Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX10 16.2 MP Waterproof Digital Still Camera with Exmor R CMOS Sensor, 3D Sweep Panorama, and Full HD 1080/60i Video (Silver)
- Certified waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freeze-proof
- 3.0 Touch screen for easy focus selection and photo viewing
- Full HD 1080/60i with dual record of stills and movies
- 16.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor for stunning low-light performance
- 3D still image and 3D Sweep Panorama: change the view of the world
Live life on the edge with the DSC-TX10 Cyber-shot digital camera. Designed to fit seamlessly into your active lifestyle, this innovative camera is certified waterproof, shockproof, dustproof and freeze-proof. Capture expansive landscapes with one touch iSweep Panorama or record crystal clear Full HD 1080/60i movies. A 16.2-megapixel “Exmor R” CMOS sensor delivers stunning low-light performance while the high-performance Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x optical zoom lens brings distant subjects close. Compose, review and share shots on the vivid 3.0″ touch screen.
List Price: $ 309.00
Price: $ 308.00
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Didn’t meet high expectations but still a great camera,
UPDATED AS OF 5/31/2011: Kept the camera after I thought about returning it and I’m glad I kept it. Updated rating from 3 stars to 4 stars
I’m an underwater and rugged camera junkie so when I heard about this new camera I had very high expectations. I have owned 2 other Panasonic TS1 waterproof cameras and loved those (other than my last one leaked and destroyed the camera. Thank goodness for Squaretrade)I’m not a Sony ‘fanboy’ and never have been but have had a few good experiences in the past with quality of build and ease of use with their products so I thought i would part ways with Panasonic and try out the TX10. On paper… this camera seemed like it was the PERFECT underwater/outdoor camera. I loved the fact that you could slip it in your pocket and take it anywhere due to its size and it looks right at home even in a fancy restaurant. I spent a week snorkeling, hiking, and adventuring in Kauai so that served as my first chance to do an in depth review for what this camera was made for: the outdoors… and I wasn’t too impressed with real-world usage. The photos and videos were great for such a small point and shoot but the practicality was lacking on multiple fronts to make this the “PERFECT” outdoor camera. However, there are a lot of things I truly appreciate about this little camera. In classic Pro/Con style, here are my overall thoughts and feelings on the Sony TX10.
Pros:
-Small and compact. Sexy. Take it anywhere. Looks right at home on the beach or in a fancy restaurant.
-Touch screen is “cool”. I would love this screen on non-waterproof casual camera… BUT… its also a con, see below
-Cool, useless features like smile detection (takes the picture automatically when you smile) and 3D… haven’t used 3D. Like I said, Fun, but useless.
-Slide cover to protect lens when closed… BUT again, also a con. See below
-Screen display resolution is awesome
-Takes 1080i videos at 60 frames per second vs 30 frames per second that most point and shoots utilize. This provides “lifelike” motion. I love it and it looks great on my 55″ TV
-Great wide angle lens 25mm
-Picture and Photo quality were great… however video seemed to struggle at times to focus correctly.
-I really like the sweep panorama mode. Very cool pictures and they seem well done and rather seamless. You can take “High Res” panoramas that are up to 43 Megapixels! (UPDATE: This has become
-The waterproofing seemed pretty solid. I never found any drops of water in the housing or fog in the lens.
Cons:
-Due to the fact that the video is 1080i (interlacing), videos tend to have lines when played back in media players such as VLC on Mac and PC.(UPDATE: It is the Media Player’s fault – I stuck the SD card in my Panasonic Blu-Ray player that can play AVCHD off of SD Cards and the 1080 60i videos taken by the camera look amazing.)
-This was a big one. The startup to photo time is so SLOW (5-7 seconds) and taking a video is 5 seconds on top of that. By time you press record to take movies it takes at least 5-7 seconds to start taking the movie. So annoying. This is incredibly slow compared to the Panasonic TS1s I owned. (UPDATE: Still annoying.)
-This is speculation here but The small and sleek form factor seems like if I dropped it it would get scuffed up really bad or might break. Doesn’t seem rugged at all. (UPDATE: The black model of this camera will show nicks pretty easily… seems like it only has a very thin back coatings on it.)
-The screen was easily scratched by keys or other things in pocket (screen protector!)
-The touch screen is accurate about 80% of the time. Its finicky and sometimes inaccurate. Some things need to be tapped 2-3 times to register. It cannot be used while underwater if you want to change settings. Huge CON. Tactile buttons are key if you are going to be using a camera underwater or in the snow with gloves on.
-The shutter button is way too sensitive for me. if you accidentally even graze it it will take you out of viewing mode… The full shutter release is most camera’s sensitivity for a half-press to focus.
