[ssmchan]

I have done a lot of reseach on:

1. Nikon Coolpix 5200
2. Sony DSC-P100
3. Sony DSC-W1

I have now come to the final conclusion that I will buy a Nikon Coolpix 5200 to replace my Canon IXUS Vx.

My TEN reasons for buying Nikon instead of Sony are:

1. Nikon provides 4 ASSIST modes so that you can easily take various types of portraits photo.

2. It has more SCENE selection than Sony.

3. Battery is reasonably good. Sony W1 battery has MEMORY problem if you do not use up all the power before you recharge it. Nikon's Lithium battery do not have this problem.

4. Nikon's ED lens is as good as Sony's lens.

5. It is more stylish than P100 or W1 in my own opinion.

6. The camera is 300 dollars cheaper than Sony P100 or W1.

7. It uses SD card and it is a lot cheaper than Sony's MS.

8. It has a BSS function (Best Shot Selector)

9. Camera case is included for Nikon, but not Sony.

10. Movie quality is as good as Sony, although Nikon's clip is in Quicktime MOV format and Sony's clip is in MPEG format. Which is a more convenient format is up to further discussion.

Do you have any more points to add? Or you may be totally disagree with me. Let me know your points. Thanks.

ssmchan

[ssmchan]

Any 5200 owner here???

I appreciate your comments!

Thanks.

ssmchan

[Enya]

I am the user , the image quality of cp5200 is not good .....

[zeusho]

To ssmchan朋友：

1. 太好了！
2. 太好了！
3. W1用的是Ni-MH AA Size叉電，沒錯是有記憶問題，但是方便程度、價錢卻是你所用的鋰電不能相比，最可拍的是兩粒AA叉電可連續不停拍攝2張256MB MS，不連續拍攝更可拍攝3張256MB以上呢，很多用鋰電的DC都要比下去。P100則是用鋰電，電池亦非常長久，應該跟5200有得比。
4. 太好了，不過要注意一點，那就是除了鏡頭外，機身內的影像處理晶片也是很重要的，而Sony在這方面做得很好。
5. 個人喜好問題，我覺得Sony個型好一些。
6. 是嗎？我不知Nikon Coolpix 5200的價錢，不過我買價錢還要低。
7. 太好了！用得Sony DC，預了呢！
8. 太好了！
9. 太好了！
10. 格式不同，並不是甚麼優點吧？？

[ssmchan]

Thank you for your comments.

I would like more people to point out why I should buy Sony W1, and not Nikon 5200.

Nikon 5200 image quality really not as good as Sony W1???

[zeusho]

大家拍攝的相片質收都很好，我想這一點要各朋友自己看一看Nikon CoolPix 5200及Sony W-1的Samples自行定斷了，因為畫質這一點很一點個人樂好的意味吧！

W-1的優點：

1. 機身金屬感很強，很有質感，手握亦見合適；
2. 2.5"特大LCD，雖然像數不高，但看得很清楚；
3. LCD在強烈陽光依然清晰無比；
4. 開機關機時間超快；
5. 相機操作界面流暢，清楚容易明白，操作速度快速；
6. 對焦速度很快，有Sony F-828的風範；
7. Save相、讀相的速度很快，在看相模式時觀看前前後後的相片沒有Delay；
8. 紅外線附助燈很有效，好過有很多其他相機的對焦燈，有效距距亦相當遠；
9. 影像質數為歷來Sony DC最高 (可能好過V-1)，影像銳利、沒紫邊問題 (蔡司Vario-Tessar鏡頭及機內Real Imaging Processor應記一功)；
10. 相片雜訊亦是歷來Sony DC控制得最好的一部 (跟P100一樣)，拍攝夜景一流；
11. 使用AA電；
12. 電池領航能力超強；
13. 拍攝Movie質數非常高 (640 x 480 @ 30fps，使用MS Pro卡)，一直是Sony強項，很多其他同級機不能與之相比；
14. 鏡頭配件齊全；
15. 閃光燈效能一流，非常準確；
16. 有3:2相片比例模式
17. 網上登記，有18月保用。

[ssmchan]

Thank you to zeusho's comments.

