The latest addition to Sony 's Cyber-shot range of consumer digital cameras is sure to cause waves, as it features both Wi-Fi for wireless photo transfers and enough internal memory to enable users to do away with memory cards.
The 6-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-G1 goes on sale in Japan on 6 April for ¥70,000 (£310) and is due in the UK later this year at a price likely to be around £450. The headline attractions of the G1 are its ability to connect by Wi-Fi to other DLNA appliances, including PCs and similar cameras, to share photographs and 2GB of onboard flash memory.
Charming but chunky
That much memory is enough for 600 full-size snaps, but there's still a slot for a Memory Stick Duo if i's not enough. At 238g, the G1 is far from light, which is one reason Sony is touting it as a "virtual photo album in your pocket".
That chunky 93.3 x 71.7 x 25.3mm body houses a high-resolution 3.5-inch touch-sensitive LCD that's sure to win over a few waverers, particularly when the controls on the right of the screen slide behind it on closing the camera to make an attractive viewing area.
Otherwise, the 3x optical zoom is very disappointing but the recently improved Sony image stabilisation and sophisticated in-camera organization functions make for an appealing, albeit pricy, package. Lastly, Sony doesn't give a battery-life rating but we'll be very interested to see how long it lasts with a little Wi-Fi snap swapping going on. Watch this space.
