Zoom
A typical 3x optical zoom range, though good lens performance. Precision Digital Zoom also performs well.

38mm	114mm	2x Precision Digital Zoom

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N2 optical zoom covers the equivalent of a 38-114mm range, fairly typical among digital cameras of its class. Results were quite good at wide angle, though some corner softness and coma distortion were present. Sony's Precision Digital Zoom did a great job of holding onto fine detail, much better than we're accustomed to seeing with digital zooms. Though some fine detail is compromised, results on the whole are much better than average.

Macro
A tiny macro area with strong detail and high resolution. Flash exposure was very uneven up close.

Standard Macro	Macro with Flash

The Sony N2's macro setting performed well, capturing a small minimum area of 2.28 x 1.80 inches (58 x 46 millimeters). Detail and resolution were both good, though some lens distortion creates strong softening in the corners of the frame. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode.) The flash produced a very uneven exposure here, partially blocked by the lens with a slight overexposure in the top of the frame, though it was comparitively well-controlled. Still, plan on using external lighting for your closest macro shots with the Sony N2.

Distortion
Moderate barrel distortion, as well as some minor pincushion.

This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto). The Sony N2's 0.8% barrel distortion at wide angle is about average among the cameras we've tested, although still uncomfortably high to my eyes. At the telephoto end, I found about 0.2% pincushion distortion, which is fairly low but noticeable.

Barrel distortion at 38mm is 0.8%

Pincushion at 114mm is 0.2%

Chromatic aberration
Moderate to high effect on images at edges.

Wide: high though dim, top left @ 200%	Wide: high, still dim top right @ 200%
Tele: moderate extension, more bright, top left @200%	Tele: moderate extension, more bright @200%

Chromatic aberration is moderate at both wide angle and telephoto on the Sony N2. At telephoto, the distortion is still a bit high, though pixels are a little less bright. (This distortion is visible as a slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.) The effect is pretty noticeable in several of our test shots.

Corner Sharpness
Significant softening in the corners at wide angle, though corners remain fairly sharp at telephoto.

Wide: Quite soft in the corners (particularly the lower right)	Wide: sharper at center
Tele: sharp in the corners (upper left)	Tele: slightly soft at center

The Sony N2 produced quite soft corners at its full wide angle setting, with the strongest blurring in the lower right corner. At telephoto, all four corners were fairly sharp, though the center of the frame was slightly softer.

Coverage

Excellent accuracy with LCD monitor.

38mm eq., LCD	114mm eq., LCD

The Sony N2's LCD monitor showed about 103% frame accuracy at wide angle, and about 99% at telephoto, which is quite good. (Though wide angle framing is actually a bit loose, just slightly cutting out the furthest target lines.)