Cyber Shot 14.1 Megapixel
Abbey Synnott
jQuery(document).on('hometech.adsDefined', function() googletag.cmd.push(function() headertag.display("div-gpt-ad-1020-200-1"); );); --> Compact Camera Reviews The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 12.1-Megapixel Pocket Camera; Taking A Fun Camera SeriouslyDavid B. Brooks Dec 1, 2007 As a photo enthusiast becomes more serious about making pictures, acquiring a larger and larger set of tools (lenses and accessories) to accommodate every possible contingency and capability seems to be essential. Unfortunately, a complex of lenses and accessories can make it all a very deliberate exercise. We all wish it could be more of a spontaneous, free-spirited adventure and not one so bogged down with gear. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just carry a little shirt pocket-sized camera around that would also produce prize-winning picture quality?
When I first read the Sony press information for the Cyber-shot DSC-W200 camera I was reminded that when I traveled a lot I used to have somewhat of a pocket camera (big pocket), a Fuji 645 120 camera. It often came in handy when lugging a heavy camera bag full of gear was not feasible. So, I wondered if, in this digital age, the new Sony would be even handier (smaller pocket) and make images one could take seriously.
Testing The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200
In my neighborhood the most recent and popular tourist attractions are the numerous new wineries and vineyards, like those featured in the comedy film Sideways. I'd never visited any of these attractions so I thought I'd do the "wine trail" tour because at least irrigated vineyards would be green. However, I did not think to consider that tourist attractions don't open until mid-morning and close by 5pm at the latest, so the light at midday in the summer would never be very flattering to the scenery. It didn't matter all that much as most of the subjects on the "wine trail" were not very inspiring. (It made me wonder just how the producers of the film Sideways made their scenes so appealing and picturesque--probably by shooting during the hours the tourists like me were not around.)
I shot subjects to test specific characteristics like color saturation and accuracy, as well as lens distortion. For comparison I threw my Canon EOS 5D with a 28-105mm zoom lens in a small bag to duplicate what I photographed with the Sony DSC-W200. To ensure that each subject photographed with both cameras would be comparable, I put my big old Gitzo tripod in the trunk of the car and made all of the shots with both cameras on the tripod. (It's a good thing I'm a funky-looking old man, because otherwise that cigarette pack-sized Sony DSC-W200 on a heavy tripod would have attracted some incredulous looks.)
I let both cameras determine exposure as well as color. Both were set on Auto White Balance (AWB). In addition, I set up the shooting parameters with the Sony to record as neutrally and normally as possible in terms of contrast and saturation, selecting the largest image size of 12.1 megapixels. It should be noted the Sony saves stills only in JPEG compressed format, making a file size of about 3.5MB, or almost a 10x compression from the 34+ megabytes when opened in Photoshop. This file size is considerably smaller than the raw, lossless format saved by the Canon 5D. Another technical distinction is that my 5D is set to save raw files in Adobe RGB color space, while with the Sony files are saved in sRGB color space.
Photographing With A Very Small Camera
First of all, I must admit to cheating a bit, as sometime previous to getting the Sony DSC-W200 I had purchased a Hoodman HoodLoupe for use with my Canon 5D, the better to see the LCD screen outside in bright sunlight. The HoodLoupe is very much like some standard loupes designed for viewing 35mm slides, but with a slightly larger hooded area to accommodate the size of camera LCD displays. It has an adjustable eyepiece (ocular) to obtain precise focus on the screen. I immediately found the HoodLoupe could be used very effectively with the Sony DSC-W200 LCD, making it function very similarly to a Through-The-Lens SLR. It also provided a means to hold the camera steady by having it pressed, via the HoodLoupe, to my face to steady handheld shots. Even though the camera has an Anti-Shake feature built-in, holding it at arm's length to see the LCD to frame the shot, I believe, must contribute to both a degree of unsharpness and poorly framed pictures--how can it not?
I bought used sony cybershot dsc-s730 7.2 mp Camera. When i switch on it say's NO MEMORY SPACE IN INTERNAL MEMORY AND with memry stick duo it say NO MEMORY SPACE IN MEMORY STICK. I am new with this camera, On iternet some people say format both memories, Please help me with simple step by step way.
The Sony DSC-S600's shape and compact size rank it among the smaller Cyber-shots on the market, perfect for travel and leisurely outings. The camera definitely passes the "shirt pocket" test, and would even fit into a rather small handbag. The S600's compact profile isn't all the camera has to offer though. A 6.0-megapixel CCD and an all-glass, 3x zoom lens deliver sharp, clear pictures, suitable for printing as large as 11x17 inches, or to 8x10 with some cropping. There's also an email image size option that creates files with smaller pixel dimensions for sending over the Internet. Plus, the handful of preset Scene modes handle a wide range of common exposure situations, from beach scenes to night shots.
