Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30

Viewfinder (0.0)
The enormous LCD monitor makes it impossible to squeeze an optical viewfinder on the camera, so the LCD doubles as the viewfinder and playback display. This double duty is nothing to lament though. The view is accurate and very large because of the screen’s 3-inch diagonal width. The resolution is great, and users can brighten the LCD’s backlight when shooting outdoors. It is still hard to see; no manufacturer has mastered screen visibility in direct sunlight yet. The display info on the screen can be changed with the designated button, but there is no option to have a completely blank screen. The preview is always marred by one thing or another. Still, the info is helpful. An extremely precise battery indicator appears along with the number of images left on the memory card, setting like ISO and white balance, and focusing brackets. There is also a small histogram that appears so users can judge the exposure. Besides the presence of info (which isn’t entirely bothersome, but some people just want to see the image rather than icons and such over it), the other downfall of the screen’s live preview is the slow refresh rate. Moving subjects are blurred easily. Still, the size and resolution of the live preview is impressive.

LCD Screen (9.0)
The Clear Photo LCD Plus screen measures 3 inches diagonally and has 230,000 pixels of resolution on it. The view is fabulous. There is a backlight function that can be activated within the setup menu. Some compact models offer a sliding scale, but this is either Bright or Normal. Still, the Sony T30’s LCD brightens up and the contrast is enhanced too. The difference is best seen in normal lighting – where users probably wouldn’t need it. Its purpose is to brighten up in daylight though; while it does make it a little easier to see outside, it is still difficult to view. The LCD can be viewed from above the head or below and from side to side with its wide view. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30 is equipped with an anti-glare coating that seems to take over the entire back panel of the camera. The glass scratches easily though, so users will need to be careful not to sit on it when it’s stuffed in a back pocket.

Flash (5.5)
The built-in flash is placed near the top edge just left of the lens, when viewing from the front. The lens is almost centered on the camera; the flash is definitely off-axis from the lens. Despite its awkward placement, the flash doesn’t look as far off-center in pictures. There is a little bit of vignetting, but it remains fairly even. Some of the pictures had harsh highlights and shadows, but the T30’s flash has options to fix that: +, Normal, and – flash levels can be found in the recording menu. In the setup menu, the red-eye reduction mode can be turned on and off; this just adds a pre-flash to warn the eyes of the incoming real flash. The flash’s modes can be found at the top of the multi-selector. Auto, On, Off, and Slow Synchro are available. The flash is effective from 4 inches to 11 ft 2 inches when using the automatic ISO setting. At the top ISO of 1000, the camera is much more sensitive so it captures the flash’s effects as far as 19 ft 8 inches. Overall, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30’s flash is functional, adjustable, and does its job well, although since it’s a small light source, it does cast hard shadows.

Zoom Lens (8.0)
This digital camera comes with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens and a complementary Super SteadyShot image stabilization system. The lens is made of 11 elements in 9 groups including 3 aspheric elements and 1 prism. Its focal range runs from 6.33-19mm, equivalent to 38-114mm. The maximum aperture stops at f/3.5, and it can go as small as f/10. The T30’s zoom toggle is one of the most sensitive controls we’ve seen – and that’s not a bad thing at all. Most compact digital cameras with 3x lenses have a control that allows users to stop at about 6 focal lengths within the zoom range. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30, though, allows users a little more flexibility because it stops at about 20 focal lengths within the same 3x range. The control allows plenty of freedom in that way, but it also moves through the zoom range slower than other models; it takes a long second or two to zoom all the way through.

The zoom toggle is located on the back of the camera where the thumb rests at the top right, while the zoom lens itself sits on the top right of the front. Unfortunately, the lens is placed where the left fingers may block the view. The tiny lens remains flush with the camera body, and a sliding door snaps upward to cover it when the power is off. The small lens shows some barrel distortion, highly noticeable in the magnifying glass mode. The T30 has an extended optical zoom feature called Smart Zoom that works when the camera isn’t set to its top resolution. There is 3.6x zoom available at the 5-megapixel size, 4.5x at 3 megapixels, and 14x at the smallest VGA size. There is also 2x digital zoom, but unlike the Smart Zoom feature it degrades picture quality.

To the right of the shutter release button is Sony’s Super SteadyShot image stabilization system. The optical stabilization can be turned on and off with the designated button, but its settings can be tweaked in the setup menu. Users can activate it only while recording or can set it to run continuously. Its blur reduction and stabilization effects are most evident in the movie mode, where the optical zoom can actively move in and out while recording videos. The stabilization system works well, and nicely complements the 3x optical zoom lens.