Customer Reviews

Sony DSCP10 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

If you are considering the Sony P10, you are probably looking for your first digital camera. If so, you are considering a very worthwhile purchase, both in the abstract (acquiring a digital camera) and in the concrete (the Sony P10). I've had a P9--the previous model--for about six months, and I am extremely pleased with it. I often comment that it has "changed my life." (More on that below.) First, here are the features I really like about the P9:

__ 1) Very small (fits in your pocket).

__ 2) Great resolution (5.0 megapixels is very nice).

__ 3) Delay after pressing shutter button is quite short.

__ 4) Good selection of features, which are easy to access.

__ 5) Very easy to download images to your computer.

__ 6) Memory sticks are very compact and have multiple uses.

If you are new to digital photography, #3 will come as a surprise to you. Be sure to check this on any digital camera you consider! Some have a delay of close to a second, and it will drive you crazy if you intend to photograph anything but static objects (i.e. NO people). With regard to memory sticks, I'm a big fan. They are very small and can be used in other devices such as camcorders, computers, and voice recorders.

There are a few things that could be improved in the P9, although these things do not seem to be appreciably better in other models that I've considered, and are often significantly worse. Here are the things that could be better:

__ 1) Built-in flash is terrible (as are all built-in flashes).

__ 2) No connector for an external flash. (Argh!)

__ 3) Annoying delay after pressing the on/off button.

__ 4) High capacity memory sticks (over 128 MB) are expensive.

With respect to the flash, I think it is best to think of the P9 as having no flash at all. If you don't mind having everything look flat, with stark shadows, go ahead and use the flash. Otherwise, you are much better off using natural light--the brighter the better. (Note: low light images are grainer, and consume more memory as the compression algorithms are less effective on grainy images.) I would really ding the P9 for this, if it were not that every point-and-click camera I've ever seen, digital or otherwise, has a similarly pathetic flash. (Why can no manufacturer get this right? Simply being able to bounce the light off the ceiling would help immeasurably!) Finally, when you hit the on/off button, there is a delay of several seconds before you get any indication that the camera is going to turn on/off. This can be very confusing, especially since the button provides no tactile feedback!

Now, a few comments to newbie digital photographers (as I was six months ago). I'm sure you can already list some of the obvious advantages of digital photography: 1) You can preview them on-the-spot, 2) You need only keep the ones you like, 3) You can store them on your computer, email them, and post them on the web very easily (i.e. no scanning). But, is this all hype, or does it really make a difference? My answer is this: It makes a FAR GREATER difference than you can begin to anticipate! To me the difference is so significant that I can scarcely compare digital and conventional photography. They are distinct activities. As proof of this, I now take (conservatively) ten times more photos than I used to, and I continually view them, compose them, and share them using my computer. All of these things are possible with conventional photography, just like it's possible to walk ten miles to work rather than drive. You could do those things; you just won't. Admit it, you're human.

Whether you buy the P10 or not, do yourself a huge favor and purchase a digital camera (especially if you have kids). You'll wonder why you waited so long to take the plunge.

i upgraded from an olympus 2.1 megapixel camera to the p10 and have never looked back! this is by far a camera that produces quality rich pics with crystal clear detail, vibrant colors and a fairly easy to use operating format. i've printed many 8 1/2 x 11in pics and keep getting the same response from people when i tell them that its from a digital camera and not film. they are totally blown away!!! so am i! this camera not only makes film processing obsolete but it also produces images that give film a run for their money. the battery life is fairly long compared to my old camera and the camera design is very sleek and compact. i dont think i'll be trading this camera for a while. the p10 has been one of my best electronic buys ever!

i feel that this camera is geared towards novice users who are looking for an ultracompact, high resolution, point and shoot. in that regard, the dsc-p10 succeeds but i kept thinking that it would be nice if the camera had more features that users could grow into.

