Overview
The Sony Cybershot DSC T900 is an innovative digital camera. It has a sleek, stylish design and is small enough to take anywhere. The large 3.5 inch screen is touch controlled allowing Sony to remove more or less all the buttons and dials from the Cybershot DSC T900. It has 12 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens.
Why Buy The Sony DSC T900
As well as the sleek design and touch controlled screen you will also find High Definition movies. The Cybershot DSC T900 is also quick to take a picture. Zoom can be increased when shooting at lower resolutions.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
4x
3.5 inches
97.9 x 57.8 x 16.3mm
123g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
8cm
Yes
No
Lithium ion
Memory Stick™ Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo™
Where to Buy - Sony DSC T900
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
The Cybershot DSC T900 starts off quite well. It produces a colourful photo. There is a hint of blue line picking up a purple tinge. Although all digital cameras find it tougher to bring out detail in shady areas the Cybershot DSC T900 struggles more than most in the darker areas of the photo.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
Picture quality is somewhere in the mid division for a pocket camera. With this shot there are one or two areas that lack a little definition. This is especially true in darker areas of the shot. You are unlikely to notice this if you make smaller prints.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
With fewer shaded and dark areas the Cybershot DSC T900 produces a better shot with the lens fully zoomed in. I like the brightness and the colours produced in this shot.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
Where the sun catches the walls of the building the colours are quite light. Sharpness is good without quite hitting the heights some pocket cameras manage.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
The outdoor portrait in daylight is the best of my three portrait tests. The colours are quite low key even though I used a white balance setting of cloudy to boost the colours up. You may need to try out different white balance settings to get the type of colours you like the most.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
I would have liked to have seen the Cybershot DSC T900 temper the amount of flash light it emits. As it stands there is quite a harsh burst of light and this reflects back off the face creating some shiny areas. There is also a touch of red eye showing.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
With flash turned off noise takes the edge off the definition of the shot. It looks to me that flash will be required when the light is less than perfect.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
My macro test shot is quite good for such a small camera and lens. There is a hint of purple fringing where the light catches the edge of the watch.
Colours:
I have no issues with the colours as such, but as you will notice with my outdoor portrait and building test picture colours can be a little washed out by brighter light.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600:
Noise does creep into darker areas of shots or when the light is anything less than perfect. This can take the edge of the crispness of a shot.
Summary
Picture quality is o.k. for snapshots and I would say that is the market this camera is being aimed at. It does have one or two weaker areas, but these issues are only likely to be a problem if you are looking to make large prints.
Style
I like the look of the Cybershot DSC T900. With no buttons on the back of the camera it has a very sleek look. The sliding lens cover helps with this too. You should have no problem slipping the camera into a pocket. There is a choice of black, silver and brown models.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.22 seconds
11.19 seconds
0.55 seconds
13.33 seconds
2.7 seconds
Ease of Use
If you are at home with a touch screen then you should have no problems with the Cybershot DSC T900.
Points I Like
Ease of use - touch screen - design and size - High Definition movies with stereo sound and zoom - low shutter lag times - build quality
Where it Could Improve
Very small internal memory
Verdict
There is a lot to like about the Sony Cybershot DSC T900. It scores highly for ease of use and build quality as well as more innovative and advanced features. Picture quality is good for snapshot sized prints.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
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Canon IXUS 1100 HS Rating 85/100
The Canon IXUS 1100 HS is a very good choice if you are looking for a pocket digital camera with a combination of a longer zoom lens and touch control. Once you get used to the screen and improve your touch accuracy it responds well. Picture quality compares favourably with other pocket cameras. The style and build suggest a bit of extra class too. The IXUS 1100 HS ticks most of the boxes for a camera in this category.
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Related Pages
Sony DSC T900 Review Sony DSC T900 Specification Sony DSC T900 Sample Images Sony DSC T900 Features Sony Digital Cameras
Review Date
July 2009
