sony dsc-p200

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rr_stef - 09 Nov 2005 18:53 GMT

hi -

i'm thinking about buying a new (point & shoot) digital camera.
the sony dsc-p200 seems a perfect choice ... but ...
the only thing stopping me is that i keep reading in reviews that
it makes a lot of blurry pictures in automatic mode
(= which i would use the most frequently as amateur photographer).
The reason would be that when it's a bit darker the camera decides
to open up the lens longer instead of flashing.
apart from this it seems a perfect device ... and the 7MP attract me
for the cropping capabilities afterwards.

- anyone that has experiences with this camera
- another choice would be the nikon coolpix 7900
- and still another one the new coolpix s4

all advice appreciated!

thanks, stefan

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Impmon - 09 Nov 2005 21:56 GMT

>i'm thinking about buying a new (point & shoot) digital camera.
>the sony dsc-p200 seems a perfect choice ... but ...

Consider 150. Almost exactly the same as 200 but older model that you
could find for less. At a glance, the only difference between 150 and
200 is just the model number and cosmetic.

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Michael Johnson, PE - 10 Nov 2005 15:43 GMT

>> i'm thinking about buying a new (point & shoot) digital camera.
>> the sony dsc-p200 seems a perfect choice ... but ...
>
> Consider 150. Almost exactly the same as 200 but older model that you
> could find for less. At a glance, the only difference between 150 and
> 200 is just the model number and cosmetic.

Actually, the P200 has a newer image processing chip that is faster in
all respects over the P150. The LCD is larger, and more importantly for
me, is protected by a thick cover. It is almost impossible to crack the
LCD on the P200 which is important for a pocket camera.

To the original poster: The blurry image issue with the P200 is easily
fixed by setting the camera to "M" (manual) mode, setting the aperture
to wide open, the shutter speed to 1/60-1/100 second and forcing the
flash to "On". The camera remembers these settings even when turned off
so all you have to do for a flash shot is spin the dial to "M" and fire.
One nice thing about the P200 is the flash syncs to 1/1,000 second.
This will freeze anything within the flash's range of 12'-15'. The P200
is a great little camera and, IMO, is the best pocket camera available,
especially for the price. I bought one for our son recently from Dell
for $260. For this price no other camera comes close to it for features
and image quality.

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Sigurdn - 26 Nov 2005 00:29 GMT

> >> i'm thinking about buying a new (point & shoot) digital camera.
> >> the sony dsc-p200 seems a perfect choice ... but ...
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> for $260. For this price no other camera comes close to it for features
> and image quality.

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Sigurdn - 26 Nov 2005 00:40 GMT

I have run several hundred photos through my P200 and initially had the
blur problem. Difficulty was the shutter release. Pressed to the
half-way point for focusing, the button is flush with the camera body.
My big index finger had to push hard to move the button further.
Fix was straightforward. Using black electrician's plastic tape, I
made up a six layer assembly on the plastic desk surface from which the
assemblage could readily be lifted. I then cut out a rectangular piece
to fit on the shutter release button.
Blurred pictures no longer occur since it takes little effort to push
the release to the final position.
Its a great camera. My F828 does have more bells-and-whistles, but it
is always five or ten minutes from the action when an interesting
situation occurs. Enclosed in a form-fitting leather case in my shirt
pocket, the P200 is always just a few seconds from the action
Sigurdn

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