Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DSC-P52 Digital Camera [3MP 2xOptical]

I highly recommend the P52. The less expensive P32 has the same resolution and number of effective pixels but no optical zoom. The P32 is a good camera, but in my opinion the advantage of the 2x zoom on the P52 is worth the extra money. The more expensive P72 has the same resolution as both the P32 and P52 but slightly more optical and digital zoom than the P52 (from what I've seen that's the only important difference between the P52 and the P72 and must be where the extra money goes). If money is not too tight maybe you're prepared to pay for a little extra zoom...in my opinion it's not worth it. The extra digital zoom is nothing to get excited about because anyone with image manipulation software on their computer can enlarge and crop their images which is essentially all that digital zoom does. Also remember that the P72 has more zoom but not more pixels and when on maximum zoom the 2048 x 1536 image does start to pixelate slightly, even with the lesser zoom of the P52. All three are great cameras but the P52 is, in my opinion, the best value for money. So, sacrifice the extra zoom (I don't think you'll miss it) and with the money you save buy a larger memory card because the 16MB card that comes as standard with all three of the cameras mentioned here is filled very, very easily.

This is my first digital camera and i have to say i'm very impressed with the ease of use and the quality of the camera. The reliablity and the build-quality of the camera is of a high standard, which is what i have come to expect from a sony device. Sony can't seem to do any wrong at the moment.

Having never really expermimented much with photography in the past i found myself shooting really neat pictures using the B+W and negative features on the camera within the first ten minutes of picking the camera up.

At 3.1 MP the quality is tremendous, though with the 16MB memory stick you can only take about 9 of these pictures before you run out of memory. It shoots mpeg movies as well, sound and all, but again you can only expect to get 45 seconds on the 16 MB stick and about 5 mins on the low quality setting.

My only gripe at the camera is that you don't get an A.C to D.C adapter that lets you use the camera even if the battries are dead. If the battries do die you have to take them out of the camera and charge them on a seperate battery charger. This can prove to be a pain as you can't use the camera again until the battries are fully charged.

I highly recommend that a second set of batteries and a larger memory stick (>64MB) should be purchased as this allows the camera to work at its full potential.

Sony P52 offers great quality images and superb new movie recording system at a low price. This camera offers 2X optical zoom for people who are not sure if they like to go for non-zoom or 3X zoom cameras.

The image quality is superb outdoor with some preset programs to suit most of the lighting conditions. Indoor images can be taken simply with or without flash. The focus problem is none when focus using the assisted focus light. It should be emphasized that not many cameras have this feature even in the higher ranges.

The movie option does not come just a bogus feature of this camera. The quality of the movie is good at 640 x 480 and sound quality is excellent.

Nothing perfect: The camera memory is compatible with the Memory Stick which is pretty pricy compared with other types of memory cards. So this can add up to your initial budget when you are considered to get an extra 64 or 128 MB card. However, the package includes two AA rechargeable batteries and a Sony battery charger. This should balance things up.

The look may be a bit bulky because of the protrude zoom lens. However, the camera make you feel solid, and the zoom does not seem to be easily broken down as in other retractable zoom lens cameras. In brief, Sony P52 is a considerable choice for people who are looking for a 3MP/zoom/ movie with sound featured/budget camera.

Best combination of price and performance in the market. Perfect resolution for begginers and point and shoot photography. Wonderfull auto features for those who know nothing about photography and advanced features for those who like customizing their shots. Something bad about it: comes with a way too small memory card and no filters or lenses can be attached. A 128MB or 64MB memory stick is a must.

I deliberated for weeks over which digital camera to buy and still wasn't sure I had made the right choice - until the camera arrived!!!!

This is a truley superb camera that offers the user a fantastic range of features and just oozes functionality.

I was a pro photographer for over 10 years in the early 80s and have always been very fussy about the equipment I use and the resulting pictures. It's true that the print quality obtainable from this camera does not equal that of my film media gear but I have yet to see any camera under £5000 do that.

I used my Sony P52 to take a series of pictures for an exhibition display last week and when printed to 8" x 6" from 3.2m images asing my Epson 1290 and Kodak glossy picture paper the prints were absolutely fantastic.

JUST BUY ONE........ I promise you won't regret it.