Sony is extremely excited that its new Exmor R sensor has made its way into the compact market.The technology means that photographers can eke more light out of even the most ink-black of shooting conditions.
Both the new DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1 have been blessed with the CMOS technology that was last seen in the company's HX1 cameras. To fit the tech into the body of a compact cam is no mean feat.
While the WX1 is a chunky camera, especially when compared to its stablemate the super-slim TX1, it's because the unit is sporting a zoom-friendly Sony G lens rather than the Exmor R tech.
The camera is a sturdy and solid as you would expect from a Cyber-shot, and has a number of features which will help most with their shot-taking in low-light situations.
These include a hand-held twilight mode which fires off six images in less than a second and layers them on top of each other to create a much sharper and more detailed shot.
The results are impressive. A demo we saw put both the TX1 and WX1 way ahead in low-light shooting quality than most other compact cameras we have seen on the market.
While most the functions of the WX1 can be found on the more stylish TX1, the chunkier compact does beat it on optical zoom size (5x).
And when you use the camera's pièce de résistance, the Panorama Zoom, you have a few more degrees to play around with – a 256-degree panorama, compared to the TX1's 185 degrees.
With Sony believing that its new compact sensors are almost twice the sensitivity of conventional sensors, there's no denying that the camera is a brilliant piece of technology.
With image clarity – especially in low-light – that not even the most hardened pro can turn their nose up at, the WX1 is definitely something a bit special.
The camera will be out in September for £330. And don't forget, you can also connect it up to the Party-shot!
More pictures below:
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leonrae
September 18th 2009
2. Ok. Well I feel compelled to write this brief review as I have had the opportunity of having the WX1 for a few days now. I am Thus far really IMPRESSED by this camera.
Where to Start?
First. I was surprised. It’s small. I mean It’s actually Smaller than the W300. That’s a plus as it allows for discretion where cameras are ‘frowned on’ or when you don’t want to make it obvious that you have a camera with you. It’s akin to mobile phone dimensions except its Thicker.
Controls are well easy to use. Laid out nicely and the menus are self explaining with little icons helping to aid in decision making. The 24mm lens is really handy. The w300 had a limited 35mm wide end and this was annoying as it meant a lot ‘stepping back’ or ‘clipping off’ of scenes…Not so with the WX1. It’s 24mm ‘G’ lens is Wide and believe me you will appreciate it. Nice one Sony.
So Critically Does the Much Hyped functions live up to their billings?! You BET they do.!!
I love its low light capabilities!! And I will say that twice if I have to.!
The w300 was much underrated for its low light capabilities I thought but The WX1 WONT be. It’s AWESOME. ISO 400, 800, 1600 are all good in Program and iAuto modes. But in the New ‘TWILIGHT Hand Held’ Mode and the ‘Anti Motion Blur’ Mode where the WX1 takes SIX shots in around a Second and superimposes these to make one whole picture. The Results are like an Athlete taking Performance Enhancing Drugs! REALLY. IT’S THAT IMPRESSIVE!!
Even images shot at 3200 using the Anti Motion Blur mode hold up well under scrutiny. I have never thought a compact camera could go up to that level of ISO and produce anything beyond a mushy noise filled mess. The WX1 has SET a Standard now that all others..Samsung..Canon ..Fuji are going to struggle to beat. Go Sony !!
So what about the other much vaunted features…?
The Burst mode is GREAT. 10 full frame shots in 10 seconds at 10mps. That should be the bragging rights of PRO DSLR’s only but Sony’s done it again!! Only drawback here is that it takes like Double that time for the Buffer to process and clear the images before you can shot again. So keep it in mind. Small price to pay thought for such capability though. I think.
The ‘Sweep Panoramic’ mode has been much talked about by Sony. Everyone kind of knows how it works by now. It’s the only function I find that I can’t really Rave about. Thus far. For me the results it produces are…hmm…ok. That sounds kind harsh considering the capability but I find the images though Wide are way to Squashed for my liking. I found if i turned the camera Vertically and sweep the scene in that position, though the image is noticeably less wide they fill the frame much better. Personal preference I guess.
Talking of..I have never indulged in panoramic shots before so I didn’t think about the various exposures values that can be present in such a Wide angle shot. This can result in high and low lights being all over the place. It threw me. Gonna take some practice to get this right. I use the ‘- EV’ settings to compensate at the moment along with post production work.
The WX1 has NO manual Functions. A bit disappointing that ( but then I have my Panasonic F28 for such) so…It also has a base Iso of 160. Hmm… but I must say I haven’t seen any drawbacks in low iso picture quality due to this.
The WX1 HD video recording capability IS to be a Major Plus. It works well and the resulting clips are oh so impressive and the ability to zoom in and out whilst recording is a nice touch.
Talking of zooming. 5x optical zoom isn’t much to write home about however, the coupled with that wide 24mm lens is just oh so fine.
As you can probably tell I really RATE this camera highly. Can I add it also won the Prestigious European EISA Best Product ‘Compact Camera’ 2009/2010 Award. That’s got to say a Lot more than my review.
If interested Go to Flickr to see some pics posted there..
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speede541
August 24th 2009
1. This is a bit misleading. The WX1, the larger of the two cameras, does have a 5x zoom, but it maxes out at 120mm. The smaller TX1 zooms out to 140mm, but it's because it begins at 35mm. The WX1 shoots at 24mm at its widest, which is great for cramped indoor / party shots. The lens on the WX1 is also much more capable in low-light settings, which should be clearly evident when more sample shots become available.
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