-I don’t know if it was the unit I had or not but the white background noise in those videos is pretty bad. I tried it in multiple settings, completely dry and it was always there. You can’t really tell on the playback on the camera itself but once played in any media player, it’s overwhelming. If i get an exchange unit, I will update this to see whether or not it was a bad mic. (UPDATE: It was a bad mic. I got a new unit and the audio is fine on it)
-The slide cover is kind of inconvenient to get down. The front is so smooth and the edges so thin, its sometimes a little clumsy to get it down, also, some dirt got caught between the slide and the front of the camera and it made some fine scratches when opening and closing the camera.)…
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|Sony Cyber-shot TX10 User Review,
If you want to read the opinion of a professional photographer, read on…
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The TX10 is NOT Compatible with Sony Marine Pack Enclosures or any other enclosures.
Pros:
1) The TX10 shines in low-light still photography, it eliminates most of the noise even at ISO 800.
2) The small form factor means you can easily hide the camera from “predators.”
3) It is water “resistant’ but not truly waterproof aka. you shouldn’t go scuba diving with it.
4) It’s High Definition 1080p video is pretty good compared to other digital cameras in this price range.
5) Zooming while videotaping is possible. Most consumer digital cameras can’t zoom while in video mode.
6) Surprisingly good wide-angle (you don’t need a wide-angle adapter)
7) The panorama mode is cute and effective but not very high quality (noise is introduced due to panorama cropping).
8) Excellent flash coverage.
9) Choice of MPEG or AVCHD recording. MPEG is the best choice for compatibility and editing but it takes more space in your memory card. AVCHD is a pain to edit compared to MPEG.
Cons:
1) Compared to my old Canon HV20 the TX10 is simply unable to stabilize the image. Not a deal breaker but you may want to bring a tripod with you at all times.
2) Battery life is dismal, I cannot get more than 80 minutes of continued video shooting from a fully charged Sony battery. I understand third party batteries fair worse (if they work at all). This is a particularly poignant issue if you are near water since you cannot open the camera to change the battery then.
3) The TX10 can charge the battery “in-camera”, it does not come with the standard battery charger, instead Sony has included a USB cable and a USB adapter. This is a terrible problem for travel photographers since the battery life is short but it takes several hours to recharge the a battery inside the camera, obviously, while it is charging, you are unable to take photos or videos. This also means you cannot charge your “spare battery” at the same time. In order to solve the problem, you would have to buy extra batteries and an external battery charger, so now you have to carry two chargers. This could have been easily avoided if Sony had included their regular battery charger as they do with older models.
4) All the 3D shooting modes are useless gimmicks, ignore them. They just take precious space in your memory card and you can’t view 3D without special equipment.
5) A Mini HDMI to HDMI cable was not included, it could cost you up to $30 to buy a Sony cable. Just get a cheap one for a couple of bucks, don’t buy the Sony one, HDMI cables are all compatible.
6) The interactive touch sensitive menu can only be described as a complex labyrinth, extremely awkward to navigate. If Sony was aiming for a friendly interface, they failed miserably.
7) The LCD touch screen is hyper-sensitive and the tiny icons are way to close to each other, the end result it that you rarely press the icon you were aiming for, by the time you solve the mess you created accidentally, your subject has fled the scene. You can help this by “hiding” the icons but then, well, that also requires extra time. Results in an above average learning curve.
8) This camera is extremely slow sometimes, mostly because the 1080p video and the larger 16.2MP pictures require more processing time. Not an ideal camera for action photos.
9) If you like manual exposure controls, forget it, this camera will make you crazy mad. It is automated, albeit it has a nice white balance mode. On the other hand, the auto presets do a better job than a human would in many cases.
10) In video mode, the color saturation is lacking and the video is overexposed 1/2 stop, this creates a somewhat washed out bluish appearance. I suspect they rushed this camera to the market and it just needs a firmware update to fix this. On the other hand, the still photo color balance and exposure is much more pleasant. Sadly the camera “forgets” your manual exposure adjustments when you turn it off.
11) The digital zoom is surprisingly the worse of its kind, quite useless, but I never use it anyway.
12) Attention Divers: The Sony “Marine Pack” enclosure is incompatible with the DSC-TX10.
13) For amateur divers: TX10 is NOT truly waterproof no matter what Sony may want you to believe. The camera is only “water-resistant” at best. It is possible to open the battery latch underwater by accident (there is no secondary locking mechanism like Panasonic’s) and the seals are not strong enough anyway. Remember, all it takes is one tiny drop of water to fog your camera lens from the inside.
I have yet to see an “waterproof” consumer camera that can last more than a few hours underwater without a case. The internet is full of horror stories regarding this issue. There is no need to gamble with your investment…
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