"First Look" review (with sample photos) posted for Sony DSC-P31! (UPDATED)
By
Mike Tomkins
(Wednesday, February 20, 2002 - 18:02 EST)
Dave tries out Sony's 2 mpix, fixed focal length digicam...
Dave here: Well, it's a few days before spring PMA again, and Sony once again leads off the action with a flood of new product announcements - no fewer than *5* this time. The announcements cover three new compact Cyber-shot models, and two new CD Mavicas. First up is the new little DSC-P31, a two megapixel Cyber-shot with a fixed focal length lens. Nice, cheap ("anticipated retail price" is only $220), and what looks like pretty good picture quality as well. (Our test unit was a prototype, but Sony said it would be OK for us to share photos taken with it. Final units may show some improvements in image quality though.)
One big departure for Sony is that these new units are powered by NiMH AA cells, rather than Sony's own InfoLITHIUM cells. Too bad to see the InfoLITHIUMs go, they give really long run times, but the NiMH AAs included with the units are very high-capacity (I'll include some limited test data on them on my battery test page after PMA), and the switch doubtless lowers the cost of the cameras. The P31 looks like a great entry-level camera, with more than the usual assortment of features we've come to expect at that price point.
Check it out!
UPDATED 2002-02-20 17:47ET: The good folks over at the Digital Camera Resource Page have now posted a first-look at the DSC-P31...
UPDATED 2002-02-20 18:30ET: Our friends at Steve's Digicams have now posted their own DSC-P31 first look...
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