Cybershot
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Sony intros the Cyber-shot DSC-H50 "super zoom" camera
Sony is no stranger to digital cameras, as the company has professed in its press release detailing the Cyber-shot DSC-H50, a new 9.1-megapixel shooter that should have camera fans perking up their ears. The new model -- a successor to the DSC-H9 "super zoom" camera -- sports a Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch tilting LCD display, ISO to 3200, and a long-distance flash (capable of lighting subjects from 55 feet away). The DSC-H50 also has an "advanced sports" shooting mode which allows it to utilize ultra-high shutter speeds (like 1/4000 of a second). The camera is expected to go on sale in May, and will only slightly break the bank at $400.
Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson K850i
For most, the thought of spending $500 or more on a phone conjures one of two images: a high-end, do-it-all smartphone, or for 98 percent of the populace, insanity. There's a rare breed out there, though, that'll gladly shell out serious dough to get that ultimate, well executed, gorgeous, glossy phone delivered from the furthest reaches of the globe. Notice we said "phone" -- not smartphone -- and that's a key distinction here. The Sony Ericsson K850i blurs that line in some respects, but at the end of the day, you're paying some serious dinero for a powerful piece of kit that's still fundamentally tied down by its closed, proprietary platform. Yep, that's right, the K850i's a dumbphone -- albeit one of the hottest dumbphones we've ever seen or used, complete with triband HSDPA. So is the price justified? Does Sony Ericsson have any business stuffing this much power into a non-UIQ handset to begin with? We're pretty sure it's "yes" on both counts; read on to find out why.Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!%Gallery-9369%
Sony's Cyber-shot T200 gets its first review
You may remember Sony's new Cyber-shot T200 from way back at IFA, where we had the great and terrible pleasure of getting our grubby mitts all over it. Well, CNET Asia has gotten their mitts on the device for a thorough review, and we thought we'd bring you the many, many highlights. Overall, they seem to like the design, but aren't crazy about the loss of some buttons, which they say makes the camera feel a little cramped, though the large, 3.5-inch touchscreen display makes up for it. The camera's smile detection -- which is one of its more novel features -- is reported to be inaccurate and touchy, and the speed of startup and first shot on the T200 apparently leaves something to be desired. CNET says that the camera's image quality is "decent," but that they detected noise at ISO 400, and anything past ISO 800 was a nasty mess. Overall, they're not in love, but they do seem to be feeling a strong "like." Browse on over and catch the whole review.[Thanks, emuROM]
Sony's Cyber-shot T200 and T70 get officialer
Sweet Jeebus, just look at that. That's the clean, sexy backside of Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T200 -- all official and turned out for your insolent, touch-screen grubbing pleasures. We won't bother covering all the specs again. After all, what's important here isn't the quality of the snaps, it's how good you'll look while shooting 'em. The DSC-T200 and its DSC-T70 little bro ship in September for $400 and $300, respectively -- pre-orders start tomorrow. %Gallery-6222%
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-H3: an 8 megapixel, 10x zoomer
While everyone is pining over the new Canons (and rumored Nikons), Sony has quietly unveiled their Cybershot DSC-H3. Of course, it doesn't warrant the comparable fuss. This latest super-zoom to go point-and-shoot brings a 1/2.5-inch, 8 megapixel sensor; 10x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens; optical image stabilization; ISO 3200 sensitivity; and 1080p image out via a multi-use AV terminal which requires -- you guessed it -- a $40 proprietary component conversion cable from Sony. Thanks. Still, not bad for $300. Pre-orders for US-itizens start tomorrow. %Gallery-6223%[Via Akihabara News]
Sony Ericsson's K850 successor in the wild?
A Chinese site has scored pictures of what is claimed to be the successor to the recently-released K850, in turn the successor to the lauded K800 "Wilma" that ushered in Sony's "Cyber-shot" camera branding to the world of handsets. Actually, all they really managed to score was the device's shell, which reveals a couple interesting tidbits: it'll maintain the K850's bizarre square keys, and it alleges to sport a 3x optical zoom. With that kind of lens power, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that there'll be a 5 megapixel sensor lurking under that protective cover (if not greater), making Sony Ericsson's next round of product announcements a potential boon for shutterbugs. Stay tuned.[Via Gearfuse]
Sony Ericsson's "Victoria" gets official as the Cyber-shot K770
She's here and right on schedule. Meet Victoria, Sony Ericsson's latest candybar to wear the Cyber-shot crown. Officially unveiled as the K770, the 14-mm thin cameraphone features a 3.2 megapixel, autofocus camera with LED photo light, and 1.9-inch QVGA display just like we heard. It ships with a 256MB M2 card and goes tri-band GSM with 2100MHz UMTS 3G for Europe. She's expected sometime around Q4 for an undisclosed price. Check the full gallery over at Engadget Mobile.
