Sony on Wednesday announced the 5-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T1 digital camera and 2-megapixel Cyber-shot U40.
The Cyber-shot DSC-T1 digital camera, which measures 0.8 inches wide and 2.4 inches tall, sports a 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder that occupies approximately two-thirds of the camera’s back-surface area. The Cyber-shot T1 has auto-focus and auto-exposure options.
You can choose from eight different shooting modes depending on shooting conditions. In the Magnifying Glass scene mode, subjects that appear on the LCD screen are magnified up to 3.3 times, letting you see details that would otherwise be difficult to view with the naked eye. Other modes include twilight, portrait, landscape, snow, beach, high speed shutter and fireworks.
The camera also has a 3X optical zoom, USB connectivity and rechargeable Infolithium battery system. With optional Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, the T1 camera can capture and play back high resolution moving images in MPEG-VX Fine mode. The Cyber-shot T1 camera will be available in January for US$550.
Also due in January for about $200, the Cyber-shot U40 camera will come in four colors: silver, black, dark blue and red. About the size of a candy bar, the camera accepts both the ultra small Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick Duo flash memory cards.
The U40 model has pre-flash metering for capturing a subject with a scenic background under low-light conditions. It illuminates the subject and calculates exposure through the lens directly from the CCD for accurate flash metering. There’s also adjustable flash level and red-eye reduction.
In MPEG Movie Mode, the camera can capture up to 15 seconds of MPEG video in 160 x 112 pixel resolution. The U40’s reflective LCD absorbs and reflects the ambient light through the LCD to improve brightness outdoors. It comes with rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) AAA Stamina batteries, an external charger and USB connectivity. With a USB connection, you can print your images directly with any PictBridge compatible printer. PictBridge is an open standard that allows users to print directly from digital cameras to a printer.