Sony Cybershot W380

Recently launched, the Sony Cybershot (Cyber-shot) DSC-W380 is a compact digital camera that packs an impressive punch. With a plethora of features to help produce stunning images the Sony Cybershot W380 is certainly a technologically adept compact camera. Here is a breakdown of the specs and features for all those snappers out there.

In terms of features the Cybershot W380 boasts 14.1 megapixels for superb detail as well as five times optical zoom and a 24mm wide angle for enhanced group shots and landscapes. Additionally a 720p HD movie mode has been added with a Clear Photo LCD measuring 2.7 inches to view images and video. These features however pale in comparison to some of the clever technologies that have been included in the DSC-W380.

The Sweep Panarama feature

The Intelligent Auto mode has been improved to allow for simplistic set up and better results. The self portrait mode is extremely well crafted, drastically improving photographic results from arm’s length whilst the face detection feature will automatically adjust exposure, focus and white balance as well as recognise children and adults. Optical Steady Shot makes an appearance to reduce blur and the BIONZ processor is included to provide fast shooting and low-noise images. Finally Sweep Panorama, the new technology from Sony that stitches together images to create large, wide ranging vistas is also included.

All of this technology is housed within a compact shell of around three and a half by two inches making the Cybershot W380 easily portable and well equipped enough to produce decent photographic results. The DSC-W380 is priced around £200.

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2. The Ultimate in DSLR’s – Sony A500 and A550 Alpha Product Feature
3. TransferJet, a New Feature for the Sony Cyber-shot HX5

Sony Dash, Alarm Clock 2.0 and so much more

The Sony Dash, introduced at the CES show, could be forgiven for being a glorified alarm clock – Alarm Clock 2.0 if you like.  That simply does not do the device justice, it really is so much more than that.  How many times have any of us fired up the laptop and sat there blindly watching YouTube videos, stealthily invading the privacy of our friends lives on Facebook or flicked through last nights pictures that you hope won’t invade your privacy on the aforementioned social network?  It seems a bit wasteful of a laptops function to perform relatively mundane tasks like these and Sony believe you needn’t harness the power of a modern laptop just to enjoy casual pass-times on the Internet.  Enter, Sony Dash.

The fun-sized gizmo is as welcome in the kitchen while you’re burning toast or the garage while you re-arrange your toolbox in preparation for day you might actually use it.  Play music over you home network or ensure you’re not missing that tweet, anywhere in your house.  Widgets installed on the device add functionality so you’ll know what the weather is going to be like or get the latest news from your RSS feeds.

Now NetFlix have announced support for the Dash too which is begining to make this glorified alarm clock look like a complete replacement for the laptop you aren’t using to its potential.  The ability to watch movies, or more likely skim through trailers, makes this both a revolution and evolution of the alarm clock – I can’t look at my aging Sony Dream Machine again.  Put me down for a Sony Dash!

We have established that the Dash is brilliant and what’s more it will only cost $199 -  Sony have gone mad!  Good-mad though as this is an absolute bargain for a device that brings value to itself in more than a couple of ways.  In todays money your $199 translates to £129, add the mysterious UK levy on electronics that manufacturers like to justify and you’re conceivably going to pay around £149 for this over.  So, when and where can you get this useful gadget in good ol’ Blighty?  You can’t.

Tragically the Sony Dash is only available in the US, and possibly Canada, and there are no plans to release the evolved Alarm Clock anywhere else.  All we can do is hope the Americans buy it in droves and the decision makers at Sony are offered up a ‘no-brainer’ choice to release the Dash worldwide.  So to Sony in North America we say “I Can Haz Dash Plz?”

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Sony Alpha DSLR Cameras

Both the Sony A500 and Sony A550 certainty pack a punch in the world of DSLR’s, both are available on the market currently and offer a vast array of specs – so what sets the two intermediate level DSLR’s apart from one another, I attempt to provide an insight…

Both the Sony A500 and Sony A550 form part of the A5 series of Sony DSLR cameras, the Sony A550 being the pricer & slightly more technical of the two counterparts. Visually, and almost technically they offer the same to the user experience – solid, with good handling, packed full of features. Paramount to both include the EXMOR CMOS sensor with Bionz Processor meaning the user can photograph away in low light environments and combined with an ISO range of 200-12800 both DSLR’s deliver high resolution images.

The best of all the marketed features in terms of usability inherent in both the Sony A500 and Sony A550 seems to me to be the Auto HDR technology, which merges together two exposures to automatically produce a single HDR image with a natural tonal range – eliminating the need for editing software to make your photographs picture perfect.

If you are stuck between shelling out for either, the added features of the Sony A550 may just clinch the deal.  14.2 megapixels over the Sony A500 12.3, a 3” Xtra Fine LCD Screen with 922,000 pixels meaning you can photograph and alter the focus and exposure, confidently relying on the LCD.  And last but not least the Sony A550 offers up to 7fps in speed priority mode to further enhance fast shooting situations, whereas the Sony A500 is limited to 5fps.

