Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 (silver)

June 25, 2007 03:48
Mediocre
1.0/5
I had bought the T20 for a vacation a few weeks ago, and it took some great day pictures. However, the minute I got inside and I took the flash off or even lowered it, the pictures looked horrible. Night time shots also, and the flash is incredibly weak.My father was using a much older Sony 3.1 MP camera and his shots were coming out sharper. And I payed $400 plus for this thing??

I figured it was the camera, so I returned it for the T100 thinking it has to be better. Nope, same problem. The minute you change the flash, you get the constant camera shake warning, even if you're perfectly stil, the picture come out blurry.

This was even in a moderately lit room. Sometimes even with the flash, the pictures were soft, when you zoomed in. Before I took it back I purchased the Canon 750 and 850 IS. both cameras blew away the Sony in terms of picture clarity and indoor/night time pictures.

I even setup all the cameras on a table with the timer, and the T100 pictures looked terrible compared to the Canons. Blotchy, soft messes on indoor shots. It great for the outdoors, but most people take indoor shots, at least I know I do.

Most of my night time flash shots showed those white dots, which I know is typical with these small cameras, but the Canons seem to not have the problem as often.

The menu system is also a little annoying to navigate, especially if you want to switch to a different scene, image size, or exposure setting.

I really wanted to like this camera as it looks fantastic, and the 3" screen is fantastic, but the camera is not worth the money. Look at the reviews aroung the net on this thing, and you'll see this camera has issues.

Shame on Sony for not testing it out better, and shame on CNET for leaving this part out. If they did it on purpose, then they lose more and more credibility each day. If they didn't even bother testing taking pictures indoors, then why bother having a review section if you're not going to fully test out the products you showcase?

BTW, I stuck with the 750. It took great pictures, has gotten fantastic reviews, and looks much nicer than than the 850 IS.

- raystrom23

March 17, 2007 09:02

5.0/5
I am so happy that I went with this camera. Sony has finally decided to step up and come out with an ultracompact that is better than Canon. I was set on buying the Canon SD800IS but then came across this beauty.

It is not in stores yet but can be purchased online from Circuit City. Sony also has an optional docking station that should be coming out soon which will be nice.

This camera has a 5x zoom which is incredible for its size. The new processing engine is noticeably faster and comes from their SLR camera line. Face detection and the 9 point auto focus and big pluses as well.

From Sony: "With Super SteadyShotŪ optical image stabilization and high sensitivity (ISO 3200), the DSC-T100 compensates for shaky hands, minimizes blur, brightens images and allows flash-free shooting to preserve the mood. And the Clear RAW" noise reduction will take care of the picture noise that can ruin low-light shots."

Pictures look great and I have a trip to Hawaii coming up and I look forward to using this camera and comparing my pictures to my Sony H5.

There are also multiple colors available but not all colors can be purchased right now since it has just been released.

- dentalrep

April 11, 2007 03:25

5.0/5
this camera is simply amazing! it is smaller than it looks in the pictures! the lcd screen takes up most of the back. i have already tried many different types of shots with this camera, and it does exactly what is stated. to test the response of the camera, i waved my hand quickly in front of the lens, and when it took the picture, my hand was completely clear and focused! the face detection is perfect. i tested it on my friends, and also tested it on posters with 4 or 5 people, and the face detection worked every time! you can upload your personal music to play during slidshow playback, which is a cool feature. there are many modes and specifications avaiable. i did a lot of research on many cameras before deciding to buy one. this is by far the best digital camera i have ever had. it is a bit steep on price ($400), but after buying it and using it, it is definatly worth this price! i would recommend this camera to everyone thinking about getting a sleek digital camera. it is a shame CNET has not done a review of this camera yet, because it everyone needs to know about its qualities and performance!

- bbnova22

June 22, 2007 03:43
Excellent
2.0/5
I bought this camera on the reviews (both CNET, other sites, user opinions) and was completely ready to be "wow'ed" by the results. I was at least hoping to get decent results, consistent with a good "point and shoot." I have been trying to reconcile the results I received however, and now have to conclude, the reviews and opinions of others were based on promise, not actual results. I'm an avid photographer that has several camerals, include a couple SLRs and numerous "point and shoots". This is the first of my cameras that didn't meet expectations, which admittedly were high.

