The first thing to realize about this camera is sony’s sales pitch: this camera is durable. It might not look like it. Or feel like it. But it is. Trust me….
Beyond the sleek front sheen, the tiny buttons, the touchscreen prone to smudges(but quite responsive) …. Is subtle little design touches that make this camera ideal for many situations.
I got it about a month ago, but haven’t
had a chance to review it yet. It’s a point & shoot, so let’s start from there.
It’s compact, lightweight, easy to carry, and with the touchscreen (MASSIVELY overhauled from previous sony touchscreens)… Sony’s Touch screen line finally has a respectable user interface.
The camera is stylish, fits in the pocket (it’s about the size of the iPHONE), and i absolutely LOVE that there’s no external lense. Why? because when you’re at a bar, or party, and your drunk friend takes a picture, and throws the camera across the room… that “zooming” external lense has a habit of snagging onto door hinges and breaking. making a sliding cover … turns this camera close to idiot-proof.
which brings to mind, what’s this camera good for? exactly what i bought it for…. going out… durability, portability, partying… and otherwise taking shots in situations where a normal camera is likely to get destroyed…. that and it fits marvelously in a suit pocket.
But how is it as a camera, you ask?
Well,…. it’s decent. not massively impressive…. but that’s not what Sony’s selling here, is it.
there are a few specs and new features i want to cover that are new, proprietary, and quite frankly… features that say “sony brings the heat”….
1) Water resistant. This camera can be soaked up to 10 meters underwater. GREAT for Beerpong!
2) This camera can be used in cold temperatures… up to -10 degree Fahrenheit….
3) This camera is incredibly resistant to shock and beatings… it can be dropped onto marble from up to 5 feet height… or so. Haven’t tried any of these, but yeah… it’s rugged.
there are cameras out there that are more rugged and can do these types of resistance tests…. but (olympus) but none of them are as stylish as this….
4) HDR mode – this is sweet. normally, cameras have trouble exposing in high contrast lighting situations. especially digicams. This mode, takes two shots, VERY FAST, consecutively, one +1 exposure, and the other at -1 exposure…. and merges the two to create a decent image that gathers the full range of lighting. see pics below
HDR MODE OFF
HDR MODE ON
5) Panoramic shooting mode. Some cameras are starting to implement this. it’s an awesome feature. Of course, this can all be done in photoshop afterwards with any camera… Plus 10 min of your time… for each shot. now you can take 100 shots in panoramic mode in the same amount of time. just turn on this mode, and pan across sideways while holding the shutter button pressed… let go… and VOILA!
6) Noise. up to 3200. pretty good for a point and shoot. yes there are others out there in this class…. but…. sony was the first to pioneer the P&S 3200 ISO… and i have to admit… previous efforts were horrendous. Now… the high ISO setting is…. tolerable… usable… not great by any means, but usable.
ISO 125
ISO 200
ISO 400
iso 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200 – as you can see, finally the noise creeps up… but the picture is still perfectly usable for snaps and those random moments when a flash just isn’t a good idea (like when photographing angry homeless people)
There are other features of course, but these features, in combination… along with my usage of ALL of them on a daily basis… make this camera EXCELLENT for the social person, that’s likely to smash their camera around, get it stuck in a pool party, or use it to fight off groping perverts at a club. It’s a niche market, i know… but i STRONGLY recommend this camera for socialites. I’ve used previous Sony T series cameras (this one’s predecessors… 3 of them in fact…and I can guarantee you… you will be happy to make the upgrade… IF your the ideal photographer for those cameras)
Image quality – 7/10
durability – 10/10
ease of use – 8/10
portability – 9/10
overall – 8.5… awww.. just give it a 9/10!..
HIGHLY recommended… but only for specific users… photo geeks,…. who want a GOOD POINT AND SHOOT… without worry of durability… get yourself a Nikon or Canon.