http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org en-us Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:22:13 -0500 http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-h50/ Sony DSC-H50 is a successor to its previous DSC-H9 super zoom digital camera in the form of the 9.0 megapixel Cyber-Shot DSC-H50. Along with the inevitable rise in pixel count the H50 has several improvements over its predecessor, including an ED lens element, user-selectable noise reduction (thank you Sony), white balance and color mode bracketing, and an upgraded DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) function. It also has an improved sports mode and, last but by no means least, Sony's unique 'smile shutter' and adult- or child-priority face detection.

This new model encompasses a powerful Carl Zeiss® 15x optical zoom lens with Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization to capture action at a distance. One of the main lens elements is manufactured from super low-dispersion glass, which helps it produce more exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image. The lens yields sharp, high-contrast images and reduces color fringing, even when shooting in telephoto ranges.

What is more, Cyber-shot DSC-H50 highlights a large, 3-inch tilting LCD screen so you can shoot comfortably from nearly any position, at low and high angles. Its scratch-resistant, UV hard-coat finish adds a premium look and feel that mirrors the performance of the model.

Its improved innovative sports shooting mode now uses a system to apply higher shutter speeds, up to 1/4000 of a second, more frequently than on previous models. This mode combines high shutter speeds with predictive continuous auto-focusing so you can quickly focus and capture fast-moving subjects with minimal shutter lag basically the time it takes for the camera to focus and shoot.

The camera’s versatile, long-distance flash is powerful enough to illuminate subjects more than 55 feet away (when using ISO 3200, wide angle). Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For example, a high setting used for portraits or night scenes can help produce smoothly textured images with reduced noise.

Sony's cutting-edge digital camera features extensive manual controls, including an exposure bracketing mode that newly includes settings for white balance and color modes. This function records three images, each with a different white balance or color mode applied, to help capture the ambience of the original scene.

The camera also encompasses intelligent features that help you take better pictures more easily. They include improved smile shutter and face detection technologies with child or adult priority recognition, as well as, intelligent scene recognition with standard and advanced modes to analyze shooting conditions and select the optimal setting automatically.

Additional helpful features consist of a new D-Range Optimizer (DRO) plus mode that applies a high image correction algorithm to retrieve more picture detail in bright highlights and dark shadows; NightShot® technology to help capture photos in virtually no light as well as infrared remote access; five color modes including “real” for less in-camera processing and more faithful color reproduction; in-camera editing features; advanced in-camera image management functions; improved slide show functions with longer music files; and HD component output for viewing photos on a compatible HDTV set.

This excellent model is the perfect choice for people looking for high zoom, high-resolution and speed.

Sony DSC-H50 specifications:
Optical Zoom: 15x
Digital Zoom: up to 30x Smart Zoom (dependent on selected resolution)
Camera Resolution: 9.1 MP
LCD screen size: 3.0-inch tilting TFT, 230K pixels, Clear Photo LCD Plus
Video capture: Yes
Focus Type: Autofocus
Focal Range Telephoto: 120 cm - infinity
Focus Length Telephoto: 465 cm
Macro Focus Range Telephoto: 120 cm - infinity
Lens Aperture Telephoto: f/8.0 cm
Aperture Priority: Yes
Flash Type: Built-in
Flash Range Telephoto: 120 - 550 cm (0.2 - 9.1m wide; 1.2 - 5.5m tele)
Flash Functions: Forced Flash, Auto Flash, Flash Off, Red-eye Reduction Flash, Slow Sync
ISO sensitivity: Auto, ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Max Shutter Speed: 1/4000th of a second
Min Shutter Speed: 30 seconds
Shutter Priority: Yes
White balance: Custom, Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Incandescent
Image Sensor Type: CCD
Image stabilization (Optical): Yes (Super SteadyShot technology)
Colour Viewfinder: Yes
Tripod Mount: Yes
Continuous Shot: Yes
Focal Range Wide: 1 cm - infinity
Macro Focus Range Wide: 1 cm - infinity
Focus Length Wide: 31 cm
Flash Range Wide: 20 - 910 cm
Lens Aperture Wide: f/2.7 cm
Digital video format: MPEG VX Fine (MPEG-1) / Standard
Video resolutions: 640 x 480 @ 30/16.6 fps MPEG-1 with audio and 320 x 240 @ 8.3 fps
Optical zoom can be used during movie recording
Storage: 15MB internal memory; Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo compatible
Power: Lithium-ion NP-BG1 battery with BC-CSG Charger
Dimensions: 116.1 x 81.4 x 86.0 mm (4.6 x 3.2 x 3.4 in)
Weight (including battery): 547 g (1 lb 3.3 oz) ]]> Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:55:32 -0400 http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-h50/ http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-dslr-a700/ Sony's a700 (or DSLR-A700) displays the evolution of the Maxxum SLR camera line after Sony's acquisition of Konica-Minolta technologies in 2005. The a700 is based on the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D yet expands that camera's capabilities with a myriad of new ideas from Sony. I suspect Sony and Minolta fans will be very excited by this camera.

