TOKYO -- Sony's newest digital still camera, the DSC-T9, has something for people who can never seem to take a clear picture. The camera incorporates two antiblur systems: one to compensate for the effect of unsteady hands and one to capture fast moving objects clearly.
The DSC-T9 will go on sale in Japan on November 18 and will cost around $406. The camera is credit-card sized and about 0.85 inches thick, and weighs 5.5 ounces. Sony will launch it in Europe, Asia, and Australia before the end of the year and in the U.S. in January, said Sony.
Other features of the 6-megapixel resolution camera include its rear 2.5-inch LCD panel, which is brighter and can display more colors than competing panels, according to Sony. Compared against several competing cameras from other manufacturers, prepared by Sony and on display at the Tokyo news conference, the DSC-T9 did show a clearer, more vivid picture.
It is the newest in the family of cameras launched with the DSC-T1 last year.
How it Works
Cameras on the market at present with an antiblur function typically incorporate one or the other system, but the DSC-T9 marks the first time that both have been built into a camera, said Yousuke Aoki, senior manager of Sony's mobile network products marketing division, at a news conference here Tuesday.
The first system attempts to compensate for camera shake by moving a lens in time with movement of the camera. Two sensors pick up the movements and transmit the information to a small motor mounted next to the lens that moves it. The system works well but does so at the expense of battery life. However, in Sony's new camera, the energy consumption has been reduced so that up to 240 images can be taken before the battery runs down, the company said.
The second system is useful in preventing blur on a picture that includes fast movement, for example when taking pictures of sports. By increasing the shutter speed, the fast movement is captured clearly. However, a downside of this is that noise is typically introduced into the image. A new noise reduction system in the DSC-T9 keeps this to a minimum, the company said.
By building both systems into the camera, Sony says, it is responding to growing demand from consumers for such features. About one third of compact-class digital still cameras on sale in Japan at present include an antiblur system of some type and that number is growing, the company said.
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