Sony has introduced high-definition movie recording to its digital camera line with the Cyber-shot DSC-T500. The 10-megapixel camera features wide- and full-screen 720p movie recording at 30 frames per second in fine, standard and VGA recording modes, a resolution three times higher than standard-definition movies.
Movie capture on this model is further enhanced to include zoom while in recording mode and high-sensitivity shooting for natural- or low-light environments. The camera can continuously record a video clip up to 10 minutes in length and also features a dual photo and video capture mode to capture up to three photos with no recording interruption.
The T500 records in the versatile MPEG4 AVC/H.264 codec for video compression and stereo audio onto Memory Stick media cards. The camera connects to compatible HD televisions via an HDMI cable (sold separately) for easy viewing.
The T500 camera integrates a 3.5-inch, transflective, touch-panel LCD screen for easy navigation, framing and viewing in strong light conditions. It has a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens with a wide field of view (33–165mm in 35mm equivalency), and incorporates Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and high-sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200 to help combat blur and facilitate flash-free shooting for natural-exposed photo, and face detection technology that can detect up to eight faces in the camera frame and adjust focus, exposure and flash appropriately.
The compact DSC-T500 comes packaged with Picture Motion Browser software for easy organizing and viewing of images and retails for about $400.