Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30

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Imagine the Cyber-shot T7 running on a treadmill followed by the Cyber-shot T9 missing regular gym sessions. It won't be too hard then to visualize Sony's latest Cyber-shot T30 gorging on a Big Mac meal. Unlike its predecessors, the T30 has a noticeable bulge on the front. Where's the ultraslim T7 or the likes?

Overall, the T30 didn't impress a great deal since it retains most of its predecessor's features, including a flimsy battery and memory stick compartment cover. At least Sony claims the T30 has a longer battery life of 420 shots on a single charge. So unless you fancy a larger 3-inch LCD and don't mind a bigger body, you shouldn't retire the T9.

Design
We're not sure if it's just us, but we find having a camera with a silver chassis and a black-colored rear baffling--a new design trend perhaps. Just take a look at Canon's Digital IXUS 65 and this Cyber-shot T30.

	Will we see more two-colored digital cameras?

The 3-inch LCD monitor inevitably took up two-thirds of the camera's rear estate. However, unlike Fujifilm's FinePix V10, which also has a 3-inch screen but with the controls relegated to just a strip of space beneath it, the T30 still has sufficient accommodation for the various buttons on the unit. You get the typical Menu, Display, Resolution/delete, Slideshow, zoom lever and directional keys with a central Set button. The only gripe we have with the screen is that it's a magnet for fingerprints.

Oddly enough, the microphone is found along the top edge of the T30 while the speaker is all the way south, at the bottom of the camera, between the tripod receptacle and multi-connector slot.

There's a tiny Power button on the top of the T30, but otherwise sliding down the front cover of the unit doubles as a power switch. We like how "firm" it feels when we slide it down and back up. And if you wish to know, the lens, focus-assist lamp and built-in flash are all hidden behind this lid.

Just beside the shutter on the right sits another tiny hand symbol which represents the unit's optical image stabilization properties. However, when you are in the Auto mode, the stabilization feature can only be turned on via the menu.

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