Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 Digital Camera Review

Color (8.73)
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 comes from a line of digital cameras that performed well in color testing. To see how this model rates against its T-series predecessors, we took several well lit and evenly exposed images of the GretagMacbeth color chart. The digital imaging industry uses this same chart to standardize what ideal colors should be. We uploaded the T5’s images of this chart into a software program that tells us exactly how accurate the colors are in relation to the original chart. Below is a modified chart output by Imatest Imaging Software. It shows the ideal color in the inner rectangle. The Sony T5’s color can be seen in the outer square and the inner square displays the camera’s tone corrected by the software for luminance.

Below is a graph output by the software with the same data. This time, the ideal color is represented by a square. The Sony Cyber-shot T5’s produced color is represented by the circle. The two shapes are connected by a line; the length of the line shows the color error. The closer these two shapes are, the better.

The Sony T5 has big shoes to fill. The Sony T1 scored a 9.76 overall score and only over-saturated colors by 5.7 percent. The T5 did not quite fare as well as the initial T-series model. The Cyber-shot T5 received an overall color score of 8.73. While this score is well below the T1, it is still above many compact digital cameras’ scores. The T5 had similar saturation to the T1, only over-saturating by 5.9 percent. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 had a mean color error of 6.8, which is quite impressive – especially for its slim size. Overall color rendition remains rich and should appease most users.

Still Life Scene
Below is a shot of our marvelous still life scene, which we faithfully capture with every digital camera we test. Not only is it so beautiful that we can’t get enough of it, but capturing a standardized image allows our readers to compare the same scene as rendered by different imagers to judge which camera’s performance they like best.

Click on our graceful tableau to down load a full res file (warning: file is very large!)

Resolution / Sharpness (4.25)
To evaluate resolution, we shoot several exposures of an industry standard resolution chart at various focal lengths and apertures, then report the best score. Scores are also reported as a percentage of the camera’s advertised and unprocessed resolution to provide a means of comparison across camera categories. If a digital camera’s true pixel count comes within 70 percent of its advertised pixel count, we designate it as “good.” When a camera comes within 80 percent, we dub it “very good” and within the realm of 90 percent it receives an “excellent” score.

Click on the chart to view full size image

Sony advertised 5.1 effective megapixels on the T5’s 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD. In our testing, the best resolution came from shooting at an aperture of f/4.4 at a focal length of 16.6 mm. The Sony Cyber-shot T5 recorded 4.25 megapixels in our test, which is 84 percent of what is advertised and therefore a “very good” score. This performance isn’t too surprising as the Sony T1 recorded 86 percent of its advertised pixel count on our test. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 did apply a significant degree of in-camera sharpening, registered as 24 percent oversharpening according to Imatest, which is quite a bit even for a compact model; however, since the majority of users will not be conducting much post-processing, it should not present too much of a problem.

Noise - Auto ISO (7.6)
The automatic ISO setting on the Sony T5 performed much better than most compact digital cameras’ automatic ISO settings. In our well lit studio, this Cyber-shot chose a low ISO 80 and still produced minimal amounts of noise. For this, the T5 received an overall automatic ISO noise score of 7.6. The high score is attributed to a combination of the T5’s accurate reading of the bright lighting conditions (a pitfall of many competing models) and the low noise the camera produces at lower sensitivity ratings.

Noise - Manual ISO (5.83)
We tested the noise levels at each of the Sony T5’s four manual ISO settings and input the data into a regression analysis to determine the overall score. Below is a chart showing the amounts of noise at individual noise levels. The horizontal axis shows the manual ISO settings and the vertical axis shows the amount of noise.

From the 64 setting to the 400 setting, there is the expected gentle slope – except for a dip at the ISO 200 setting. The Sony Cyber-shot T5 received an overall manual ISO noise score of 5.83. This is less than the automatic setting, but is still quite good for a compact digital camera. The irregular slope of the curve stems from an impressively low noise output at the ISO 64 setting. While the ISO 400 setting will capture images with a bit of perceivable noise, in daylight, images recorded with the T5 will be clean.

Low Light Performance (4.0)
Sony’s T-series of Cyber-shot digital cameras is touted as an out-and-about line of stylish cameras that is perfect for pocketing and snapping shots at the nightclub or party. To see if the Sony T5 can capture decent shots in the dim lighting of bars and clubs, we took several exposures at decreasing light levels of 60, 30, 15 and 5 lux. Since not everyone is familiar with the lux measurement, here’s a little briefing. 60 lux is about equivalent to two softly lit lamps or perhaps what you’d find at a nightclub. A single 40-watt bulb gives off about 30 lux of light. 15 and 5 lux are very near darkness and simply show where the Sony Real Imaging Processor hits the wall.

Low Light Tests
60 Lux	30 Lux
15 Lux	5 Lux

The image at 60 lux retains exposure and illumination but looks grainy. The image gets slightly darker at 30 lux and increasingly grainy with the limited maximum shutter speed available. The lighter colors get progressively pinker and less saturated as the lighting dims and the exposures are extended. The Sony T5’s image gets even darker at 15 lux and reaches its max exposure. The image processor seems to hit its wall somewhere between 15 and 5 lux, as there is a dive in illumination between the two light levels, loss in color vibrancy and jump in noise. Don’t expect perfect pictures from the T5 at the club; when the shell appears stylish and trendy, it’s just not a formidable low light imager.

Speed / Timing
Start-up to First Shot (8.73)
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 performed decently with a start-up time of 1.33 seconds. While this isn’t furiously fast, this still beats most other ultra compact models. However, with the camera’s sliding lens cover and heavily marketed image processor, we expected a bit more speed.

Shot to Shot (9.23)
The burst mode on the T5 isn’t incredibly impressive. The fastest shot to shot time was 0.699 seconds.

Shutter to Shot (8.42)
There is some shutter lag, but not so much that your subjects will pack up and leave the frame. From the time the shutter release button is pressed, this digital camera takes 0.29 seconds to record the shot.