Review: CyberShot DSC-P10 Digital Camera
Developer: Sony
Price: $600 (list); $450 (street)
Requirements: Mac OS 8.6 or Mac OS X, USB
Recommended: Mac OS 9 or later. The manual offers specific compatibility advice.
Trial: None.
Since I have had the use of my own digital camera for approximately two months now, and I have thought long and hard about an answer to the question, I face writing a review on it without knowing exactly who to recommend this camera to. This is because when you first pick up Sony’s flagship compact digital camera for 2003, the CyberShot DSC-P10, and start to play around with it, you will find it incredibly hard to put down.
The first thing about this camera that makes an impression is its size. Measuring just 4.25" in length and just over 2" in height, the P10 is smaller than Sony’s previous efforts—no mean feat given the boost in specification compared to larger siblings such as the DSC-P72. Any pre-conceptions that the P10’s size makes it vulnerable to damage vanish once it is picked up; although it weighs a mere seven and a half ounces, the camera feels reasonably solid and durable, enough to withstand the odd accidental knock, not that you would ever forgive yourself if you dropped it.
Looking around the camera’s enclosure, a few features immediately catch the eye. The core lens sports a 3x optical zoom and an additional 4x digital zoom function, and automatically adds about an inch to the camera’s depth when it is switched on. A standard tripod mount is offered on the bottom of the camera, and the side features an easy-open panel for access to the rechargeable InfoLithium® battery and media slot. The back features a 1.5" full-color LCD screen, most of the camera control buttons, and the necessary I/O ports, while the top of the camera is reserved for the shutter release and power buttons.
Modes
Once switched on, the P10 will always be in one of six modes, each represented and accessed by a dial surrounding the shutter release button. Three of these are used for picture taking, the one feature that one expects every camera to support out of the box. Most pictures will only require the auto-adjustment mode, in which the focus, exposure, and white balance values are automatically adjusted to suit the environment. Those who prefer having complete control over their camera’s settings will appreciate the programmed mode, in which all options are configured through an extremely easy-to-use menu system. A scene selection mode is also available, for pictures which fit one of six predefined profiles.
Resolution
In any of the three picture-taking modes, the P10 lets you choose the desired image resolution of your next photo from a choice of five, ranging from VGA (640x480) to an astonishing 5.0 effective megapixels, which I am reliably informed equates to 2592x1944 pixels. The additional capture modes when taking still images make this camera all the more desirable: the camera can take three pictures in rapid succession (optionally with the exposure value slightly shifted in each image), can record an attached audio file of up to 40 seconds, or it can simultaneously store a lower resolution (320x240) “thumbnail” of the normal-sized image for e-mail purposes. After taking your picture you have the option of instantly reviewing the shot without switching to playback mode, and quickly deciding whether you want to keep or delete what you just shot.
Viewscreen
Additional features worthy of mention at this point are those offered by the viewscreen. The built-in viewscreen offers four display modes, from displaying basic information on top of the current image, to full information, to full information plus a live histogram. Personally, I cannot see the appeal of a live histogram graphic other than to perhaps judge brightness balance, but a few people might find this more useful than I would. The viewscreen is fine for judging the position of the camera when taking a picture, but there may be times when the sun is too bright to see what’s on the viewscreen, or it otherwise detracts from picture-taking. In these situations, not only does the camera’s standard viewfinder come in handy, but the viewscreen can also be turned off to save battery power and keep distractions to a minimum.
Quality
Picture quality, as you would expect, is excellent. The camera’s support for taking macro shots of fauna especially gives highly impressive results, with a great attention to detail and accurate color reproduction. The one limitation the camera does suffer from here is the forced JPEG image mode; while images are generally captured at the finest quality, the lack of support for a lossless file format such as TIFF is slightly disappointing.
