Optics and Resolution
The DSC-P7's 3.2-megapixel sensor captures ample detail for sharp prints at sizes up to 11 by 14 inches. For a serious amateur photographer, 3 megapixels is a great resolution, providing enough detail to perform some cropping and still have crisp prints.

A 3x optical zoom lens (39-117mm equivalent) helps you to capture exactly the picture you want, and an additional 2x digital zoom (6x total) further magnifies your image. Remember, however, that digital zoom tends to reduce the sharpness and detail of your image, so it's best used sparingly. In low-light situations (a particular weakness for many digital cameras), a focus-assist lamp sends out a small patterned beam to help the camera accurately determine distance.

To compose your images, either use the traditional camera viewfinder or the 1.5-inch LCD display (which is also used to review the shots you've taken). Having both types of viewfinders offers the best of both worlds: If you're used to using a film camera or want to conserve battery life, use the viewfinder; if you want to see exactly the picture you'll be capturing, use the LCD display.

More Features
The DSC-P7 is designed to be a simple point-and-shoot, so it doesn't have a huge assortment of manual settings. However, more advanced photographers will appreciate the manual focus mode, adjustable ISO, and white-balance settings, as well as the exposure compensation and the ability to shoot black-and-white, sepia, solarized, and negative images.

Other features include a three-area multipoint autofocus and a multiburst function that captures 16 320 x 240 frames with three selectable intervals for convenient motion analysis.

Power
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