The a700 DSLR ("a" = alpha) highlights a 12.24 megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor, Sony's "Creative Style modes", high-speed shooting, Super SteadyShot® image stabilization, Eye-Start® Autofocus system and Sony's latest cutting-edge Anti-Dust Technology to provide the photographer abundant new technology packed into a familiar, durable, magnesium alloy body that is dust and moisture resistant. Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 accepts Minolta a-mount lenses, Sony's “G” Series lenses with motorized auto focusing and Sony's wide-aperture zoom lenses. A new APS-C size, CMOS imager with on-chip noise-canceling provides the quality you need to make the most of all those high-performance lenses. Sony’s line of accessories include a new vertical grip. Equipped with buttons and switches to control most functions, it offers the same ease of operation as when shooting vertically. It even houses two InfoLithium® batteries. And you can choose from a long list professional-quality flash units and system accessories to fit every photographic requirement.

Innovative Sony's Super SteadyShot® stabilization technology moves the image sensor in response to camera shake, enabling every lens to benefit from automatic blur reduction. This technology can facilitate sharper images even in lower light or hand-held shots that would normally require a tripod. And the 40-segment honeycomb sensing system provides multi-pattern measuring for superior exposure control accuracy in a wide range of lighting conditions.

DSLR-A700 uses the Sony Bionz™ Image Processor. Utilizing hardware-based Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuitry, Bionz improves camera response time, handles Dynamic Range Optimization processing and prolongs battery life. The combination of the Bionz engine, a quick-response coreless motor to drive the shutter, and dual mirror stoppers to prevent mirror bounce all enable the alpha 700 to capture scenes at 3 - 5 fps, even shooting at full 12 megapixel resolution. Sony has optimized the Bionz processor to quickly process picture information and reduce noise in the RAW data stage, before final image compression and encoding. The results are high-resolution, detailed images with rich tonal reproduction.

The latest technologically advanced auto-focus system features 11 wide-area sensors, including a center dual cross sensor comprised of two horizontal and two vertical line sensors for exceptional AF precision. An F2.8 line sensor leverages the brightness of fast aperture lenses for even greater precision. The alpha 700 utilizes both a static-free anti-dust coating on the imager's filter and a anti-dust vibration system that automatically shakes the sensor to dislodge dust each time the camera is turned off.

And finally, The a700 uses Memory Stick Duo™ media cards compatible with the Memory Stick PRO-HG™ high-speed data transfer standard, and CompactFlash™ Type I/II media cards. The memory slots are compatible with the Ultra Direct Memory Access standard for up to 300x write speeds. Sony has introduced new 300x high-speed CompactFlash™ memory cards, ideal for high-end photographers requiring fast write speeds. The new models, available in 2GB or 8GB capacity, expand Sony’s current line of CompactFlash cards that also include 66X and 133X speeds, with capacities ranging from 1GB to 4GB.

In conclusion, I would say that I am already the Sony DSLR-A700 user and wish you do too. Imagine viewing your 12 megapixel quality images in its full resolution on a HDTV! And you don't have to wait, Sony company makes this ability available right now, just visit your local digital store!