So ..., do you advice me to buy Sony DSC-W1 instead? Does it have an optional carrying case designed for W1? And should I buy the MS PRO DUO instead of the old (long) MS PRO?

ssmchan

[zeusho]

To ssmchan朋友：

出Post我就比較客觀，有優點也就要Post缺點：

看過我post的朋友都知我喜歡說說某某相機的缺點，今次W-1都不可以例外：

1. 機身有些人來說是厚及重了一點；
2. 電池室及記憶體室的蓋是用膠造的；
3. 普通的觀景窗沒有修正線，觀景的景像及拍攝出來的相片位置偏差極大，其實可以刪除；
4. LCD的解像度低，只得12萬3千像數；
5. 在很暗的環境下LCD很難觀看 (只在半按之時才能看清拍攝影像)；
6. 沒有ACC插孔，不能使用Remote線；
7. 使用MS卡對很多人是貴了點；
8. 影像拍攝模式少，只有六個：月光模式、月光肖像模式、燭光模式、風景模式、海邊模式及模糊快拍模式；
9. Sharpness、Contrast及Saturation只有正負一級可以選擇；
10. 影像效果只得黑白及棕褐色；
11. 3:2相片拍攝模式不能顯示柱狀圖；
12. M Mode之下：Wide只能選擇F2.8或F5.6光圈，Tele只能選擇F5.2或F10 (如在中段Zooming，則F價跟著改變：在選擇F2.8下則會轉至F3.2, F3.5, F4.0, F4.5及F5.2；在選擇F5.6下， 則會相繼轉至F6.3、F7.1、F8.0、F9.0及F10.0)，很有些限制，而快門則有正常選擇；
13. 附送的叉電機叉電時間很長，要大約六小時叉兩粒AA電池；
14. 在拍攝完畢後只能Review上一張相，要Review再前幾張相則要轉到Review Mode；
15. 防紅眼閃光燈要在Setting內設定，非常不便(Sony一向以來的壞習慣)；
16. Macro只得6cm；
17. 沒有全景模式，不能製作16:9相片；
18. Zoom的速度慢了一點 (由T至W要2s)；
19. 配件貴；
20. ISO沒有800，只得100, 200及400選擇。

看看以上的缺點你自己覺得介不介意了…

有一些朋友P. M.我問我買MS Pro一話是MS Pro Duo好，本人買的是Lexar MS Pro Duo (MagicGate) $680，個人意見是它比較有價值，買MS Pro Duo (送Adapter)首先可在舊的MS Slot讀取，因為其Adapter是兼容的，而MS Pro Duo在使用Adapter的情況下穩定性依然很高 (看你買甚麼牌子，如原裝Sony、Lexar的一定沒有問題)，而且我們還要考慮他日可能有機會把記憶卡二手放出去，買MS Pro Duo (MagicGate，不是舊的MS Duo)將有更保值，有一些手提電話、或者是將來新出的電話，因為體積縮小的關係，如使用MS的話都只會使用細小的MS Duo/MS Pro Duo，二手巿場MS Pro Duo明顯好過普通的MS Pro。大家可以考慮一下，買一張卡你就算不打算作二手出售，但是可以有機會用作在其他器材上，也是好的…個人見解。

袋原裝是有出的，Starter Kit是包原裝Sony W-1袋及2粒AA叉電，只是$120元而已。

[Ekamz]

個人觀感來說, 5200 既 WB 比較好,
W1 就略為偏藍,
而且首批W1 既QC 實在有待改善,
原因係壞貨換機既情況頗多,
你可以參考參考

[zeusho]

剛問了相關店舖有關W1的QC問題，到現在為止他的店舖並沒有要換機的情況出現 (一個月以來出售超過一百二十部)，相這並不是會出現像Konica Minolta A2的那一種嚴重QC問題。有關Sony Sony W-1的問題請去

Sony W-1用家交流區

http://www.dcfever.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=150815&t=150815&phorum_auth=bef7cb28851b95b5e15b1ae2fbcf1846

