Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 First Impressions Review

Front
The front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 is designed with simplicity in mind. The brushed aluminum surface covers the classic Cyber-shot frame, which looks like a rectangle with a rounded right side (when viewed from strait-on). The round side accentuates the 3x optical zoom lens, which rests in the center of the curved right side. Around the rim of the lens are the words, “Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 2.8-5.2/ 7.9-23.7,” in small black lettering. In the top left corner of the front is the brand name, “Sony,” highlighted in polished aluminum letters. To the right of the brand name is a skinny ovular flash, followed by an optical viewfinder and an AF assist illuminator. In the bottom left corner of the P200 is the series name, “Cyber-shot,” also in polished letters. To its right is the phrase, “7.2 Megapixels,” in black lettering.

Back
The design on the back of the P200 is similar to the front: simple. The buttons are neatly laid out and thoughtfully placed. On the left side is the 2-inch LCD screen, with the brand name “Sony” in white lettering at the bottom. Centered above the LCD monitor is the real image optical viewfinder, with two LED lights to its right. To the right of the viewfinder and LCD are all of the camera’s function buttons. In the top right corner is the zoom lever, represented by a “W” and a “T” on a polished metal surface. To the left of the lever is the Mode Dial. The following options are available on the dial: Playback, Auto, Program Auto, Manual, Scene, and Movie.

Below the dial and directly to the right of the LCD screen is the four-way navigational dial, along with three buttons. The dial looks circular, but is made up of five separate buttons: four in each direction and one in the middle. Each of these buttons performs a secondary function in addition to its navigational and selection purposes. The top button selects flash modes; the bottom button selects the self-timer mode. The left button acts as an escape button; the right doubles as a focus mode selector. The middle button is used to make selections. There are three buttons surrounding this dial. If the dial was a compass, the buttons would be on the northwest, southwest, and southeast corners. The button on the northwest corner is an LCD view button. When this button is pushed, the LCD will darken to offset bright lighting. When the button is pushed again, histograms and image information will appear on the screen. The button in the southwest corner is the self-labeled “Menu” button - Self-explanatory. The button in the southeast corner is the Delete button.

On the very right side of the back is a series of nine dots meant to act as a thumb grip for the camera. There is also a slight lip to its right to prevent the thumb from slipping during shooting. Overall, the back of the Sony P200 is attractive and organized looking. There is not an overwhelming amount of buttons or controls, but enough to know that you do have control.

Left Side
The left side is the rounded side of the rectangle. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200 has a wide groove embedded into the top of the camera. As the curve extends downward, so does the groove. It extends all the way to the bottom, allowing the user’s fingers to grip the entire length of the camera. The grooved panel is made out of a textured aluminum and appears brighter than the rest of the camera body.

Right Side
The top of the right side has a tiny recessed loop to thread the wrist strap into. However, the loop is so deeply recessed that the initial attachment of the strap could cause high blood pressure. A needle or something long and skinny will be required to get the silky rope through the polished metal loop. Below the loop are two rubber doors to various jacks. The top door goes to the USB and AV out jacks, while the bottom door houses the DC in cable jack.

Top
The top is fairly banal. There is a polished, but still textured, brighter silver-colored panel that runs across the top of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200. There is a wide groove in the panel that not only adds an element of interest to the sleek design, but acts as a grip for the left fingers. There are two buttons on the top: the power button on the left and the shutter release button on the right. There is also a microphone on the left of the power button.