Sony DSC-N2

Reviewed March 2007

Characteristics

Equipped with a 1/1.7-inch, 10.3 million pixel Super HAD CCD of which 10.05 million pixels are effective, the Sony DSC-N2 offers a total of 7 image sizes, starting with the 10 megapixel image size:

• 10M = 3,648 x 2,736
• 8M = 3,264 x 2,448
• 5M = 2,592 x 1,944
• 3M = 2,048 x 1,536
• 2M = 1,632 x 1,224
• VGA = 640 x 480
• 16:9 = 1,920 x 1,080

All images are saved in JPEG format, and all sizes can be saved at either one of two compression levels: Fine, the highest image quality which has a compression ratio of between 6:1 and 7:1 depending on the complexity of the subject; and Standard which has a compression ratio that is approximately twice as strong, lowering the image quality somewhat to allow storing more images in a given memory space.

The CCD has a starting sensitivity of 100 ISO, but has a range that covers 200, 400, 800 and 1600 ISO, all of which are manually selectable when the camera is set to Program or Manual mode. In addition, an Auto mode which covers from 100 to 400 ISO is available, and selected by default when the camera is set to Auto, or to one of the Scene modes.

The DSC-N2 is equipped with a 3X Vario-Tessar Carl Zeiss optical zoom, composed of 6 elements in 5 groups and which includes 3 aspheric lens elements. The zoom has a focal length of 7.9 to 23.7 mm, equivalent to 38 to 114 mm on a 35 mm camera.

Three apertures are available to the camera, and to the user when the Manual mode is used. With the zoom set to the wide angle end, apertures are f2.8, f4 and f8. With the zoom at the the maximum telephoto position, these apertures become f5.4, f8 and f16.

These apertures work in combination with a shutter speed range that covers from 30 seconds to 1/1000 second when the camera is set to the Manual mode, and from 1 second to 1/2000 second in the Program or Auto mode.

In addition, as it was with the DSC-N1, the 3X optical zoom is augmented electronically by both a Precision Zoom (up to 6X) which is a standard interpolating digital zoom that causes a visible deterioration in the image quality; and by a Smart Zoom, which takes advantage of the full 10 megapixel resolution of the CCD to offer the effect of longer focal lengths when an image size of 8 megapixel or less is used. (For more in-depth information about digital zooms and how they work, read our article.)

Unlike the Auto mode, which places nearly all settings in the care of the camera, with the DSC-N2 set to the Scene, Program or Manual modes, the Shooting menu of the DSC-N2 provides settings that are not part of the options offered by the On-Screen Keys displayed when the button is pressed and, as the Scene modes must control some settings such as sensitivity of colour, the Program and Manual modes offer the greatest number of settings. The Shooting menu is selected by pressing the MENU on-screen button from the On-Screen Keys:

• Colour Mode offers control over the way the image colour is recorded: Normal (default), Vivid, Natural, Sepia, or Black and White.
• Metering Mode serves to select the metering pattern: Multi, Centre-weighted or Spot.
• White Balance provides presets for: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, or Flash.
• ISO serves to set the CCD sensitivity (Program and Manual modes only) Auto (100 - 400 ISO) 100, 200, 400, 800, 0r 1600 ISO.
• Picture Quality serves to select the JPEG compression level: Fine or Standard (see above).
• Mode provides for the following shooting modes and the setting selected in this option decides what other options appear on the screen below the Mode setting:
  • Normal: captures one image each time the shutter release is pressed.
  • Burst: captures a burst of 3 images at the highest resolution and the least compression and 4 to 5 images using Standard compression.
  • Exposure Bracketing: records a series of three images with the exposure values automatically shifted by the increment selected in the Bracket Step option (see further).
  • Multi Burst: captures 16 images at a pre-selected interval (see further) and stores the shots into a single 1280 x 960 pixel image. During playback on the camera, the sequence is shown as an animation making it possible to slow down and analyse a fast movement such as a golf or tennis swing.

