Value (6.0)
Sony is banking on the fact that consumers will pay for a portable point-and-shoot. Sure, it’s stylish and sexy. But $499? That’s outright expensive! The tiny camera has good looks and decent imaging capabilities, but for the price consumers can get a lot more control and still keep a slim profile and sophisticated sheen. Keep reading for more point-and-shoot choices for less cash.
Comparisons
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 – The T9 has the same body design with the sexy sheen and the sliding lens cover. It has the same recording modes and options, with the exception of the manual ISO range. While the T30 goes to ISO 1000, the T9 only goes as far as ISO 640. Both cameras have 58 MB of internal memory, a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens, image stabilization, and a slide show mode that plays music in the background. There are three major differences and a handful of minor changes. The major differences between the two are the resolution, LCD screen, and battery performance. The Sony T9 has 6 megapixels instead of 7.2 and has a 2.5-inch screen rather than a 3-inch display (although both have the same screen resolution of 230,000 pixels). The other change is the battery power: they run on different batteries and the T30’s is much more efficient. It gets 420 shots per charge, while the Sony T9 only gets 240 shots per charge. The minor differences include the smaller ISO range and the flash coverage only extending to about 9 ft. Another big difference: the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9’s price tag of $399.
Casio Exilim EX-Z70 – This slim digital camera was announced in August 2006 and has similar specifications, but for half the price. At $249, the Casio Z70 has 7.2 megapixels and a vast number of scene modes. Included in its selection is the heavily marketed eBay mode, along with anti-shake DSP, and high sensitivity modes. The latter two modes use ISO 800, although the manual range is limited to 50-400. The 3.75 x 2.39 x 0.78-inch body has a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back; its resolution isn’t nearly as good as the Sony T30’s as it only has 115,000 pixels. Also skimpy is the Casio’s internal memory of only 8.3 MB, enough to save a single full-resolution picture. On its front, the Casio Exilim EX-Z70 has a 3x optical zoom telescoping lens. The camera body comes in black and silver aluminum, and the battery is disappointing when compared with the Sony T30’s. The battery on the Casio Z70 gets 200 shots per charge. Still, the Casio offers a lot more scene modes and the same amount of resolution for a much, , much smaller price.
Kodak EasyShare V603 – Part of Kodak’s pocket series of cameras is the V603, which has 6.1 megapixels and a short and stout frame. The body measures 3.6 x 2.0 x 0.9 inches and comes in red and black colors. This camera’s 3x lens extends from the body and uses a digital image stabilization system rather than an optical one, like the Sony T30’s. The Kodak V603 has 22 scene modes and a movie mode that shoots 30 fps without requiring any special media. Consumers will want to look for an optional SD card, however, as the V603 has 32 MB of internal memory. Still, the camera’s movie mode performs similarly. The optical zoom is available while recording, and users can split the clips into two files in the playback mode. Also in the playback mode is an interesting editing feature called Kodak Perfect Touch technology. This fixes the exposure and removes red-eye automatically. Pictures are viewed on the 2.5-inch LCD screen that has 230,000 pixels. The Kodak V603 has its shortcomings – its ISO range extends only from 80-400 at full resolution, its white balance options are even more sparse, and its flash reaches 8.5 ft at best – but the slim pocket camera sells for $299.
Nikon Coolpix S5 – The 6.1-megapixel Nikon has a 0.8-inch thick metal body that is shaped like a wave, but doesn’t have any distinctive finger grips like the Sony T30. The Coolpix also has a 3x optical zoom lens that remains within the camera at all times. Next to the tiny lens is a tiny flash, which covers only up to 8.5 ft and produces unevenly lit shots and lots of red eyes. The Nikon S5 does have a one-touch portrait button that alleviates some of the problem: it has face-priority auto focus, red-eye reduction, and lighting compensation technology. This digital camera has 15 scene modes and similar manual controls: exposure compensation, white balance presets, and manual ISO options. This model only offers ISO 50-400 though. The Coolpix S5 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels. The Nikon S5 has a movie mode that disables the optical zoom, but records television-quality video at 30 fps. The camera also uses an electronic vibration reduction system that isn’t quite as effective as Sony’s image stabilization but is still better than nothing. The S5 has a Pictmotion (by muvee mode) that has a similar concept as Sony’s slide show mode. The Pictmotion mode uses different transitions that zoom and fade and slide and such, and pairs it with 5 different soundtracks. There are five preloaded tracks on the camera that are all classical tunes remixed into techno. The music can also be customized with the included PictureProject software. The biggest difference between the two slide show modes is that Nikon’s saves the slide show as its own large file, while Sony doesn’t save the show at all. To save the Pictmotion show, users need a SD card because the 21 MB of internal memory on the S5 isn’t enough to support the function. The Nikon Coolpix S5 retails for $349 and also has an optional underwater housing.
Olympus Stylus 720 SW – This digital camera can be dropped from 5 ft or dunked into 10 ft of water and can still take pictures. The 7.1-megapixel Stylus 720 SW has 23 scene modes including 3 underwater modes. It has a built-in help guide that walks beginners through the basics of photography in real time. The 0.8-inch thin sturdy metal body has a 3x lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels. The camera has a movie mode that only records 15 fps – and no special memory card will make it any better. The Olympus Stylus 720 SW accepts xD-Picture cards, and has 19.1 MB of internal memory. The camera has manual ISO options from 64-1600, and a vast amount of in-camera editing features in the playback mode. Brightness, saturation, and red-eye reduction are some of the more normal features. Users can select from more than a dozen frames and labels (Happy Birthday, Thank You, etc.) to make cards and print them directly from the camera. The Olympus Stylus 720 SW also has background music with its slide show, but it isn’t as cool as the Sony or Nikon shows. The Olympus 720 SW has about two bars of elevator music that repeat over and over and over again while more traditional fades and wipes change the photo every few seconds. The waterproof, shockproof Olympus Stylus 720 SW retails for $399.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – The Sony T30 is designed to fit in a pocket, snap shots without much fuss over manual controls, and wow audiences with its 3-inch LCD and fancy musical slide shows. This is a point-and-shooter’s dream.
Budget Consumers – It may be the point-and-shooter’s dream, but it’s the budget consumer’s nightmare. These consumers will want this camera, but the $499 price tag will just be too much.
Gadget Freaks – These consumers will enjoy downloading different soundtracks to the Sony T30 but may be bored by the rest of the camera’s capabilities.
Manual Control Freaks – This is not a camera designed for this audience. There is no manual control over shutter speed and aperture, and Sony skimped on the white balance options too.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists – The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30 is definitely not made for professional or even serious photographers.
