Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Aug 13, 2004 - By James Murray
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 is a quintessential point-and-shoot camera, intended for a higher-end audience that wants exceptional digital still and video imaging and performance, combined with a sleek and slender design. This camera has an impressive CCD (5.1 megapixels at 0.42 inches), a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen, and a 3x optical zoom, though no viewfinder. The Cyber-shot boasts a Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens and a Real Image Processor, making the DSC-T1 capable of capturing both digital still images and video/audio footage, with video footage coming in at a superb 30 fps. Its overall dimensions are 3.625 x 2.375 x 0.8 inches, for a total cubic volume of approx. 6.9 inches –about the size of a credit card. The layout is logical and sparse, allowing for immediate results with little confusion. It has a retail price of US $499.95.
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Likes

- Slender, concise, and compact design makes it great for a night out on the town
-Large 2.5-inch LCD, and well placed buttons
-Able to capture full frame video (640 x 480) at 30 frames per second, making it a completely hybrid camera

Dislikes

 

-The bar that spans the front of the camera as a lens/flash/etc. cover is irritating. Perhaps I am dull-witted, but it took me five minutes just to learn how to open it
-A pointless microphone on the top of the camera makes audio nearly impossible
-The entirely in-menu manual control settings make adjustments by hand a bit tedious

Conclusion
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, with its impressive LCD, 5.1 MP CCD, 30 fps video capture, and overall size and design, is a great option for a user seeking a higher-end, well designed, and good looking point-and-shoot camera that won’t hold them down with cumbersome controls or bulk. The petite proportions make it great for slipping into a pocket and forgetting about, allowing for it to accompany you anywhere with ease and agility. The most bothersome aspect is the entirely onscreen manual control menu. Then again, this camera isn’t really meant to be used manually. This aside, this camera would be a perfect choice for those who find sleek good design and easy controls to be essential in their point-and-shoot digital camera.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 offers both automatic and manual ISO settings. Auto ISO offers the same sensitivity range, but it is controlled automatically. Characteristic of most point-and-shoot digital cameras, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1’s ISO range is concentrated at the lower end (100, 200, 400), which produces the least noise. These settings are ideal for outside and well lit shooting situations, but aren’t usable when light is scarce. When light is decreased the automatic ISO will increase the sensitivity, but this results in noise. Comparatively the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 performed well, even next to another Sony 5 MP camera, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P100 (which got a noise score of 6.71) This is a great advantage in image quality.

Overall Impressions Page 11 of 12 Specs
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