The Sony DSC T20 is a stylish, pocket sized digital camera. It is an eight megapixel model and has a standard three times optical zoom lens. Key selling points include the camera's looks and also the ease of use of the DSC T20.
Image Quality Sony DSC T20 test shots
Outdoor 1
This is a good effort. I'm impressed by the levels of sharpness in the photo. Even as you move towards the edges of the photo the sharpness levels remain high. Sun glare is coped with very well and colours are true as too.
Outdoor 2
I like the brightness and colours in this photo. As is true of many digital cameras focusing is not quite as sharp when the zoom lens is zoomed out to its maximum width.
Outdoor 3
With the lens fully zoomed in the DSC T20 is still able to retain a pleasing amount of colour in the photo. Sharpness is good without being perfect.
Outdoor Portrait
A bit disappointing. The photo has a dull feel to it.
Indoor Portrait
This photo is letdown by the amount of red eye in the photo. When I tried to fix the red eye using the in camera retouch facility it did a good job of repairing red eye in one eye only and could not detect red eye in the second eye at all. There is also a slight red / orange tinge to the photo.
Lowlight
This is a very good attempt by the DSC T20. Considering the lack of light the photo is well focused and there is also a surprisingly high level of brightness.
Colours
Well balanced and strong without being overpowering.
Macro
A fairly standard macro shot. This photo is sharp enough and the photo is bright too. Although I wouldn't suggest this camera to anyone who wishes to specialise in macro photography the DSC T20 is fine for the occasional close up shot.
ISO 400
When the ISO setting is increased to ISO 400 picture quality is roughly what you would expect. Noise begins to creep into the photo and although the standard is better than some cameras produce you are still likely to be able to notice the dip in quality in any printed photograph.
ISO 3200
At the highest ISO level picture quality is sharply reduced and I would suggest only using this setting if there is no other way of getting a photo.
Overall
On the whole the DSC T20 manages to produces a good set of test photos. I am a bit disappointed by the two portrait shots. I would have liked to have seen a bit more life in the outdoor photo. As with many other Sony digital cameras red eye is a problem when the flash is used.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.15 seconds and five photos in 7.63 seconds. These times make the DSC T20 one of the fastest pocket sized cameras around. With the flash on times increase to 0.29 seconds for a single shot and 12.67 seconds for five photos. These times are faster than many digital cameras manage with the flash off.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The DSC T20 is a sleek looking digital camera. This is helped by a sliding lens cover. It is one of the more slimline models and you should have no problem slipping this camera into a pocket.
Dimensions: 39.7 x 55.7 x 22.8mm
Weight: 127g
Batteries: Power is supplied by a lithium ion battery. Sony suggests you should be able to take around 380 shots in between charges. A battery and charger are supplied.
Memory cards: Sony have built 31mb of memory into the DSC T20. This is enough for around 13 photos. Therefore a memory card is not supplied as standard. The camera is compatible with Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Duo Pro cards.
Click here to save money on Memory Stick.
Ease of use rating: I like the way the menu system has been designed. It is easy to find your way around and the there is also text that pops up to describe each of the options. Buttons and dials on the back of the camera control zoom, flash, macro mode, self timer and picture review.
Points I like:
Low shutter lag - ease of use - stylish
Where it could improve:
Red eye on indoor photos
Verdict:
The Sony DSC T20 is a cut above most pocket sized cameras. It has a stylish design and I can see it being a very popular camera. The very low shutter lag times are impressive and I found the camera very easy to use.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Sony DSC T20 Summary |
| Description: | 8 megapixels with a three times zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 81 |
| Verdict: | "I like the Sony DSC T20. It stands up well against other pocket sized digital cameras. It is likely to prove attractive owing to its looks, ease of use and low shutter delay times. The low shutter delay times mean that you should not miss a picture!" |
| Review Date: | September 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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