The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2 is identical to the T20 with a few exceptions -- a smaller, somewhat cleaner design, a marginally larger LCD, 4GB internal memory and some not-terribly-engaging playback options. On the other end, for about the same street price you can get the T200 with its 5x zoom and significantly larger 89mm (3.5-inch) LCD compared with the T2's 3x lens and 69mm (2.7-inch) LCD.
Unlike its increasingly larger siblings, which have slowly outgrown the 'ultracompact' designation, the 156g, 87 by 57 by 20mm T2 remains firmly trouser-pocketable. It's more flat-faced and protrusion-free than the other models, with a cooler front-sliding vertical lens cover. But the buttons and switches -- most notably the Review and Scrap Book buttons -- are very difficult to press, and the LCD is too small for comfortable touch-screen operation.Like the T200, the T2 doesn't include a dock and requires a dongle converter for the docking port to connect the USB cable, or to connect a cable for display on a TV. Since it includes 4GB memory and will only write to an external card if the internal memory is full, you need that dongle. The alternative is springing for a standard or HD-capable Cyber-shot Station.
And then there's the touch screen. Over time, Sony has streamlined the operation and layout of the various options, making it less onerous of an interface. But finger touches don't always register immediately. Furthermore, unlike the higher-end model Ts, which have 16:9 aspect screens and use the blacked letterbox area for the touch-screen icons, the T2's 4:3 screen overlays the icons on the viewing display, and they can be difficult to see against some scene types.
You access the frequently used shooting settings via the display. These include resolution, self timer, exposure mode (auto, scene, program or movie), focus (multi, centre, spot or manual), metering mode (multi, centre-weighted or spot), ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, macro and flash. Though it lacks aperture and shutter-priority modes, it does tell you the current shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting when you prefocus.
The face-detection autofocus works very well at spotting multiple faces in a scene -- the T2 will optimise focus and exposure for the face(s) -- and one of the bonuses of the touch screen is you can use it to indicate the primary face. We still think that the Spot Focus feature, in which you touch the desired focus point is a faster, better solution, however.
The T2 also includes Sony's 'smile shutter' mode, which pauses shooting until the detected faces crack a smile. We wish it could be liberated from the scene-mode ghetto, though, it would be useful in general Program mode shooting, too. You can also 'paint' on photos using the bundled stylus.
From power on to first shot takes a hair less than two seconds. Time to focus and snap runs only 0.4 seconds in good light, though that rises to 1.2 seconds in dimmer situations -- pretty good for a snapshot camera, but slower than you really want. The interval between two consecutive shots is a brisk 1.4 seconds, which rises to 2.5 seconds with flash.
Overall, the T2's photos look pretty good. There's some lens distortion and purple and cyan fringing, but the colours look pleasing and reasonably saturated.
Though it's a perfectly competent little camera, on the basis of features, image quality and performance, there's little reason to opt for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2 over the less expensive T20 or better-equipped T200. If you find the design a significant attraction, then we suggest you visit one in a local store before making the commitment.
Specs:
- Form factor: Ultracompact
- Size (W x H x D): 87 x 57 x 20 mm
- Weight: 156 g
- Sensor resolution: 8.1 megapixels
- Optical sensor type: CCD
- Digital zoom: 6 x
- Max shutter speed: 1/1000 s
- Min shutter speed: 1/4 s
- Lens type: Fixed focal length
- Built-in memory: 4Gig
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