pros:
- 5MP resolution and 3X optical zoom
- very compact (smaller and lighter than the competition) with a stylish body
- excellent build quality - no squeaks or rattles here
- easy to use
- convenient e-mail features
- good battery life
- good neutral colour balance
- automatic white balance worked well under both daylight and incandescent lighting
- infrared AF assist lamp - i definitely prefer this to white light assist lamps
- MPEG recording only limited by the size of your memory stick
- selectable ISO sensitivities
- has a multi-burst continuous shooting mode
- good on-screen information
- quick acting auto focus - typically locks within a second
- relatively quick startup
- automatic lens cover
- battery charges while in the camera - you don't have to remove the battery to recharge
- usb 2.0 connectivity means faster downloads of pics

cons:
- occasional image noise
- operational times could be faster
- the included 32MB memory stick is inadequate; be ready to shell out additional $$ for more memory
- you pay a premium for the sony brand
- softer images than the competition
- occasional ghosting
- very limited manual controls (no aperture- and shutter-priority modes!)
- autofocus points are not selectable
- no control over colour saturation or tone
- no manual white balance
- no RAW file capture

this is a very nice camera. for someone looking for an ultracompact point and shoot, this would be perfect. however, if you think that you'll want more manual control in the future, i would recommend getting a camera such as the canon s50. about the same price, a little bigger, but you'll have a camera you can grow into. good shooting!

I'd like to mention some very interesting and hard to find out information about the p10 that I hope will be helpful.

Smart zoom allows addional zoom power if you are shooting below maximum camera pixel capability. This can only be seen on the screen and not in the view finder.

The video compression works well but fast motion may seem a little jerky. Almost 6 minutes of VGA fits on a 128 meg card. A 256 meg card goes for as little as [money amount]plus shipping on the net. Camera allows dividing video and deleting unwanted side for reducing memory use. Zoom function does not work during video probably bewcause of noise or focus issues. There is also an email quality video mode which will give 90 minutes of recording with adequate sound.This allows recording a lecture or interview in video with sound! The included software seems to only allow saving editing to MPEG1 which is computer only. I don't understand this. Maybe they want to sell something else. Don't get stuck with a lot of work you can't put on a video disk and look into other software.

On the web you can download Projector Station 4.1 which is for putting jpeg images into xga format and into a file on a memory stick card for projectors. This allows about 500 images onto a 128 meg card in a file that can be accessed from your camera. When you are visiting the relatives you can bring all of your family photos in the camera for playing on the tv with the video output cable supplied. If they have windows xp the camera will allow you to hook up with only the cable w/o any software and and have camera memory show as a drive. You can copy any pictures you want to other computer. Very 2K!

The battery really lasts quite well and the camera will tell you how much time is left on it. You can also purchase extended life batteries. The long cords on the charger are awkward and it must plug into the camera to charge battery. An external charger would be convenient.

Camera will stay contiuously in focus allowing a much quicker shutter response than other cameras. Using the manual distance setting speeds things up also. You can edit still pictures by zooming in during preview and then cropping what isn't in the screen. You can also make lower resolution copies of pictures for emails.

The camera takes surprising quality shots in low light without the flash. I am guessing that it somehow processes the images to avoid some of the low shutter blur. The camera is amazing and it fits in my pocket.

As usual, Sony has outdone themselves. I have never had a problem with anything Sony I've ever owned--and this camera is no exception.

It boasts 5 megapixel pictures, countless features, good looks--in a package small enough to drop in your pocket--amazing. Menu is easy to navigate, read and understand. We upgraded immediately to a 128 meg card, although we wanted to get the 256--we opted not to deal with the copyright issues on the memory stick pro cards. It seems some photography stores can't develop pictures from those protected cards--not good. You can get a nice 128 for about $... now!

... Other options include upgraded lenses, tripods and other toys you can grow into--very nice indeed!

We have been told by some very knowledgable industry folks that we may never have to buy another digital camera again! Overall--we are very happy with this Sony DSC-P10--we can't wait to start booking vacations!

As I was reading some of the reviews posted for this camera, I felt compelled to clarify some of the glaring errors in other reviews. For my complete review, please scroll down.

maflleje complained thoroughly about how there is no black and white shooting mode. Despite claiming to be an "advanced point and shoot user" he still has not figured out the basics. Turn the dial to SCN and press "menu", it's right there. You can even shoot in Sepia, negative and many other modes that have come with Sony's for a long time.
Another incorrect statement is that burst mode takes 3 pictures in succession, when it can actually take up to 16. Also, the lack of a swivel LCD is also irrelevant, because the only digital camera that comes with that also happens to be terrible. The Nikon coolpix has a swivel LCD, and I have never seen such awful pictures from a digital camera as I have seen from that coolpix. And no, the included 32MB stick cannot take 32 pictures in 5 megapixel mode, it takes less than 10. My 256MB card can hold 100 pictures in 5 megapixel mode, therefore 128's can hold 50, etc...

