Sony Cybershot DSC-TX55 Touch Screen CMOS Compact

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 compact camera

This new Cybershot is based upon an effective 16.2 megapixel, back-lighted Exmor R Sony CMOS sensor, combined with a prism-folded 5x Vario-Tessar Carl Zeiss brand optical zoom lens. While the actual focal lengths vary from 4.7 through 23.5mm, producing a 26 to 130mm 35mm focal length equivalent range. The maximum aperture runs from f/3.5 at the wide end to f/4.8 at the telephoto length, and includes the Sony Optical SteadyShot stabilization system, helpful for minimizing blur created by camera shake.

When compared with the previous TX100V cameral, the TX55 features a much slimmer case, at only 12.2mm with the sliding lens stop being excluded. To get a feel for just how slim that is, Sony expresses the TX55 case as flanked by the depth of an ordinary AA battery ,and the thickness of a typical pencil (usually around 7mm), while it's somewhat closer to the battery thickness than the pencil. According to Sony, the TX55 is the thinnest camera in the world featuring an anti-shake optical function.

The back panel of the TX55 features a nXtraFine Organic 3.3-inch LED monitor. This display also functions as the only device for framing and checking images, as the TX55 doesn't provide an optical viewfinder. Additionally the touch panel overlay allows for controlling of several camera functions directly through the LCD. A new fast-speed linear autofocus contrast detection system lets the DSC-TX55 come up with a focus lock in a scant 0.1 seconds.

New for the TX55 is a Clear Image digital zooming feature based upon what Sony calls "By Pixel Super Resolution" engineering. Essentially is a more intuitive edition of the typical digital zoom that compares images with a onboard database of undetermined size, and then employs pattern matching engineering to make more precise assumptions during outbursts of zoomed image zones. Applying this function, Sony allocates as much as a 2x digital zoom, instead of the more characteristic 1.4-1.5x. When capturing still frames while capturing video, where Sony normally allows as much as a three megapixel photo to be saved excluding digital zoom, the new Clear Image digital zoom feature allows as much as a 12 megapixel photo to be interpolated.

While the prior TX100V allowed video capture up to high-definition 720p (1,280 x 720 pixels), the TX55 now provides 1,080i (Full HD; interlaced 1,920 x 1,080 pixel) movie mode at a rate of 60 fps. Image stabilization while capturing video now provides an Active mode, although it's not exactly the same method employed in other cameras featuring Active Optical SteadyShot. In place of upping the correction range accessible by the lens, instead the TX55 Active mode integrates both genuine optical and digital stabilization software methods at the same time to allow a greater correction level while keeping the same stabilization method without enlarging lens assembly size.

Also new to Cyber-shot cameras is Picture Effects, which are included in Sony's latest NEX and SLT exchangeable lens camera arrangements. The TX55 includes picture effects that include Rich-tone Monochrome, HDR Painting, Miniature, Pop Color, Toy Camera, Soft High-key and Partial Color. Each effect may be previewed prior to snapping a picture. A Superior Auto function automatically distinguish type of scene, and not only choose settings fitting for the scene being shot, but can also facilitate multi-shot image shooting modes automatically.

Also, there's a High Resolution (HR) Intelligent Sweep Panorama feature in which a succession of photos may be captured and automatically stitched by moving the lens across your target set, with frame content being analyzed while capturing and stitching photos, avoiding splitting up larger moving objects. The largest output size while using the Intelligent Sweep Panorama HR function is 42.9 megapixels. Additionally the TX55 encompasses the Sony 3D Still Photo and 3D Sweep Panorama modes, which employ some witty math to create a 3D image using just a single lens, keeping the resulting image as a multi-picture object file which contains two distinct JPEG images, an image for each eye.

Photos and movies may be captured on MicroSD, MicroSDHC cards, or by using the Sony Memory Stick Micro (Mark 2), that employ the identical controller type as the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, and are claimed by Sony as the quickest micro memory cards.

The Sony TX55 will start shipping to the US market beginning in September 2011, with a price at around $350 US dollars. There are four body colors, black silver, black, red and purple.

Shop the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX55 Touch Screen CMOS Compact

Jul 25, 2011