Sony DSC-N2 Performance

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Sony DSC-N2 Performance

Timing and Performance

Very good to average speed for a consumer camera.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	1.8 seconds	Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy
Shutdown	2.0 seconds	How long it takes to retract lens
Buffer clearing time	4 seconds (in Burst LF JPEG)	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Mode switching
Play to Record, first shot	0.2 seconds	Time until first shot is captured
Record to play	3.9 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture
Display recorded image	1.2 second	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time):
Full Autofocus Wide	0.29 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele	0.69 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Prefocused	0.012 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF	0.28 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects
Manual focus	0.21 second	For most cameras, shutter lag is less in manual focus than autofocus, but usually not as fast as when the camera is "prefocused"
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	1.67 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	1.50 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Early shutter penalty?	No	Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	1.17 second (0.85 frames per second); 3 frames total; 4 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.98 second (1.02 frames per second); 1 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Flash recycling	4 seconds	Flash at maximum output
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	2247 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-770=USB 2.0 Low; 771-4000=USB 2.0 High

The Sony N2's performance ranges from quite good to a little slow, depending on what it is you're trying to do. Startup time is fast enough at 1.8 second, and shutter lag is very good at both wide angle and telephoto lens settings. "Prefocusing" times (half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure) are blazingly fast, with a shutter delay of only 0.012 second. Shot-to-shot cycle times are a little better than average, at about 1.67 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and the camera captures frames continuously at this rate. Continuous-mode speed is on the slower side, at less than one frame/second, for up to three shots in succession. For small JPEGs (640 x 480 pixels), the rate speeds up only a little to 1.02 frames per second, though the camera captures frames continuously at this rate. That said, the Sony N2 does offer a Multi-Burst mode as well, which captures at a much faster frame rate, though at a smaller resolution. Flash recycling time is pretty fast, at only four seconds. Connected to a computer, download speeds are exceptionally fast, so you won't feel a need for a separate card reader. Bottom line, the Sony N2 is responsive enough for most family photo opportunities, but its standard continuous shooting mode is a bit slow for sporting events or catching children.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Excellent battery life.

Operating Mode	Number of Shots
LiIon rechargeable battery, LCD on	300

The Sony N2 uses a single rechargeable LiIon battery pack for power, and a battery and a charger are included with the camera. I strongly recommend picking up a spare battery and keeping it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on either a fresh set of disposable batteries or a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Sony N2 accepts Memory Stick Duo cards, though no card is included; 25MB RAM is built into the camera.

Image Capacity with 25MB Internal Memory		Fine	Normal
3,468 x 2,736	Images	5	10
3,468 x 2,736	File Size	5.2 MB	2.6 MB
3,264 x 2,448	Images	6	12
3,264 x 2,448	File Size	4.0 MB	2.2 MB
2,592 x 1,944	Images	10	19
2,592 x 1,944	File Size	2.6 MB	1.4 MB
2,048 x 1,536	Images	16	29
2,048 x 1,536	File Size	1.6 MB	906 KB
1,632 x 1,224	Images	26	49
1,632 x 1,224	File Size	1.0 MB	537 KB
640 x 480	Images	158	396
640 x 480	File Size	168 KB	67 KB