Boasting an ultra-wide zoom 25-250mm equivalent superzoom lens and a 3” LCD screen, the new 14.1-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 looks to be a decent mid-price digital compact shooter.
To back up that mighty zoom, there’s Sony’s Optical Steady Shot image stabilisation with Active Mode onboard – this claims to let you shoot smoother movie clips even if you’re walking while shooting.
Talking of video, there’s 720p HD video recording and an interesting Sweep Panorama mode which lets you create panoramic shots in one sweeping motion, with the results viewable on the 3″ Clear Photo LCD screen (230,400 pixels).
All the usual Sony bells and whistles are present and correct including a Self portrait timer that automatically takes the shot two seconds after one or two faces are detected, and Smile Shutter technology to grab the moment your chums manage to break a gurn.
Like all of Sony’s latest Cyber-shot releases, the H55 comes with a handy dual memory card slot that accepts both SD/SDHC cards and the pesky MemoryStick Pro Duo format which they seem unable to let go of.
The Sony H55 camera will be available in black and silver from April priced at around $250.
Specs:
# 14.1 Megapixel CCD
# F3.5-5.5, 10X optical zoom Sony G lens, equivalent to 25 – 250 mm
# Optical image stabilization, with “active mode” for situations with lots of camera shake
# 3-inch LCD with 230,400 pixels
# Limited manual controls, plus iAuto mode
# Sweep panorama mode (not quite as sophisticated as the one on the HX5V)
# Face, smile, and blink detection, with self-portrait timer
# Records movies at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) using MPEG-4 codec
# 45MB onboard memory + MS Duo / SD / SDHC card slot
# Uses NP-BG1/FG1 li-ion batteries, 310 shots per charge
# Comes in silver and black
# Ships in April for $250
