Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3

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Wi-Fi-enabled point-and-shoots are nothing new. In fact, they've been around for quite awhile. However, since this feature's usability was usually limited, these shooters never really took off. The Nikon Coolpix S52c has Wi-Fi capability but is hampered by the fact that it can connect only to certain networks that don't require you to click on "I agree" or enter login information. This pretty much narrows down the available connections you can use to a few.

Last year, we predicted that there would be a point-and-shoot with Wi-Fi function and Internet browser showcased at September's Photokina. This is the world's largest trade fair for the photographic and imaging business. While this shooter didn't manifest itself then, it made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 revives the G-series, which has been dormant since the Cyber-shot DSC-G1, and has many improved features such as 4GB of internal memory, easy uploading of images to popular picture/video sharing sites and lo and behold, an HTML Web browser. Though, it's a pity Sony removed the music player function and the 3.5mm earphone jack for this shooter.

Upside

The Easy Upload Home Page on the Cyber-shot DSC-G3

We gave the Cyber-shot DSC-G3 a quick hands-on at CES, and found the interface pretty intuitive. The browser's appearance looks somewhat similar to Safari on the iPhone and Web addresses can be entered using the onscreen keyboard. Although the keys may be a tad small, we found that using the supplied stylus made the job of entering information much easier than with our finger tips. Regrettably, we didn't manage to surf Web sites on the shooter as we had limited time with the demo unit at CES. However, we will definitely give it a go when we get the review set.

There is an Easy Upload Home Page which provides quick access to popular image/video-sharing sites such as YouTube, Picasa, Photobucket, Dailymotion and Shutterfly. The interface is slimmed down, and you just have to enter your login name and password. After which, select the pictures or videos you wish to upload and hit OK to send the files. It was a little daunting to use this function initially as there seemed to be so many options. But once we got the hang of it, it was simple as the touchscreen facilitated the process.

Cyber-shot DSC-G1 on the left, and the G3 on the right.
(click for larger image)

Hardware-wise, the internal memory has gotten a boost from 2GB (in the G1) to 4GB. The 3.5-inch LCD retains the 921,000-dot resolution of its predecessor. There is a 4x optical zoom lens on the G3, a notch up from the G1 which has 3x.

Downside

One of the interesting aspects of the G1 is that besides being a snapper, it is also a music player with a 3.5mm stereo jack. Our review of the audio showed that the output was decent, and we wondered why Sony didn't implement this feature in the G3. Given its good track record with sound quality on its Walkman lineup of gadgets, we were surprised the company didn't keep the music player function for the new shooter.

Shutterbugs who are looking for a wide-angle snapper may have to give the G3 a pass as the optics are widest at only 35mm. We expected to see a 28mm lens instead because the buying trends of consumers seem to indicate that wide angle is the fad now.

Outlook

The Cyber-shot DSC-G3 is probably the epitome of Wi-Fi-enabled shooters with the built-in Web browser. We can already imagine ourselves sending images to our Picasa account at while Starbucks. But we need to fully test out the G3 before we can conclusively access the browser's functionality.

That said, the G3 is one of a kind in its class and we cannot wait to get our mitts on one. Sony couldn't confirm its pricing and availability for Asia, but we do know it is retailing for US$499.99 on the company's US Web site.