Sony Unveils Digicams, Photo Printer

Sony Electronics is launching five new Cybershot digital cameras, packing in new features while reducing size and weight and keeping the cameras in the same price range as their predecessors.

The cameras, showcased as part of Sony's 2004 lineup of digital imaging products, include four additions to Sony's existing Cybershot P series--the DSC-P41, the DSC-P73, the DSC-P93 and the compact DSC-P100. All are scheduled to ship in May. The other new camera, the high-end Cybershot DSC-W1, will ship in June. Sony is also introducing a new photo printer and camera cradle. All are being shown at the Photo Marketing Association conference in Las Vegas this week.

In addition to improving the picture-taking experience, the 2004 lineup of digital cameras boasts a 15 percent reduction in size for each camera, better menus, faster operation, extended battery life, and greater storage capacities, according to Sony representatives. Also, all of the cameras can shoot MPEG videos at 30 frames per second in MPEG-1 format.

In 2003, Sony Electronics was the top vendor of digital cameras in the U.S., with a 23 percent market share of revenue, according to research company NPD Techworld.

At the core of the new cameras is Sony's Real Imaging Processor (RIP) technology, which provides higher picture quality, faster image processing, better camera responsiveness, and longer battery life, says Mark Weir, a Sony senior product manager.

Printer, Accessories Debut

Sony has also launched the PictureStation DPP-EX50 dye-sublimation photo printer, which can print 3.5-inch-by-5 inch and 4-inch-by-6-inch pictures directly from cameras using PictBridge technology.

Priced at $179, this printer can also print images from a PC and TV slide shows on a TV, according to Sony. It connects to a PC via a USB 2.0 port and has Memory Stick and CompactFlash slots. Users can preview images to print using an on-board LCD screen that resides on top of the printer.

The printer also has a number of built-in photo enhancement tools, including red-eye removal, automatic color correction, and enhanced creative print options. It will ship this month with a TV/video cable, a cleaning kit and the PictureGear application software for Windows, Sony representatives say.

Sony has also announced Cybershot Station, a camera cradle that allows users to view, print, or transfer images from a camera. A wireless remote control bundled with the cradle will allow users to run a slide show of camera images on a TV. The cradle can also charge digital cameras. Priced at $79.95, it is scheduled to ship in May.

Entry-Level Digicams

The new low-end Cybershot DSC-P41 camera will replace Sony's earlier Cybershot DSC-P32 model. It has a 3x digital zoom, a 4.1-megapixel CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor and a 1.5-inch LCD screen. A 3.2x VGA Smart Zoom uses the full CCD to zoom into a selected portion of the image area by cropping the image size, thus avoiding the image degradation of digital zooms, Sony says.

The $199.95 DSC-P41 has a five-area multi-point auto focus, which allows users to evaluate five focus points on the frame to automatically or manually focus on the subject. It has six preset LCD screen modes, auto exposure mode, and a burst mode that allows the camera to capture four shots in quick succession at a rate of 1.7 frames per second (fps). At 5.1 ounces (without a battery, media, or strap), it is the lightest of all the new Cybershot cameras.

The Cybershot DSC-P73 is an upgrade of Sony's existing Cybershot DSC-P72. The camera has a 6x total zoom (3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom) and a 9.6x VGA Smart Zoom. This $299.95 camera has both automatic and manual exposure modes and a zoom lens equivalent to a 39mm to 117mm lens on a standard 35mm film camera. It has a 4.1-megapixel CCD sensor, a 1.5-inch LCD screen, six preset LCD screen modes, a five-area multi-point autofocus, and a four-shot 1.7 fps burst mode.

The third camera, the 5-megapixel Cybershot DSC-P93 camera, has a 3x optical zoom, 2x digital zoom and a 12x VGA Smart Zoom. It has a zoom lens and an LCD similar to those of the DSC-P73, a five-area multi-point auto focus, a four-shot 1.7 fps burst mode and both manual and auto exposure modes. This $349.95 camera replaces Sony's Cybershot DSC-P92 model.

New Lens Style

Instead of Sony lenses, two of the new models--the Cybershot DSC-P100 and DSC-W1--have Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lenses, which allows compact cameras to click sharp images with deep colors and low distortion, Weir says. One available Sony camera containing that type of lens is the ultra-compact Cybershot DSC-T1, he says.

The pocket-sized Cybershot DSC-P100 is the smallest of all the new Sony cameras in the 2004 lineup. It weighs 5.5 ounces (without the battery, media, or strap) and measures one-third of an inch long, two inches high, and one inch thick. It succeeds Sony's DSC-P10 and has a 5-megapixel CCD sensor, 3x optical zoom, 2x digital zoom and 12x smart zoom. The $399.95 camera has a 1.8-inch LCD screen and runs on a lithium battery.

The 5-megapixel Cybershot DSC-W1 has a 3x optical zoom, 2x digital zoom and 9.6x smart zoom. At $399.95, it costs the same as the compact DSC-P100, but has a bigger 2.5-inch LCD monitor and a nine-shot 1.6 fps burst mode. It will become available in June.

Both the DSC-W1 and DSC-P100 cameras have six preset screen modes, a five-area multi-point auto focus, and automatic and manual exposure modes.

All the new Sony Cybershot cameras support USB 2.0 and removable Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro 1GB storage cards, says Rosemary Flynn, a Sony spokesperson. All the cameras except the Cybershot P-100 run on AA alkaline, nickel, or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and will ship with battery chargers, USB cables, and wrist straps. Except for the Cybershot DSC-P41, all cameras will ship with audio-visual cables to connect to external audio-visual sources.