Sony Cyber-shot DSCP12

Limited-edition cameras often come in a garish, 'in your face' colour - thankfully, Sony has a much better grasp on style. This limited edition 5-megapixel camera is finished in an understated Oxford blue and it's only this - plus an extra stamina battery - that sets it apart from the mass-production Cyber-shot DSCP10.

This compact camera feels great in the hand too, with its metal shell giving an air of solidity, yet it weighs just 172g including the battery and storage card. With measurements of 108 x 35 x 52mm (W x D x H), it's also highly portable. And it's made all the more portable by the fact that the lens retracts into the body when not in use, so you don't need to worry about a separate carry case.

The retractable lens in question is made by Sony itself and boasts 7.9-23.7mm, f/2.8-5.2 specifications. This offers a fast aperture at the wider end, while its 3x optical coverage is supplemented by a digital 4x option. There is some slight distortion: a touch of barrel at the widest end, with small pincushion at the longest. This is perfectly normal; unless straight lines are a must for critical work, such as photographing buildings, it shouldn't be an issue.

The 5-megapixel count enables this camera to tackle anything from email attachments to big output prints. It can handle A3 images, in fact, with just a touch of USM (Unsharp Mask) in your manipulation package. Good-quality A4 prints are a doddle, with the flexibility of being able to crop tighter into parts of an image. Maximum image size is 2,592 x 1,944 pixels, captured and processed into JPEG files with a choice of Fine or Normal compression. Note the lack of TIFF or RAW, though. A nice touch is a 3:2 picture ratio, similar to a 35mm film camera, using 4.5-megapixel capture. Further options are 3.1-megapixel, 1.2-megapixel and VGA image sizes - all useful to save storage space and reduce writing time.

It's no surprise to see Sony's Memory Stick as the removable storage media of choice, but the supplied 32MB card seems stingy. Memory Stick Pro is also compatible, so up to 1GB of storage is possible.

The rear 1.5in LCD is a touch small, and some text and icons are subsequently too minute for comfort, which may cause issues for some. After a short learning curve, though, the menus are easy to navigate and one menu option in particular is well worth finding: the 'live' pre-exposure histogram. This is a must for anyone with time to take their shots. The histogram is tiny, so doesn't impinge on viewing of the scene, but shows exactly the type of results you'll achieve using current settings. Once used to it, you wonder why all cameras don't have it - it's invaluable if you want to be sure of capturing maximum detail.

Most situations will be recorded using the multipattern meter, but a spot option is a practical alternative. There's also a three-step adjustment for contrast, sharpness and saturation, so natural or adjusted results can be achieved out of camera. The adventurous will also appreciate the sepia, negative art and solarise effects, but I found them best used sparingly.

Subject-based modes supplement a standard Program mode and, while no specific aperture mode is an omission on this class of camera, exposure bracketing and compensation are there to be called upon. I found the first more useful, just for a choice of effect rather than correcting errors. The ISO rating switches between 100, 200 and 400 ISO, while an Auto selection option offers a conservative rating that proved capable for general use. There's also a long-exposure, noise-reduction system, but in truth I sometimes found noise objectionable at 400 ISO. For stills, the shutter speed range is 1/2,000th second down to eight seconds, perfect for a variety of subjects.