DesignTechnica has reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9, a very slim 6 megapixel (CCD) point-and-shoot digital camera with 3x optical zoom and 2.5″ LCD screen.

I really liked the looks of the DSC-T9 and it takes solid but not D-SLR level photos yet that’s an unreasonable expectation for a $400 point-and-shoot camera. Only a few competitors like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 and the Konica Minolta DiMage X1 have image stabilization which really make this camera stand apart from the pack. Alas as readers of the site know KM is leaving the camera business so there are even fewer competitors. Although a bit expensive this point-and-shoot camera is definitely an Editor’s Choice.

Pros: compact & attractive, optical image stabilisation, very high-quality LCD, Fast response
Cons: now viewfinder, few manual adjustments, supplied picture package software is pathetic

>> Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 Review Roundup

Cliff Smith has reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5, a 5.1 Megapixels point-and-shoot digital camera with 2.5″ LCD screen and 3x carl zeiss optical zoom lens. He gives the camera 5 out of 10 and writes:

“High-contrast edges have some of the worst purple fringing I’ve seen since about 2002, the lens produces severe and uneven barrel distortion and flash coverage is insufficient at wide angle, with a distinct bright spot in the middle of the frame. All in all, not too good. It’s a shame, because I really wanted to like this pretty little camera. It has style, specification and performance, but with such low image quality I cannot really recommend it when there are better cameras on the market for less money.”

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1, a 5.1 megapixel digital camera with 12x optical zoom and 2.5″ LCD scren, has been reviewed by Howard Creech at DigitalCameraReview

“The H1 is an excellent general-purpose digital camera that consistently delivers very good quality images. Colors are bright, hue accurate, very contrasty, and slightly over-saturated. There is no visible noise at the ISO 64 and ISO 100 settings — ISO 200 images show minor noise and ISO 400 images are noisy, but less so than most of the H1’s competition. Chroma noise (blotching) is a bit above average and Chromatic aberration is also above average, but well controlled. The H1 also does pretty well in the dark. The image above was shot handheld with the camera in auto mode. It is a bit darker (slightly under exposed) than it should be, but shows good color and very low noise levels.”

Ilse Jurrien has posted a review on Sony Cybershot DSC R1, a 10.3 Megapixel Sony CMOS sensor with Carl Zeiss 24-120mm zoom lens and 2″ LCD screen review at Let’sGoDigital.

“Sony’s ergonomic design of the camera however, might take some getting used to at first. Being of a bold and sassy design, working with this camera means you will have to re-familiarise yourself with certain actions. How to handle the LCD monitor for instance, is a good example. A certain amount of the consumers is likely to make more use of the electronic viewfinder, while the other will immediately recognize the advantage of this new and different location. There are a few buttons that might prove hard to find upon first glance, especially when looking at the camera from above. Overall, it remains a case of getting used to new things and familiarising yourself with the camera.”

>> Sony Cyber-Shot DSC R1 Review Roundup & Sample Pictures
>> Sony Cyber-Shot DSC R1 Latest Price

Macworld reported that according to Yutaka Nakagawa, an executive vice president of Sony and president of its digital imaging business group, Sony first Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera will be available in the summer 2006 in Japan, and soon after in other markets. Moreover Yutaka Nakagawa is expecting Sony to achieve a market share of around 20% of the DSLR.

Cameras.co.uk reviewed the Sony DSC N1, 8.0 Megapixel digital camera with 3″ LCD screen, and wrote:

“The most striking feature of my test pictures are the vibrant colours the camera manages to produce. This is not just for greens and blues, but all colours are given the full treatment and appear very vivid. This augurs well for just about any type of photo you take.

Finally the macro photo is good. It is a bright and clear shot. This camera should be good enough for most types of macro shot within reason as long as the lighting available is adequate.”

DigitalCameraReview has posted a review on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 and writes:

“With good lighting, this camera takes very pleasing photos that are nice and sharp and well-exposed. The camera is small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket, and is very portable and fun. In tricky lighting situations, however, the camera’s faults really start to interfere with usefulness of the camera. This is a shame, because you would expect a small and light camera to be used to take pictures at parties, bars, or other situations, all taking place indoors. Because this camera has many problems dealing with tricky lighting, and also due to the “dust problem” I experienced, I would be hard pressed to recommend this camera to beginning photographers or individuals who expect to be able to pick up a camera and “point and shoot” at a subject and get good results.

I was surprised to find a camera that Sony is marketing so heavily as a “low light” camera have so many problems in low light settings. My guess is that Sony’s marketing department spent more time addressing the shortcomings in the T7 than Sony’s engineering department did. As evidenced by my testing, this camera is not a great choice for night shots or low-light situations. As a result, I find it hard to recommend.”

>> Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 Review Roundup

DCViews has recently compared the Sony Cybershot DSC T7 to Nikon Coolpix S3 and wrote:

The Sony Cybershot T7 and the Nikon Coolpix S3 are both ultra compact digital cameras, which perform, despite their small dimensions and weight, above average. The Coolpix S3 is a real ‘point-and-shoot’-camera with little manual control, but handy automatic features. The Sony T7 works mainly automatic, but gives you more control if necessary. Colors and exposure of the pictures of the Sony T7 are better than with the Nikon S3. On detail and noise the cameras perform the same. The Sony Cybershot T7 and the Nikon Coolpix S3 are both good travel partners in back pocket or handbag, with the T7 as a winner on image quality and ‘looks’. But then again, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder…

Sony Cybershot DSC T7 sample photos

- Samples posted @ DCViews
- Samples posted @ Imaging Resource
- Samples posted @ Photoxels

Nikon Coolpix S3 sample photos

- Samples posted @ DCViews

Eventhough DSLR with prices around 700 and up are booming lately, but still most people just don’t have that much camera budget. They want something that less expensive and able to take pretty good photos without worrying about buying expensive lenses.

If you’re shopping for a decent point-and-shoot digital camera for yourself or for your christmas presents, $400 may be the magic number. That amount will buy you a model that can capture good photos; offers a comfortable, attractive design; and doesn’t cut too many corners.

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DCRP has just posted photos from a pre-production Sony CyberShot DSC-N1. The photographs are shot with the ISO fixed at 64.

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