Also, one of the best memory sticks also happens to be very hard to find in the search. Search for "Sony MSA128S2 256 MB" on amazon. It's cheap, fast, and sony brand.

Another ridiculous comment is that you can't delete pictures from your camera from windows explorer. I think that person just needs to learn how to use windows. Simply click "move files to different location" which is in the upper right of the window, and after moving the pictures to whatever folder they are automatically deleted off the camera.

Another person complained about having to buy a memory stick reader. Any memory reader is the most useless thing ever and a complete waste of money. You can already leave your memory stick in your camera and then plug that directly into the computer. With a memory stick reader you take the memory stick out of the camera and plug it into the reader which plugs into the computer. THAT IS THE EXACT SAME THING.

Also, people have complained about the included 32MB memory stick. Almost all other leading manufacturers don't include any memory at all. Nikon, Fuji, and Canon do not come with compactflash cards, and some Kodak's come with small internal memory. So be thankful that you get anything at all from Sony, it's a good way to start.

Also, one person complained about a lack of a 2 megapixel setting on the camera, making it slow to upload pictures online via dialup. If you post your pictures to MSN groups or many other sites, they automatically truncate the pictures for you, so you don't have to reduce them to that size. On top of that, you could even use the included 1 megapixel setting if you have dialup, because 1 megapixel looks almost exactly the same as a 5 megapixel when printed or viewed in 4 X 6 format.

So, unless you're an absolute hardcore professional, this camera is awesome and is almost for everyone. If you're pro, go for a Canon rebel Ti digital or Sony V1. Otherwise please do not make baseless incorrect complaints about my favorite camera.

I have been a digital camera user for over 5 years now and I have been fortunate enough to experience a variety of cameras including the Kodak DC 240, Canon A400, Canon S30/S45, Nikon Coolpix 3100, Kodak DX6340, and finally Sony P10. Let me just say that the P10 takes by far the best pictures and it's compact size can easily fit into your pocket. Of all the digital cameras I have used they all have varying degrees of lightning problems, but the Sony P10 has the best looking night pictures of the group. The P10 comes with a lithium ion battery that lasts way longer than the conventional Nickel metal-hydride batteries other cameras use. I believe it is most useful to compare this camera to the competition.

Almost all Kodak cameras include a one time use battery that cannot be recharged. In fact, you cannot even put in a lithium ion battery into any Kodak except for the very top model. A lithium ion battery is almost essential for digital cameras since they use so much power. If anything other than Lithium ion is used, you will be changing batteries every 10 minutes. I ended up returning the Kodak to amazon.com for this reason alone.
Canon digital cameras include a lithium ion battery but my biggest gripe about Canon's are poor quality pictures indoor or night conditions. Many pictures were taken in a cave with one of those compact Canon cameras and they looked awful when compared to the Sony. The Canon S45 is far too big and heavy and the indoor pictures are only mediocre.
My friend has a Nikon coolpix 3100 and for a brand that professionals use, this camera has the worst lighting problems of any digital camera I have ever seen. In fact, the lighting issues were so terrible that even my five year old Kodak DC 240 looked way better.
Olympus cameras are okay only that they do not come with Lithium ion batteries, but you can buy those separately at least, unlike Kodak.

The reason I do not mention the many types of shooting modes each camera has is because they are relatively the same. The Sony comes with a lot of features including Night Shot, night shot with a person in the foreground, multi-burst shooting which is useful for sports (you can take up to 16 consecutive images of things like a baseball swing), it even has special modes for taking pictures of water and a separage mode for snow.

The great thing about this camera is, it's perfect for amateurs and people a little more advanced. All the pictures I've taken so far look great in point and shoot mode, but it also allows you to adjust the shutter speed, white balance, and much more for people who are into that sort of thing.

I found the controls for the Sony P10 very intuitive. For all the basic controls I didn't have to consult the manual. The controls are not as intuitive on the Canon S45, it's a little weird, and the Nikon coolpix doesn't record sound in the movies. Most Kodak's play back movies and pictures with the lens open and out, which I think is stupid because then you risk damaging the lens when you don't have to.

Also, if you subscribe to consumer reports, you will notice that Sony has the lowest number of repairs followed by Canon in a close second. I have experienced repairs myself as my Kodak DC240 lens got stuck one day and I had to send it in to Eastman Kodak for repair.

Also the Sony doesn't have a great big delay when taking each picture, a lot of cameras have this problem. Another thing that bothered me about the other cameras is the time it takes for the camera to be ready to take pictures after you turn it on. Sony cameras tend to be ready fast right after you turn it on, which has helped me capture so many more moments, believe me when I say you'll miss lots of great moments before other cameras turn on.

