Cyber-shot

Sony unveiled three new compact Cyber-shot digital cameras this week - the DSC-TX200V, DSC-WX70 and DSC-WX50 – all three featuring a high-resolution "Exmor R" CMOS sensor and an improved BIONZ image processor for better low-light shooting.

The new Cyber-shot TX200V features an 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, which Sony says is the highest-resolution currently offered in the point and shoot market, along with a new BIONZ processor. Both work together to create images/videos with extremely low noise. The camera offers fast AutoFocus speeds of approximately 0.13 seconds in daytime and 0.25 seconds in low-light, and features a new reinforced glass design with a 3.3-inch Xtra Fine TruBlack OLED wide touch-screen.

This beauty is also waterproof (up to 5m or approx.16 feet), dustproof and freezeproof (up to 14oF), and features a "Photo Creativity" interface that lets you adjust creative settings for custom-styled photos.

The other two new Cyber-shots - the WX70 and WX50 - both include a 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, with the WX70 featuring a 3.0-inch 921k dot LCD touch-screen and the WX50 featuring a 2.7-inch LCD screen.Read more

Sony just announced the Cyber-shot TX55, a new 16.2-megapixel digital camera that captures still photos, full HD video and 3D images, while providing new features that allow for creative control. It can even take 12-megapixel still shots at the same time it's recording Full HD video!

Measuring in at a slim 12.2mm (without lens cover), Sony touts the Cyber-shot TX55 as the world's thinnest camera with an optical anti-shake function. It features a 5x optical folded zoom lens, a 3.3-inch OLED wide touch-screen display, and is the first Cyber-shot camera to offer a 'Picture Effect' mode. Picture Effect includes seven effect options: HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature, Toy Camera, Partial Color, Pop Color and Soft High-key – giving your photos an artistic flair without the use of editing software. The camera also includes 'By Pixel Super Resolution', a technology that boosts the camera's zoom range to a virtual 10x without losing quality.

In addition, the TX55's hi-speed auto focus can lock onto subject in as little as 0.1 seconds, and the camera's 'Dual Rec' grabs 12 megapixel-level still photos while shooting Full HD video. It includes SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode, Superior Auto mode for DSLR-like quality photos and an Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode with a HR (High Resolution) mode for up to 42.9 megapixel panoramas. Read more

Sony this week introduced two new superzoom point-and-shoot cameras, the Cyber-Shot DSC-HX100V and DSC-HX9V. Both models feature 16.2-megapixel Exmor R sensors and are the company's first compact digital still cameras to include a 27mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonar T* lens with 30x optical zoom and a 24mm Sony G lens with 16x optical zoom (respectively) combined with full HD (1920 x 1080/60p) video capability.

Both cameras have a 3-inch LCD display, along with a new Intelligent Sweep Panorama HR mode which shoots up to 42.9 megapixel panoramic images by simply rotating the camera. The cameras' Dual Record mode feature allows you to shoot video while capturing 3-megapixel digital still pictures at the same time. They also offer 3D imaging capabilities via the 3D Sweep Panorama or the 3D Still Image modes, as well as optical image stabilization with a "three-way" shake reduction system.Read more

Sony this week announced two new Cyber-shot digital cameras, which the company touts as "the world's smallest 3D cameras," the DSC-TX9 and DSC-WX5.

The DSC-TX9 sports a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen and has a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x zoom lens. The DSC-WX5's LCD screen measures in at 2.8-inches, and uses a Sony G lens (5x 24-120mm). Both cameras feature 12.2 megapixels, can record movies in 1920 x 1080 Full HD, and can also capture videos in the MP4 format. Additional features include Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, Background Defocus, a Superior Auto mode, and use Sony's "Exmor R" back-illuminated CMOS sensor for low-light and 10fps burst shooting.

Both models have a cool 3D Sweep Panorama feature, which lets you take panoramic pictures using just one press-and-sweep motion. The frames are automatically stitched together to create 3D panoramas. They can be viewed in 2D or 3D on 3D TVs (3D-compatible HDMI cables and 3D glasses are required.). Another 3D-like feature is Sweep Multi Angle, which lets you view images moving in simulated 3D on the LCD screen by just tilting the camera back and forth. Read more

It looks like Sony has decided to jump on the "waterproof, freeze-proof, shockproof and dust-proof" bandwagon with the announcement of the new Cyber-shot DSC-TX5.

The less than an inch thin TX5 features 10.2 megapixels, a three-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus wide touch screen display, 10fps continuous burst shooting, 25mm (equivalent) wide-angle 4x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario Tessor lens, and records 720p HD videos. But of course the big news is this camera works underwater up to 10 feet, is freeze-proof down to 14 degrees, can withstand a drop from approximately 5 feet and is dust-proof.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 comes in five colors – black, green, pink, red and silver - and will be available in April for $350.Read more

Sony today unveiled two Cyber-shot cameras, the DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1, that feature Sony's new "Exmor R" back illuminated CMOS sensor technology. What exactly does this new technology do? It improves shooting in low-light by reducing the grain in your photo. This sensor has almost twice the sensitivity of cameras with your standard sensor.

TX1 and WX1 cameras also have hand-held twilight and anti-motion blur multi-shot modes. And with the "Exmor R" CMOS sensor's high speed, these modes capture six separate images in less than a second and use Sony's BIONZ processor to combine the shots into a single image. With their Sweep Panorama and 10 frames per second burst shooting, the cameras can also take up to 185 and 256-degree panorama shots in a press-and-sweep motion, resulting in an image size of 7152 x 1080.Read more

Convergence is what stood out at me while attending PMA 2009. Here I am attending an awesome trade show about all things photography. Sony Ericsson is there showing off their new phones! Phones? Four of them specifically; C702 Cyber-shot phone, C902 Cyber-shot phone, C905 Cyber-shot phone and the C510 Cyber-shot phone. These camera phones were not only smaller than most point and shoot cameras at the trade show, but feature rich to boot!

C702 Cyber-shot phone is a 3.2 megapixel camera phone that is both dust and splash resistant. The camera function has Face Detection, Geo Tagging and Google Maps. The GPS is for location-based services and comes in Speed Black, and Cool Cyan colors. Read more

Even though there are still a couple of weeks until PMA, press releases have started trickling out on some of the cameras being shown at the annual photo trade show. One of them being information on Sony’s latest “intelligent” Cyber-shot digital cameras. The new T900, T90, W290 and H20 all feature an intelligent auto mode, which supposedly "think" for you and detect scene conditions and then adjust the settings for you. Seems very useful in difficult lighting situations. The intelligent auto mode can also tell when the person you are taking a picture of has closed eyes, it enhances the skin tone of the subject and can also reduce blur without reducing the quality of the image.

Other features include Sony's Smile Shutter technology and iSCN advanced – when a scene has difficult lighting, the camera will take two shots using two different settings, then you select the picture you prefer. Read more