Sony DSC-P200 7.2-megapixel digital camera

General Features
Recording Images
Viewing, Editing and Printing Images
Supplied Software

General Features

Memory Stick Compatibility: The DSC-P200 is compatible with the following recording media: Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, MagicGate Memory Stick, MagicGate Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO, and Memory Stick PRO Duo (Memory Stick PRO and PRO Duo up to 2GB confirmed compatible). All types of Memory Stick can be used to record still pictures and moving images with audio. Although this unit is compatible with MagicGate Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO media, it cannot be used to record or play back music that is copyright protected. A Memory Stick Duo adapter is required to use all Memory Stick Duo media. A 32MB Memory Stick is included with the camera.

Image Recording Format: The camera records still images in JPEG format. Moving images with audio (monaural) are recorded in MPEG1.

Imaging Device: For optimal image quality, the camera uses a 1/1.8" (9.11mm diagonal) 7.2 Mega-Pixel (Effective) Super HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) color CCD imaging device with approximately 7.410 million pixels (gross).

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens: The Vario-Tessar lens is specially produced for very compact cameras. This specialized design allows quick auto-focus and appealing zoom range while still maintaining a compact design.

Analog-To-Digital Conversion: This camera uses a 14-Bit Digital eXtended Processor (DXP) which captures the range between highlight and shadow with up to 16,384 values, for extended dynamic contrast and detail.

Real Imaging Processor LSI: The innovative Real Imaging Processor LSI in the DSC-P200 not only improves picture quality and clarity but also improves camera response time, decreases shutter lag, and improves battery stamina.

Viewfinder and LCD Screen: The DSC-P200 has a true zoom optical viewfinder for accurate framing at eye level, great for added stability and for following fast moving objects. The camera also has a 2.0" color LCD screen with approximately 134,000 pixels (560 x 240).The LCD screen allows you to view an image before taking a picture and replay images that have been stored in memory. For best viewing, you can adjust the brightness of the LCD monitor. To increase battery life, you can turn the LCD screen off.

Lens: The lens has a 3x optical zoom with a focal length of 7.9mm to 23.7mm, which is equivalent to 38mm to 114mm in 35mm photography terms.

Image Size/Compression: When recording digital still images, the DSC-P200 allows you to choose from five image sizes and two compression (image quality) settings--Fine and Standard. Choosing larger image and higher image quality will result in a better picture, but the better images take more space on the Memory Stick. The image sizes include:

Precision Digital Zoom: Sony's Precision Digital Zoom helps bring your subject closer with an extra 2x magnification. Combined with the 3x optical zoom, the camera's total zoom is 6x.

Smart Zoom: The "Smart" zoom (digital) feature intelligently uses the full CCD to let you zoom into the portion of interest by cropping the image size, thus avoiding the image degradation found in most digital zooms (Precision Digital Zoom on this camera included). The maximum Smart Zoom scale depends upon the image size and is listed in the table below. When the image is 7M (3072 x 2304) or 3:2 (3272 x 2048) the Smart Zoom does not function, leaving you with only the optical zoom (and Precision Digital Zoom if you choose).

Multi-Point AF: The camera has a 5-area Multi-Point AutoFocus. The camera calculates the distance to the subject in five areas to the top, bottom, left, right and in the center of the image. This method is helpful when your subject is not centered in the frame. You can also choose Center AF, which focuses only on the subject framed in the AF range finder in the center of the image.

AF Mode: You can choose from the following AutoFocus modes:

• Single AF: The focus adjusts when the shutter button is pressed half way, useful for shooting stationary subjects
• Monitoring AF: This mode shortens the time needed for focusing, the camera automatically adjusts the focus before you press the shutter button halfway down, letting you compose images with the focus already adjusted

AF Illuminator: The AF (AutoFocus) Illuminator briefly provides fill light to focus more easily on a subject in dark surroundings. The useful focusing distance with the AF Illuminator is up to approximately 12.5 feet (wide) or 9 feet (telephoto).

AE/AF Lock: If you have difficulty focusing on an off-center subject, you can set and lock the focus and exposure on the subject by pressing the shutter button halfway with the subject in the AF rangefinder, then recompose the shot and press the shutter button fully to take the picture.

Macro Focus: For close-ups of small objects such as flowers or insects, this camera has macro focus capability. With the zoom set all the way to wide, the camera can focus on objects as close as 2-3/8" from the lens. With the zoom set all the way to telephoto, the camera can focus on objects as close as 11-7/8" from the lens.

Histogram: A histogram can be displayed on the LCD showing the brightness of an image to aid in manual exposure settings.

Auto Power-Off: If you do not operate the camera for approximately 3 minutes, it will turn off automatically to conserve battery power.