Movies
A nice feature of the camera meanwhile is its ability to record true motion pictures, in MPEG-VX format. In this “movie mode,” an additional two kinds of “movies” are supported: Clip Motion creates an animated GIF image of up to ten separately-shot frames, and Multi Burst shoots sixteen frames in customizably quick succession and stores these frames as a single image. If you prefer your movies with sound, there are two MPEG movie resolutions to choose from, 160x120 and 640x480. Both average about eight frames per second, and both record sound. The larger resolution naturally consumes available space like nothing else, and the smaller resolution seems too small graphically despite the obvious space savings. I would have liked to see and use a compromising 320x240 resolution for general purpose movies, but otherwise I am happy with the available choices.
Playback
While capturing your media may be the first thing you would want to do with a digital camera, the fun comes when you decide what to do with it. With this in mind, the Playback mode of the P10 is truly impressive, and offers features almost too numerous to list here.
Most of these options focus on still images, and a lot can be done to previously captured photos without the need of a photo editing program. Viewing a still image on the built-in viewscreen can be slightly tricky if you want to check on some of the details, so the P10 conveniently lets you zoom in on an image with up to 5x magnification, and navigate around the image using the arrow keys. If a photo was accidentally taken at the wrong resolution, this can be changed at a later stage, although changing the resolution upwards of the original will, naturally, not automatically add detail that wasn’t there before. Individual images can be rotated on-screen (for viewing purposes only), protected against accidental deletion, or marked for printing at a shop or on a DPOF-compatible printer. Finally, media can be stored in separate folders on the removable media. Unfortunately, it seems that once media is captured it cannot be moved from one folder to another by using the camera alone, although this can be done by computer.
When dealing with previously recorded movies, the camera lets you adjust the volume during playback, pause at any point, and even rewind and fast-forward through the movie. Even more interesting is the rudimentary movie editing functions on offer, which allow for cutting up the movie into segments, as well as the reordering and deleting of segments as necessary. Image sequences can be split in much the same way.
In the event that you become tired of constantly pressing the back/forward buttons to navigate through all of your images, press the “zoom out” button. This lands you in multi-view mode, which displays thumbnails of nine pieces of media at a time. The cursor keys let you move around this view, and a scroll bar on the left hand side indicates how far down you are in the list of images for that folder. Zoom out further and you enter another view, which displays a thumbnail of an image alongside a detailed list of its properties.
Configuration
The sixth and final mode deals with general camera configuration options, and neatly leads me into discussing various hardware features of this camera. As you would expect, this is where you set the date and time, language, and LCD features; this is also where you set various options relating to the media, along with the option of formatting it entirely and starting afresh. A number of more interesting settings include the option to turn off audio feedback, which I can see many people using once they become irritated by the constant beep-booping and imitation shutter sounds, and the choice between NTSC and PAL formats when mirroring what the camera sees on a television, using the supplied AV cable.
Storage
As this camera is a Sony product, it happily supports Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick technology. Despite various complaints about its incompatibility with the more popular formats, the Memory Stick format is quickly coming into its own as a multi-purpose storage tool, with ports appearing in everything from electronic photo frames to Sony’s VAIO range of computers. Not that this matters when you connect the P10 to your Mac with the supplied USB cable; if you are running Mac OS X, this camera is supported without the need for any additional configuration. Once it’s plugged in the camera goes into USB mode, the Stick automatically mounts as just another external drive (albeit with a nice Memory Stick icon) and can immediately be used within the Finder, iPhoto, and even GraphicConverter. Classic Mac OS users will require a quick driver installation, but all is otherwise well.
Ports
The three I/O ports—AC power, A/V, and USB—are located side-by-side on the back of the camera, behind a protective cover. While this cover makes perfect sense, it seems ever-so-slightly flimsy when it is unhinged and swung out the way. That there is nowhere for the hinged cover to go, added to the fact that it cannot be detached from the camera itself, leads to worries that too much stress on the hinge could lead to the cover snapping off entirely.
Documentation
Documentation, happily, is ample, and covers everything you would want to know about using the camera. The 100-plus-page manual not only covers the camera’s various functions and menu system, but also offers a comprehensive troubleshooting guide as well as a step-by-step instruction guide on how to use the camera with both Windows and the Mac OS. The manual even goes as far as including charts on how long a battery charge will last depending on how you use the camera (the average is about an hour and a half), how many pictures you can take depending on the image resolution and the size of the Memory Stick used, which image resolutions are suitable for which purpose, and so on. All in all, an essential reference.
