The Cybershot T series digital cameras is proof that if Sony really wants to, it can give any market leader a run for its money. The DSC-T1 is the cardinal example of this, making great inroads in the market the Canon Elphs created. The latest T Cybershot, the DSC-T33, just became available for domestic sale in the U.S., but don’t rush out with your checkbook just yet, as Sony has already pre-obsoleted it by announcing the amazingly thin DSC-T7. Amazingly is kind of an understatement. Eta May 2005.
[quote author=“TruthSeeker”]With the ability to miniturize the 5.1 MP format, I wonder why cell phones are only 1.3 MP…..especially the SonyEricsson lineup. :?
3 MP cameraphones should be out by Q4 of this year. A lot of the designs announced recently included that high mark. Theres a phone right now in korea with a 5 MP camera… the problem is the lack of optical zoom in cameraphones. It’ll be interesting to see if they eventually ruin the consumer-level camera market… 3 mp is certainly enough for my daily usage.
[quote author=“kageon1”][quote author=“tifosiv122”]I was just waiting for Dell to put the 33 on sale to pick one up…glad it didn’t happen yet…this new one is mine!
T1 for sale if anyone wants it.
Erik
How much are you selling the T1 for?
I’m trying to do the math but I think $175-225 would be the range im looking for. Mint condition with a leather (hard on LCD side) case. Nothing is set in stone and I am not sure I can part with it now if the new one isn’t out for several months.
[quote author=“tifosiv122”]
I’m trying to do the math but I think $175-225 would be the range im looking for. Mint condition with a leather (hard on LCD side) case. Nothing is set in stone and I am not sure I can part with it now if the new one isn’t out for several months.
Erik
DSC-T1 is indeed a very nice camera. One of the things that I really missed on the T3/T11/T33 was the manual lens cover. Call me crazy but I actually preferred it over the recessed automatic lens cover used in the intermediate designs. This new T7 design really takes that manual lens cover to the next level though. I wonder if theyre packing any actual pcb in it now that theres no room in the chassis itself.
[quote author=“jashsu”][quote author=“tifosiv122”]
I’m trying to do the math but I think $175-225 would be the range im looking for. Mint condition with a leather (hard on LCD side) case. Nothing is set in stone and I am not sure I can part with it now if the new one isn’t out for several months.
Erik
DSC-T1 is indeed a very nice camera. One of the things that I really missed on the T3/T11/T33 was the manual lens cover. Call me crazy but I actually preferred it over the recessed automatic lens cover used in the intermediate designs. This new T7 design really takes that manual lens cover to the next level though. I wonder if theyre packing any actual pcb in it now that theres no room in the chassis itself.
Your not crazy i completely agree. I wanted a manual cover, but I assumed they wrote it off for good since the T is on its 4th revision or something and only 1 had a cover. I don’t like the idea of looking for a button when I want to turn on my camera…I want to slide something down quickly and have it turn on and ready to go.
[quote author=“TruthSeeker”]With the ability to miniturize the 5.1 MP format, I wonder why cell phones are only 1.3 MP…..especially the SonyEricsson lineup. :?
The T Cybershots (like the Minolta subcompact point-and-shoots) use folded optics , so at the very least you need room for the folding prism, the lens array, and the ccd. On the other hand, all integrated cameras in phones and pdas have a ccd mounted directly on the pcb, with no lens array to speak of.
Another difficulty is that 5 MP ccds probably aren’t cheap enough to integrate without drastically increasing the price of the phone.
[quote author=“j902”]the only weird thing about the new cover is that you slide the cover down with your left hand.
compared to the T1, it would have been nice if they extended the bar all the way to the right
‘cause when i take pictures, it’s one right hand slide cover, click, close cover and back in the pocket.
this camera requires 2 hands! :shock:
heheh
Maybe it’s me, but my hand wraps around the T1…this is even thinner so I can only assume the same would apply. I don’t see a problem opening the lense with my right hand while holding it in my right hand…but I could be wrong when I hold it. I know the M was not what I thought it would be when holding it. I couldn’t get a decent pic out of that thing to save my life and unless I held it with 2 hands I kept thinking it would fall out of my hand.
[quote author=“j902”]stops… thinks… holy crap, i’m complaining about such a little thing….
:oops: i guess my expectations for sony is on a different level. they’re like in a class of their own.
Actually I think your comments are justified. Most subcompact digicams (i.e. Canon Powershot S, Sony Cybershot T, Casio Exilim) arrange the lcd on the left and the controls on the right side, so the user can easily control the camera with only his/her right hand.
In the DSC-T7’s case (pun intended), the only way to make the camera as thin as possible is to not stack the display behind the folding optics (and even then the optics part of the case is thicker than the rest of the case!). That means theres less space for your thumb to rest and you’ll have to use your left hand to operate the controls.
I’m not too fond of the zoom control either. It looks extremely user un-friendly. The T7 is a full-featured (meaning optical zoom, integrated flash, autofocusing, and basic exposure/aperture control) digital camera, but you will sacrifice a lot of usability for portability. Reminds me of the X505. Lets hope its not priced similarly as well :wink:
Jashsu,
It does lindeed remind me of X505! Black and slim! They would look nice sitting next to each other.
I wonder if I should wait till T77 comes out…..
Wow, very pretty camera! They certainly took the great design of the T1 a step further. Good job!
I am another person who likes the sliding cover on the T1, since it allowed me to turn it on, take a pic, then turn it off, all with the same hand. One nice set of motions.
Unfortunately, all the great features of the T1 (best screen I’ve seen from Sony so far) could not make up for what I consider sub-par quality of the pics. That flash is nearly useless and the tiny lens is not up there with the other Zeiss ones Sony offers. I sold mine after only 5 months.
Having said that, I think this camera is perfect for the hobbyist who takes mostly daytime pics.
[quote author=“babahi”]Having said that, I think this camera is perfect for the hobbyist who takes mostly daytime pics.
I totally agree…anyone who is seriously into pictures needs something more then a simple point and shoot. I have no clue what I am doing and my pics from my T1 come out amazing (at least for me)...I am very happy with it.
As for the T7 to be priced at $500…I can sort of say it’s expected…about half what you would pay for an SLR.