Date and Time: Each time you take a picture, the camera can record the date or date and time on the still image. The date and time do not appear on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder while you are shooting. Instead, the date and time appear when you replay the stored image. This feature can be turned off.

Battery Information: The DSC-P200 comes with the NP-FR1 lithium ion rechargeable battery. The battery takes approximately 3 Hours 20 Minutes to fully charge. This "InfoLITHIUM" battery pack calculates the power consumption and displays the remaining battery time in minutes on the LCD display. If the included charger is used anywhere other than the United States, it will operate with an input from 100-240 volts and either 50 or 60 Hz, only a plug adapter is needed.

Battery Performance: Under normal operating conditions the batteries have the following capacity:

Optional Cybershot Docking Station: The DSC-P200 is compatible with the optional Cyber-shot Station (item #158CSSPHB). When the camera is docked in the Cyber-shot station, you can easily charge the battery, transfer pictures to your computer, or, using the remote control (supplied with the docking station), start a slideshow of pictures or movies for viewing on your TV.

Recording Images

Mode Dial: On the back of the camera there is a mode dial to set the camera function. In addition to Playback mode the dial includes Movie mode, Auto, Scene selection, Program auto, and Manual exposure.

Movie Mode/MPEG Movie VX: In addition to taking still photos, you can record moving images with sound. Moving images are recorded in MPEG1 format. The following image sizes are available: 640 x 480 Fine (only using Memory Stick PRO), 640 x 480 Standard, and 160 x 112. You can also record movies in macro mode for excellent close-ups. If you want to be in the movie, you can use the camera's self-timer feature to start the clip.

Auto Mode: The camera automatically adjusts all the picture settings, including focus, exposure, and white balance, among others.

Scene Selection Mode: The camera features the following preset exposure settings to optimize pictures taken in certain surroundings:

• Twilight: This mode is used for shooting a distant subject at night.
• Twilight Portrait: This mode is used for shooting people in the foreground at night.
• Landscape: This mode is used for shooting landscapes at a distance.
• Soft Snap: This mode is used for portraits with a soft background.
• Snow: This mode can be used when shooting snowy scenes or other places where the whole screen appears white.
• Beach: This mode is for shooting at seaside or the lakeside.
• High-speed Shutter: This mode lets you shoot moving subjects outdoors or in other bright places.
• Fireworks: This mode lets you record fireworks on the dark background.
• Candle: This mode allows you to shoot a party or candlelight service without spoiling the atmosphere that is affected by the candlelight.

Program Auto Mode: In program auto mode the exposure is set automatically, but many other adjustments are possible, including focus range, metering mode, white balance, ISO sensitivity, flash level, picture effect, contrast, and sharpness. None of these is adjustable in the automatic mode.

Manual Exposure Mode: The shutter speed and aperture value can be manually set, along with the other adjustments possible in the program auto mode.

EV Adjustment: When not in auto exposure mode, you can manually adjust the exposure compensation from +2.0EV to -2.0EV in steps of 1/3EV.

Focus Range Presets: Instead of using the auto focus, you can preset the focal distance by choosing one of the following fixed focus settings: 0.5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, 7.0m, or infinity.

Metering Modes: You can select Multi-Pattern, Center-Weighted, or Spot Metering. When multi-pattern metering is used, the image is divided into multiple regions and light is measured in each region, the camera then determines a well-balanced exposure based on the entire frame. Center-weighted metering measures the center of the image and sets the exposure based on the brightness of the subject there. Spot metering lets you adjust the exposure based on one spot on the subject, useful when the subject is backlit or when there is strong contrast between the subject and the background.

White Balance: When the white balance is set to auto it is set automatically in response to the condition of the subject and the overall color balance is adjusted. When shooting under special lighting conditions, you can select a preset value or set the white balance manually. In addition to Auto, the white balance can be set to Incandescent lighting, Fluorescent lighting, Daylight, Cloudy, Flash (adjusts for flash conditions), and manual.

ISO Speed: The ISO speed can be set to Auto, 100, 200, or 400. When shooting under dark conditions or shooting a fast-moving subject, you should use a high number setting. When recording high-quality images, use a low number setting.

Burst Mode: By holding the shutter button down you can take pictures continuously. The maximum number of images shot continuously depends on the image size and image quality settings and is detailed in the table below:

Multi Burst Mode: When shooting in the Multi-Burst mode, pressing the shutter once records 16 frames in a row. You can set the interval between frames at 1/7.5 second, 1/15 second, or 1/30th second. All 16 frames will be recorded as one 1M image (1280 x 960). When you play back images recorded in Multi Burst mode with this camera, the 16 frames will be played back in order, with a fixed interval between them. When the images are played back on a computer or a camera without Multi Burst, the 16 frames will all be displayed at the same time as part of one image.