Conclusion
So, who is this camera geared towards? Although this is my first digital camera, there is the slight possibility that a first-timer might become overwhelmed by the sheer number of features offered by this camera, a few of which I only discovered today while writing this review. It’s certainly not for professional photographers: while the 5MP resolution delivers stunning results, professionals already carry larger, bulkier cameras offering resolutions of up to 13MP. No, it would appear that the DSC-P10 would appeal most to hobbyists or people otherwise reasonably serious about photography, who want a lot of features packed into a compact case and are prepared to pay for the privilege. It is an excellent all-rounder, which despite a few trivial drawbacks delivers brilliant results.
Copyright © 2003 Johann Campbell,
jcampbell@atpm.com. Reviewing in ATPM is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at reviews@atpm.com.
Reader Comments (199)
I love the camera, but I was just a bit upset that I didn't get the things that are supposed to come with it.
Sony should be able to provide the password, but I'd hope that you'd be able to find it if you examine the packaging and some of the literature cards that came with the camera. Maybe the CD sleeve has the password on it.
In the case where this fails, one method you can try is to point the centre of the camera lens directly at the subject, half-press the shutter until the camera is focused on the subject, then (while half-pressed) point the camera at the desired shot angle before pressing the shutter release button down fully. This should preserve focus on the main subject.
This is explained in greater detail in the manual.
However if you have an AV-in card on your PC, you could plug the camera into there with the provided AV cables and have something similar to a webcam (with the right software).
Note that you'll only see firmware downloads for Macintosh. Drivers aren't necessary since OS X's Image Capture application should be able to interface with the camera with no extra software.
Resolution is the total number of dots/pixels in your file. It is possible (indeed, extremely common) to redefine an image to a different DPI yet keep the same resolution.
You're going to find that most consumer cameras like the CyberShots are going to save the image at 72 DPI. Some pro cameras will define 300 DPI.
Let's make this a bit simpler. Suppose you have an image that is exactly 300 pixels wide and 300 pixels tall. If this image is defined as 100 DPI (I'm using 100 instead of 72 for simpler math), that means the image will print 3 inches by 3 inches because you're told it to print 100 dots in an inch. However, because you're printing the pixels fairly large, you might see the pixelated jaggies in your image.
If, however, you define the image at 300 DPI, the image is now going to print at 1 inch by 1 inch. You haven't changed the resolution...it's still 300x300 pixels. You've only told it to print smaller pixels.
My Olympus camera also gives me 72 DPI images, but they're still 2560x1920 pixels. When I prepare one of these images for press, one of the first things I do is open the JPG in Photoshop, redefine it as 300 DPI, and save it as a TIFF so as not to degrade the image with more JPG compression. Without resampling (changing the number of pixels), 2560x1920 at 300 DPI (which I need for commercial press) translates to 8.53x6.4 inches. I can usually get away with blowing this size up to fill an 8.5x11 letter-sized page without degrading it too badly. If you're just using inkjet instead of commercial printing, 200 DPI is perfectly adequate, meaning that the 2560x1920 shot at 200 DPI is 12.8x9.6 inches.
So, just remember that resolution only refers to the total number of dots/pixels in the image and DPI only refers to defining how many of those pixels are printed in one inch of space.
No, you do not have to adjust the DPI when sending your shots to a photo center. In fact, it's probably best if you don't. Their equipment is going to make the assumption (rightfully so) that the customer is bringing in images directly from the camera, so it's probably calibrated to work best with the original 72 DPI files.
In truth, it probably doesn't really matter, especially since a few higher-end cameras actually do assign a 300 DPI setting to the files, so if you end up tweaking or otherwise enhancing a photo before taking it to a photo center, you should still be fine.
