The sony dsc-p72 is an excellent camera with loads of value for money thrown in.
tech specs: 3.2mp overall, effective 3mp, 3x optical zoom lens, macro mode, built-in flash, etc., etc.
usability specs: very handy to hold and use, ergonomically-placed controls, brilliant lcd display, etc. - basically point-and-shoot, with advanced features almost on demand. one of the first things that propelled me towards this particular camera was its resolution - 3.2megapixels. and considering I paid only around $270 for it, that was a real steal.
i did read a lot of reviews on this and other similar models, and ultimately was impressed by some specific features:
picture quality (excellent)
color quality (one of the best)
readiness speed (2 seconds from cold boot)
shutter lag (lowest in its class)
macro mode (down to 1.5inches)
mpeg movie mode (good for timepass)
menu usability (no practice, quick readiness)
sleek size (easy to transport and use)
batteries (both ni-cad and regular alkaline)
standard usb cable (no device-specific stuff here)
audio recording with video - a rare feature when I bought the camera (not now, though)
there are some specific disadvantages, though; and these in my opinion are...
the poor thing comes with a pretty pathetic 16mb memorystick (practically useless for anything but the most basic experimentation)
there’s no supplied carrying case
getting to peek thro the viewfinder is a royal pain in the neck
there are not as many manual options as I would have liked.
but then again, it’s a trade-off between what’s good and what’s not (perceivably) good - and here’s where this camera is an excellent compromise. for the abject beginner, it offers a wide variety of standard settings that will help any sort of moron take very good pictures; for the experienced photographer, it offers just the right kind (almost!) of manual override settings that make photography worth the while.
most of the time, I travel with my notebook computer, and so can live with the supplied 16mb stick (and another 64mb stick I bought - $extra). my policy is to take a few photographs, download the entire lot to the notebook, then keep shooting. of course, not everybody may boast of this luxury, though - in such a case, I would recommend spending a little extra to purchase a larger capacity memory stick, which would ensure that atleast two to three rolls (of film equivalents) can be stored.
some specific settings I like:
power save (allows you to turn down features you do not want)
lcd brightness (allows you to view pictures very clearly)
lcd backlight (allows you to save lots and lots of power)
picture modes (seems simple, but has lots of amazing possibilities
exposure control (advanced enough)
some settings I positively detest:
smart zoom (doesn’t allow you to configure your own zoom levels, and depends on the resolution settings)
no zooming while in video mode - you zoom before you start recording - crazy!
all-in-all, an excellent value-for-money camera. though I like to experiment with my shots and use up all the flexibility that is offered (and still feel there’s something lacking there), I feel this camera is very good, and will serve my needs for a long time to come.