The new DSC-P72 is the first to arrive here out of the long list
of new models recently announced by Sony.
Effectively, the DSC-P72 is the replacement for last year's P71 and, although
it retains a generally similar look, it has a number of enhancements and
has been redesigned.
Some
of the ergonomic improvements include a small chrome ridge on the front
that improves the hold, and a rubber cover on the back for the connections
that double as a thumb rest.
However, the most visible aspect of the redesign is with the controls.
While the top of the P72 is relatively similar to the P71 — it has
the shutter release on the right edge and the power switch next to it
towards the middle — the back controls are quite different.
Not only are some controls new, others, such as the multi-direction control
— simply referred to as the Control button — is a new
design.
First, the P72 has a new Mode Selector placed between, and slightly
below, the viewfinder and the zoom control. The Mode Selector has 4 positions:
Playback,
to review photos and video clips.
Movie/Clip
Motion/Multi Burst Mode, to record MPEGs, animated GIF files, or
image bursts.
Still
image recording mode.
To
set basic parameters for the camera, and perform specific functions.
Below the Mode Selector, a stack of 3 buttons, to the right of the 1.5
inch TFT monitor, provide for:
Displays
the menu according to the shooting mode, or the Playback menu. The
Set-up position of the Mode Selector, however, displays its own
menu instantly.
LCD
Status: cycles between display modes. The first shows most camera
settings. The second shows minimum information (battery state and
focus point); the third turns off the screen.
Note that when the LCD screen is Off any change in the camera settings
(Flash, Macro, Self-timer) causes the screen to become active briefly
to indicate the new settings.
Resolution:
New with the P72, this button provides a direct access to the image
resolution setting without having to go through the main menu.
In Playback, the button allows deleting the image on the screen.
Furthermore,
four other functions can be controlled using the Control.
Flash
Modes: Auto, Forced Flash, No Flash. (Red-eye reduction is engaged
in the Setup Menu.)
Quick
Review: to immediately see a just captured image.
Self
timer: 10 second delay.
Macro
Mode: permits a minimum shooting distance of 10 cm (3.9 in)
in wide angle and 50 cm (19.5 in) at the maximum telephoto position.
The
new Control design makes it completely error-proof. Navigation
is easy and accurate since the directional buttons are separate, and so
is making a selection with the centre button.
The zoom control also provides extra functions in Playback. The
telephoto side (T) magnifies an image being displayed on the screen
up to 5X. The wide side (W) zooms out of a magnified image.
Moreover,
when a photo is displayed on the screen, pressing the W side of
the zoom control displays 9 thumbnails, and a second press presents 3
thumbnails at the top of the screen with the shooting data below. The
camera is able to show aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation,
ISO setting, metering mode, flash mode and white balance setting over
2 pages.
When the 3 thumbnails are displayed on the screen, pressing the Menu
button calls up a short menu that provides access to:
DPOF
(Digital Print Order Format): to select photos that will be printed.
Protect:
to prevent a photo from being accidentally deleted.
Folder:
which allows changing the current folder to another to show its contents.
Finally,
the Delete button also provides a means of deleting the photo from the
thumbnail view.
In terms of ergonomic design, the DSC-P72 represents a clear improvement
over previous designs. Most notably, the new Controller is much more efficient
than the ones used on earlier Sony cameras. The addition of the Resolution/Delete
button is a practical shortcut as it provides quick access to the 3:2
image format that is best for printing.