• Bracket Step serves to select the bracketing increment: ±1/3 EV, ±2/3 EV, ±1 EV (this option is only accessible if the Bracketing Mode has been selected in the option above).
• Interval: selects the burst speed for the Multi Burst mode (1/7.5 sec., 1/15 sec., 1/30 sec.) (This option is only accessible when the Multi Burst mode has been selected first).
• Flash Level allows adjusting the flash exposure over three levels: + (plus), Normal, or - (minus). (This option is not accessible when the flash is Forced Off, or with some Scene modes.)

• Contrast: provides three contrast levels (+, Normal, -).
• Sharpness: controls the in-camera sharpening applied to images (+, Normal, -).
• Setup: is the access to the Setup menu (for a description of each of the options contained in the DSC-N2's extensive Setup menu see the Interface and Software section of the review).

• Colour Mode
• Metering Mode
• White Balance

Unlike the On-Screen Keys that are presented first in the capture mode, the Playback mode's menu is accessed by a touch screen MENU button that appears on the lower left of the image under review. The menu is composed of 13 options:

• Album: stores a small copy (VGA and Standard compression) in the internal memory of the camera, making it possible to view these images even if the originals are no longer there. Images in the Album are organized by date and can be displayed in an index view with the date in the upper left corner of the screen.
• Slide Show: makes it possible to create a slide show with a variety of transition effects and music — 4 tunes are already loaded into the camera and more can be added using an option of the Setup menu — or present a normal slide show which has no music or transition effects.
• Paint: allows writing on a photo, or adding symbols such as stars, snowflakes etc. or drawing on the image using lines of with various line thickness, in a variety of colours, and saving the result as a new image. In addition, an eraser is available to erase errors or make changes.
• Delete: serves to delete unwanted images one at a time, or more than one using the index screen.

• Volume: serves to adjust the sound volume in playback.
• Folder: serves to select the folder from which images will be viewed.
• Protect: serves to protect images against an accidental erasure. Images can be selected one at a time, or from the index screen.
• DPOF: allows selecting which images will be printed, one at a time, or by selecting images from the index screen.
• Print: serves to print images when the camera is connected directly to a PictBridge compatible printer.

• Resize: makes it possible to make a copy of an image at a smaller size than the original. The original image is retained.
• Rotate: allows rotating an image 90° to the right or the left.
• Divide: serves to cut and edit movies captured with the camera.
• Setup: access to the Setup menu, common with the other menus. (See the Interface and Software section of the review.)

Furthermore, images can be cropped (Trimming) to the nearest available size once they have been magnified on the monitor. With the image zoomed so that the area to be cropped fills the screen, pressing the menu button displays the Trimming option, from which the image size to be assigned to the cropped image can be selected. Worth noting, selecting an image size significantly bigger than the cropped section will result in a lower image quality since the image will be interpolated. Moreover, images captured in either the 3:2 or 16:9 aspect ratios cannot be trimmed.

The DSC-N2 is powered by a small rechargeable Lithium ion battery (NP-BG1). A dedicated charger is included with the camera, and it is able to fully recharge the battery in approximately 270 minutes (4½ hours).

As do all of Sony recent compact cameras, the DSC-N2 uses the Memory Stick Duo format. The memory card slot is located on the right side of the camera, next to the battery, both of which are covered behind a spring-loaded door hinged at the top. The Memory Stick is ejected by pressing on its edge. The DSC-N2 is not retailed with a Memory Stick Duo but is equipped with a 25MB internal memory.

The chart below provides an idea of the number of images that can be stored in the internal memory, and with a 1 GB Memory Stick Duo:

The DSC-N2 retains the same external connection system that the DSC-N1 had: a single connection underneath the camera that is designed to fit the optional Cyber-shot Station, but which can also be used with the supplied cable. The cable is a Multi-use cable which has 5 connectors: a connection for the camera with on the same end a connection for an optional AC-DC adapter to power the DSC-N2 from household current (not shown in the photo at right); and at the other end an A/V connection for a television that consists of 2 RCA plugs, one for video and the other for sound, and a USB plug to connect to a computer or a PictBridge compatible printer.