Sony DSC-V3 Review

Click on the Cyber-shot V3 for a QTVR tour

The Cyber-shot DSC-V3 is a compact yet fully-featured 7.2-megapixel digital camera that was designed to satisfy the needs of advanced photographers. Housed in an all-black, metal alloy body that resembles a 35mm rangefinder camera, the DSC-V3 is equipped with a Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens and loaded with state of the art digital features. It incorporates Sony's Real Image Processor to provide for fast start-up and shot-to-shot times as well as superior image quality. In-field framing and review has been greatly enhanced with its generous 2.5-inch color LCD and you'll enjoy the security and comfort offered by the large handgrip.

The DSC-V3 provides a full range of exposure control that includes: Auto, Program AE, Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, Full Manual and 7 pre-programmed Scene modes. In addition it also offers the Sony exclusive Nightframing and NightShot modes which use its built-in infrared illuminators for image capture in total darkness up to 15 feet. To insure that the lens is always sharply focused, the DSC-V3 is equipped with Hologram AF illuminator that "paints" your subject with a safe laser pattern. Low-light shooting is further enhanced by slow-shutter noise reduction that produces the cleanest possible image.

The DSC-V3 features a 5-area Multi-Point auto focus system. The camera evaluates five separate areas of the frame and then intelligently focuses on the subject, displaying the selected focus point, or the user can choose any of five points for manual control. The Multi-Pattern metering independently meters the light in 49 points of the frame to establish the optimum exposure, even when highlight and shadow aren't centered in the frame. There are options for center-weighted averaging and spot metering when desired. The ISO Sensitivity can be set to Auto or manually set to an equivalent of ISO 100, 200, 400 or 800.

Select from still image sizes as large as 3072x2304 for prints all the way down to 640x480 for email or web page use. Images can be stored in standard JPEG with 2 quality levels, uncompressed TIFF, or CCD-RAW format. Menu options allow for adjustment of the color saturation, contrast and sharpness as well as special effects like sepia and black & white. Sony's 14-bit A/D Conversion captures a wider dynamic range from highlight to shadow. The builtin flip-up flash has modes for red-eye reduction and slow synchro and uses a pre-flash for precise metering of the exposure. It also has auto daylight synchro fill flash for backlit or shadowed subjects as well as dynamic flash white balance for greater color accuracy. The hot shoe allows the use of the advanced Sony HVL-F32X Auto-Programmable external flash.

Motion video can be recorded in the MPEG-VX Fine mode that captures full screen VGA (640 x 480) resolution at 30fps or 16fps with audio. The length of these movies is only limited by the media. The camera is powered by a Sony NP-FR1 InfoLITHIUM rechargeable battery that supplies power for about 260 shots per charge. The battery is charged in the camera with the supplied AC charger / power adapter.

DSC-V3 Major Features:

• 7.2-megapixel Sony CCD imager, up to 3072 x 2304 still image capture
• Carl Zeiss 4x Zoom, 34-136mm equivalent + 4x "Smart" digital zoom
• Large 2.5" TFT color (123,000 pixels) LCD screen
• JPEG, uncompressed TIFF and RAW file formats
• Burst mode captures up to 8 frames at 2fps
• VX Fine movie mode 640 x 480 w/audio 30fps, length limited only by media
• Auto, Program AE, Shutter speed priority, Aperture priority, Full Manual, plus 7 Scene modes
• Sony exclusive Nightframing and NightShot modes
• 5 Area Multi-point AF; auto or manually selectable AF point
• Sony exclusive Hologram Laser AF focus-assist system
• ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400 or 800
• Adjustable color saturation, contrast and sharpness
• Noise Reduction: Auto at 1/25 second or longer shutter speeds
• 14bit A/D Conversion - allows a wider dynamic range from highlight to shadow
• Auto pop-up flash with Red Eye Reduction and Slow Synchro
• Flash hot shoe for dedicated HVL-F32X Auto Programmable flash
• Full speed USB 2.0 Auto-Connect to host computer
• InfoLITHIUM rechargeable battery and AC charger/adapter included
• Dual media slots: Memory Stick Pro and CompactFlash Type I

The Cyber-shot DSC-V3 is available now for about $700.

DSC-V3 Specifications