The approximate price of the Sony A500 is around £620, and the Sony A500 is marked at around £750 (with 18-55mm lens kit).

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1. Sony Unveil Concept Compact Alpha Camera at PMA 2010
2. Sony Cybershot DSC-W380; Product Feature
3. Sony Cybershot DSC-TX7 Product Feature

bloggie with the 360° lens adapter

Sony bloggie may appear to be something of a toy at first glance but look a bit further and its potential becomes very apparent. On the face of it bloggie appears to be no more capable than your average mobile phone with its candy-bar form factor but the appearance of bloggie is actually one of its strengths. It’s immediately accessible given that the form factor is used daily by so many people with their phone meaning picking it up and using the device is very natural. Add to that high definition video recording and the eye-popping 360° camera feature and bloggie becomes a must have for recording moments from parties, concerts or the weekend evening in the pub. bloggie, as its name suggests, is a very sociable, web-enabled tool.

bloggie comes with an excellent array of features that all make the device almost universally relevant – this is not a gadget that you’ll buy and drop in the cupboard that has become a graveyard of ‘good idea at the time’ tech. HD video capture records at full 1080 high definition and does so at the touch of a button, it’s remarkably easy to use.

A more than capable 5 megapixel still camera captures single images as you would expect a Cyber-shot to, Sony’s experience in this field really comes through making what seems to be a low spec camera produce strong images. Of course, we like to think that the days of mega pixels selling cameras are over but unfortunately some buyers might be put off by the seemingly low pixel count. In truth 5MP will capture an image that prints 8 x 10 inches at 300 ppi. Sacrifice resolution and you can double that again! What’s required here is a quality image sensor and bloggie delivers.

bloggie 360° adapter and product detail

Okay, so you’ve seen all this before so why do you want a bloggie? 360° panoramas are the bloggie’s killer app and the PM5K model comes with a lens adapter to capture an all-around scene that can be uploaded to YouTube or your blog with alarming ease. These panoramas will wow you and those seeing your work. bloggie effectively breathes a new lease of life into sharing video and photo. It’s no novelty either, there is serious fun to be had with this feature and bloggie makes it as easy as possible to put your videos and images on to the Internet or stored at home on your computer.

bloggie may seem a niche product at first, but very quickly it becomes evident that this device has a place that is distinctly its own. It’s light years ahead of mobile phone cameras in terms of quality and sits nicely in a disparate market between digital cameras and Handycams. bloggie is a gadget for keeps that goes beyond the limitations of a compact but remains firmly pocketable and delivers sharp HD video in an instant.

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Sony Cyber-shot TX7, a new standard in Compact Cameras!

News of the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX7 reached us here at Sony-Insights about a month ago. Launched at CES the slim-line DSC-TX7 has now reached the review stage and it has certainly impressed both experts and users. The Sony Cybershot TX7 has been developed to improve upon the existing TX1 and includes some features that will doubtlessly impress photographers.

In terms of specs, consumers are provided with a 10.2 megapixel CMOS sensor that incorporates the Sony Exmor R technology for outstanding low light performance. The TX7 also provides a 3.5 inch screen, fast video capture utilising the AVCHD format and Sony’s new technology, the intelligent Sweep Panorama. This new tech allows users to snap wondrous panoramic photographs with an intelligent stitching system. In addition the Carl Zeiss lens offers 4x optical zoom and the touch-screen interface has been specifically designed with ease of use and intuitive functionality in mind. Finally the stereo microphone allows for sound recording whilst the HDMI output means your images and videos can be displayed easily. For those with fashion in mind the Cybershot TX7 is also available in a range of three colours.

The Cybershot DSC-TX7 is certainly packed full of features, most impressive however has to be the incorporation of the TransferJet technology that allows for close proximity, high speed wireless data transferral between devices.

Reviews from both professionals and customers are now filtering through. Overall these seem to be positive, some customers are simply overawed by the quality and specifications of the TX7, particularly the fact that it is able to record video in high definition and it incorporates a responsive touch screen. Others are equally impressed by the fact that this compact digital camera uses the more inexpensive SD memory cards rather than Sony’s proprietary equivalents.  The general consensus in the reviews is that the Cybershot DSC-TX7 is extremely well equipped, packing in all the features that you would need from a compact and then some, it is also considered to be easy to use and well styled. The Sony Cybershot is available in Red, Blue or Silver and is priced at around the £380 mark.

Related posts:

1. Sony Cybershot DSC-W380; Product Feature
2. The Ultimate in DSLR’s – Sony A500 and A550 Alpha Product Feature
3. TransferJet, a New Feature for the Sony Cyber-shot HX5