Sony Cybershot Dsc

Sony Cyber-shot TX55: The Reinvention of Digital Zoom?

That may change with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55, a superslim point-and-shoot camera announced today with an image-processing system that approaches digital zoom differently. Using something called "by pixel super resolution technology," Sony claims that the TX55 will retain both image sharpness and megapixel count for digitally zoomed images.

The new technology uses an in-camera database to match the tone and contrast of pixels in the source image when employing digital zoom. If it works as advertised, this sort of technology could lead to even-smaller cameras--and cell phones--with simulated zoom ranges that rival those of pocket megazoom cameras .

We haven't had any hands-on time with the TX55 yet, but we're excited to test its image quality at the telephoto end against the output of a bona fide long-optical-zoom camera.

The touchscreen-controlled Cyber-shot DSC-TX55, which will replace the Cyber-shot DSC-TX100V in Sony's point-and-shoot lineup, is just 0.48 inch deep. Kate Dugan, senior business manager at Sony, says that the new DSC-TX55's depth falls "somewhere between a pencil and a AA battery."

In addition to the digital zoom features, the new image-processing engine offers a couple of performance upgrades over earlier generations of Cyber-shot cameras: the ability to snap 12-megapixel stills while shooting video, and a larger range of compensation in image stabilization when using the camera to shoot video.

The DSC-TX55 records 1080i AVCHD video at 60 fields per second in video mode, and it offers a 10-frames-per-second burst mode for still images. Like previous generations of Sony's Exmor R CMOS-sensored cameras, the TX55 also boasts special modes for low-light shooting , 2D and 3D Sweep Panorama modes, and a high-speed autofocus system.

The Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 also adds a few new creative shooting modes to the mix, including HDR Painting mode, which is similar to the HDR Art mode found in Casio's latest cameras , a tilt-shift-lens-simulating miniature mode, a toy camera mode, and several color and monochrome filters.

Due in September for $350, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 will be available in black, red, silver, and purple.

Sony Cybershot DSC-HX100V Review

Why you wouldn’t : the camera is not truly pocketable.

For me, this is a honey of a camera and could handle all the photographic chores most amateurs face. The image critical will come down heavily on the small sensor; fewer and larger pixels could mean improved picture quality.

Image Sensor : 16.2 million effective pixels. Daily Digest

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