Review of the Sony Cybershot DSC-N2 digital camera
Couldn’t wait to get our hands on this little beauty from Sony. This is the Cyber shot DSC-N2 and it has lots of new teasing features that would make any, amateur or professional, photographer’s eye’s light up. Sony seem to create mini marvels that are yet to disappoint us. Design |
| A very svelte and slender little number, the Sony Cybershot DSC-N2 is almost credit card sized with dimensions of 96.7mm (w) x 61.1mm (h) x 22.7mm (d). You fall in love with the minimalist look of it, but it is a bit difficult to hold and could do with a bit of a grip on the right side somewhere, just to ensure it doesn’t slip though your fingers. The telescopic lens protrudes quite far and weighs down the front of the camera so be careful not drop it. There is a massive 3in LCD screen on the reverse and not much else really apart from a zoom rocker at the top right and two tiny buttons at the bottom which are screen and delete and a switch on the side which is for playback or movie mode. There is a speaker on the side which we covered up whilst holding as we didn’t realise it was there. The battery and memory card compartment is on the other side with a quite difficult to open door, but once your inside (not literally) it holds them both very neatly and they are easy to get in and out. The LCD screen is touch screen menu and you can either use your fingertip or the stylus that is included. |
| Features |
| This Cybershot has a spectacularly high 10.1 mega pixels and a fantastic high sensitivity ISO 1600 so the results from this compact are of an extremely high standard. It has a 3x optical zoom and a 3in LCD screen which is ideal for showing off your snaps as soon as you have taken them or you can use it as a portable photo album with music. It has built in flash with intensity adjustment and five modes and eight scene modes with Automatic, Program or Manual exposure modes which makes this camera suitable for the amateur or professional amongst us. There is a 25mb internal memory which is adequate as it doesn’t come with a memory card but takes the Sony Memory Stock Duo. Other special features include a Paint option so you can edit and clean up images, image sharpness and contrast adjustments plus image colour options. |
| Performance |
| The Sony Cybershot DSC-N2 did create some outstanding images with high resolution and high sensitivity which is a great combination but one of the best performances we saw from this camera was the touch screen display on the 3in LCD. It keeps the camera body nice and clean, is really simple to use and is a great time saver when it comes to using the menu options. The menu is very logical in how Sony have set it up, but the screen does get rather smudgy after using it for a while. Another downside is that the buttons on screen are quite large and cover much of the image which isn’t too helpful when you are editing, they can be reduced but are mostly needed in the editing option. The paint mode is quite fun to use as there are many possibilities but not sure if the more serious photographer would make much use of it. An advanced slideshow function lets you build multimedia presentations out of your photos, complete with MP3 music accompaniment, as well as sophisticated wipes and fades. Quick operation with this one as the shutter release lag is 0.01 seconds and the start up time is 1.5 seconds. The battery life is pretty average and allows 300 shots (by CIPA standards). |
| What's In The Box? |
| Sony DSC-N2 camera, Wrist strap, One Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack, a case, battery charger, USB cable, AV cable, Software CD containing Picture Package (ver. 1.6 for Windows), Pixela ImageMixer VCD2 (for Mac), a PC-based tutorial and USB drivers, Quick-guide manuals and registration information |
| Overall Opinion |
| A gorgeous camera that is packed with essential features and more is what you get with the Sony DSC-N2. There is so much to practice with on this Sony that you really need a day out on your own together! Money well spent if you go for this one. Check out the Sony KDL32EX301 |
By Hayley Malyon |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 10.1 Megapixels 3in LCD screen Touch-screen menu capability | No grip |
| Factor | Rating |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 3/5 |
| Durability | 3/5 |
| Style | 3/5 |
| Service & Support | 3/5 |
| Value for Money | 3/5 |
| Recommend | 1/5 |
| Overall | 3/5 |