Photo quality is mediocre, especially in mid to low light, and it is slow to focus, often not focusing correctly. My Sony T-9 is far superior in photo quality and shot taking process, though supposedly with 2 less megapixels. Photos with the T100 are grainy, and last dynamic range in color which is noticible in most photos/prints. I would have to rank it as the least impressive camera that I've owned going back to my first digital camera, a Fuji 2MP i purchased in 2001.

I really wanted to like this camera, but must say I have buyers remorse. I'm still hoping the HD playback will win me over (have yet to try this), but the photo quality and prints that come from this camera really are mediocre at best.

Disappointing...

- benkim211

July 30, 2007 04:25
Mediocre
1.0/5
Having read Cnet reviews for many years, and used those reviews in influencing my decision in most of my purchases, including three digital cameras. I now realize that whoever reviews digital cameras for Cnet has very little concept or understanding of digital cameras. You only have to compare Cnet reviews with those of dedicated camera web sites to realize this.
I have now decided to base my buying decisions on the score given by other reviewers. Check it out yourself, if you haven't already noticed the hundreds of reviews that start with "I don't now which camera Cnet was reviewing, it wasn't the same one I have!"
I am sorry, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when I read numerous reviews by "a camera expert", then find those views contradicted by the reviews of users and other "professional" camera reviewers, I start to doubt the ability of Cnet's reviewer.
The Fuji S9100 is another example. Cnet's view was "Though high on features, Fuji's Fine Pix S9100 comes up short on image quality." Yet every other amateur and professional reviewer found the image quality the leader in it's field and price range, with 90% of those reviews giving a 9 or 10 score, against Cnet's 7.4.
I believe that many buyers like me were swayed by Cnet giving this camera it's highest accolade and score.
This camera is "OK", not great, in well lit outdoor situations, but is horrible indoors, both in well lit and in low lit situations, flash photographs over six feet away, twilight and night shots WITH AND WITHOUT A TRIPOD!
I am an advanced photo enthusiast, I read the manuals, practice with all the features, etc. But on a recent vacation I was not able to print one 8x10 that was shot in anything but perfect outdoor conditions. All the other photos were noisy, soft, fuzzy photos that looked like they were taken by a five year old with a $20 camera. My 6 year old Pentax takes photos that are 10X better.
Just in case you are in any doubt that the problem might be my ability or my camera. My 30 year old son accompanied us, and he also has the T100, which he bought after reading Cnet's review, and all his photo's were equally poor quality.
Choose something else, and base your choice on "user reviews" not Cnets hit or miss approach.

- Jeff Kirby

May 23, 2007 07:48

4.5/5
I gave a lot of weight to purchasing one of the Canon SD lines of cameras. Unfortunately, none of them had all the features I wanted. The DSC-T100 does have all these features and several originally not considered that cannot be underestimated. Firstly, for any compact/ultracompact camera, image stability control is a must. Secondly, the larger 3 inch screen is worth the loss of a view-finder no matter what the CNET review says. The LCD screen is fast, easy to view in sun, and large; so a view finder is not necessary. Sensitivity modes are great. Battery life was better than previous camera, though charge time is 3 hrs. The Carl Zeiss lens provides an undistorted picture with no fringe effects, and the super HAD CCD can easily offer high sensitivity that pairs well with the lens. This camera teaches you the importance of a 5x as opposed to a 3x zoom, which in turn underscores the great image stability control. I did have one moment of head scratching frustration. Sony offers multiple different modes under the home button, ie auto adjustment, program auto, scene selection. They call them shooting scenes. These scenes when selected change the options available under the menu button, such as sensitivity, face recognition, flash, etc. Once you realize this, however, you begin to appreciate the different modes and how they offer quick changes without manually modifying every menu option. The interface is great for this camera. I understand CNET's criticism of the buttons, but if they were any larger you wouldn't have a place to put your thumb or finger to stabilize the camera without accidentally pressing a button. Finally, buy the camera for the start up, image capture, and repeated capture times. Just flip the brushed metal cover down and the camera is up before you can point it.