Lee, you seem to be knowledgeable -- any thoughts on whether there is a point in trying to influence Sony to release a firmware update that would make the P-10 PictBridge compatible? I notice that DSC-U50, DSC-U40, DSC-F828, DSC-T1, DSC-T11, DSC-P100, DSC-P120, DSC-W1, DSC-P73, DSC-P43, DSC-F88, DSC-P150, DSC-T3, DSC-L1 and DSC-V3 all are compatible...
I seriously doubt Sony would listen to one or two people writing/calling in asking them to spend money on software development for a product. This may work for small companies—or even individuals—creating shareware and are actively seeking customer input, but large companies like Sony would never get anything new created if they had to deal with every individual person's "suggestion" on how something might be better.
On the other hand, if you managed to get a large percentage of P-10 users to say they wanted PictBridge compatibility (and, by the way, I actually have no idea what PictBridge is...at the moment), then Sony might pay attention.
As you noted prior to using a sony cyber shot as webcam using the audio video jacks... what software would i need and were can i download it. any other suggestions? besides buying a web cam or digital camcorder
I haven't ever used a CyberShot camera, so what I'm telling you is generic advice for any digital camera. On my Olympus or my Nikon, I can manually lock the ASA to something like 400 if I wanted to reduce grain. What you may also try is turning off your tree lights, turning on a lamp or some sort of light source to illuminate your daughter's face, letting the camera get an exposure for that and lock it, then turn the tree lights back on and take the picture. Even better would be if you can control the intensity of the flash, though I couldn't say whether the P10 has this feature. On my flash, I can dial down its intensity so that it only fills in a little bit instead of blasting out the entire tree. It also has a setting to use the flash, but also leave the shutter open as if you were exposing without the flash. I've managed some very interesting results doing that kind of thing before, such as this photo. I took another shot like this one with only a full flash and totally lost the color of the room lights. And taking it without any flash would have made the singer's face almost unrecognizable. But as you see, the lower power flash exposed the singer very well, yet the longer shutter speed brought in the color of the room. You can even see some blur of the longer exposure in the singer's arm playing the guitar and in the cymbal.
As far as getting your daughter to sit still, there's no magic trick for that. You're on your own to convince her. However, there shouldn't be need to make her sit like a statue for a couple seconds. With the proper illumination, you should be able to expose the picture for less than 1 second.
You definitely shouldn't try to enlarge pictures you've already taken at 1.2 megapixel. That will only degrade them. If, however, you'd like to make 8x10 prints, you should take all future shots at a minimum of 2 megapixel—higher if possible.
Many cheaper digicams, eg, those of Genius brand can be used as webcams.
Any direction or advice will be greatly appreciated!
Judy - check local (but authorized) camera shops. Maybe something spilled in the select button and it just needs a good cleaning, or perhaps just to replace the contact underneath the button.
I myself would like the camera to be PictBridge cmpatible, I am sure SOny uses simpiar software for all its cameras, just some extra options here and there, and that adding PictBridge would probably be a snap. It is just distrubuting it that would be the problem. Heck I'd pay a small upgrade fee for the feature as I just bought a CP400 dye sublimination printer that is super compact and it is PictBridge compatible. I'd like to print pics where ever I am, but for now can deal as I never really go anywhere anyway!
The Camera is good, I like it alot and have been true to the cybershot camera since I bough a P3 4 years ago. I then upgraded to the P10 ad love them for their small size and great pictures. I also really like the 1GIG memory stick as I never worry about running out of space, but I needed more batteries!!
Great camera.... NEEDS PICTBRIDGE!!!!
Scott
For fast moving pictures, switch the camera to the setting with the guy playing golf image. Thats "action" mode which is quick shutter but requires more light. Goto "SCN" on the dial hit "MENU" tab over to "SCN" and thats where the shutter options are.
Scott
At least 10 out of 20 pics are blurred when i use my dsc-p10 indoors. I do hold the camera as steady as possible and mostly shot still objects.
Please Help-
Thank you
is this problem common for p10 and other cybershot digicams?
I just purchased the DPP-FP30 digital printer but have discovered it is not compatible with my PC-10. The box for the printer should advertise it is not compatible with ALL Cybershot cameras i.e. the PC-10.