詢問其他Sony W-1用家的QC問題。

[zeusho]

Steves Digicams Reviews:

Nikon Coolpix 5200：

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/nikon5200_pg5.html

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 is a compact and durable camera that's loaded with powerful features such as a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens and a high resolution 5-megapixel imager. The W1 is easy to use in the Auto or Program AE exposure modes and when you want to exercise your creative side, you can simply rotate the mode dial to the desired shooting mode. With the ability to choose from five different image sizes, the camera offers versatility for all types of applications. The 3:2 mode is perfect for capturing images without having to worry about cropping them for creating 4x6-inch prints. Shooting in 1MP mode is great for sending pictures via e-mail or posting listings at online auctions.
One of the most noticeable features of the W1 is the 2.5-inch TFT color LCD. I was impressed with the LCD's performance when using it in bright light conditions, the menu screens were legible and framing was no problem, even with Florida's bright sun beating directly on it. It also does very well in low-ambient light. The LCD "gains up" when shooting in these low light conditions, which is very important when shooting night-scenes, indoor shots, etc.

The Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens helps produces sharp images that are virtually free from any signs of chromatic aberration. At full wide angle there is a mild amount of barrel distortion, but not enough to cause any major distortion in your subjects. The 5-point auto focus system is very quick and thanks to the focus- assist lamp, we had very little problems focusing on subjects in low- light conditions. When using Macro mode, we found that the flash does an excellent job of "throttling down" to ensure that it does not overexpose macro subjects.

The shooting performance was impressive. Press the power button and it's ready to go in just under 2 seconds. Power up to first image captured was a fast 2.2 seconds. Shutter lag was a mere 1/10 of a second when pre- focused and 2/10 of a second including autofocus. In Normal record mode, the shot to shot time is about 1.5 seconds. The W1 allows users to choose between two burst modes (Burst, Multi Burst). The number of images you can capture when shooting in burst mode depends on the image size and quality settings. Burst mode captured 9 frames in about 6.5 seconds. It takes about 9 seconds for the W1 to process a full buffer and then you can continue shooting. Shooting in Multi Burst mode, with the interval set at 1/30, captured 16 images in less than a second. When using Multi Burst mode, the image size is locked at 1MP and all 16 images a recorded within a single animated frame. Switching between record and playback mode takes about a second. In playback you can go from picture to picture in less than a second. All of our test were done using a 256MB Memory Stick Pro card, with the image size/quality set at 2592x1944/Fine mode and the flash off. All times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera setting, media, etc.

The overall image quality in 2592x1944/Fine mode is excellent, for the most part the default settings produce well saturated and properly exposed pictures. The user can control the saturation, contrast and sharpness so you can "dial in" just the right look for your images. I found that the automatic white balance did its job well and only under some very mixed lighting did I need to manually set the color temperature. I was pleased with our outdoor test shots. The images were sharp, well saturated, and there was very little noise in open blue sky areas. You can see this by taking a look at our Sample Photos page. When shooting indoors, you will have to work within the limited flash range. It works well for Portrait and small group photos, but does not have the power to light up large open rooms. I did notice a slight amount of redeye when the flash was set to auto, but this minute amount is acceptable. Some people seem to always have redeye, no matter what flash setting you are using.

Bottom line the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 is an all around great camera. It makes a perfect choice for those wanting a compact, durable, and easy to use digicam. With it's all-metal body, you can be worry free when tossing it in your luggage while on vacation. The 5-megapixel images it yields have plenty of resolution to make photo- quality 8x10-inch prints from home or you're local digital photo lab. It offers various shooting modes, which makes it usable by any member of the family. With a suggested list price of $400, it makes a great choice for your holiday gift list.