Sony offers repair on 416,000 Cyber-shot cameras
Sony announced plans today to offer repairs on the casings of 416,000 Cyber-shot DSC-T5 digital cameras the company has sold, as the bottom plating can warp and create a sharp edge which can cut or scratch user's hands. The repairs will affect 66,000 of the cameras sold in Japan, and another 350,000 which have been sold in the US, Europe, and China. A Sony spokesperson says about 30 customers in Japan and several others overseas reported "finding" the defect, which probably means a trip to the ER after trying to take a family photo. The company suggests checking model and serial numbers to see if your camera is affected -- we suggest leather gloves.
Gracenote trumps Sony Ericsson -- announces W910, W960, and K850
Oh my. Looks like Gracenote has unintentionally stolen Sony Ericsson's thunder by outing their phones before SE's "next big thing" later today. According to their press release, Gracenote's mobile music service will be embedded on the "new Walkman models W910, W960 and the K850 Cyber-shot." Of course, there's still some mystery as we don't yet know which internal codename -- Sofia, Maria/Mooi, Shinobu, or possibly others -- matches up with those new product numbers. As to Gracenote, well they'll provide search and discovery, song ID and playlisting, and allow users to transfer music between home libraries, on-line music stores, and their new SE phones. But really, it's only the phones you're interested in right? Update: Well, well now BelgiqueMobile seems to have the leaked pics and specs: 5 megapixel cybershot K850i with HSDPA/EDGE; W910 HSDPA Walkman 3.0 slider with 2 megapixel camera; W960 Walkman Touch player with UIQ 3.1, WiFi, and 3.2 megapixel camera. There's more, but not more if you knowwhutamean?[Thanks, Thomas B. and CedricG]
Sony Ericsson K850i spotted and detailed
Hungarian website Terminal.hu looks to have scored a couple of pics of Sony Ericsson's yet-to-be-announced K850i Cybershot handset, which appears to boasts some specs similar to the company's rumored "Sophia" device. The most notable of which is is the handset's front-and-center 5-megapixel camera with a xenon flash, which gets backed up by a second 640 x 480 camera if that's a little too much for you. Otherwise, the tri-band handset gets some impressive if not all that unusual specs, with QVGA display of unspecified size, GPRS and UMTS connectivity, and Bluetooth (with A2DP), but apparently not WiFi, as was rumored with the Sophia. All that's squeezed into a slim 4.6 x 1.9 x 0.5 inch, candybar-style package. While there's no word on an exact release date just yet, it'll apparently make its debut sometime this spring, with an announcement possible as soon as CeBIT this week.[Via Unwired View, thanks Staska]
Sony's Cybershot G1 is finally official
Ah, there you are sweet, sweet Cybershot G1. No surprises here, just like we saw in those leaked catalog images weeks ago, the G1 brings a range of novelties like 802.11b/g WiFi, 2GB of on-board storage, biggie 3.5-inch LCD, DLNA compliance, and slideshows with music. Hell, we hear it'll even take pictures and record MPEG-4 video in VGA quality courtesy of the 6 megapixel sensor. With FCC approval out of the way earlier today, the cam is certain to hit on schedule in April for a $600 MSRP. Too bad the LCD isn't touch-sensitive like a couple of Sony's other Cybershot cams. We'll try to get hands on with it later in the day from the PMA show in Vegas baby, Las Vegas. Stay tuned.Read -- FCCRead -- G1
New Sony Cybershot DSC-T20 and T100 targeted towards party crowd
