|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Details at a glance
Megapixels: 5.1
Optical Zoom: 3x
Digital Zoom: 6x
LCD screen: 2.5inch
Storage: MSDuo, MSProDuo
Size: 91.7(w) x 60(h) x 15(d)
Weight: 136g
We clicked with
The style, the panache, the sleek, slim beauty of this most desirable tiny object.
Shots in the dark
Having to take out the battery to charge it
Small size means it can be fiddly
Limited flash range.
Links
More Sony information
www.sony.co.uk
|
 |
|
This is an amazing piece of design; anyone who hasn't been watching digital camera development recently will be surprised at how small this camera is, yet it's still able to deliver excellent functionality.
This model will act perfectly well as a 'point and shoot' camera to suit most people's casual use. The size makes it a perfect carry-anywhere camera. On top of that, there is a surprising amount of manual tuning that can be done, pushing it a significant way towards fulfilling the needs of enthusiasts as well.
Little brother
Functionally the T7 is almost identical close to its larger brother, the DSC-T5, though the LCD screen takes up proportionally more of the rear of the camera than the T5.
In automatic exposure mode the camera will take perfectly adequate photos, but for more experienced users there is the capability to tune the results with 10 scene modes, manual choice of sensitivity from ISO 64 to 400, three focus modes and the ability to pre-set the focus. For close-ups there is a macro mode that is further enhanced by a magnifying option which focuses at 1cm.
The electronics have been tuned to within an inch of their life, making the processing of focusing and exposure selection before the shot impressively fast. In burst mode it will take four shots at three per second, with a multi-burst option allowing 16 frames at low resolution.
The price of dieting
Obviously there will be some drawbacks from achieving this level of size reduction, but they mostly appear in the photos and films produced rather than reduced functionality. The flash is not as strong as a larger camera though it works very well in macro and magnifying glass modes. Reasonably close photos of small groups of people, or single portraits, are well lit, with the pre-flash allowing quick and accurate focusing, but the flash will not light up even a medium sized room.
In daylight, good shots are possible, with some distortion at the extremes of the camera's capabilities. This will show itself as pincushion at maximum telephoto range, and barrel distortion at the widest angle. Professionals will also detect some noise in large blocks of colour at lower sensitivity levels, such as ISO64 and 100. However all these are slight and, as many people don't have a top quality printer, images are more likely to be viewed on a computer screen or television, so this is unlikely to detract from the overall appeal of the camera for generalist use.
One functional downside is the lack of an optical viewfinder, though few other cameras in this price or size bracket will have one either. Sony have made significant efforts to obviate this by putting a large, clear TFT LCD on the rear of the camera, with an excellent anti-glare surface. Another drawback is that the battery has to be removed from the camera to charge it. An irritation.
Bit of a handful
Being the size that it is, it can be difficult to find a way of gripping it steadily enough to take shots. Some people found the small buttons difficult but they do at least have a raised profile, enough to make them easy to feel with your fingertips, something you could not say for recent Sony Ericsson mobiles, for example. It is also too easy to smudge the lens with your left fore-finger. Still, if it is important to get a steady shot, you can even put it in its stand (provided) and screw it into a standard tripod!
 |
|
|
|
Ease of use 
Functions 
Value for Money
Overall 
|
There are some downsides to this camera, but the ability to take it anywhere and take quality pictures should not be ignored. It can't compete with higher-end cameras but then that isn't what it's been designed to do. It's been designed to be the smallest, slimmest quality camera out there, and it succeeds. Like Apple's legendary iPod, if you want as much style as substance, the T7 succeeds. |
 |