The sony also has a really wonderful movie mode, where the audio is crisp and the movies are clear. My only complaint about the movies are, they don't have image stabilization, so they turn out a little more jiggly than I would like, and for some reason the zoom is disabled when you're in the middle of recording movies. All minor things, but they should be noted.

The great thing about 5 megapixels is, you can get your photos blown up to 20X30, and believe me when I say that is really cool. Also, if you were ever to make these pictures your desktop wallpaper, they look good even at 1280 X 1024, which is the highest resolution on a 17" monitor.

Also, I don't know why everyone complains about the included 32MB memory stick. Yes I do understand it is too small to truely use and you have to buy another one, but most digital cameras such as the Canon don't come with any memory at all! The small card that comes with Sony's is to just get you started, and by giving you that they already outdo other manufacturers.

Overall, the Sony P10's compact size, wonderful quality pictures, intuitive interface, good price, variety of features and durability make it the perfect choice of digital camera for almost everyone. I cannot recommend this awesome camera enough!

For what it offers, this camera is a great deal (both, price and mail-in rebate considered). After shopping around, this was one of the best options we found in the 5MP range. Things we've loved about it:
1) Portability (fits in almost any pocket).
2) Default picture quality is great (even indoors or by night), plus the max. resolution (2592 x 1944 pixels) allows you to obtain huge enlargements, though the 32MB Memory Stick that comes with it will not fit too many of them.
3) It captures video with sound, an upgrade from our previous camera which only shot "silent" movies.
4) Built-in display has great contrast and picture quality.
5) Pictures can be downloaded to PCs or Macs using the traditional USB mode or the faster, more recent USB 2.0 mode which spits them into your computer in a snapshot!

The biggest drawbacks I see with the camera are:
1) Dependability on propietary technology for storage (Memory Stick) and power (lithium-ion battery).
2) Long time it takes to shoot the picture after you press the shutter. This has caused me to loose a few "Kodak" moments that just passed "too fast" in front of the lens for the camera to react in time to them.

All in all, I can live with the cons and highly recommend the camera. For its price, for now I think you'll have a hard time finding something as good.

Back in 2001 I bought the brand new DSC-P3 after months of researching digi-cams online and at the stores. I loved that camera, because it was Sony quality which seems to last forever; I admit I have dropped it several times and it works great. The camera is still running strong as I sold it to a friend, sadly I was slowing becoming unhappy with it because of the lack of zooming features, I knew that I should have bought the one with zoom.

Well back in early august I decided on the DSC-P8 as my replacement digi-cam as I from my P3 that Sony cameras last, and it had a 5 mega pixel resolution with zoom, everything I wanted. As I walked into the store to look at the display I felt uneasy about spending the $400 on the camera because it was not as compact as my P3 and I didn't like the look as much as my old one. Then I remembered how I regretted not getting the next model up from my P3 which was why I was in the store looking at Digi-cams again. So I looked up one model then two, and alas I found that I liked the P10 more and could afford to spend the extra $100 for the extra features that were the best at the time, and still are I hope, as so two years down the road I wouldn't be buying another yet.

So Far it has been a few months and already I have taking thousands of pictures with amazing quality and I love the camera. So many features and great battery life, not to mention the zoom is so great that I closed in on a plane flying over head that looked no more then a dot in the sky and managed to see the planes markings in the picture on my computer without any enhancing. Great! Not I finally have the camera of my dreams.

This is the camera for me, great features and improvements over my P3 and well worth the money. For $100 more I am happier that now I have a super compact, fast and reliable camera that I have already dropped once and it is still fine. When I say compact, it is half an inch smaller then the already small P3. Check it out! It have USB 2.0 which I don't have yet as I need to convince the girlfriend first, and supports up to 1GB which is more then an hour of high quality video as compared to the seconds I got with my P3.

BUY ONE!

This is a terrific little camera - well-built, easy to use, nice features, compact and classy look. Of course, if you have advanced skills and experience, you'll want more camera. But, this one is great for the average photographer.

Do NOT buy the camera from sony.com. They stink! I bought my personal p10 from a local dealer. I bought another one as a gift from sony.com. For the prices and the Sony name, it is disgraceful. There is NO customer service and delivery is SLOW. It's really unbelievable. For your sake, purchase it somewhere else.