As part of their batch-release of new Cybershots, Sony introduces the 8-megapixel DSC-T20 and DSC-T100, "destined to be the fashionista crowd's favorite party companion," at less than 0.5-inches thick. The T100 is a slight upgrade with its 3-inch LCD screen and 5x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens, while the T20 sports a 2.5-inch LCD and 3x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens. Both come with three accessory options for high def photo viewing, all compatible with Sony's VMC-MHC1 HD component cable for an easy connection to an HDTV set or to Sony's CSS-HD1 high definition Cyber-shot Station that includes a bundled component cable and remote. They also offer Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization, up to ISO 3200, and a Bionz processing engine, initially used in Sony's Alpha DSLR system, that allows users to "keep snapping for the duration of the party" -- about 340 shots for the T20 and 380 shots for the T100, on a full charge. Keeping with this party-hardy theme, both also feature Sony's face detection technology, automatically adjusting white balance, flash, focus and exposure while identifying up to eight faces in the LCD frame. The color selection, of course, will "match your party gear" with coordinating cases sold separately. The T100 will ship in March for about $400 while the T20 will be available later in April for about $330.%Gallery-1825%
Sony's DSC-H7 / DSC-H9 CyberShots get official, pack 15x optical zoom
If you're here for surprises, you're not apt to leave satisfied, but if you're interested in a few extra deets on Sony's latest duo of megazoom digicams, this is the spot. Set to replace the DSC-H2 and DSC-H5 just about one year after their respective releases, Sony once again did a horrendous job keeping the DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 on the low, but we're not complaining or anything. Anyways, future H7 / H9 owners can look forward to a Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens, 8.1-megapixel sensor, face detection technology, HDTV output, the ability to shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, Bionz processing engine (seen in the Alpha lineup), Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization, up to ISO 3200, and red-eye reduction. The H9 steps it up ever so slightly by adding a three-inch flip-up LCD (compared to the H7's 2.5-inch rendition) and Sony's own NightShot technology, which purportedly allows photographers to snap legible shots even in dark alleys. Notably, neither camera sports any kind of movie mode whatsoever, and those hoping to shoot in RAW will also be sorely disappointed, but if you're fine with those two oversights and the massive zoom tickles your stalking instincts, both cameras will be landing in April for $400 (DSC-H7) / $480 (DSC-H9). %Gallery-1827%
Sony fesses up, Cybershot W series gets official
Not many surprises here, Sony's W series comes in the 7.2 megapixel DSC-W80, 8 megapixel DSC-W90 and 12 megapixel DSC-W200 flavors we spotted before, but instead of the HDMI plug we were hearing about, the three cameras output their HD wares via a component adapter. Everything else seems to be in line, like 3x zoom lenses, 2.5-inch LCDs, optical image stabilization, ISO 3200, and face detection for boosting exposure and focus. Pre-orders start February 28th, and the W80 and W90 should be available sometime in March, with the W200 following in May. Prices aren't bad for what these things are packing, with the W200 at $400, W90 $300 and the W80 for $250.%Gallery-1820%
Sony Cybershot G1 digital camera detailed
That batch of new Sony Cybershots let loose this morning was quite a bit to digest all at once, so we thought we'd take a minute to go over one of the more interesting of the still-to-be-officially-announced cameras in greater detail, namely, the Cybershot G1. Apart from that new (for Sony) model name, the camera's particularly notable for its big 3.5-inch (or possibly 3-inch) LCD and uncommonly spacious 2GB of internal memory. Though less unusual, the camera's other specs are also nothing to sneeze at, with a decent 6 megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tesar lens, built-in WiFi, and Sony's usual SteadyShot and Anti-Blur features. Still not clear, unfortunately, is the price, although as we mentioned earlier, that should be revealed by the end of the month.
