Sony’s slick new Cyber-shot snappers

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:53

Your IT - Entertainment

As seen on previous T-Series models, the latest cameras have a built-in slide show feature, which can be set to use dynamic transitions that can be choreographed with any music you’ve stored on your camera’s memory card.

Actual addition photo features include ‘Super Steady Shot’, an optical image stabilization technology that helps prevent camera shake and blurry photos. Face detection can sense up to 8 faces in the camera’s LCD frame, after which it can automatically adjust the white balance, the flash and even the focus and exposure to ensure sharp and clear photos.

An advanced feature for taking good photos in low light conditions is built-in support for an ISO rating of up to 3200 (ISO 3200), which when used is combined with Sony’s ‘Clear RAW’ noise reduction technology to reduce the dotty picture noise that is often seen with low light photos.

Just as other companies have upgraded that photo processing chip, Sony has the same by including the new ‘Bionz’ photo processing chip that was first used in Sony’s Alpha, a DSLR camera range to compete with similar cameras from Canon, Panasonic, Nikon and others.

This new chip promises: “[A] robust processing engine [to] deliver the fast image processing speeds needed to produce color-rich, detailed pictures for true high-definition photo viewing [that] also speeds up the cameras’ response times and extends battery life”.

The T-Series also features PC-free editing that you perform on the camera itself. You can remove red-eyes, optimize the dynamic range to adjust under- or over-exposed areas. There are also four filter selections, such as the fish-eye filter for what Sony says is an amusing fishbowl effect.

The new cameras are also quite speedy, with the camera ready to shoot in less than a second after you slide down the lens cover, and is ready in a second to take another photo.

Optional accessories will include batteries, travel chargers, lenses, filters, sports packs and cases.

Sony are confident their new designs, features and consumer benefits will resonate with digital camera buyers and upgraders. Phil Libell, a director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony said that “There’s a generation of style-conscious, tech-savvy people who want the brands and products in their lives to reflect who they are. Our new T-series cameras can give these customers the form factor and advanced technologies they’re looking for.”

Say cheese – the winner of the most digital camera sales for 2007 could well be a photo finish!