Product Review: Sony Cybershot T9 Digital Camera
The Basics
It is constructed in the mold of some smaller, compact cameras. It’s only a little more than 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide while only being less than an inch in thickness, making it the perfect camera for those of you like me, always on the go and looking for gadgets that take up as little space as possible. It’s extremely light, which can be considered a good or a bad thing. Sometimes, I can carry it in my pockets and feel as though it is not even there. Although I enjoy that sometimes, it will be hard to know whether or not you have lost the camera because you constantly have to check your pocket. Also, I have the tendency to carry things in my back pocket and I am always afraid I will sit on the camera. Other than that, it’s size is a benefit to people who carry a lot of things and need smaller gadgets to fit in spaces. It also comes in two colors, silver and black, for those of you looking for a little variety.
It is constructed in the mold of some smaller, compact cameras. It’s only a little more than 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide while only being less than an inch in thickness, making it the perfect camera for those of you like me, always on the go and looking for gadgets that take up as little space as possible. It’s extremely light, which can be considered a good or a bad thing. Sometimes, I can carry it in my pockets and feel as though it is not even there. Although I enjoy that sometimes, it will be hard to know whether or not you have lost the camera because you constantly have to check your pocket. Also, I have the tendency to carry things in my back pocket and I am always afraid I will sit on the camera. Other than that, it’s size is a benefit to people who carry a lot of things and need smaller gadgets to fit in spaces. It also comes in two colors, silver and black, for those of you looking for a little variety.
Features
One feature this camera has that is very useful to intermediate picture takers is the Real Imaging Processor. In layman’s terms, it’s a technology that improves the camera’s response time to your picture-taking and reduces the phenomenon of shutter lag, making pictures that are clearer and of better quality.
The Sony Cybershot T9 camera also provides a lot of different lighting options. Different controls offer settings that are made for different conditions, such as daylight or low light scenes, and a helpful and smart auto program that adjusts well to different picture conditions. The flash is built in and can be programmed with different modes, such as automatic and forced flash. There are also different preset modes in the camera that can help with certain pictures, such as fireworks, candles, landscape pictures, etc. It also possesses Super Steadyshot stabilization, which makes for great pictures even when there is movement, either from yourself or from the picture to be captured.
With the Cybershot T9, you can also adjust the quality of the pictures themselves. For instance, a feature that I like is the ability to use different effects such as black and white pictures as sepia to create unique effects to your pictures. It’s amazing how you can do this instantly and easily with the camera instead of having to upload the picture to a computer first. The camera also allows you to take mpeg video clips of upto 30 seconds with audio, which is a nice extra feature to have with a still camera.
Other features include: slideshow presentation (w/music playback), 58 MB of internal memory, USB 2.0 capability for fast transfer, a meter that tells you accurately how much shooting time remains on the battery and gauges the space remaining for pictures as well, and the software is included with the camera so that you can make adjustments on a computer.
Performance
I have found little to complain about when using the Cybershot T9. It’s a fast camera, reacting quickly to the pressing of the buttons and allowing for accurate pictures. It’s features make exploring the camera and trying out new functions and modes easy and fun. The slideshow feature is fun, and you can upload your own music to the camera and then show them either on the camera itself or on a television. The stabilization is mainly automatic, and although it is not as high quality as the larger camera can provide it offers sufficient coverage for the type of shooting that I do on a regular basis.
The photo quality is generally above average, with little to complain about. Sometimes, depending on the light, the pictures’ colors can tend to become a bit neutral when there is a lot of light for it to contend with. The camera also does have a little more red-eye problems that I have seen in other cameras. The Cybershot T9’s color scale is very accurate, although with the use of the flash it can become very muddled at times depending on the backlighting.
The battery life is comparible to most cameras, even lasting a bit longer than some others. It offers a lot of different memory options when it comes to memory sticks, and the transferring of picture is usually seamless and easy, as is the navigation of the menus.
Conclusion
A good camera for many different uses, it’s size and versatility make it a top camera for those of you who are always on the go or on vacation looking for a camera that can be used as a memory producer. It’s easy to learn to use and leaves most of the very advanced changes to automatic functions, leaving you with more time to take pictures and less time adjusting the camera’s options. All-in-all, it’s one of the better compact cameras available on the market.
