Sony DSC-P92 Review

Record mode screen showing onscreen data overlay. Starting in the upper left corner is the battery condition icon, Fluorescent white balance, the P and camera icon show the camera is in Program Mode. The lightning bolt icon indicates that the flash is on but at reduced output, the ISO is locked at 100, the image size is 5.0M(2592x1944) and the quality level is Fine, the file name for the image folder on the Memory Stick is 101. The Memory Stick has space for 184 more pictures and the icon graphically shows the space available. The focus is set manually to 0.5m and the "+" in the center indicates Spot metering. In normal use most all of these functions are at default and no icons show for them.

Record mode options:

Camera - Auto, Program, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Snow, Beach

Exposure Compensation - Override the metering +/-2EV in 1/3EV increments

Focus - Multi AF, Center AF or 0.5m, 1m, 3m, 7m or infinity

Metering - Multi or Spot

White Balance - Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Sunny

ISO - Auto or fixed at 100, 200 or 400

Picture Quality - Fine or Standard

Record Mode - Normal, Burst3, E-Mail, Voice

Flash Level - High, Normal or Low

Picture Effect - None, Negative Art, Sepia, Solarize

Image Size - 5M, 4.5M, 3.1M, 1.2M, VGA (Accessed by Resize/Delete button)








The P92 is an automatic point-n-shoot but it does have several pre-programmed modes available. The Twilight scene which gives you slower shutter speeds to capture dark, night scenes. The Twilight Portrait, which is the same as Twilight with the addition of flash to illuminate a person or foreground subject as well as capturing a night background. The Landscape scene sets the focus to infinity for capturing outdoor scenic shots. The Snow scene helps avoid overexposure when the majority of the frame is brightly lit, such as when shooting a snowscape. The Beach scene when shooting seaside or lakeside, the blue of the sea is clearly recorded.










Movie recording screen in the new "VX" mode which captures VGA resolution (640x480) @ 16fps, the length is limited only by space available on the Memory Stick. The P92 has a microphone and records audio with the movie. The optical zoom can't be used during recording, but you can preset the zoom before recording begins. For email use you can record at the smaller 160x120 resolution.

Movie clips can also be recorded Negative Art, Sepia, B&W, and Solarize.










Movie mode options:

Exposure compensation - Override the metering +/-2EV in 1/3EV increments

Focus - Multi AF, Center AF or 0.5m, 1m, 3m, 7m infinity

Metering - Multi, Spot

White Balance - Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Sunny

Picture Effect - None, Negative Art, Sepia, B&W, Solarize

Image Size - 640x480(VX), 160x112 E-mail (Accessed by Resize/Delete button)












SETUP options - CAMERA menu:

Moving Image - Sets the mode for the Movie position of the Mode Dial:
MPEG Movie (VX 640x480) or (E-mail 160x120)
Clip Motion (capture 2-10 images at 160x120 or 120x108 and save them as an animated 256-color GIF image)
Multi Burst (shoots 16 - 320x240 frames in a single JPEG file, can select 3 intervals: 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 sec)

Smart Zoom Enable/disable smart (digital) zoom

Date/Time - Enable date or time+date stamping on the image

Red Eye Reduction - Enable/disable the flash Red-Eye mode

AF Illuminator - Enable/disable the autofocus illuminator












SETUP options - Memory Stick Tool:

Format - Format the Memory Stick

File Number - SERIES (sequential auto number) or RESET

Create REC. Folder - Create a new folder on the Memory Stick to store your images

Change REC. Folder - Change to a different image folder












SETUP 1 options:

Power Save - On or Off

LCD Brightness - Bright, Normal or Dark

LCD Backlight - Bright, Normal or Dark

Beep - Enable camera "beep" sounds when buttons are pushed

Language - Choose From 6 Languages

Clock Set - OK or Cancel












SETUP 2 options:

USB Connect - USB protocol, PTP or Normal

Video Out - NTSC or PAL signal timing