The
Sony DSC-P30 is identical to the DSC-P50
but offers a 1.3-megapixel resolution, while the P50 has a 2.1 megapixel
resolution.
That resolution difference is functionally the only distinguishing characteristic
of the P30. In appearance and in the functions offered to the user, the
P30 and P50 are the same.
The finish
is mostly plastic, but of good quality. The camera has a silver finish,
front and back, accented by a bright metallic lens trim and a metallic
arc that serves as a finger grip.
Turning on the P30 requires that the top mounted power button be held
down for a second or so. The Mode Dial is next to it; and the 2-stage
shutter release a bit further towards the front. As with the P50, the
P30's Mode Dial has five positions:
Twilight
uses a slower shutter speed and optionally the flash. The slower
shutter speed lets the background be recorded, while the flash helps
capture the foreground clearly.
Still
Image Recording (fully automatic).
Playback,
for stills and movies.
Movie,
or Clip Motion recording.
Setup
for basic camera configuration.
The
P30 provides an optical viewfinder that shows approximately 80% of what
the CCD captures. Although it is quite usable, the exit pupil is small,
and the image it shows is a bit distant. No diopter correction is provided.
The
back of the P30 is equipped with a 1.5 inch TFT LCD screen that can be
turned on and off using a button above it. On the right, the zoom control
for the 3X optical zoom lens also serves to show the captured images as
thumbnails on the LCD screen, or magnify a selected image (5X), when the
P30 is in Playback mode.
The
remaining two controls are on the left side of the LCD screen: a round
four-direction controller, and a Menu button.
In recording mode,
the directional control offers four additional functions: flash mode
selection, macro recording mode, self-timer, and instant
playback of the last image captured.
Easy to use and yet quite functional and capable, the P30 is able to capture
most common types of images.
