hi people what do you think of the Sony Cybershot DSC-T100 thinking about purchasing one looks good i think but specs of a camera am not to up on i.e. shutter speed dont really understand that jargon?

Cheers

Review

The Sony DSC T100 offers something different from the typical pocket sized digital camera. This is because it has a longer than standard 5x zoom lens. This means that it can zoom in closer to distant objects than the majority of digital cameras that fit into a pocket. The DSC T100 has eight megapixels and is generally easy to use.

Image Quality Sony DSC T100 test shots

The DSC T100 handles the standard outdoor shots pretty well. I especially like the look of the first test photo. This is taken with around 50 - 60% of the zoom used. My feeling is that the lens works at its best around this level. The photo is sharp and stays sharp as you move towards the edges. There is a small loss of detail on the boats where the sun scores a direct hit. Taking the conditions and the time of day the photo was taken into account this is understandable and it is a better result than other cameras manage. I really like the balance of the colours in this shot.

The second test shot is taken with the lens zoomed out completely. This is the weakest shot of the three outdoor photos and the scene is a bit distant for the camera to focus easily. There are also very small areas of darkness showing right in the corners of the shot.

My next test is with the lens zoomed right in to its maximum capacity. By comparing this shot with those taken with other cameras you can see the benefit of the longer lens. Focusing is good although a small amount of noise creeps into the sky. Zooming in also manages to reduce the strength of the colours.

Aside from the third outdoor test shot I think the strength of the colours is about right. As you can see from my specific colour test no one colour stands out to the detriment of others.

Colours also work well in the outdoor portrait shot. The balance is good and there is enough colour in the skin tones and in general to give the photo some life.

The indoor portrait is another with plenty of colour. The DSC T100 has done a great job of focusing in the conditions and the photo is bright without blasting out all the detail. The only problem is the degree of red eye. This is something I have come to expect from Sony digital cameras and suggests a powerful flash unit. The obvious downside of the power is that it rebounds the light directly back into the lens causing the high degree of red eye.

Even in extreme lowlight the DSC T100 is able to focus successfully as illustrated by my shot of beer bottles. The shot could be brighter, but considering how dark it is when I take the shot it is a very good effort.

If I was serious about close up or macro photography this is not the type of camera I would buy. I would go for something with a larger lens. Nevertheless the macro shot is above average and my only real complaint is that a touch of purple shows up in places.

I have started to see an improvement with the latest batch of digital cameras when it comes to taking photos using a higher ISO setting. At ISO 400 the DSC T100 handles this level quite well. There is noise in the photo as I would expect, but it is certainly lower than with earlier Sony models I have tested. The maximum ISO setting is 3200. This level is a step too far and picture quality is low.

Shutter Lag

The DSC T100 is one of the fastest compact digital cameras around. I managed to take a single photo in 0.18 seconds and five in 6.99 seconds. Both are very fast times. After turning the flash on I was able to take a single photo in 0.33 seconds. This is about a standard time for most cameras when the flash is off, so you can see how good this camera is. It was a little slower to reel of five photos. This took 14.83 seconds.

Style: It is available in black silver and red. With its sliding lens cover I really like the look of the DSC T100 and feel it is one of the more stylish pocket sized cameras.

Dimensions: 91.8 x 59.2 x 22.3mm.

Weight: 141g

Batteries: Lithium ion. Battery and charger supplied. Sony suggest you should be able to take in the region of 340 shots between charges.

Memory cards: 31mb built in memory (enough for around fourteen photos). Also compatible with Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Duo Pro cards

Ease of use rating: Very Good - This is one of the more simple cameras.

Points I like:

Design - low shutter lag - ease of use

Where it could improve:

Red eye

Verdict:

Overall the Sony DSC T100 is well worth considering. I am sure the longer than standard lens will come in handy and this camera is superior to other pocket sized cameras I have tested with similar length lenses.

Sony DSC T100 Review

full review there

I've been using a Sony Cybershot P10 for around 5 years now and it's been faultless. In that time I've taken it on four residential school trips so it's seen beaches, mud flats, marshes, castles, and various weather conditions. It's also done the initial photography for two school calendars.

In that time I've taken over 6500 photos and been fairly happy. Battery life is my only concern with it but I believe the newer Sony cameras have sorted that particular issue a little better.

I am thinking about upgrading to a DSLR but that's more something to play with (it certainly wouldn't be taken near mud flats!!) but I'm going to keep the cybershot for riskier locations.

I'd say go for it, but do make sure you get a decent capacity memory card.

1st You have to decide what you are going to use the camera for - that should determine the type and specification.

2nd - bear in mind if you buy a camera that has, for instance, a super long zoom then you would end up using that 'option' quite a lot.

Several review sites (IMHO the better ones)

This guy has Dave's picks - for students on budget, superzoom, family, and on and on

Digital Cameras, Digital Camera Reviews - The Imaging Resource!

Megapixel.net

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu

Digital Camera Product Reviews: Digital Photography Review

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraList.php3

and then do a

PriceRunner UK - Compare Prices and Find Best Deals Online

BTW if you need a camera that takes good pictures under lowish light conditions without the flash then you need to look at the high ISO pics (ISO 800, ISO 1600) - the Fuji range seem to be very good in this respect - almost approaching DSLR cameras.

thanks for the opion guys and neil mate i have found a website that sells that camera with leather case and 2gb memory card for 245 delivered bargain

Enjoy