I just bought a new DSC P120 and i put batteries to charge, after the battery was charged I tried to turn it on, but when i tried, it only turns on for about 2 seconds and then turns off, and this is repeating every time i tried that. I tried to turn it on with adapter (battery charger) plugged in - and it's work.Can you help me, is there some special battery instalation or battery is not good or it is a hardware mistake... Please...
while over at my father's house he showed me a peculiar error on his dsc-p10: when the camera mode is turned on, the lens extends, twists and "whirs" for a while, then retracts completely and the screen says "turn power off and on again." this happens with all three of his batteries, and even while plugged into the ac adapter. no matter how many times the power is turned off, and then on again, the same message appears. is there any known fix for this? (i did not see this mentioned above, so if it is please direct me to that post, if not...HELP!)
-Dean
Thanh Ng
When I view scenes in preparation for taking pictures I see intermittent white lines (arcing) across the display. When I take a picture these become faint blue lines on the digital pictures.
I tried running the camera off the adaptor without battery in place - same thing.
Looks like a bad connection or bad device somewhere within the electronics...
Anyone any ideas?
Is this easily fixed? any help would be great.
This is not an answer to your problem...but my P43 is now doing the same thing!!!!!!
Did you find out what the problem was?
Sam
I owna DSC p10 model. Last week it slipped and the lcd screen was damaged. I have had good experience with this model and the pictures delivered by it are of good quality.
I am looking for optoins to get the LCD screen replaced. Can anyone from this group give me some pointers?
Thanks,darshan
I don't have a new battery to compare but there seems to be a problem with the charger. I think it stops the charge because of getting wrong info from the battery pack.
Is there a way to bluff the charger so it will charge the battery? I think that maybe the charger stops charging because of false indication from the battery.
Thanks
no luck...and this forum board seems to be reather unresponsive. you find anything? i'd appreciate a solution if you've found one :-)
x33rpm@hotmail.com.
thanks.
Thank you. MSG
It seems the battery was too drained for my camera to start charging it. Another camera managed to do the trick. Now I recharge it BEFORE it is completely empty.
I am having the same problem with my camera(DSC-P10) as it was mentioned below earlier on this forum. Please help us on this.
Niru
http://esupport.sony.com/EN/tutorials/dvimag/cpdsi000026.pdf
On my way to buy such a cable.
This won't work for me as I have a newborn son and I obviously want some photos over the next 30 days. When I spoke to a supervisor and asked for a voucher to buy a new camera (where I'd probably spend $400 or more beyond the value of the voucher on a new Sony) they refused.
Amazing what a lack of business sense these companies have in their customer service policies. Now they're going to pay for me to ship them my camera, have it repaired and shipped back to me. Then I'm going to sell it on E-bay, I'll purchase a new $500+ camera that is not a Sony and I'll never buy or trust a Sony product again.
Gotta love inept customer service.
The lens go back in as soon as it finish extending and a message come on the screen saying:
"For infoLITHIUM battery Only."
I have the correct battery for it. The one in the specs (Sony NP-FC11). I have changed the battery to make sure it was not something wrong with the one I had buy no change. I works when I plug the AC adapter in there but no luck with the battery
If there is a fix please alert me of it @
kijar_Sony_DSC-P10_Camera_Problem@kijar.com
http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-item.pl?mdl=DSCP10&news_id=95
When I view scenes in preparation for taking pictures I see intermittent white lines (arcing) across the display. When I take a picture these become faint blue lines on the digital pictures.
but I can view the previously saved pics very good on the LCD screen.
So iam quite sure that it is not the problem with LCD.
Kindly Suggest.
Please mail me at rahukethu@indiainfo.com
I am having a simlar problem to Ed Dome May 10, 2005 and Ittay (September 06, 2005 and October 16, 2005).
How can I contact Sony customer service without getting automated replies?
I have the DSC-P7. It's worked great for about 3-4 years, but now the batteries won't charge. I have a replacement battery (bought last December) which also is not charging. I don't know if I can do what Ittay did (charge in another camera) as I don't know anyone who has this model. After charging, the batteries have 3 and 1 minutes (respectively). I think there's some sort of defect, and would lke to know how to contact either Sony properly or fix this thing.