Flash Level: The flash intensity can be adjusted from Normal (middle) to high or low, based on the amount of light available.

Flash Modes: The flash can be set to Automatic, Forced Flash, Slow Synchro, or No Flash. In Auto mode, the flash automatically strobes when the surroundings are dark. When the flash is set to Forced Flash, it strobes with every shot. In Slow Synchro, the flash is used regardless of the amount of ambient light, but the shutter speed is slower under dark conditions, allowing you to clearly shoot a background that is out of the flash-lit area. In addition, this camera has a "red-eye reduction" setting, which causes the flash to pre-strobe before shooting to reduce the red-eye phenomenon.

Flash Range: The recommended distance using the flash is 7-7/8 inches to 11 feet 5-3/4 inches.

Picture Effects: In all but auto mode, you can select one of the following picture effects:

• Sepia: Picture is sepia-toned like an old photograph
• B&W: Picture is black and white

Saturation: Color saturation can be adjusted up of down from the normal position.

Contrast: Contrast can be enhanced or reduced from the normal position.

Sharpness: Sharpness can be softened or sharpened from the normal position.

Approximate Recording Capacity of the Supplied 32MB Memory Stick:

Remaining Pictures/Time: Based on the picture size and compression settings, the number of remaining shots that will fit on the Memory Stick is displayed on the LCD. In the movie mode the remaining time is displayed.

Viewing, Editing and Printing Images

Viewing Images: Still and moving images can be played back on the camera's color LCD screen or the images may be transferred to a computer, where they can be displayed or manipulated with the use of compatible software. In addition, the images can be played back on a television (NTSC or PAL) that has an RCA composite video input.

Index Mode: In addition to viewing images one-by-one in full screen, you can view multiple images at once in the index mode. This feature lets you to display nine images at a time, allowing you to easily find the picture you want.

Slide Show: The Slide Show function lets you play back images one after the other. The interval between the pictures can be adjusted, allowing you to choose 3, 5, 10, and 30 seconds or 1 minute. You can select Folder play (all images in the selected folder) or All play (all images on the Memory Stick). The slide show runs in a continuous loop.

Deleting/Protecting Images: You can delete a selected image, or you can delete all the unprotected images at once. In order to avoid accidentally deleting a particular image, it can be protected.

Playback Zoom: You can enlarge a recorded still image up to five times the size of the original image. To select the area to be enlarged, you can move the enlargement "frame" up/down/left/right with the arrow buttons, and adjust the zoom with the W/T button. You cannot enlarge movies or images recorded in multi-burst mode.

Resizing Images: After an image is captured (still images only) you can resize the picture and save it as a new file. Images can be resized to 7M, 5M, 3M, 1M and VGA. The original image is retained even after resizing. You cannot resize a picture to a 3:2-sized image, and if you resize a 3:2-sized image, black bands will appear at the top and bottom of the image.

Movie Editing: You can divide an MPEG movie into separate sections. Using this divide feature, unwanted parts of the file can be isolated and then deleted.

Print Mark: You can place a print mark on still images recorded with this camera. This mark is convenient when you have images printed at a shop that conforms to the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) standard.

Exif Print (Exif 2.2): The DSC-P200 conforms to "Exif Print", a worldwide standard. Vital camera settings (such as: exposure mode, white balance, exposure time) and scene data are recorded to the image file when it is captured. Printers compatible with "Exif Print" are able to use this information to produce high quality photo prints, exactly the way they were intended at the time of capture. This intelligent communication process also allows the printer to correct for poor lighting or mistakes, resulting in prints that can be even better than the original files.

PictBridge Printing Capability: Using the supplied USB cable, you can connect this camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer. PictBridge is a new standard that allows you to connect a PictBridge compliant camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer and make prints, regardless of brand.

PRINT Image Matching II: PRINT Image Matching II (PIM II), a technology developed--and recently updated--by Seiko Epson Corporation, ensures that PIM II-enabled digital cameras and printers work together perfectly to produce the best possible prints. After an image is captured, the camera automatically tags the picture with 14 optimal image settings and includes it as part of the Exif Print header in the JPEG file. A PIM II-enabled photo printer reads and utilizes the information in order to make the most accurate print.

Supplied Software

Software: The included software allows you to transfer images from a Memory Stick to a computer hard drive to store and view transferred images on a computer. The supplied CD-ROM includes:

• Picture Package v1.6 (Windows only)
• ImageMixer VCD2
• Sony USB driver
• Tutorial
• Product Registration

Viewing or Transferring Images to a Computer: By using the supplied USB cable, you can transfer the still digital images and MPEG movie clips stored on a Memory Stick to a computer. The computer must have these minimum system requirements: