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Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-P10 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony Corp., with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Sony announces two new compact P-series digicams
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(Monday, February 24, 2003 - 10:00 EST)

Sony Corp. has today announced two new compact P-series digital cameras replacing the current Cyber-shot DSC-P7 and DSC-P9 digital cameras.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P9 was first announced in March of last year, and was followed a little over two months later by the DSC-P7. The cameras had resolutions of 4 and 3 megapixels respectively, and shared essentially the same body and 3x optical zoom lens. The cameras were differentiated from the other P-series cameras by their all-metal bodies (as opposed to plastic), InfoLithium batteries (allowing slimmer, more compact cameras), audio recording capabilities, etc.

With the newly announced DSC-P32, -P52, -P72 and -P92 offering quite an array of new features, the -P7 and -P9 were in need of an update as well - and this will happen in the next couple of months. The new Cyber-shot DSC-P8 and DSC-P10 feature metal bodies - but the size has been reduced still further. The already trim depth and height as compared to other P-series cameras are maintained, but roughly another centimeter has been trimmed off the width. Weight remains identical to the -P7 / -P9. The InfoLithium battery has also been retained instead of the AA batteries used in other P-series models, but the -P8 and -P10 are supplied with a new NP-FC11 InfoLithium which should offer 20% higher capacity in the same form factor. (The older -FC10 batteries are still compatible, however).

Additional new features include an optional Continuous AF system (featuring both continuously monitoring AF, and a tracking AF that will follow your subject across the AF sensors when the shutter button is partially depressed), the ability to adjust camera saturation and contrast, a histogram function and an extra white-balance setting for flash white balance.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P8 will go on sale at a price of $399 in the US in late March, with wide availability planned for April. The DSC-P10 will cost $599, with first cameras going on sale at the end of May, and wide availability in June. Full specifications for both cameras follow.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P8
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-P8 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Imaging Device 1/2.7" 3.2 Megapixel Effective Super HAD™ CCD
Recording Media Memory Stick® Media, Memory Stick PRO™ Media
Zoom 3X Optical, 3.2X Smart Zoom (at VGA size), 9.6X Total
Filter Diameter N/A
Focal Length 6 - 18mm
35mm Equivalent 39 - 117mm
Aperture f2.8 - 5.6
Focus 3 Area Multi-Point AF, 5 Step Manual Preset
Minimum Focus Distance 19.7" (50 cm)
Macro Focus Distance 3.9" (10 cm)
Shutter Speed Auto, 1/30 - 1/2000 sec, Twilight 2 sec - 1/2000
Manual Exposure ±2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
Color LCD 1.5" 123K Pixels Low Temperature Polysilicon TFT
Flash Modes Auto / Forced On / Forced Off / Slow Synchro; Red-eye Reduction On / Off
White Balance Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent
Picture Effects Black & White, Solarize, Sepia, Negative Art
ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400
Scene Modes Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Fast Shutter
Self Timer Yes, 10 Seconds
Video Output Yes NTSC / PAL Selectable
Still Image Modes JPEG (Fine/Std.), Burst, Email, Voice Memo
MPEG Movie Modes
MPEG VX (640x480, 16fps, with audio)
MPEG Video Mail (160x112, 8 fps with audio)
Clip Motion Normal (160x120), Mobile (80x72)
Microphone / Speaker Yes / Yes
USB Terminal Yes, Supports USB 2.0
Memory Stick PRO™ Media Compatibility Tested to support up to 1GB media capacity; does not support high speed transfer function; does not support Access Control security function
Battery Type / Capacity InfoLithium NP-FC11 780 mAh Rated
Supplied Software Pixela™ Image Mixer Software for Sony v1.5, USB Driver SPVD-008
OS Compatibility Microsoft® Windows® 98 / 98SE / Me / 2000 Professional / XP Home / Pro; Macintosh OS 8.5.1 / 8.6 / 9.0 / 9.1 / 9.2
Supplied Accessories NP-FC11 InfoLithium® Rechargeable Battery, AC-LS5 AC Adaptor/In-camera Charger, A/V and USB Cables, Wrist strap, MSA-16A 16MB Memory Stick® Media, Software CD-ROM
Dimensions (W / H / D) 4 1/4" x 2" x 1 7/16" (105 x 51.5 x 35.8mm)
Weight 7.5 oz (206g) (w/Battery, Memory Stick® Media, Strap)
Additional Features
  • 2 Shot Burst Mode
  • Adjustable Color Saturation / Contrast
  • Clear Color / Clear Luminance NR
  • MPEG1 Cue, Review and Divide
  • 3:2 Aspect Ratio Mode
  • Video Output (PAL / NTSC Selectable)
  • 4 Mode In-Camera Picture Effects
  • 5 Step Manual preset focus
Optional Accessories
  • ACC-CSFC Starter Kit (LCS-CSFC, NP-FC11, MSAC-A8)
  • NP-FC11 InfoLithium® Battery
  • AC-LS5 AC Power Supply
  • LCS-PHA Deluxe Soft Leather Carrying Case
  • LCS-PX Deluxe Semi-Soft Carrying Case
  • LCS-CSB Sport Style Carrying Case
  • LCS-CP2 General Carrying Case
  • HVL-FSL1A External Slave Flash w/ Bracket
  • VAD-PHA Conversion Lens Adaptor Mount
  • VCL-DH0730 Wide Angle Conversion Lens*
  • VCL-DH1730 Telephoto Conversion Lens*
  • VF-30CPKS Polarizing Filter Kit*
  • VF-30NK Neutral Density Filter Kit*
  • VF-30SC Special Effects Filter Kit*
  • MSA-32A, MSA-64A, MSA-128A Memory Stick® media
  • MSA-128S2 Memory Stick® Media with Select Function (256MB total)
  • MSX-256, MSX-512, MSX-1G Memory Stick PRO™ Media
  • MSAC-HGA8 Memory Stick® Media Carrying Case
  • MSAC-US70 Memory Stick PRO™ Media USB Adaptor / Mouse
  • MSAC-US20 Memory Stick PRO™ Media USB Adaptor
  • MSAC-PC3 Memory Stick PRO™ Media PC Card Adaptor
  • VMC-14UMB Replacement USB Cable
  • VCT-MTK Travel Tripod
  • VCT-R640 Lightweight Tripod
  • MPK-PHA Marine Pack

* VAD-PHA Conversion Lens Adaptor Mount Required

.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-P10 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Imaging Device 1/1.8" 5.0 Megapixel Effective Super HAD™ CCD
Recording Media Memory Stick® Media, Memory Stick PRO™ Media
Zoom 3X Optical, 4X Smart Zoom (at VGA size), 12X Total
Filter Diameter N/A
Focal Length 7.9 - 23.7mm
35mm Equivalent 38 - 114mm
Aperture f2.8 - 5.6
Focus 3 Area Multi-Point AF, 5 Step Manual Preset
Minimum Focus Distance 19.7" (50 cm)
Macro Focus Distance 3.9" (10 cm)
Shutter Speed Auto, 1/30 - 1/2000 sec, Twilight 2 sec - 1/2000
Manual Exposure ±2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
Color LCD 1.5" 123K Pixels Low Temperature Polysilicon TFT
Flash Modes Auto / Forced On / Forced Off / Slow Synchro
Red-Eye Reduction On / Off
Flash Effective Range 1.3 – 12.5 ft (0.4 – 3.8m)
White Balance Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent
Picture Effects Black & White, Solarize, Sepia, Negative Art
ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400
Scene Modes Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Fast Shutter
Self Timer Yes, 10 Seconds
Video Output Yes NTSC / PAL Selectable
Still Image Modes JPEG (Fine/Std.), Burst, Email, Voice Memo
MPEG Movie Modes
MPEG VX (640x480, 16fps, with audio)
MPEG Video Mail (160x112, 8 fps with audio)
Clip Motion Normal (160x120), Mobile (80x72)
Microphone / Speaker Yes / Yes
USB Terminal Yes, Supports USB 2.0
Memory Stick PRO™ Media Compatibility Tested to support up to 1GB media capacity; does not support high speed transfer function; does not support Access Control security function
Battery Type / Capacity InfoLithium NP-FC11 780 mAh Rated
Supplied Software Pixela™ Image Mixer Software for Sony v1.5, USB Driver SPVD-008
OS Compatibility Microsoft® Windows® 98 / 98SE / Me / 2000 Professional / XP Home / Pro; Macintosh OS 8.5.1 / 8.6 / 9.0 / 9.1 / 9.2
Supplied Accessories NP-FC11 InfoLithium® Rechargeable Battery, AC-LS5 AC Adaptor/In-camera Charger, A/V and USB Cables, Wrist strap, MSA-16A 16MB Memory Stick® Media, Software CD-ROM
Dimensions (W / H / D) 4 1/4" x 2" x 1 7/16" (108 x 51.5 x 35.8mm)
Weight 7.5 oz (206g) (w/Battery, Memory Stick® Media, Strap)
Additional Features
  • 3 Shot Burst Mode
  • 3 Shot Auto Exposure Bracketing
  • Adjustable Color Saturation / Contrast
  • Clear Color / Clear Luminance NR
  • MPEG1 Cue, Review and Divide
  • 3:2 Aspect Ratio Mode
  • Video Output (PAL / NTSC Selectable)
  • 4 Mode In-Camera Picture Effects
  • 5 Step Manual preset focus
Optional Accessories
  • ACC-CSFC Starter Kit (LCS-CSFC, NP-FC11, MSAC-A8)
  • NP-FC11 InfoLithium® Battery
  • AC-LS5 AC Power Supply
  • LCS-PHA Deluxe Soft Leather Carrying Case
  • LCS-PX Deluxe Semi-Soft Carrying Case
  • LCS-CSB Sport Style Carrying Case
  • LCS-CP2 General Carrying Case
  • HVL-FSL1A External Slave Flash w/ Bracket
  • VAD-PHA Conversion Lens Adaptor Mount
  • VCL-DH0730 Wide Angle Conversion Lens*
  • VCL-DH1730 Telephoto Conversion Lens*
  • VF-30CPKS Polarizing Filter Kit*
  • VF-30NK Neutral Density Filter Kit*
  • VF-30SC Special Effects Filter Kit*
  • MSA-32A, MSA-64A, MSA-128A Memory Stick® media
  • MSA-128S2 Memory Stick® Media with Select Function (256MB total)
  • MSX-256, MSX-512, MSX-1G Memory Stick PRO™ Media
  • MSAC-HGA8 Memory Stick® Media Carrying Case
  • MSAC-US70 Memory Stick PRO™ Media USB Adaptor / Mouse
  • MSAC-US20 Memory Stick PRO™ Media USB Adaptor
  • MSAC-PC3 Memory Stick PRO™ Media PC Card Adaptor
  • VMC-14UMB Replacement USB Cable
  • VCT-MTK Travel Tripod
  • VCT-R640 Lightweight Tripod
  • MPK-PHA Marine Pack