- clwright1

May 17, 2007 07:49
Good
1.5/5
Face detection is a big joke. I can't believe sony is selling this camera and claiming the excellant focus when it doesn't work properly. I am taking it back and buying something more resonable for this type of point and shoot.
I have used 100 cameras that focus better. Sony t100 sucks for focusing. I am upset because all of my daughter prom pictures are soft. You can't tell in the playback of the camera but when youblow them up it is not focused on the subjects.
Nice try sony but you definately have a problem with this camera. Caller the sony store and I am not the only one complaining

- stanleyda

May 3, 2007 02:07

5.0/5
The T100 would be my third P&S camera from Sony, and for the past 2 weeks it has performed well above my expectations compared to my past models (DSC-P7 & DSC-T1). I am a House Music DJ in Los Angeles so my camera is always in use and on the road. The slim form factor is a definate must for all clubbers alike. It fits comfortably in my back pocket and is always a thrill to whip it out and get those "OOO's & AAH's" from everyone. Day or night, the 8.1 mp sensor really shines for those up close and personal shots. The 3 inch display is absolutley astounding! Clear and crisp enough so the ladies can review the shots i took. I have not played around with the editing tools built in so I will get back to you guys, but looking forward to playing around with their optional Wide Angle lens conversion kit they got. That's all for now. Hope this helps you all!

- erwintjoe

May 17, 2007 11:09
Spectacular
2.5/5
This is a great camera for the beginner who wants to impress his friends at a party. It starts up in a second and it takes great shots with super speed. The T-100 offers a lot of bells and whistles like 8.0 megapixel, super double steady shot, 3"LCD, a powerful flash, ISO up to 3200 and lots of other cool toys that take too long to mention. However after impressing everybody you can develop your prints and find out that the pictures are not so great. Prints from this camera are grainy, with a lot of noise and they lack color. Just like every other cybershot super fan , I sold my older model T-9 and upgraded to the T-100. What a mistake! Once I received the camera I took as many pictures as I could in every type of environment and even went as to compare its pictures to pictures taken with my old Canon S80. I was shocked with the results ! I compared the pictures side by side and found that the Canon S80 put the Sony T-100 to shame. The Canon pictures where very well focused with great color. As for the T-100 Sony pictures, they where lacking some color, sharpness and worst of all the pictures looked liked someone had blown sand on them "Grainy" .

So in conclusion I would not advise anyone to purchase this camera unless you dot plan to print pictures larger than a 4 X 6

As for myself, I have already returned the T-100 to Sony for a refund and I am back on the market searching for another t-9 or something that performs like it.

- addikku

June 27, 2007 07:49
Spectacular
2.5/5
So, I wonder if this review will even make it to Cnet or for how long before it is taken down. This camera is a big disappointment. There is so much hype out there, especially about the high ISO. I am an experienced photographer and I just can't believe how bad this is. I think that Cnet and all these sites either on Sony payroll or they just fell in love with the design, 3" LCD and 5x optical zoom. I know that I did. I've had it for a week and I'm counting down the days (14) that I have before I must return it. Calculating in the 15% restocking fee!! This cam just doesn't measure up and it's so cool that I can't hardly give it up. But I'm going to return it. There is noise starting at ISO200. I have some shots at ISO100 that look like crap. I measured against an older Canon and it was better. My brother's Casio Zs700 (or something like that) is supposed to be an avg camera and its photos were better!! Outside shots are great. Color is rich. Zoom is nice. Shutter lag is minimal, much better than the Casio. However, indoor shots are crap. Way too yellow. Scene adjustments don't compensate. Flash is weak. Anything without flash is very crunchy and/or grainy. Red eye is a huge problem even with red eye reduction activated. The face recognition never seems to work. I've seen it activated once and I've taken tons or portraits. Man, I want to love this camera, but the photo quality is definitely below average!! What a bummer!

- rjmoore98