New Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera features “Clear Photo LCD” technology

The quality is plain to see in the hyper-compact Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 (DSCT3) digital camera, a worthy 5.1 effective Megapixel successor to the award winning Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, updated with a 2.5-inch Clear Photo LCD, presented in an even slimmer brushed stainless steel body, with a high-powered Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens.

Powerful pictures - Clarity is everything when it comes to photography and as the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera features Clear Photo LCD technology you can be sure of crystal-clear viewing and framing every time. The high quality 2.5-inch LCD panel covers two thirds of this super-compact camera’s back surface area and has a higher contrast, resolution and brightness, as well as an enlarged colour range for fine picture detail thanks to the latest Sony engineering.

What’s more the Sony DSC-T3 also features a 5.1 effective Megapixel Super HAD CCD. Quality pictures need quality lenses too and picture excellence is assured with the DSC-T3’s Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3x optical zoom. All this is housed in the most slender of stainless steel bodies and is powered by the unique Sony Real Imaging Processor. With these features it’s very obvious that the Sony DSC-T3 digital camera is a worthy successor to the EISA & TIPA award winning Cyber-shot DSC-T1.

Instant action

Sony’s Real Imaging Processor ensures that the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 is highly compact and can produce a very high standard of picture quality, with improved colour reproduction and less noise. Battery performance has been boosted and power consumption reduced, with up to 180 shots* on one charge. The Real Imaging Processor provides a very quick shooting response time - in fact just slide the lens cover down and the camera is ready to take photos in just 1.3 seconds.

The Sony DSC-T3 digital camera has very little ‘shutter-lag’ between shots and the auto REC review can be cancelled during operation so that no picture opportunity is missed. In addition high-resolution video can be shot on the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 and played back full-screen on TV- all courtesy of the Sony Real Imaging Processor.

Compact Design

Able to be carried in your pocket, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera offers an innovative solution to bulky lenses. Precision engineering and a highly compact optical path are complemented by the ability of the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens to operate within the camera body rather than extending out. Memory Stick Duo ™ and Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ provide ultra compact storage while the slim rechargeable InfoLITHIUM battery also keeps the size of the camera body to a minimum.

Stress-free operation

One of nine automatic Scene Selection modes will help you to produce a perfect picture in almost any setting- these include Twilight Portrait, Candle and High Speed Shutter, while a magnifying glass mode allows you to take a picture as close as 1cm from an object and display it on the LCD screen at 2.1 times magnification. Then when you've taken your digital photos simply output them with the aid of the enhanced PictBridge** facility which means you can select the print size on the LCD and print out your pictures on a compatible printer, without the need for a PC. Or slot the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 into its convenient Cyber-shot station, which offers connectivity to a PC or AV device and a way to easily view your images, all the while recharging the battery at the same time.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

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About the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 digital camera

The Cyber-shot DSC-T3 is the first Sony compact camera to feature Clear Photo LCD technology for higher contrast, resolution and brightness, as well as an enlarged colour range. The 2.5-inch Hybrid LCD is the perfect size for viewing and framing shots; able to let you see your subject as clearly in bright, outdoor conditions, such as at the beach or ski resort, as in indoor or lower light environments.

For added ease of use, a new animated and enlarged icon feature is activated whenever the user changes the Macro, Flash or Self-Timer setting.

Stunning digital photos are possible with the 5.1 effective Megapixels resolution, courtesy of an enhanced Super HAD CCD, as well as the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3x optical zoom. This unique zoom, specially equipped with a folded path optical lens system to keep the camera compact, is guaranteed to provide stunning pictures thanks to the incredible lens quality (elements in 8 groups, 3 aspheric elements, 1 prism) and the more than 100-years heritage that Carl Zeiss possesses in optical design.

To aid ease of use and automatic operation in a wide variety of conditions, the nine Scene Selection modes offered by the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 can handle such environments as candle light, snow scenes, fireworks and beach, or can be used for occasions demanding a high speed shutter or a ‘soft snap’ effect. The camera also features a Magnifying Glass mode where you can take a macro picture with a distance of 1cm and view the subject that appears on the LCD screen magnified up to 3.3 times.

More advanced image control features include Continuous Auto Focus and the ability to cancel the auto REC review feature during operation so that picture opportunities are not missed. There is also noise reduction such as Clear Colour NR and Clear Luminance NR to create clearer images with finer detail and three special menu options for greater control over the saturation, contrast and sharpness of the picture.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 includes support for compact storage in the form of Memory Stick Duo ™ and Memory Stick PRO Duo ™, as well as connectivity delivered by Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and an enhanced version of the PictBridge** interface. This provides a way for the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 to connect directly to a compatible printer without the need for a PC.

One such printer is the newly announced compact Sony DPP-FP30, which provides stunning colour photos thanks to its advanced dye-sublimation printing process. Simply connect the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 to this stylish printer and you can have ‘photo-lab quality’ prints in minutes. It also allows the user to select the print size from the camera’s LCD display.

The Cyber-shot DSC-T3 will be available in the UK & throughout Europe in October 2004.

About the Real Imaging Processor and STAMINA

The Real Imaging Processor brings many benefits to the compact Sony DSC-T3 and delivers many enhancements including better colour reproduction and an improved signal to noise ratio, resulting in dramatically improved picture quality.

Providing a faster start-up time as well as a quicker shutter operation (due to reduced shutter lag and shutter interval) the Sony chip also makes it possible to capture a burst of four high quality shots at high speed and nine at normal speed. Additionally a burst of 100 shots is available when shooting in VGA mode.

For shooting short video clips, the processor in the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3 offers high-resolution video using MPEG Movie VX Fine (480 x 460, 30 frames per second), with recording time only limited by the capacity of your Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ media (optional).

In conjunction with the energy efficient Real Imaging Processor, the supplied NP-FT1 InfoLITHIUM battery can supply up to 180* shots under normal shooting conditions.

About the Cyber-shot Station and Accessories

This highly compact camera also benefits from compatibility with the Cyber-shot station. Supplied with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3, this docking cradle provides USB, printer and AV connectivity, as well as battery charging facilities. The user thus has the ability to shoot pictures and then attach the camera to the cradle for viewing on a TV while charging or manipulating on a PC.

To get more out of the Cyber-shot range, Sony also offers a variety of optional accessories. For the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 these include a specially designed marine housing MPK-THB that allows diving down to 40 meters. In addition leather cases, the LCS-THC and the stylish LCS-THD, will keep the Cyber-shot DSC-T3 safe for longer.

Cyber-shot DSC-T3 Key specifications:

• Clear Photo LCD (2.5" Hybrid)
• 5.1 effective Megapixel
• Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® Lens
• 3x Optical Zoom, up to 12x Smart Zoom, 6x Precision Digital Zoom
• Macro 1cm in Magnifying Glass mode
• Quick Operation (Start-up 1.3 sec, Shutter Time Lag 0.23 sec, Shutter Release Lag 0.009 sec)
• Slim and Compact High Quality Stainless Body
• Real Imaging Processor
• MPEG VX Fine with Audio
• AF Illuminator
• Histogram Indication
• USB 2.0 High Speed Transfer
• 9 Scene Selection Modes
• PictBridge** Compatible
• Long Battery Life (approx 180* shots)
• Cyber-shot Station Supplied