Sony DSC T100 Review

The Sony DSC T100 offers something different from the typical pocket sized digital camera. This is because it has a longer than standard 5x zoom lens. This means that it can zoom in closer to distant objects than the majority of digital cameras that fit into a pocket. The DSC T100 has eight megapixels and is generally easy to use.

The DSC T100 handles the standard outdoor shots pretty well. I especially like the look of the first test photo. This is taken with around 50 - 60% of the zoom used. My feeling is that the lens works at its best around this level. The photo is sharp and stays sharp as you move towards the edges. There is a small loss of detail on the boats where the sun scores a direct hit. Taking the conditions and the time of day the photo was taken into account this is understandable and it is a better result than other cameras manage. I really like the balance of the colours in this shot.

The second test shot is taken with the lens zoomed out completely. This is the weakest shot of the three outdoor photos and the scene is a bit distant for the camera to focus easily. There are also very small areas of darkness showing right in the corners of the shot.

My next test is with the lens zoomed right in to its maximum capacity. By comparing this shot with those taken with other cameras you can see the benefit of the longer lens. Focusing is good although a small amount of noise creeps into the sky. Zooming in also manages to reduce the strength of the colours.

Aside from the third outdoor test shot I think the strength of the colours is about right. As you can see from my specific colour test no one colour stands out to the detriment of others.

Colours also work well in the outdoor portrait shot. The balance is good and there is enough colour in the skin tones and in general to give the photo some life.

The indoor portrait is another with plenty of colour. The DSC T100 has done a great job of focusing in the conditions and the photo is bright without blasting out all the detail. The only problem is the degree of red eye. This is something I have come to expect from Sony digital cameras and suggests a powerful flash unit. The obvious downside of the power is that it rebounds the light directly back into the lens causing the high degree of red eye.

Even in extreme lowlight the DSC T100 is able to focus successfully as illustrated by my shot of beer bottles. The shot could be brighter, but considering how dark it is when I take the shot it is a very good effort.

If I was serious about close up or macro photography this is not the type of camera I would buy. I would go for something with a larger lens. Nevertheless the macro shot is above average and my only real complaint is that a touch of purple shows up in places.

I have started to see an improvement with the latest batch of digital cameras when it comes to taking photos using a higher ISO setting. At ISO 400 the DSC T100 handles this level quite well. There is noise in the photo as I would expect, but it is certainly lower than with earlier Sony models I have tested. The maximum ISO setting is 3200. This level is a step too far and picture quality is low.

The DSC T100 is one of the fastest compact digital cameras around. I managed to take a single photo in 0.18 seconds and five in 6.99 seconds. Both are very fast times. After turning the flash on I was able to take a single photo in 0.33 seconds. This is about a standard time for most cameras when the flash is off, so you can see how good this camera is. It was a little slower to reel of five photos. This took 14.83 seconds.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

It is available in black silver and red. With its sliding lens cover I really like the look of the DSC T100 and feel it is one of the more stylish pocket sized cameras.

91.8 x 59.2 x 22.3mm.

141g

Lithium ion. Battery and charger supplied. Sony suggest you should be able to take in the region of 340 shots between charges.

31mb built in memory (enough for around fourteen photos). Also compatible with Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Duo Pro cards

Click here to save money on Memory Stick.

Very Good - This is one of the more simple cameras.

Design - low shutter lag - ease of use

Red eye

Overall the Sony DSC T100 is well worth considering. I am sure the longer than standard lens will come in handy and this camera is superior to other pocket sized cameras I have tested with similar length lenses.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Sony DSC T100