Sony’s CES press conference may have been a little on underwhelming side, there was no industry-changing announcement or even mention of new cameras at all, but the company did manage to give us a peak at some of the updated features in its digital imaging line as well as some new compact cameras that weren’t mentioned in the press conference. The list of updates is short, but we’ve got the details on what improvements the company has in store.
Despite the lack of mention at the press conference, Sony does have new offerings in the Cyber Shot lineup. The new DSC-W610, DSC-W620, and DSC-W650 compact cameras will all feature Sony’s new 360 Sweep Panorama mode, allowing users to simply “press and sweep” across a scene to capture a panorama image; they will also feature a new Intelligent Auto mode that lets the camera itself adjust to a scene by analyzing the lighting, subjects, and focus to select the appropriate scene mode or setting. The DSC-W610 and DSC-W620 will offer SteadyShot image stabilization and the DSC-W650 will feature advanced Optical SteadyShot stabilization. The DSC-W620 and DSC-W650 models will allow for shooting video in 720p HD and all three models will offer new artistic filters and themes like Toy Camera, Partial Color, and Soft High-key.
Now for the specs. All three are budget models, coming in at $110 for the DSC-W610, $120 for the DSC-W620, and $150 for the DSC-W650. The DSC-W610 will have a 14.1 megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor, a 26mm equivalent lens, and 4x optical zoom. The DSC-W620 will offer the same 14.1 megapixel sensor, a 28mm equivalent lens, and 5x optical zoom. The nicest model (DSC-W650) will have a 16 megapixel sensor, a 25mm equivalent lens, and 5x optical zoom. All will be available starting in February.
What the company did mention in the press conference was updates to its camcorder series as well as the Bloggie HD. At the top of the lineup we have the new HDR-PJ760V and HDR-CX760V Handycam camcorders, which boast full HD recording and 24.1 megapixel still images. They will also offer new features like Balance Optical SteadyShot, which claims to cancel handshake blur up to 13 times better than previous models. The new Handycam models will also come with brighter built-in projectors, allowing users to instantly project their videos up to 800 inches wide on a wall or other viewing surface.
Adding to its Bloggie lineup, Sony announced the Bloggie Live ($250) and the Bloggie Sport ($180). The Bloggie Live will be the first full HD pocket camera with the ability to stream live video thanks to its built-in WiFi capability. The device will use Qik Video for live streaming and users will be able to quickly upload videos to social networking sites or Youtube when in a WiFi hotspot. It shoots in full HD and will take still shots at 12.1 megapixels. The new Sport model of the Bloggie has a rugged design and will shoot HD video and take 5 megapixel still shots. The outdoor-ready camera is waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. Both new models will be available starting in February.