P. S. 有趣的是CP5200的防紅眼功能是以機內圖像程式作軟體處理，把人眼出現的紅色現像，以黑色代替。

[zeusho]

Steves Didicams Reviews:

Steve's Conclusion on Nikon Coolpix 5200

New for 2004, the Coolpix 5200 is an ultra-compact camera that packs a 5.1-megapixel imager and a Nikkor ED 3x optical zoom lens, in a durable all metal body. It offers users point-n-shoot simplicity with its "Auto" exposure mode, and allows you to explore your creative side with its wide variety of pre- programmed scene modes. Its scene-assisted modes (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait) display framing assist outlines on the LCD to ensure proper framing and you get the optimum exposure for select shooting conditions.
The ergonomics of the 5200 are great. Despite its very compact size, the well-shaped handgrip makes it easy to hold and one-handed shooting is a breeze. Controls are well placed and functional, and the menu system is logically organized. The 1.5-inch color LCD is used for image review, preview, access the settings menus and also serves as the camera's data display. This is a high quality display with a real-time refresh rate, and I found it was quite usable outdoors in bright sunlight. I was also impressed with its usability in low-light conditions as the display "gains up" to give you a brighter view, which is crucial when using the LCD to frame your subject(s) in these conditions.

The shooting performance of the 5200 was good. Power up to first image captured measured just under 4 seconds. Shutter lag measured a fast 1/10 of a second when pre-focused and 6/10 of a second including autofocus. The shot to shot time averaged about 1.8 seconds between frames without the use of the flash and approx. 2.5 seconds with the flash. The 5200 offers three Sequential shooting mode to choose from (Continuous, 5 shot buffer, Multi- shot 16.) Continuous mode was very respectable, I was able to capture 9 frames in about 3.5 seconds. When using the 5 shot buffer mode, you can capture several images, but the camera stores only the last 5 frames. In 5 shot buffer mode, I captured 5 frames in about 2 seconds. Multi-shot mode captures 16 frames, then makes a single 5M/Fine image out of all 16 frames. Using this mode, I was able to capture 16 frames in approx. 4.5 seconds. All test were done using a Sandisk 256MB Ultra II SD card, using 5M/Fine size/quality, with the use of the flash, and all other settings at default (unless otherwise noted.) Times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera settings, media, etc.

The Nikkor ED 3x zoom lens is sharp and you should have no problem focusing in low-ambient lighting conditions thanks to the camera's focus-assist lamp. For some "unknown" reason, many manufactures still don't use these on their cameras. The lens has excellent macro coverage down to about 1.6 inches, and exhibits moderate barrel distortion at full wide-angle but is relatively free of pincushioning at full telephoto. The zoom and focus mechanisms move smoothly and quietly through their range. Its 38-114mm (35mm-equivalent) optical zoom range is typical for a camera in this class, offering a sufficient field of view for portraits of individuals, small groups, and landscape shots, and enough telephoto magnification to bring your subject closer.

I was happy with the overall image quality in 5M/Fine mode. When using the camera outdoors, I found that most of our samples were sharp and colors were nicely saturated. Looking at our sample of the restaurant, I did notice a little softness on the left hand side, but nothing a little sharpening in a digital image editor won't take care of. I was also pleased with our indoor test shots, the images are well exposed and skin tones look very natural. When taking pictures using the redeye reduction flash mode, you will notice that sometimes the in-camera redeye removal changes small red "things" or objects in the picture. You can see what I mean by looking at the two samples below. The necklace has small red beads that the camera thought was redeye, and changed them to a dark brown or blackish color. The other sample is where we tired to "fool" the camera -- it didn't work. We saw virtually no occurence of red-eye in our "people" pictures so we must conclude that Nikon's in-camera red-eye removal definitely works.

The camera is powered by the supplied proprietary Nikon EN-EL5 Li-ion rechargeable battery pack. Nikon claims that a fully-charged EN-EL5 pack can take approx. 150 shots with the flash used 50% of the time. I had no problem taking about 80 test shots one afternoon (using the LCD 100% of the time and the flash 25% of the time) and doing all of our other tests, before the camera indicated that the battery was exhausted.

Bottom line - the Coolpix 5200 is a great all-around camera. This camera will please the less experienced as well as the intermediate user and thanks to its compact size and light weight, you can carry it almost anywhere. And if you like to record movies, you'll love the ability to record VGA-size (640x480) videos at 30fps with audio - just make sure that you have a large SD card. Its 5 megapixel Fine images have plenty of resolution to create photo-quality prints up to 13x19-inch. I feel this would be a great camera for the family, business, or "tourist" user and with all of its scene modes, you'll always be ready to capture that special moment, no matter what the shooting conditions are.