I appreciate any help you can offer.
are their digital cameras that can act more as a 35 mm?
I'm looking to get a digital but I dont want to give up the freedom I feel I have with a 35mm. But it gets expensive to transfer images to disk at the photo places.
To connect a digital camera for video conferencing follow this procedure:
1. Plug in the AC Adapter and set the Power/Function dial to Camera.
2. Connect an A/V cable from the Video OUT on the camera to the Video IN on the computer.
3. Within the third party software, select Composite as the input source.
I bought this camera because my old Mavica MVC-FD88 took excellent pictures, however it would devour the floppy discs.
Because of the focusing problems of my DC-P10, I would never buy another Sony digital camera and would suggest to everyone else not to buy a digital camera made by Sony.
1 I can't get the flash to work any longer!
2 When I get prints made the resolution does not appear adaquate
A known fault with model. take it back the Sony center and Sony will fix it free of charge.
as ive read on other people's complaints, the cameras half a shelf life of less than 2 years. is this some kind of a sony thing? it seems to be so. very unlikely but at the same time it cant be coincidental.
Battery answers for you guys:
The sony DSC series dont work with Ni-mh 2400 batteries or higher. It only works with Ni-mh 2000 (dont bother getting a ni-mh 2200, its not worth the risk unless you can return it-- i lost my receipt and i had to eat the cost).
Ni-mh stands for nickel metalhydride, sony batteries (sony cybershot batteries w/the blue and orange color) made ni-mh 2100, and i havent been able to find 2100 batteries in the stores or online. So i think only sony made these batteries in 2100 (this is also why i recommend getting 2000 ni-mh and not 2200)
Grainy screen- due to batteries not being made by sony
Lines on the screen-due to batteries not being made by sony
Difficulty in power staying on normally-due to batteries not being made by sony
I really wanted to get sony cybershot batteries but they are so difficult to look for. I was looking at ebay and i found only 1 seller at that time who was charing 20 dollars for 2 batteries.
I am really mad now because I have been using sony since i was born and for 2 decades this is the only time i feel like theyve caught me on the neck.
This typically happens because the lens cannot retract, or extend properly.
Nine times out of ten, this happens due to a shock, or drop.
We can either replace a set of gears inside the camera, or rebuild the lens, or both. Cost for the set of gears is at $35.00, and labor typically falls in between $90.00- $120.00, making the average repair about $120.00.
There are times when rebuilding the lens is ineffective, or the lens is un-rebuildable. If that's the case, the lens must be replaced. New lenses start at $150.00, with labor starting at $90.00, model dependent.
Of course, all of this would be determined once your unit is on the bench. Repairs include cleaning / lubrication, a six-month warranty and return shipping.
Should you decline to have your unit repaired, or if we cannot economically repair your unit, all that is owed is the estimate fee of $30.00, and return shipping.
Feel free to contact me for more information,
Cameron
AVRepair.com
service@avrepair.com
You can find both used and new batteries on ebay. Do be careful, and check the feedback of the seller.
The other alternative is to buy from a Sony parts distributor.
A good parts distributor in the US, is Tritronics. They can be found at www.tritronicsinc.com
All the best,
Cameron
AVRepair.com
Even though you can't see anything, take a couple of pictures, and see if the camera section is working, by downloading the pics off of the memory stick.
You may have a bad LCD display. This would be an easy way, to narrow down the possibilities.
As for batteries, please let me set the record straight.
Sony cybershot cameras use quite a bit of current in the camera mode, as the motors in the lens section are thirsty. If you use standard Alkaline batteries, you'll notice that you can view pictures, and enter the setup menu, but if you enter the camera mode, the unit will die, or you'll have some bizarre things happen with power and/ or the lens retracting.
Again, this is because of the batteries. You MUST ONLY use NiMH batteries, as these batteries provide the extra current that the camera section needs. It doesn't matter what brand you use, dollar store varieties work just fine.
