Sony DSC-S75

The DSC-S75 CyberShot leads off Sony's new product line of digital still cameras for 2001 and will be available in May. The ergonomically-designed DSC-S75 features a Sony 1/1.8" 3.34-MegaPixel Super HAD CCD, both an optical view finder and a 1.8-inch EX Bright, 123,000-pixel color LCD display. It is equipped with a fast Carl Zeiss F2.0 3X optical 7-21mm (34-102mm 35mm equiv) Vario Sonnar zoom lens and a new Jog Dial navigator. The camera's two-frame burst mode allows you to capture high-paced action, with faster auto focusing for quicker response.

The DSC-S75 also features full screen playback and the option to take video in MPEG HQ and MPEG EX movie modes. MPEG EX movie mode will continuously record video up to the capacity of the flash media. This means that 90 minutes of video at can be continuously recorded on 128MB Memory Stick media. Additionally, images can be captured in JPEG, TIFF, Text or Clip Motion (animated GIF) formats.

The DSC-S75 is the first consumer camera to offer a 14 bit A/D converter allowing for more accurate capture of detail. The focusing system of the DSC-S75 is unique to the Sony line in that, as the focusing wheel is adjusted, the LCD display shows the image coming in and out of focus. It is also equipped with an AF illuminator to adjust focus in poor lighting situations.

The camera also has expanded manual controls. Aperture priority lets the photographer decide depth of field, or how much of the scene is in focus. Shutter priority lets the photographer choose shutter speed to freeze action appropriately and, with full-manual control, both aperture and shutter speeds can be adjusted to best fit picture needs. The D-S75 is powered by an InfoLithium® "M" battery, allowing for up to 3,000 shots on a single charge.

Physical Views

The Minolta S304 and the DSC-S75, both 3mpixel and $699.