First Glance at Sony's DSC-T30

Sony recently released the DSC-T30 and I was impressed by list of the features it boasted. I currently own a Sony CyberShot DSC-F828 which is more of prosumer digital camera, but I have a couple of problems with it. The thing is too big to take everywhere, and it doesn't have this new "double anti-blur" feature. Not to mention, I've been told it makes me look like a goofy tourist.

Birthdays are always a great excuse to get new gear, and so I got one. Once I charged that battery (which took about one to two hours), I was snapping away, testing the video capabilities, slide shows, and just exploring some of the other great features. One very impressive feature was the Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization feature that kills the blur. I purposely shook the camera while taking pictures, and could not believe how well it captured the image as if the objects were perfectly still. No blur, no traces, just stillness. That alone captured my heart at once.

One useful detail about this camera is that it also displays the amount of pictures it can store at different resolutions, as well as print size. For example it will tell you that at 3-megapixels it can store about 600 images that will produce great looking 5x7 pictures. This is always useful information if you're a shutterbug like me, plus who really prints out all their images at 8x10? The good thing is that at least you have the option to print images as big as 11x17 when taking advantage of a full 7-megapixel resolution.

If you like instant gratification, a one-push button will instantly play a snazzy slide show of all the images you've taken on a three-inch LCD display. It jazzes up your images with music as well as spice things up with four different transition effects to set the mood. If you don't like the preset music for the slideshow, you can upload your own tracks from your own CD or MP3 collection. Bad lighting won't even phase it. This camera took great pictures in poor lighting conditions, and with no flash. I tested this feature a few times going to dark corners, and it still managed to produce good looking stills.

A friend of mine has the DSC-T9 which he uses for his video blog and produces some fantastic video. After testing this camera's video capabilities, I feel confident enough to leave the camcorder at home the next time I go on vacation. It's more than able to produce great looking MPEGs at a 640 x 480 resolution, and captured even the faintest of sounds—like the clinking sound of a spoon in the next room.

The ultra-compact Sony DSC-T30 is available in a matte silver or black, and it fits in your pocket or purse. Mine included a case with purchase, that would normally cost you around $50. You should also keep a few things in mind before getting one: If you have big hands, you may not like the tiny buttons on this camera. The glossy finish on the back is a magnet for fingerprints, and the Cybershot Viewer editing software is not compatible with Macs, but you can still copy images to a Macintosh. Most important buying factor is price, expect to pay around $500 for this tiny camera.

I still have a lot of features to explore, so I plan to do a follow-up post in the future. Check out a product comparison of all the cameras mentioned in this article. In the meantime, if you own the DSC-T30, feel free to post your own review of this camera in the comments section below.