* VAD-PHA Conversion Lens Adaptor Mount Required

.

Source: Sony Corp.

Original Source Press Release:

SONY'S 2003 CYBER-SHOT CAMERA LINE-UP SPOTLIGHTS VALUE, VARIETY AND PORTABILITY

Six New Reasons to Consider Upgrading Your Digital Camera

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 24, 2003 – Sony’s range of six new Cyber-shot® digital still cameras, announced here today, is a reflection of the consumer boom in digital photography.

“While we’re seeing incredible growth in the first-time buyer market, we know there are millions of consumers who are upgrading to get better picture resolution and more features,” said Steve Haber, senior vice president of Sony Electronic’s Digital Imaging Products Division. “Our new 2003 P-series Cyber-shot camera line-up now starts at 3.2 megapixels, a resolution threshold that will provide even novices with confidence in their photography results.”

Cyber-shot P Series

Three models in Sony’s 2003 line of P-series point-and-shoot cameras (DSC-P32, DSC-P52 and DSC-P72) offer 3.2 megapixels of resolution. A fourth camera, the DSC-P92 model enhances the point-and-shoot family by offering 5.0 megapixels.

While the DSC-P32 model comes with a fixed focal length lens and the DSC-P52 brings 2X optical zoom, both the DSC-P72 and DSC-P92 models offer 3X optical zoom capability.

All four cameras come supplied with rechargeable NiMH AA batteries with enhanced charge capacity and a charger that generates a full charge in about half the time of previous models.

These four cameras will be available in April. The DSC-P32 will sell for about $230, the DSC-P52 for about $280, the DSC-P72 for about $330, and the DSC-P92 for about $500. All four models feature Sony’s optimized MPEG VX movie mode. It can capture VGA resolution video with audio at 16 frames per second up to the capacity of the Memory Stick® card that is used. A 16MB card is included.

Cyber-shot Compact P Series

For pocketable options, the ultra-compact Cyber-shot DSC-P8 and DSC-P10 cameras are smaller point-and-shoot models with metal construction and an InfoLithium® battery system. These two new models feature a Tracking Auto-Focus System to maintain continuous focus lock on moving subjects, a live histogram, and adjustable color saturation and contrast. Both models have 3X optical zoom and MPEG VX movie mode with audio recording.

Both new compact P-series models will be available in April, with the DSC-P8 expected to sell for about $400, and the DSC-P10 expected to cost about $600. The DSC-P8 ships with a 16MB Memory Stick media card and the DSC-P10 ships with a 32MB card.

Beyond Megapixels and Zoom: Camera Features Create Better Results

All six new Cyber-shot point-and-shoot models come with a comprehensive feature set to give users flexibility, greater ease of use and quality results.

“The power behind the feature set is that you get the photo right the first time by avoiding common problems, minimizing the need for fine-tuning later,” Haber said. “For just one of a dozen examples, think about the old rule of making sure the light is behind you when you take a photo to avoid a dark subject. To address that, we’re introducing Auto Fill Flash, which automatically fires the flash to optimize light on the subject and balance the exposure.”

Among the 2003 Cyber-shot camera features are multiple movie recording options and USB 2.0 connection. In addition, a new Smart Zoom option replaces digital zoom, and intelligently uses the full resolution of the camera’s imager at lower resolution settings to zoom into the portion of interest by cropping the image size.

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