Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 Digital Camera Review

Color

Of all our image quality tests, the TX20 performed the best here. The color gamut was extremely accurate for a small camera, resulting in an error rating of only 2.29, which is on par with many SLRs. The worst errors occurred in red and blue shades, however these were far from severe. Saturation was also very accurate, over by only 3.5%. More on how we test color.

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

This score is among the best of any toughcam, far surpassing Sony's current T-series offerings, as well as the Nikon AW100 and even the Pentax WG-2.

White Balance

The TX20's white balance algorithm follows the same pattern we're used to from most cameras across the industry. Incandescent indoor light is very challenging for the automatic system, and produced the worst errors. Fluorescent light isn't quite as bad, but of course daylight is best.

When using your own custom white balance, both incandescent and fluorescent light are handled much more accurately, and daylight produced the best scores of all. No surprises here.

In context, the TX20's automatic white balance scores are just about average, while the custom scores are slightly below.

White Balance Options

White balance options are available from the main menu by default. Here you may select from one of seven presets (including three fluorescent varieties and a flash setting), plus automatic white balance or "One Push" custom, which would've been convenient if it weren't for the clumsy touchscreen interface.