Top-range camera packs in more for less

You might recognise the Cyber-shot DSC-P10 from the huge billboards in many MTR stations.

The top dog among Sony's ultracompact DSC P-series Cyber-shot trio, it features a 3x optical zoom and five-megapixel resolution.

Priced at HK$4,350, the P10 is surprisingly inexpensive for a high-end Sony digital camera.

It also has some unusual features such as an e-mail-optimised mode and an infrared illuminator for focusing in low light.

Like the three-megapixel P8, the P10 has a tracking auto-focus system that keeps a moving object in focus. Its new Mpeg VX video format is a much-needed improvement from the old, jaggy video format found in the older models of the P-series.

Though it lacks aperture and shutter-priority modes, the P10 does enable users to adjust exposure and colour using exposure compensation, ISO presets of up to 400, four white-balance choices, spot metering and multi-metering.

All these functions are available only through the menus, which can be annoying if one uses the advanced features frequently.

The P10 is the first in the P series that can take extra lenses, such as a wide-angle lens and a bigger zoom.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P10

Specifications

Price: HK$4,590

Pros: Able to take extra lenses, good features in a petite form

Cons: Almost every function is menu driven, some take several steps