Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100

Bookmark

By Will Greenwald, CNET.com
May 07, 2007

The latest in a long line of stylish cameras, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 shares the same slim, metallic profile and signature sliding lens cover/power switch as the rest of the Cyber-shot T-series. Don't let the DSC-T100's pretty face fool you, though; this handy shooter proves that you can have plenty of substance with your style.

Design
The camera's easily pocketable, all-metal body measures just 23mm thick and weighs a bit more than 140g. It comes in silver, black, and red, so you can have your choice of colors. Despite its sensibly laid out controls, the DSC-T100 still sacrifices some of its function for form; the camera's buttons feel smaller and more shallow than I would like and can be a bit tricky for large thumbs.

For more details on the Cyber-shot T100's design and image quality, click on the image.

A surprisingly strong heart beats beneath the DSC-T100's slim, shiny exterior. The 8-megapixel camera features a 35mm-to-175mm-equivalent 5x zoom Zeiss lens, a notable upgrade over previous T-series cameras' 3x zoom lenses. Its 3-inch screen supplies an extremely wide view; the display stays clear and colorful, even when looking at it from a near-90-degree angle in any direction.

The T100 uses Sony's Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization and can boost its sensitivity to as high as ISO 3,200 for low-light and high-speed shooting. The camera also features a 9-point autofocus mode, an extremely useful feature normally found on much higher-end cameras such as digital SLRs.

Feature
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100's firmware offers almost as many useful features as its hardware does. Its face-detection mode automatically adjusts exposures when shooting family photos. You can also tweak color, correct red-eye, and even apply different effects such as fish-eye and cross filter, all within the camera.

For more details on the Cyber-shot T100's design and image quality, click on the image.

The T100 can also output MP3-playing slide shows to standard definition TVs with the included RCA video cable, or to high-definition TVs with an optional component-video cable. It also works with Sony's CSS-HD1 Cyber-shot Station, a dock with a remote and HD component output support. If you plan on viewing your photos on an HDTV, we highly recommend the component cable or dock option.

Next page »