Sony welds back-illuminated EXMOR technology into two brand new Cyber-shot digial compact cameras. Meet the new low light-hungry Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1.
Sony's "EXMOR R" technology has finally drifted into the land of compact digital cameras, and the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 are here to bring all of the back-illuminated, low-light pummeling goodness to the table. We've seen great things from the Sony HDR-XR520V camcorder, a monster that cranked out the best low light performance of the year in the consumer camcorder circuit. Hopefully, the new compacts will manage to place the EXMOR legacy into the hands of those who are looking to document a racy night out at the club or dimly-lit concert. We're seeing a major push toward the development of compacts that specialize in advanced low light sensitivity, including the recently announced Fujifilm Finepix F70EXR and S200EXR.
Sony claims the new "EXMOR R" CMOS equipped Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 compacts will offer "twice the sensitivity of cameras with traditional image sensors," and higher image quality with drastically reduced grain. We'd believe it after seeing the Sony HDR-XR520V in action, for some of our testing at night looked like b-roll for a major motion picture. It's all in the circuitry, and Sony is able to achieve this low light triumph by mounting the core sensor veins behind the light-sensitive photo diodes, so as not to diminish the sensor's ability to reach in an scoop up buckets of light. The cameras will feature hand-held Twilight and Anti-Motion Blur Multi-Shot modes for even more low light sensitivity action, and up to six frames per second in burst mode.
Like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1, the DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 will have Panorama Sweep mode, which allows the shooter to point, capture, and pan to record frames in a sequence that will be welded together, courtesy of the BIONZ imaging processor. The Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 will be able to capture 185-degree panorama shots while the Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 can capture 256-degree panorama shots, both at ultra-wide 7152x1080 resolutions. We had mediocre luck with Panorama Sweep mode, so we're hoping the new compacts will improve upon this idea.
While both cameras will feature 10-megapixel sensors, there are a few divergences between Sony's first back-illuminated compacts. First off, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 went to modeling school with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900, flaunting a sleek sliding faceplate and 16.5mm ultra-thin body. A new 3-inch LCD spans the back of the camera, this time with revamped functionality such as a flickable interface. Nikon's new Coolpix S70's touch-screen LCD raises the bar with the ability to pinch and spread to zoom in and out, and we're seeing a definite iPhone-inspired push slithering its way into the realm of the digital camera interface. The Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 will offer a 4x optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens with 0.4-inch Macro capability and Sony's Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 cranks it up a notch on the performance belt with a Sony G lens that can achieve an impressive 24mm wide-angle distance, 5x optical zoom and minimum aperture of f/2.4. We get a standard 2.7-inch LCD in back, and the camera measures just three quarters of an inch thin. Both cameras will feature the most recent Sony technologies, such as Intelligent Auto mode, Intelligent Scene mode, and Face Detection. The new Pet mode will make its way onto both "EXMOR R" shooters, as well as old standbys like Smile Shutter, Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) and 720p HD video recorded in the MPEG4 format.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 will ship this September for $380 and will be available in Silver, Grey, Pink and Blue. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is set to ship in September as well for $350 and will be available in black. Presales will begin in August.
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