DSLR-A700 Specifications:
Continuous 5 Frames-Per-Second Advance at 12.24 MP
Sony a Alpha/Minolta-A bayonet lens mount
Super SteadyShot® Image Stabilization
Rugged Magnesium Alloy Body
12.24 MP Exmor™ Imaging Sensor
XtraFine™ 3.0”1 LCD Screen with 921k Pixels
Bionz™ Image Processor
Eye-Start® Autofocus System
11-Point Center Dual Cross AF Sensor
Easy-to-Use Exposure Mode Dial
Anti-Dust Technology
PhotoTV HD Viewing with HDMI™ Output
Wireless Remote Control
Powerful Supplied Software
Dynamic Range Optimizer
Advanced Pentaprism Viewfinder
40-segment Honeycomb Sensing System
Up to 650 Shots with NP-FM500H InfoLithium® battery
Exif Print, Print Image Matching III, PictBridge, DPOF compatible
Storage: CompactFlash™ Type I/II media, Memory Stick Duo™ or Memory Stick PRO Duo™ ]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:14:18 -0400 http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-dslr-a700/ http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-w300/ Sony’s new Cyber-shot® DSC-W300 digital camera boasts an ultra-high 13.6-megapixel CCD imager along with a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen and an eye-level viewfinder in a compact size. With its ultra-hard titanium layer, the model present a premium look and finish that is highly-resistant to scratches and messy fingerprints.

The Cyber-shot W300 camera newly features an “extra high-speed” burst mode that can shoot three-megapixel photos at five frames per second, ideal for fast-action shooting of sports, pets or children. In addition to the blur-reducing effects of Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization, the camera also has a new “extra high sensitivity” mode (up to ISO 6400 in this mode only) to help minimize blurry photos when shooting in challenging lighting conditions, such as indoors or at twilight, even without a flash. Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For example, a low setting can help reduce noise without sacrificing resolution, making it ideal for landscapes and detailed subjects.

As the top-of-the-line model in the series, the W300 camera integrates the latest “intelligent” features that help users take improved pictures without difficulty. Sony’s Smile Shutter™ technology focuses on the faces of children or adults so that the camera takes the photo at the moment the envisioned subject smiles. Improved face detection technology can also concentrate on child or adult faces as the basis for the camera to apply focus, exposure, white balance and flash color controls for up to eight faces in the camera’s frame.

The model’s intelligent scene recognition technology automatically can identify five different types of scenes and optimize the camera settings for those conditions for a better photo. And advanced mode can take two shots almost immediately – one with standard automatic settings and the other with optimized settings.

The new DSC-W300 model has a variety of features to enhance picture quality. In addition to them are five color modes, including “real” for less in-camera processing and more faithful color reproduction; 12 scene selection modes with a new “underwater” mode that adjusts white balance for more natural-looking photos; Sony’s new D-Range Optimizer Plus that process picture to improve detail in photos with harsh highlights or dark shadows; and an improved auto focus system that includes macro ranges.

What's more, viewing and image management has been improved with useful date and calendar views, in-camera search by face or date, slide show with longer music files, and high-definition component output for viewing photos on a compatible HDTV set.

Cyber-shot DSC-W300 Specifications:

13.6 effective Megapixel CCD
F2.8-5.5, 3X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35 - 105 mm
Optical image stabilization
Ultra-compact body has "ultra-hard titanium coating"
2.7" LCD display (230k pixels) + optical viewfinder
Extra high-speed burst mode shoots 3MP photos at 5 frames/second
Extra high sensitivity mode boosts ISO to 6400
Same adjustable noise reduction, face/smile detection, D-Range Optimizer plus, movie mode as the H50 above
Uses NP-BG1/FG1 li-ion battery; 300 shots per charge
USB 2.0 High Speed supported
15MB onboard memory + MS Duo slot
Optional conversion lenses and HD video out cable

I highly recommend this ultra-compact and very high resolution DSC-W300 camera to Sony lovers, make your own charming with its extreme quality professional shots with ease! ]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:10:09 -0400 http://www.sonydigitalcameras.org/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-w300/