*******************************************************************************

Steve's Conclusion on Sony W-1

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 is a compact and durable camera that's loaded with powerful features such as a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens and a high resolution 5-megapixel imager. The W1 is easy to use in the Auto or Program AE exposure modes and when you want to exercise your creative side, you can simply rotate the mode dial to the desired shooting mode. With the ability to choose from five different image sizes, the camera offers versatility for all types of applications. The 3:2 mode is perfect for capturing images without having to worry about cropping them for creating 4x6-inch prints. Shooting in 1MP mode is great for sending pictures via e-mail or posting listings at online auctions.
One of the most noticeable features of the W1 is the 2.5-inch TFT color LCD. I was impressed with the LCD's performance when using it in bright light conditions, the menu screens were legible and framing was no problem, even with Florida's bright sun beating directly on it. It also does very well in low-ambient light. The LCD "gains up" when shooting in these low light conditions, which is very important when shooting night-scenes, indoor shots, etc.

The Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens helps produces sharp images that are virtually free from any signs of chromatic aberration. At full wide angle there is a mild amount of barrel distortion, but not enough to cause any major distortion in your subjects. The 5-point auto focus system is very quick and thanks to the focus- assist lamp, we had very little problems focusing on subjects in low- light conditions. When using Macro mode, we found that the flash does an excellent job of "throttling down" to ensure that it does not overexpose macro subjects.

The shooting performance was impressive. Press the power button and it's ready to go in just under 2 seconds. Power up to first image captured was a fast 2.2 seconds. Shutter lag was a mere 1/10 of a second when pre- focused and 2/10 of a second including autofocus. In Normal record mode, the shot to shot time is about 1.5 seconds. The W1 allows users to choose between two burst modes (Burst, Multi Burst). The number of images you can capture when shooting in burst mode depends on the image size and quality settings. Burst mode captured 9 frames in about 6.5 seconds. It takes about 9 seconds for the W1 to process a full buffer and then you can continue shooting. Shooting in Multi Burst mode, with the interval set at 1/30, captured 16 images in less than a second. When using Multi Burst mode, the image size is locked at 1MP and all 16 images a recorded within a single animated frame. Switching between record and playback mode takes about a second. In playback you can go from picture to picture in less than a second. All of our test were done using a 256MB Memory Stick Pro card, with the image size/quality set at 2592x1944/Fine mode and the flash off. All times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera setting, media, etc.

The overall image quality in 2592x1944/Fine mode is excellent, for the most part the default settings produce well saturated and properly exposed pictures. The user can control the saturation, contrast and sharpness so you can "dial in" just the right look for your images. I found that the automatic white balance did its job well and only under some very mixed lighting did I need to manually set the color temperature. I was pleased with our outdoor test shots. The images were sharp, well saturated, and there was very little noise in open blue sky areas. You can see this by taking a look at our Sample Photos page. When shooting indoors, you will have to work within the limited flash range. It works well for Portrait and small group photos, but does not have the power to light up large open rooms. I did notice a slight amount of redeye when the flash was set to auto, but this minute amount is acceptable. Some people seem to always have redeye, no matter what flash setting you are using.

Bottom line the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1 is an all around great camera. It makes a perfect choice for those wanting a compact, durable, and easy to use digicam. With it's all-metal body, you can be worry free when tossing it in your luggage while on vacation. The 5-megapixel images it yields have plenty of resolution to make photo- quality 8x10-inch prints from home or you're local digital photo lab. It offers various shooting modes, which makes it usable by any member of the family. With a suggested list price of $400, it makes a great choice for your holiday gift list.

P. S. 有趣的是CP5200的防紅眼功能是以機內圖像程式作軟體處理，把人眼出現的紅色現像，以黑色代替。

[zeusho]

更重要的是，W1擁有更多的原裝擴展附件：

http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/cs/acce/acce.cfm?pd=17010