The only thing that has a shelf life, are batteries and alcohol - LOL.
I have had many a camera come through this repair facility, with the only problem being that someone has tried to use standard AA batteries.
Feel free to post your questions on this forum, and I will be happy to answer your questions.
Thank you!
Cameron
AVRepair.com
The flash bulb is available separately, and costs $30.00. This, provided there is no damage to the flash unit itself. Labor comes in at $90.00 to replace it.
**It should be noted that there are high voltages present with the flash assembly, as there is a capacitor that remains fully charged, even when the camera is off.**
Best to have it serviced professionally.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
service@avrepair.com
Have you tried a new battery? Best to buy the new battery from a store that takes returns, just in case it turns out that the problem is the camera itself.
Try that, and report back with your findings.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
It would be nice if you could post the problem picture, so I could see it.
The DSC-P10 does have issues with the CCD imager, but that wouldn't explain why the picture is fine outdoors.
Still, streaking is usually indicative of defective CCD imagers.
See if you can post that picture, and the link to it.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
More than likely, the switch block (the assembly that contains the power switch, among other things) is defective, and needs to be replaced.
The switch block costs $55.00, and labor to replace (from me) is $60.00.
Visit www.avrepair.com for details.
Now, I've also seen this problem when the camera has experienced liquid damage, so keep that in mind as well.
Cameron Boyd
AVRepair.com
It's possible that the battery is defective, and it's also possible that there is an electronic problem as well.
Best to contact the service center that changed the board in the first place.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?mdl=DSCP10&news_id=118
You only have until oct next year to get them repaired foc
When ever I take outdoor pictures (or whenever sunlight some's in play) the pictures show ugly strips around the lighted edges. But when ever I take indoor pictures the pictures seem fine (no ugly stripes).
http://members.chello.nl/gjeung/img/DSC02460.JPG
Follow that link to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Atfirst I thought it was a settings problem but after resetting the cam. the problem remained. I've read most of the articles posted here and what seems strange to me is that I only seem to have this problem when taking outdoor pictures so hopefully that will rule out a CCD problem. Or is it that the CCD is slowly dieing on me? :(
Any suggestions other that buying a new cam would be greatly appreciated. Sending it in for repairs is not an option seeying as that would cost me almost as much as buying a new one not counting the time and affort I need to put into it. See this as kind of a last resort before throwing the cam away.
Thanks in Advance,
Gerardo
My problem is: Whenever I turn the power ON in Picture or Video Mode, the lens comes out...and the power shuts off. Happens all the time, except when the battery is 100% charged. This is annoying. I know it was a problem when I couldn't turn the camera ON in Picture Mode, but I could turn it ON in Play mode. THat's really odd. Do you know how I might be able to fix this?
These cameras MUST use the NiMH re-chargeable batteries. You cannot use regular AA batteries, or NiCad batteries, or any other kind of re-chargeable, as the unit will do all sorts of funny things.
Make sure of the batteries. The fact that it works when the batteries are fully charged, tells me that you're using the wrong batteries.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
You plugged in the 6 pin end of the firewire cable, backwards into the computer.
This is easier than you think, happens ALL the time, and you've toasted the camera. There is no forgiveness.
Repairs will cost more than the camera is worth.
Either get a memory stick reader, or a new camera.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
Your both right, and well....wrong.
I did get ahead of myself, didn't I? I need to slow down...Firewire is for video, not still pictures.. LOL.
As regards firewire: Yes, the cable is keyed, but it is actually quite easy to plug the 6 pin end into the computer backwards. This is a very common, and expensive problem. Once the cable is inserted backwards, it then becomes easier to do so next time, so it's best to replace the cable if this occurs. Next, since the cable was inserted backwards, 12Volts DC is applied to the wrong wires, and ends up blowing a hole in the firewire IC, and can damage the circuit board. I've actually seen small holes and cracks in the IC.
Most of the manufacturers will fix this problem ONCE, with a letter in the box, letting you know that you have indeed plugged the firewire cable in the computer backwards, and that they wont repair it again, under the flat fee, or warranty, if it is still under warranty.
