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Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Sony extends its Cyber-shot T-series
By
(Monday, August 30, 2004 - 00:04 EDT)

Sony USA has today announced a new digital camera model for its popular DSC-T series, in the form of the Cyber-shot DSC-T3.

The most obvious change compared to the existing DSC-T1 model is the removal of the sliding lens barrier on the front, trimming a little size and weight off the camera. In place of the old lens barrier is a new electromagnetically controlled shutter that automatically slides over the lens when the camera is powered off, affording some protection without the fear of losing a lens cap. A new "clear photo" LCD offers slightly higher resolution, and Sony says will also give higher contrast and brightness, along with a wider gamut. The position of the power and shutter buttons has been reversed for improved ease of use, and other slight changes include a new retaining clip for the battery, along with slight tweaks to the design of the four-way controller and PictBridge menu system.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 will be available in October at an approximate price of $500. The Cyber-shot DSC-T1 will remain available alongside the new model at a slightly reduced price. Specifications and product photos courtesy of Sony follow:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Imaging Device 1/2.4" 5.1 Megapixel Effective Super HAD™ CCD
Recording Media Memory Stick Duo™ Media, Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media
Lens Construction 11 Elements in 8 Groups (Including 3 Aspheric Elements, 1 Prism)
Zoom 3X Optical, 2X Digital Zoom, 0 – 4X Smart Zoom™ Feature (depending on resolution). Up to 12X Total Zoom (depending on resolution)
Filter Diameter N/A
Focal Length 6.7 – 20.1mm
35mm Equivalent 38 – 114mm
Aperture f3.5 – f5.6 (W), f4.4 – f10.0 (T)
Focus 5 Area Multi-Point AF, 5 Step Manual Preset
Minimum Focus Distance 19.7" (50cm)
Macro Mode Selectable 3.1" (8cm), Magnifying Glass Mode 0.4" (1cm)
Shutter Speed Auto (1/8 – 1/1000 sec), Program Auto (1 – 1/1000 sec), High Speed (1/250 – 1/1000 sec)
Aperture Range f3.5 – f4.4
Exposure Compensation +/- 2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
Color LCD 2.5" 230K TFT Pixels Hybrid LCD Screen
Flash Modes Auto / Forced On / Forced Off / Slow Synchro
Red-Eye Reduction On / Off
Flash Effective Range 3 7/8" – 5' 1/4" (0.1 – 1.7m)
White Balance Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash
Burst Mode 9 Shot (5MP), 13 Shot (3MP), 30 Shot (1 MP) 100 (VGA) 1.1 FPS
Speed Burst Mode 4 Shot (5MP JPEG Fine) 3 FPS
Picture Effects Black & White, Sepia
ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400
Scene Modes Beach, Candle, Fireworks, High Speed Shutter, Landscape, Magnifying Glass Mode, Snow, Twilight, Twilight Portrait
Self-Timer Yes, 10 Seconds
Audio/Video Output Yes, by Supplied Cyber-shot® Station & Cable
Still Image Modes JPEG (Fine/Standard), Burst, Auto Bracketing
MPEG Movie Modes
MPEG VX Fine (640 X 480, 30 fps) with Audio, (MPEG VX Fine Requires Memory Stick PRO™ media)
MPEG VX Standard (640 X 480, 16.6 fps) with Audio,
Video Mail (160 x 112, 8.3fps) with Audio
Microphone / Speaker Yes / Yes
USB Terminal Yes, by Supplied Multi-connector Cable, Supports USB 2.0 Hi-speed
Memory Stick PRO Duo Media Compatibility Tested to support up to 512MB media capacity; does not support Access Control security function
Battery Type / Capacity InfoLithium® NP-FT1, 2.4W (680mAh)
Supplied Software Picture Package™ for Sony v1.1 (Windows), Pixela™ ImageMixer VCD2 (Macintosh) ImageData Converter v1.5 (Macintosh), USB Driver, Cyber-shot Life tutorial (Windows)
OS Compatibility
Microsoft® Windows® 98, 98SE, 2000 Professional, Me, XP Home and Professional
Macintosh® OS 8.5.1, 8.6/ 9.0 - 9.2/ X (10.0, 10.1)
Supplied Accessories NP-FR1 Rechargeable InfoLithium® Battery, AC-LS5 Battery, Charger, UC-TA Cyber-shot® Station, Camera Holder for Tripod, A/V and USB Cables, Wrist Strap, MSA-32A 32MB Memory Stick® Media, Memory Stick Duo Adapter, Software CD-ROM
Dimensions 3 6 ⁄ 11" x 2 4 ⁄ 11" x 7 ⁄ 10" (90 x 60 x 17.8mm)
Weight 5 oz (146g) Body; 6.0 oz (171g) Body w/Battery, Media & Wrist Strap
More Photos
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera. Courtesy of Sony, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
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Original Source Press Release:

SONY RELEASES ITS SLIMMEST FULL FEATURED CAMERA

New Cyber-shot T3 Model Features Elegant Design and Improved LCD

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 29, 2004 Thin, fast and good-looking describe Sony's new 5.1 megapixel Cyber-shot Ò DSC-T3 digital camera, announced today.

The pocket-size T3 camera is Sony's thinnest digital camera to date, measuring in at less than three-quarters of an inch. And due to Sony's Real Imaging Processor™ circuit, this new model is lightning fast. It shoots bursts of up to four full-resolution images at three frames per second.

The T3 camera incorporates a built-in, electrically operated lens cover that opens instantly when the camera is activated. With a single push of the power button, it springs to life in under a second. The new camera will be available in October for about $500.

The camera features a large 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder, occupying roughly two-thirds of the back of the camera. The display's viewing area makes it easy to share images the moment they are captured.

The camera is equipped with a Transflective Clear Photo LCD TM that improves the quality of image display by preventing reflected light from interfering with it. Moreover, the new LCD's higher contrast, brightness and resolution ensure more accurate color reproduction.

“T he T3 camera's new LCD makes it possible to effortlessly see your subject whether you're indoors at your child's recital or at the beach and of course its distinctive design fits any lifestyle,” said Greg Young, general manager for digital still camera marketing in Sony Electronics' Personal Mobile and Imaging Division.

To keep a slim profile, the T3 camera's Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens operates internally rather than extending beyond the camera's body and its 3X optical zoom ensures great image quality. Equipped with a 0-4X SmartZoom (at VGA resolution), the camera allows you to focus in on the area of interest of your subject by cropping the image size and thus avoiding image degradation.

With approximately 180 shots per charge of the camera's InfoLithium™ battery, you can snap away without fear of running down the charge.

With optional Memory Stick PRO Duo™ cards, the camera captures and plays back high resolution moving images. MPEG-VX Fine mode allows you to record MPEG video with 640x480 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second, up to the capacity of the memory media card being used.

Always The Right Setting

The new camera has sophisticated auto-focus and auto-exposure options to help get the picture right the first time. It allows you to choose from nine settings to match the scene – whether it's twilight, portrait, landscape, snow, beach or even fireworks – so it is easy to shoot high-quality images even in challenging lighting conditions.

The T3 camera also has a Magnifying Glass mode in which subjects appearing on the LCD screen can be magnified up to 3.3 times. This mode allows you to see and capture details that would otherwise be difficult to confirm with the naked eye.

Cyber-shot Station: Charging and A Show!

Whether placed next to a TV or PC, there's now a better place to put your digital camera other than a desk or table drawer. The supplied Cyber-shot Station USB cradle accommodates the DSC-T3 camera for playing back slideshows on a TV or transferring images to your PC while charging the camera's batteries. And when connected to a PictBridge ™ –compatible printer, such as Sony's PictureStation ® DPP-FP30 digital photo printer, printing a specific image is as easy.

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Editor's Notes : Sony Electronics' Personal, Mobile and Imaging Products Division markets Cyber-shot® digital still cameras, Handycam® camcorders and related imaging accessories. In addition, the division markets personal audio products, such as the new Network Walkmans, along with the Hi-MD™, Net MD™ and CD Walkman® players. It also markets a variety of mobile electronics for enjoyment in the car. For additional information about Sony products, your readers can call (888) 222-SONY, or visit Sony's web site at: www.sony.com/di . Press releases and digital images are available for the media at Sony Electronics' news and information web site at: www.sony.com/news .

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