Sony Adds New Digital Imaging Options

Sony unveiled three new digital still cameras in its Cybershot F series, including an updated version of its top-of-the-line camera, and a new home photo printer on Tuesday.

The first of the three new cameras, the DSC-F77, has a similar form to the DSC-F55DX that Sony launched in February of last year, but improves upon the earlier model in several ways. Most obviously, the F77 is a lot smaller, measuring 3.7 inches by 2.8 inches by 1.1 inches and weighing just over 5.3 ounces. It too has a lens mounted towards the top of the body that can swivel around, through 300 degrees, and has a USB cradle through which images can be easily transferred to a PC.

Features include a 4 megapixel class charge coupled device image pick-up, optical view finder, and 1.5 inch thin film transistor LCD panel. The device can record up to six minutes of video in Sony's 320 pixel by 240 pixel HQX video mode.

Wireless Ways

A second model, the FX77, is similar to the F77 is all ways bar one: the addition of a Bluetooth feature which allows users to transfer their images via short range wireless to a personal computer or other device. The function conforms with the Bluetooth basic imaging profile specification for transferring images between Bluetooth devices.

At the top of its digital still camera range, Sony has also unveiled a successor to its popular DSC-F707. The DSC-F717 has many similarities with the previous model, such as a similar body, 5 times optical zoom and 5 mega pixel CCD image pick up. Most noticeable to F707 users will be the new position of the zoom control, which is still mounted on the left hand side of the lens barrel but is now horizontal and a lot smaller.

Other changes have been made to the camera's electronics, including an ISO 800 sensitivity setting, maximum shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second, more auto focus points, extra shooting and exposure modes, more white balance settings, and better noise reduction. Also new is a USB 2.0 port and support for Exif (exchangeable image file) 2.2 data in stored JPEG files.

More Products

Alongside the three new cameras, Sony also unveiled a home photo printer. The DPP-EX5 is much smaller than its predecessor, the DPP-SV55, and like the earlier model allows users to print out high quality copies of their digital images without a personal computer. The quality has been left unchanged at 16.7 million colors and a resolution of 403 dots per inch. The printer has three quality modes and can also print out game screen shots from the company's PlayStation or PlayStation 2 game consoles.

Prices of all four new products have yet to be announced and they will all go on sale in Japan in October. They will also be on show at Sony Dream World, an exhibition of Sony products and services that is due to take place in Yokohama, Japan, on September 14 and 15.

Tuesday's announcement follows the unveiling Monday of new MiniDisc Walkman players and is part of a series of new product launches in the run-up to the event. The next announcement is due Wednesday when Sony said it will unveil a new home networking product.