software program 'Adobe Photoshop Pro' adds another dimension however the supplied program with the camera is good enough for the average user.
What else can I say, other than I highly recommend the P5. My parents have the P3 which has less zoom and a lower pixel capacity for fine photos and it too is great....

I have always been anxious about buying a digital camera, did some research and decided to buy this one. I have the Minolta Maxxum HTsi...still love it but fear that it will now sit on the shelf more often now that I bought the
SONY DSC-P5. I highly recommend this SONY digital camera!! I went to a holiday party the other night, and shot pictures and short video clips all night long (6pm to 2am). I did have an extra battery with me and a 64 MB card! The pictures were crisp with great color! The zoom feature is great! The short video clips are good quality too! What a way to save memories!! Pictures and video clips all on one memory stick! The price is worth it! BUY THIS CAMERA!!

It's easy to see this tiny yet powerful camera getting overlooked on store shelves, but check out the specs! What's more, this camera lives up to them, and means my larger older model digital camera will be sitting on the shelf much of the time. A clear, sharp lens, ultra-convenient size, high resolution images, various "pro" features for tweaking settings, five "movie" modes in mpeg and gif, including audio. This is an ideal camera for any number of high level amateur or field-light professional situations. Image response time is far better than on the Mavica models, so it is more like classic film photography (avoid the power-save mode if you're into the "zen" of photography! -- carry an extra battery instead).

This camera is absolutely amazing! It creates incredibly clear images, short video clips complete with sound, and has many other adjustments such as white balance. The camera is operated by turning the dial on top to one of four settings: movie mode, playback mode, camera mode, and twilight mode. It even has a thoughtful LCD screen on top telling you how much battery power in minutes is left, eliminating guesswork. Once you get started taking pictures, the included 8mb memory card won't last long, so it's best to purchase a larger one. Good news is Sony is currently offering a $50 rebate with the purchase of the camera and a memory card. In short, this camera offers many features, sharp clear images with its impressive 3.2 megapixel lens, an easy-to-use menu (even for a first-time digital camera purchaser like me), and weighs less than 8 ounces with the long lasting lithium battery and memory card installed. You won't be sorry if you buy this camera.

You will be more than pleased with this product. It is a breeze to learn, and it takes great pictures. The 3.2 megapixel provides very sharp pictures on my home printer. This is my first digital camera, and I am happy to say that it is a great hit. Can't wait until the holidays for more great shots. By the way, consider purchasing the 128 meg stick to go with it. It holds about 70 pictures. We also purchased a new computer with XP operating system. The XP compatibility is there. Actually, it was very easy. You will be printing pictures within five minutes of getting on your system.

I originally received the DSC-P30 as a gift, however wanting a 3+ megapixel cam I began my research. I compared this with the Canon and Olypus 3.x megapixel cameras. After comparing specs. side by side I liked the size, price and features of the DSC-P5 the best.
When I received the camera I was shocked at just how small it really is. Most impressive.
The screen is more than adequate. The image quality is also impressive. Also recording mpeg's was both easy and reasonably good quality.

Only bad things are that the 8Mb Memory Stick it ships with is really too small. You need at least 32Mb to do anything substantial away from an opportunity to upload. I would recommend you invest in a 128Mb card though. Also if you set the photo quality to 'fine' you reduce the number of images the card can store by almost a third, but it is worth it in improved image quality.
The power switch is too close to the shutter button. It is too easy to push it and power down when you need a photo. Also time between photos in low light can be excruciating.
Photo review is easy and you can quickly delete any image you do not like.
Overall the Sony DSC-P5 is a great camera.

This is a great camera. If you do buy one, you might as well invest in a larger memory stick. It will only hold one pick at max resolution. However what most people dont know, is that you can take a picture at 2048x1536 and then resize it to a smaller size like 640x480. This keeps the higher resolution in the image, but just makes it smaller in sheer physical size. Also, it takes good and lengthy Mpeg clips. Of course it's not a digital camcorder, but does a very good job. One feature i find very handy is that you can photograph documents with its built in document option. I don't have a scanner, but have done this with several documents, and have got very good results. The macro mode is great, i have taken pictures at 5" with great results. The camera is also very small and light weight. A super deal sony has going on right now is a (...)rebate if you also buy memory stick. Plus they will give arebate for registering the camera online. Rebates equal cool.

Having bought a previous sony digi-cam that failed before a big trip, I was somewhat reluctant to buy another sony. However, I returned my failed sony for this model(a DSC-P5 which was also an open box model so I saved $300 - highly recommended if you can find one), I cannot say how delighted I am with this camera. Not only is this one much smaller and handy than the other model, but the features are stellar. The mpeg movie feature w/ sound right out of the camera is fantastic; the picture clarity is awesome, and the LCD screen is larger than most for a camera this size. I've been on 3 other trips since, and have received many inquiries by onlookers on the "coolness" of this camera. ***The only downside is, buy a few extra batteries and at least a 64mb stick if not 2, since the 4mb provided will only give you a few pics at the 3.2 resolution and the battery supplied won't last long if you plan to take lots of pics****

Bought the P-5 last January 2002. Read its manual in details. You should too. It will help you understand this new technology. You can achieve much more with a digicam. I suspect people who are unhappy with this camera have not read the manual in detail.

It is a small camera with a lot of punch and options. Its small size does not mean compromise. I suggest you buy 128 MB of memory. It is nice to not worry about running out of memory. One full day will drain the battery (as with all digicams). So take along the charger (for the hotel room and recharge when you sleep, although it does not take THAT long to charge it) or buy extra an battery. We take the charger with us on overnights and it works. No need to spend extra $$ on the extra battery. Buy the extra memory instead.

A Plus: The videos I take with this camera (and the extra memory) are great. I did not expect to get such nice videos with a "still" camera.

I am not an expert. I have made mistakes taking a few shots and have been able to correct some of them with the MGI Photo Suite software that comes with the camera. Others, were beyond rescue ;)

The vast majority of the shots come out beautifully.

Bottom line: get a small (palm size) tripod for night shots, get 128MB extra memory and this camera. The tiny size of it all and its power will ensure you take it with you and use it all the time. No need to slug around a whole bag of camera stuff!