The Sony S600's 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length range from 5.1-15.3mm, the equivalent of a 31-93mm lens on a 35mm camera--a pretty wide angle relative to most competing models. Focus ranges from 4.75 inches (12 centimeters) to infinity in normal focus mode at full wide angle, and from 19.75 inches (50 centimeters) to infinity at full telephoto. The camera does not offer a separate macro lens setting, but the 4.75 inch minimum focal distance is pretty close as it is. The five-area Multi-Point AF system bases focus on one of five areas in the center of the frame. Through the camera's Record menu, however, you can opt for Center AF mode, which bases focus on a smaller central area of the frame. Also available, through the Setup menu, are two AF operating modes: Single and Monitoring. In Single AF mode, focus is set whenever the Shutter button is halfway depressed. Monitoring mode constantly adjusts focus before the Shutter button is halfway depressed, which then locks focus. (Note though that Monitor mode is likely to drain battery more quickly than the others because the focus motor and image processor are constantly at work.)
The camera's AF illuminator helps the camera focus in dark conditions (even in total darkness), and works well with the Twilight scene modes. In addition to the 3x optical zoom, the S600 also features up to 5.2x Smart Zoom, Sony's current implementation of "digital zoom." Unlike most other digital zoom functions, Sony's Smart Zoom does not resample the image, so no image deterioration occurs as a result: Pixels are simply cropped from the central portion of the sensor's image, and packaged as a separate, smaller file. When the optical zoom reaches 3x, Smart Zoom takes over, if enabled in the Setup menu. The maximum total magnification available is 4.1x for 3 megapixel images, 5.2x for 2 megapixel ones, 13x for VGA ones, and 4.4x for HDTV. (Note though, that as a result, "Smart Zoomed" images will always be restricted to sizes smaller than the camera's maximum resolution.) There's also a Precision Digital Zoom option, which digitally enlarges the image to a maximum of 6x (that is, a 2x digital magnification in addition to the 3x optical zoom) regardless of the camera's resolution setting, albeit with deteriorated quality due to the digital "stretching" of the image.
The Sony S600 has a real-image optical viewfinder and a large, 2.0-inch color LCD monitor for framing shots. An information display on the LCD monitor reports a handful of camera settings (including aperture and shutter speed). We found the optical viewfinder to be quite tight, showing only about 80% of the final frame, but the LCD monitor proved very accurate at close to 100%.
Exposure is automatically controlled at all times on the Sony DSC-S600, great for novices looking for simplicity. An On/Off button on top of the camera powers the camera on, and a small Mode switch on the back selects between Playback, Still Record, and Movie modes. Within Still Record mode, you can select between Automatic, Program, and seven preset Scene modes, through the Record menu. The Automatic setting takes away all user control, with the exception of flash, macro, and resolution. Program mode also automatically sets aperture and shutter speed, but gives you control over a number of other exposure variables. The available Scene options include High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach, and Snow modes. The High Sensitivity mode raises the equivalent ISO (light sensitivity) setting so you can shoot without the flash low lighting. (This does increase image noise though.) Both Twilight modes optimize the camera for low-light shooting by allowing shutter times as long as one second, while Landscape mode sets the camera up for shooting distant subjects. Soft Snap mode warms skin tones and sets focus to slightly soft. Beach mode ensures that blue tones are recorded accurately in lakeside or seaside photos, while Snow mode enhances saturation and adjusts exposure, to prevent loss of color in bright white snowscapes.
By default, the Sony DSC-S600 employs a Multi-Metering mode to determine exposure, which reads the exposure from five areas across the frame. For higher-contrast subjects or more pin-pointed readings, the S600 also offers a Spot metering mode via the Metering button on the rear panel. Exposure Compensation is adjustable from -2 to +2 exposure values (EV), in one-third-step increments. You can also adjust the camera's sensitivity to 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1,000 ISO equivalents, or use the Auto setting. The S600's adjustable White Balance setting offers Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, and Incandescent modes, handling a variety of common light sources. Under the Picture Effects setting, you can record images in sepia or black and white. The camera also offers Sharpness, Saturation, and Contrast adjustments. The Sony S600's flash operates in Forced, Suppressed, Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, and Slow-Sync modes, and an intensity adjustment controls flash output (in an increment of one unit, higher or lower than normal). Metering and autofocus options vary in the different Scene modes, based on what would be appropriate for the type of subjects each mode corresponds to.
93ddb68554