Sony joins the PMA party with new Cyber-shots

Damian Koh | Feb 27, 2007

No sight of the Cyber-shot G1 with 2GB onboard memory as rumored on the Web recently. Instead, Sony delivers two slim shooters from the T-series and a pair of megazooms.

The new 8-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T100 (pictured) and DSC-T20 are powered by the same Bionz image processor used on the Alpha 100, which Sony claims not only will improve camera performance but also enhance battery life. Fashionistas will have something to cheer about as well. The T100, which comes with a large 3.0-inch LCD, will be decked out in red, black and silver, while the T20 will be dressed in pink, white, black and silver shades. There're even matching cases to go with the cameras.

For the H-series megazooms, the DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 replace the current DSC-H2 and DSC-H5 with 8-megapixel sensors and 15x optical zoom. Of the pair, the DSC-H9 gets a headstart with its NightShot mode, which supposedly allows the user to snap in total darkness and "from any position" with a 3.0-inch flip-up LCD. The Bionz image processor also powers both cameras, with the proprietary Dynamic Range Optimizer (first seen on the Alpha 100) adding to the frills.

All four shooters feature Sony's Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization, high ISOs and, of course, face detection which by now is, frankly, old news. Of more interest to Hi-Def aficionados are the high-definition output that comes with the shooters, so you can connect it via a component cable to your HDTV set to view the pictures in HD glory.

According to Sony Asia Pacific, the DSC-T100 and DSC-T50 are expected to be available in March and April, respectively. More details on local pricing soon, but for now we have the US launch information as below:

Availability and pricing

DSC-H9, April, US$480

DSC-H7, April, US$400

DSC-T100, March, US$400

DSC-T20, April, US$330