Engadget Exclusive: Sony's 2007 Cybershot lineup
That's right, we've got 'em -- catalog shots for Sony's 2007 Cybershot line-up of digital cameras. Go ahead, check the new T20HDPR, T100, T20, H9, H7, G1 (pictured), W200, and W90 Cybershots -- you won't be sorry. All the new cams bring Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization and HD output to the show in addition to a hot mix of features spread out across the line; these include such notables as 802.11b/g WiFi with DLNA support, 2GB on-board memory for music playback, a 3-inch tilt-screen LCD, 3.5-inch (yes, 3.5-inch!) LCD, a couple of 15x optical zooms, face-detection technology, and BIONZ image processing -- good to know. Judging by the pics, we can expect a formal, pre-PMA show announcement from Sony on 27 February. Check the gallery below for all the details.%Gallery-1709%[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Sony goes PMA crazy, planning seven more Cybershots
We were already feeling the Cybershot love with the DSC-W80, W90 and W200 Sony foisted upon us today, but it appears those aren't the whole story. Sony is planning at least seven more Cybershot cameras for PMA 07 this March: The DSC-T100, H9, G1, W60, W85, T20 and H7. The main surprise in this group is the G1, the rest of 'em appear to be natural extensions to current lines. Obviously the W80, W90 and W200 didn't really bring a lot of surprises other than the HDMI ports on the latter two, and we aren't really expecting much different from the W60 and W85, though we do know the W60 will fit into the W80's underwater housing. The T100, which we hear has an 8.1 megapixel CCD and 3200 ISO, and its T20 buddy are most likely fashionable shooters of the T10 or T30's ilk, while the H9 and H7 probably pick up where those mid-range H5 and H2 Cybershots left off. The mysterious G1 eludes us, but we've spotted a £319 ($622 US) pricetag, which would put this thing pretty far into the upper-tier price wise. From the looks of things, Sony's evolution-centric lineup isn't going to turn many heads at PMA, but perhaps Sony still has some fancy surprises still up its sleeves -- like a new Alpha camera, oh pretty please?
Sony's Cybershot DSC-W80: their latest 7.2 megapixel camera?
Out of the gates early for PMA (Photo Marketing Association) 2007, we've got rumors of the latest Sony Cybershot, the DSC-W80. The cam's already made its appearance on a few German and Dutch web sites and certainly makes sense as the successor to the 7.2 megapixel W70 launched at last year's show. However, instead of 8 megapixels like you might expect, we're still talking that same 7.2-megapixel, 1/2.5-inch CCD (which won't help improve the high rates of noise above ISO 200 any), 3x optical zoom, and 2.5-inch LCD. Other than a new ISO 3200 sensitivity and slightly larger chassis -- up from 89 x 57 x 23-mm to 91 x 58 x 23-mm -- there isn't anything new on the surface to report. No one's sayin' but perhaps they've added some optical image stabilization to bring these in-line with most other compact shooters in this range. We've also got rumors of a new Cybershot DSC-W60 and Cybershot DSC-W90 -- both unannounced and both said to work with a new SPK-SA underwater case (pictured after the break). The W80 is expected to hit in April for around €280/$368. As to the rest... well, the PMA show starts March 8th so we'll know soon enough. [Via Let's Go Digital, thanks David]
Sony Ericsson's K810 and K550 Cybershot phones: slim 3.2 and 2.0 megapixel shooters
So in addition to the W880 Walkman, Sony Ericsson dropped a couple of slim Cyber-shot phones into the mix today with the introduction of their new K810 (on left) and K550 Cyber-shot handsets. The feature rich 17-mm K810 boasts an image stabilized 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and Xenon flash. The K550 packs just a good shootin' 2.0 megapixel cam and LED photo light but does so in a 14-mm form factor. Both devices bring an RM radio with RDS and support for Memory Stick Mico (M2) cards. The K810 has a second cam up front for video calls and goes UMTS 2100 and GSM 900/1800/1900 -- available beginning Q2 2007 in Europe and Asia. The K550 is a quad-band EDGE device that launches in North America from Q2 2007. Er, can we choose again? %Gallery-1479%
Sony Ericsson's SO903iTV Bravia mobile gets real
Don't you love it when the rumor mill actually produces some realizable results? While just about everyone had their doubts about the so-called "Bravia phone" that was supposedly coming down the pike, it looks like Sony, er, Sony Ericsson's SO903iTV will be the first handset to get the proper Bravia treatment. Aside from sporting a stylish red shell, landscape orientation, 3-inch widescreen display, and about every Sony-owned logo you can imagine, this mobile also gets a built-in TV tuner with "time-shift video recording." You'll also find a two-megapixel CMOS camera and a microSD card for loading up your media, but unfortunately for most of the world, we'll never get to touch it. Currently, the phone is set to launch solely on Japan's NTT DoCoMo, but given enough time, Sony might warm up to other markets in the future. Click on through for another shot.
