Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 Digital Camera Announced

[Ben Stafford]

Sony has announced the latest camera in their T-series, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5.  The T5 will come in four colors: silver, champagne gold, black, and red.  The 5.1 megapixel camera has a 3x optical zoom lens, 2.5 inch LCD and better battery life than its predecessors (240 shots).  The lens is covered with a sliding cover that moves vertically.  The silver T5 will be available in September for $350 and the remaining colors will be available in October.

Press Release:

SAN DIEGO, July 31, 2005 Why not spice up the color and activity of fall with Sony's latest "always with you, always ready" compact camera that easily slips in your pocket or smallest bag. The new Cyber-shot DSC-T5 digital camera is ultra slim, yet delivers great pictures.

Great Value and Performance in a Slim Package

Like other cameras in Sony's T Series, this new model combines Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optics with 5.1 megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.5" Clear Photo LCD screen, 32 MB of internal memory for storage and easy transfer to an optional Memory Stick media card*, and increased battery life compared to previous T Series models, with up to 240 shots per charge.

The T5 has a vertical design: It features a lightweight, aluminum body available in four autumnal colors - red, champagne gold, silver and black - with a sliding matte silver lens cover.

"This is the perfect `next' camera for anyone who doesn't want to miss a moment, whether out on the town or at family gatherings," said James Neal, director of digital imaging products at Sony Electronics "It's the most affordable model in our T series and a great value given its enhanced performance."

Get The Shots You Want

It is easy to get the shots you want with the Cyber-shot T5. Slide the lens cover down and the camera is ready to capture images in less than a second. Thanks to its folding-optical-path design, the lens never needs to extend forward from the camera body. So you can enjoy the quality of Carl Zeiss optics and the power of a 3x optical zoom in a compact body.

The T5 also comes equipped with Sony's anti-reflective Clear Photo LCD screen, which significantly reduces unwanted glare in brightly-lit environments and delivers vivid color reproduction. The camera's large 2.5" screen is optimized for easy viewing and sharing of images with friends, even at wide angles - whenever, wherever.

Ten pre-set picture-taking modes also make it easier to get the perfect shot, without having to make any adjustments. Select "Magnifying Glass" for macro shooting up to 1 cm from your object or "High Speed Shutter" to catch fast-moving action like your mom's tennis match.

And don't worry about your battery keeping up with you; Sony's Real Imaging Processor power management system lets you shoot full resolution images in seconds. At 240 shots per charge, the Cyber-shot T5's InfoLithium T series battery won't let you down.

With this new camera, you not only get the still image but the video too. With an optional Memory Stick PRO Duo media card, shooting high-quality video is simple. MPEG-VX fine mode lets you record MPEG video with 640x480 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second, up to the capacity of a compatible media card. A 1-gigabyte Sony Memory Stick card can hold up to 12 minutes of VGA-quality 640 x 480 MPEG video and 384, 5-megapixel JPEG Fine images.

There's So Much More You Can Do With Your Memories

Once you have captured the perfect pictures and MPEG videos, don't let them sit in your camera or PC. Share them with your family and friends. Connect the T5 to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer and view your favorite photos as a slideshow on your television or turn them into postcards, calendars and much more.

If you need to print tens or perhaps even hundreds of pictures or want to share funny video clips, let Sony's online photo service make the job simple. Visit www.imagestation.com and use your special memories to create your own online photo and video albums, order prints, or make customized gifts from coffee mugs and photo books to calendars and T-shirts.

The Cyber-shot T5 will be available in September for about $350 (red, black and champagne gold options will be available in October) on SonyStyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail) and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin on August 1st at www.sony.com/T5.

The camera comes supplied with a NP-FT1 InfoLithium battery, BC-CS3 battery charger, multi-connector cable, wrist strap and software CD-ROM. Optional accessories include the SPK-THB sports pack, CSS-TNA Cyber-shot Station cradle, and LCS-THC form-fitting leather case.

[Brian]

I have a T33 and really enjoy it, but I really need to see Sony add anti-shake I think before I'll jump to a new ultra thin model.

[Eliwood]

So how exactly does this differ from the T33 and T7?

IS isn't needed on these Sony cameras because the focal lengths (38-114mm) are too short to merit it. I know that one Panasonic ultracompact has it, but in reality, it doesn't do much.

Plus there's also the issue of incoporating IS into the folded lens design, something that only KM has done, but we have yet to see how that turns out.

[Brian]

Well, it comes in pretty colors...The T33 doesn't have that slider, the lens cover is built it, a design I prefer. The T7 is much thinner, working with that one in person, it's simply amazingly thin.