Sony’s latest Cybershots have changed my wish list for a new range finder camera. Up high on the list is the all-around Cyber-shot TX5 made for rugged and extreme conditions.
During the Sony event at Shangri-la, Boracay, we were able to use all these new toys for the team competition. Unfortunately, I was too engrossed in the race I completely forgot to take photos and sample shots.
Coming in from the Cyber-shot TX1 model, Sony’s TX5 is the waterproof (10 feet), shockproof (5 feet), dustproof, and freeze-proof (14°-104 °F) version. Its got a 10.2MP sensor, a 3.0″ touch screen display, and able to do 720p HD (1280×720) movies at 30 fps.
One of its nicest feature is the intelligent Sweep Panorama Mode — just shoot in a swiping direction (sideways or downwards) and it will automatically generate a panoramic shot. This is a departure from the 3-shot stitching function we’ve seen in other models.
On the other hand, the Sony Cyber-shot TX7 is a similar model with the same 10.2MP sensor (25mm equivalent), 4x optical zoom, 1080i AVCHD Movie Mode, with a special 10-frames-per-second shooting mode (burst mode) and Sweep Panorama Mode. It’s also got a bigger 3.5″ touch screen display and an ISO of up to 3200.
Sony also introduced it’s own Bloggie camera (MHS-PM5/V) for shooting short HD videos. This is their answer to the popular Flip Mino HD.
The Bloggie takes full HD 1080p videos at MPEG4 AVC/H.264 (MP4) format. I can also do still images at 5MP. Storage is via Memory Stick PRO Duo 4GD with another slot for SD card for expansion (SRP: Php14,999). The camera lens rotates a good 270-degree and comes with a secondary lens attachment that can record a full 360-degrees all at once.
Our team actually won this during the competition so I should be able to demonstrate that 360-degree shooting mode once they ship it to us. See photos of the Shangri-la Boracay Spa & Resort here.
I also have the Sony Cybershot, but not this model, it’s the DSC-WX1. I wonder if which is more updated or more latest, TX 15 and 17 or the DSC-WX1?
hi
anybody here knows how much the sony tx5 costs here in the phil?
Um. Only asking, is the CM5 Sony Bloggie released already? I wanted to buy it already eh. If so, how much is it here? Please reply soon…
no, i haven’t gotten a cable yet but i think that’s pretty easy to find here.
@Leandro: Thanks for the reply. I’m glad that my decision to buy the extra bat was a good one. Did you also buy a mini-HMDI to HMDI cable for your CM5?
yup, battery life is terrible. lasts only a little over an hour. bought a spare one here in the philippines for P2,300.
@Leandro: How’s the battery life with your CM5? A review told me to get another battery since both the CM5 and the PM5 does just over an hour of recording. That’s why I bought another battery together with the CM5 when I ordered through amazon.
I really wish they’d intro the CM5 here in the Philippines so I wouldn’t have to buy the other accessories abroad…
good thing I havent ordered via amazon.
when will bloggie be available?
please answer.
thanks!!
I have the cm5 and the quality is pretty awesome. PM5 sucks because it doesn’t have optical zoom and reviews say that it has problems with the focus.
that bloggie’s specs are way better than my HD pocket camcorders’
howowow…. everyday comes another entry to my long wishlist…. hope to own a bloggie …. hmmmm
I may be wrong, but isn’t this the first time Sony uses SD cards in its cameras?
I was amazed by the Bloggie, really hope to own this own as I love taking videos for my blogging.
So the MHS-CM5 won’t be available in the Philippines? Only the MHS-PM5?