Video: Reviewing the 3MP Sony Cyber-shot P1, 22 years after its launch: Digital Images Overview

In 2000, Sony launched the Cyber-shot DSC-P1. At the moment, it was Sony’s smallest digital digital camera ever. As a part of his in style Retro Overview collection, Gordon Laing, the founding father of CameraLabs, went hands-on with the Sony Cyber-shot P1. As Laing writes, the P1 was an thrilling digital camera when it launched 22 years in the past, however how about now?

The Cyber-shot P1 sports activities a 3MP CCD picture sensor with a surprisingly compact 3x optical zoom lens. ‘The P1 sported a novel form and magnificence, like a chunky sweet bar with a particular curved edge across the lens housing that turned the signature of the collection going ahead,’ writes Laing. The P1 set off a string of successors earlier than Sony ended the collection in 2005. As famous in our P1 overview, the P1 borrowed quite a bit from the Sony DSC-S70, together with its picture sensor and normal aesthetic. Nevertheless, the P1 was extra compact and weighed solely 250g, in comparison with the 420g S70.

Even by 2000 requirements, the P1’s 1.5″ show was considerably small, particularly in comparison with the two” display on the S70. Nevertheless, the shows supplied the identical 123k dot decision. The digital camera wrote its 3MP pictures to a Reminiscence Stick, a proprietary Sony storage resolution. The P1 was bundled with an 8MB stick, which was small even for 3MP pictures. You might solely match round 5 best-quality JPEG information on the bundled reminiscence card. The included NP-FS11 battery charged in-camera through a proprietary AC adapter. Whereas Sony maintains its fame for utilizing proprietary storage and equipment, the scenario was worse greater than 20 years in the past.

Coming to the lens, which is a serious differentiator between the P1 and the S70, regardless of each together with 3x optical zooms. The P1 has a 39-117mm equal lens with a max aperture of F2.8-5.6. The S70 as a substitute included a 34-102mm lens with a brighter F2-2.5 aperture vary. Laing notes that the S70 additionally included nearer focusing and full aperture and shutter precedence, options notably missing from the smaller, cheaper P1. The P1 additionally lacked the S70’s Carl Zeiss branding. That stated, the P1 has an automated lens cowl, and the lens is way smaller when the digital camera is powered off.

Under is a pattern gallery of pictures captured by Gordan Laing and used with permission:

When it is all stated and achieved, how does the Sony Cyber-shot P1 fare in 2022? Regardless of some shortcomings, Laing would have opted for the P1 again when he bought a Sony S70, had the P1 been accessible then. To learn Laing’s full ideas on the Sony Cyber-shot P1, head over to CameraLabs. You can even try the video overview above. To see extra of Laing’s wonderful Retro Overview movies, go to his YouTube channel.