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Select a Sony digital camera ----- 2009 models ----- Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 ----- 2008 models ----- Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 ----- 2007 models ----- Sony DSC-H9 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-H7 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W200 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W90 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W80 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W55 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W35 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T100 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T20 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-S700 Cyber-shot ----- 2006 models ----- Sony alpha A100 Sony DSC-H5 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-H2 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T30 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T10 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W100 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W70 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W50 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W30 Cyber-shot ----- 2005-2006 models ----- Sony DSC-R1 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T5 Cyber-shot ----- 2005 models ----- Sony DSC-H1 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-P200 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W7 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-W5 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-S90 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-S60 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-S40 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T7 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-T33 Cyber-shot -- 2004 & earlier -- Sony DSC-F828 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-V3 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-P150 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-P100 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-P93 Cyber-shot Sony DSC-P73 Cyber-shot Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1

Category: Point-and-Shoot

HANDLING & FEEL

Window Dressing
7.9mm, Program AE, Multi Pattern, 1/40 sec., F2.8 and ISO 100

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 is a compact digital camera with dimensions of 108 x 52 x 26mm (4 1/4 x 2 1/8 x 1 in.) and weighing 147g (5.4 oz). It feels solidly built with a metallic body. It is compact enough to easily carry in a trousers pocket.

The Sony P150 is comfortable to hold despite its small size, thanks in part to the small raised bar at the back to anchor the thumb. It also helps that the brushed metallic body is not slippery and the slightly raised Cyber-shot logo provides some friction. I'd recommend using the wrist strap at all times to ensure you don't accidentally drop the camera.

The P150 has a quick review feature: just press the left arrow to see the last picture taken. I wish it would also allow me to cycle through the other pictures, but to do that, you need to turn the Mode Dial away from your preferred shooting mode to Playback.

Startup time of the P150 is blazingly f-a-s-t! Yeah, get your left fingers off from in front of the lens because as soon as you press the power button, that lens just juts out in under 1 sec. I never have to worry that I will miss a shot because the P150 is turned off: I know it will be ready in about 1.5 sec. (about 1/2 sec. to wait for the image to appear in the LCD monitor). Power down is equally fast. There is no appreciable shutter lag.

The P150 has an optical viewfinder, but as is characteristic with compact digital cameras, the view is too tunnel-like and small. Fortunately, the 1.8 in. LCD monitor has lots of resolution (at 134K pixels) to allow precise focusing. Speaking of focusing, the AF Illuminator works like a charm in low-light situations (even complete darkness), allowing the AF to lock everytime without hunting. The LCD does not gain up in low-light, though the orange AF Illuminator light does allow you to kind of view what you are trying to take for a couple of seconds.

When you turn the Mode Dial, a visual representation also displays on the LCD monitor, and spins with the Mode Dial. This is useful in low-light when it may be difficult to read the engravings on the Mode Dial.

Controls are easy and straightforward to use, and the placement of controls at the front and back are such that there is enough space for your fingers and they do not get in the way of the lens or flash. The Menu structure is very simple (the way I like it) and remembers where you last left it. For example, if you go into the Menu and sets Sharpness, the next time you press the Menu button, the menu will be positioned on the Sharpness setting. Since Exposure Compensation is only accessible via Menu, I would recommend that you always navigate back to it before leaving the menu. This way, a press of the Menu button will automatically put you into exposure compensation mode.

Compact, pocketable, elegantly designed, and fast, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 is always ready to capture the important moments.