The
DSC-P51 uses a 2.1 megapixel CCD of which 2.0 million pixels
are effective. By default, the sensitivity of the CCD is set to Auto,
which lets the camera increase the ISO rating according to the ambient
light, but only over the range of 100 to 320 ISO. The sensitivity can
also be set in the menu to 100, 200 or 400 ISO.
The 2X autofocus Sony lens, 6.3 to 12.6 mm, is the equivalent
of a 41 to 82mm on a 35mm film camera, and autofocus can be assisted by
an AF Illuminator, an orangy-red light to the left of the lens and below
the viewfinder. The AF illuminator allows the autofocus to function in
low light and over distances of 2.2 m (7.2 ft). Its use is controlled
by an On/Off setting in the camera's Setup Menu (On by default).
The lens offers
apertures
between f3.8
and f11
over its focal range, which operate in conjuction with shutter
speed ranging from 1/1000 to 1/30 second in Auto mode. In the
Twilight mode, the DSC-P51 is able to capture photos with a shutter
speed as low as 2 seconds, and noise reduction is automatically used
at shutter speeds below 1/2 second.
The DSC-P51 provides 4 image sizes:
1600
x 1200 pixels,
1600
(3:2) (image size of 1600 x 1072),
1280
x 960,
640
x 480.
All photos are recorded in JPEG
format, and just as with the other cameras in this series, and uncompressed
TIFF format
isn't provided. The JPEG images can be saved in either one of 2 compression
levels, Fine or Standard, with Fine offering the least
amount of compression.
An E-Mail option, selected in the menu will record a second, smaller
version of any image captured. The E-Mail image is stored in a separate
folder on the Memory Stick, and the images saved there measures 320
x 240 pixels.
In addition, the DSC-P51 also provides the new Multi-Burst
mode which records a series of 16 frames and stores them into a single
1280 x 960 image. When Multi-Burst pictures are played back on the camera,
the frames are played back sequentially with a set interval between
each. The burst rate can be set prior to recording the sequence, and
the selection of shutter speeds varies according to the type of signal
the camera is set to record: 1/7.5 sec, 1/15 sec, or 1/30 sec when the
camera is in NTSC mode; 1/6.3 sec, 1/12.5 sec, and 1/25 sec when
the camera is set to PAL. Playback on the screen is very smooth
and detailed, allowing the examination of a rapid movement such as a
golf swing. However, when the Multi-Burst image is downloaded to a computer
it appears as a single frame containing 16 small images and cannot be
played back as a sequence.
The P51 can be used to record two other types of moving images: MPEG
mini-movies, and Clip Motion files, either of which — along
with the Multi-Burst Mode — are pre-selected in the Setup
Menu.
MPEG recordings can be made using any 1 of 3 formats:
320
(HQX), the largest frame size and the least compression;
320
x 240, the same frame size as the HQX mode mode but with greater
compression;
160
x 112, a small and quite compressed format which can be used for
sending by e-mail.
MPEG
recordings are silent (no built-in microphone), but during recording
the digital zoom remains usable, and the focus and exposure are adjusted
as necessary. The length of the recording is limited to 15 seconds at
the best image quality (320 (HQX), but only by the capacity of the Memory
Stick in use in the other 2 formats.
Clip
Motion is a special feature of Sony cameras. The images can be recorded
at the Normal setting, which allows up to 10 frames; or Mobile
which consists of 2 frames. Images are recorded in 256 colours and stored
in a GIF format that is immediately usable in a web page, or a presentation.
The DSC-P51 provides a number of photographic functions in the Recording
menu accessed in Auto mode. The menu is composed of two "pages"
of 5 options each, and scrolls horizontally on the lower portion of the
screen:
Exposure
Compensation:
compensation of ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
Focus:
Multi AF, Centre AF, and manually preset focus distances: 0.5m, 1m,
3m, 7m, and infinity.
White
Balance: Auto,
Sun, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent.
ISO:
Auto, 100, 200, 400 ISO.
Image
Size: 1600 x 1200, 1600 (3:2), 1280 x 960, 640 x 480.
Picture
Quality:
Fine or Standard.
Recording
Mode: E-mail or Normal.
Flash
Level: High,
Normal, Low.
Picture
Effect: Solarize, Black and White, Sepia, Negative Art, Off.
Sharpness:
+2, +1, 0, -1, -2.
In
Playback, the menu looks similar, but the options are either selected,
or accessed by pressing the Multi-controller at its centre to reveal the
choices:
Delete:
OK,
and Cancel. Deletes the displayed image;
Protect: prevents an accidental erasure;
Print:
to mark images that will be printed on a DPOF compliant device;
Slide:
interval (select from 3, 5, 10, 30 secs. or 1 min), Repeat (on/off),
Start, Cancel;
Resize:
makes it possible to record a different, or same size copy of any
JPEG photo;
Rotate:
rotate left or right, only applicable to JPEG images;
Divide:
to divide a MPEG recording into 2 parts at a point selected during
frame by frame playback.
Still
in the Playback mode, the camera is able to capture a second image cropped
from an image being displayed, and magnified, on the LCD screen. The
process involves selecting an image, and adjusting the view until the
section to be recaptured is shown on the screen. Then pressing the Menu
button pops-up a small menu composed of "Return" and
"Trimming". Selecting "Trimming" calls up
a list of image sizes, and once an image size has been chosen, the camera
records the trimmed image as a new one, leaving the original intact.
Worth noting, a small section of an image shown on the screen can be
captured at a size considerably larger than the actual number of pixels
that compose it. In that case, the image is interpolated
up to the selected size, which can cause the image quality to decline
much as it does with a digital zoom.
As with the DSC-P71
and P31, the DSC-P51 is supplied with 2 Ni-MH, AA size batteries along
with a charger. The batteries slide into the right side of the camera.
The DSC-P51 is not compatible with standard Sony Lithium Ion battery packs.
The
lower left back of the DSC-P51 has yet another cover that protects its
USB and Video Out connections. First on the right is the USB port, and
to the left is the yellow Video Out jack.
USB Drivers are supplied for Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, Me, Macintosh OS
8.5.1, 8.6, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, OS X (v10.0/v10.1), and with Windows XP the
camera is automatically recognized.
The Video out signal can be set in the Setup menu of the DSC-P51 to be
either NTSC, or PAL.
A 16MB Memory Stick is provided with the camera, and with it the DSC-P51
can capture (approximately):
Image
Size
JPEG
Fine
JPEG
Standard
1600
x 1200
16
28
1600
(3:2)
16
28
1280
x 960
24
42
640
x 480
87
192
The
lower right side of the DSC-P51's back provides a DC-IN jack, covered
by a flexible plastic door.
The jack is to connect the AC-LS1 AC Power adapter, an optional accessory
for the camera.
Note
that the AC adapter cannot be used to recharge the NiMH batteries supplied
with the camera.Immediately below the DC-IN jack is a small red LED which
indicates Memory Stick access.
As with the DSC-P71
and P31, the DSC-P51 is supplied with 2 Ni-MH, AA size batteries along
with a charger. The batteries slide into the right side of the camera.
The DSC-P51 is not compatible with standard Sony Lithium Ion battery packs.
