Sony TX200V Review - Too Expensive Cyber-Shot or Worth the Price? Note: This article was republished from http://www.squidoo.com/sony-tx200v We recommend viewing the article from there for better image resolution and formatting
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX200V Every single review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V doesn't end without mentioning its price. Many people think it's just too expensive for a point-and-shoot camera that they often suggest to buy a DSLR instead. But is the price really too much? Or is it justified with features you cannot get in other cameras?
Pros Strong Selling Points of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX200V 1. Excellent Image and Video Quality At a resolution of 18.2 MP, the TX200V has got the highest megapixels in point-and-shoot cameras to date. Of course, many people know that higher resolution doesn't always equate to image quality. But the Sony TX200V does churn out great pictures that some photographers even compare it to micro 4/3rds and DSLRs. Of course, that's like comparing apples to oranges. But the point is, if you want to take high quality images without worrying about your aperture, focal length, and things like that, the TX200V is one of the best choices in the market today. Videos are just as good that can even rival the quality of many camcorders. The exclusive Exmor-R
sensor inside it helps the camera perform better in low light conditions, while image stabilization keeps the videos smooth. The 1080/60p resolution movies it records simply look great on a large HDTV. Check out the sample images and video further below. 2. Ultracompact with a sleek design, but powerful too The TX series cameras are known for exactly these qualities. What's unique about the TX200V though is that the front is covered in glass - just a flat surface with no irregular bumps or slide-down lens cover, so it has that shiny iPhone feel to it. Its size makes it very easy to slip on your pocket so you can bring it anywhere and you're ready to go. And it's got the brains too. The high performance image processor inside it allows for faster shooting and processing speed. Many users report that it's ready to shoot in less than a second after powering it on. Shutter lag is only 0.3 seconds in good lighting conditions, so one can focus and shoot quickly. 3. Waterproof, dustproof, freezeproof This isn't readily obvious on first look but the TX200V is actually a semi-tough camera. Semi-tough, because it is not shockproof due to the glass front cover that may break when dropped from a certain height. Still, the fact that it is waterproof up to 16 feet and freezeproof up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit means the camera can withstand accidental abuse here and there.
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4. High resolution OLED touchscreen display Unlike LCD, OLED consumes less power, more responsive, and displays more vibrant colors. The large 3.3 inch screen with 1.229k dots resolution is also way above the average point-and-shoot cameras you'll find in stores today. The menu is very intuitive too and takes very little time to get used to. 5. Fun picture effect and shooting modes There are three auto modes to choose from, namely Easy, Intelligent Auto, and Superior Auto. You can use any of these to your liking but it's worth noting that the Superior Auto includes a Backlight Correction HDR that combines multiple shots of different exposure to achieve greater detail in bright and dark areas of a photo. Another novel feature is the Picture Effects which are image filters that change the look and feel of pictures, similar to what Instagram or Hipstamatic does in the iPhone. If you're feeling creative, this can be fun to play around with and share on social media.
6. Other features - GPS allows for easier geotagging - While the other TX cameras this year had only 4x optical zoom, the TX200V is a notch higher at 5x - Good macro capability up to 3 cm - Background Defocus mode is a DSLR-like feature that blurs the background while the subject is kept in focus - Charges directly from a USB port - Sweep Panorama feature makes panorama shooting very easy, up to 360 degrees - Fast burst shooting at 10 fps - Dual Rec feature takes 13 megapixel pictures while recording a full HD video
- Has manual adjustments for color, brightness, and vividness - Has one of the highest ISO range among compact cameras
Cons Possible Dealbreakers
1. Uses Memory Stick Micro or Micro SD/SDHC only If you have lots of standard regular-sized memory cards lying around, you'll be disappointed to find out that you won't be able to use them for the TX200V. No one knows if this is a move to keep the device small or if Sony just wants to push for the use of these "micro" technology (it also has a micro-USB and micro-HDMI port).
2. Battery compartment doesn't look well built This is more of a perception problem than a real design flaw. Many people just think the battery compartment doesn't look like it will keep the water from leaking into the camera, as it uses a slider similar to most digicams. But it does have a rubber seal, which I'm sure Sony thoroughly tested for waterproofing. 3. Fingerprint magnet It may be shiny like an iPhone but it collects fingerprints easily. It does come with a free cleaning cloth though. There is also an optional anti-fingerprint protection film you can buy together with the camera.
Sample Images Note: Photos are scaled down to fit the page
Background Defocus mode
Macro shot (photo submitted by rbhatta to Amazon)
Watercolor Effect
Sony TX200V vs TX66 vs TX100V vs TX20 Previous TX camera owners may be interested to find out if it's worth upgrading to the TX200V. Or if you're a prospective camera buyer, you may want to find cheaper alternatives to this camera. The table below might help in your decision.
The Verdict With the Sony TX200V, it all comes down to price. It seems like the perfect point-and-shoot camera for most people - it's waterproof, portable, takes good pictures and videos, sleek, and easy to use. Now if all those features sound good to you, it may after all be worth the hefty price tag as there seems to be no other competitor that can match this beast of a camera.
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