Cameron
Can't really plug the USB cable in backwards, but there are a quick couple of things to do, before seeking service for your camera.
First is to simply go to another computer, perhaps a friend, and plug the camera into that computer, and see if it's at least recognized.
If it is, then at least you know the camera is ok, and the fault is in the computer.
If the camera were not recognized, then a replacement cable would be the next step.
Finally, if the new cable yields no results, then it's time to seek service for your camera: It is possible that the USB connector on your camera is damaged. Look at the connector, to see if you can see any irregularities. You will see 4 gold pins, they all need to be neat, and in the same place. If something looks out of place, you may have found your problem.
To replace the USB connector, shouldn't be too painful on the budget.
Hope it helps, and hope I didn't ruffle any feathers.
All the best,
Cameron
AVRepair.com
Thanks for being there for us nubies.
My DSC-P10 has an allergic reaction to light.
Example
In normal or low-light situations the image on the viewscreen is fine, but outside or in brightly lit areas, or when the flash is used, the image becomes what you see above.
Lacking any sort of camera knowledge I obviously have no clue as to what's causing this. I did not drop my camera or perform any other potentially damaging action. Any ideas?
I have a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10. Great camera but of late I've noticed that when the camera is turned on, it still takes great photo's, but after a while the shots start coming out fuzzy, blurry, streaky etc. This is also noticable on the view finder.
Jeff
My DSC-P10 has the exact same problem as yours. Did you find out anything about the green line?? Anyone else??
Matt
I tried to reset the camera, I tried with 2 different full batteries: always the same problem.
Any idea of what it is and how to fix it ?
Patrice
of time.
Thank you
People who aren't familiar with Sony cameras, don't realize that the shutter button is a two stage switch. What they do is press it down all the way, and the camera takes time to focus and perform adjustments. ANY motion during that time, and the images WILL be blurred.
In order the have someone else take the picture properly, they will have to be educated, and they'll have to practice, practice, practice. It's the nature of the beast.
- Dave,
Your camera will need to be sent in for service. No doubt it would be a minor repair. Feel free to contact us, if we can be of service. www.avrepair.com
Cameron Boyd
AVRepair.com
Anyone has any idea plz email me.
cheers~
If can't fix, can I get a replacement which will take same batteries (I have 15 as I go on long treks/camping with no recharge facility) and same memory stick?
Your fist stop should have been the Sony web site, checking your model and seeing if there are any issues/ bulletins associated with it.
Do just that, and you'll find a very large smile come across your face...
You'll then thank this ATPM's web site, and then you'll thank me.
Your welcome.
Cameron
AVRepair.com
can anyone offer opinion/advice?
thanks
Anyone help me with this.
Dennis den4444@embarqmail.com
I went to the website that was posted:
http://brian-fitzgerald.net/sony/
And at first I had no luck. I am writing to let you know to keep trying. If the camera lens does not retract and then allow you to take pictures, then try again. It wasn't until I power cycled the camera three times that I was able to use the camera normally,
Also, in case no one has posted this link, some reports say that if you hear grinding, then one of the gears in the lens may be broken.
http://www.fewin.com/drupal/node/4
Good Luck and Thank you Brian for the URL.
My wife is due to give birth to our baby very shortly and I would have been gutted if I was not able to take any photos so again massive thanks. This is what I like about the web, help is only a search away!!!
Lee
I have just spent over a week trying to sort out my cybershot that was not charging. - surfed for hours, tried everything from repeatedly switching the charger on and off to get some initial charge, slight heating the battery, chilling the battery, a borrowed charger, a borrowed battery, a borrowed camera!
I finally solved the problem - I suddenly realised I was looking at the empty SIM symbol and not the battery empty symbol....
(well it does look like a battery!)
oooooo - I feel fooooolish....
Chop away...
please help thanks
e-mail:learyd@telkomsa.net
If you simply do a Google search for:
Sony CAMERAMODEL manual
And replace CAMERAMODEL with what you have, you should turn up results. For example the current link for a P10 manual is http://www.docs.sony.com/release/DSCP10.pdf
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