The Sony DSC-T30 continues
the evolution of the T-series by upping the resolution to
7.2 megapixels while retaining a 3X Carl Zeiss zoom
with folded optics and adding a 3-inch monitor, along
with a 58 MB internal memory.
The DSC-T30 can also be powered
On using a small power button, on top of the camera,
next to the little holes for the microphone and to the left
of the round 2-stage shutter release. And, whether powered
on by sliding down the lens cover, or with the power button,
an elongated LED in the middle of the power button glows green.
The power button is balanced on the other side of the shutter
release by a similarly shaped button. This one controls the
T30's optical stabilizer, Steadyshot, turning it On
or Off, the precise stabilization mode being determined in
the Setup menu (See the Interface and Software section
of the review for details about the Setup menu.).
The next control on the DSC-T30
is located on the angled ridge that makes the transition from
the top to the back. The Mode Switch has three positions:
Playback/Edit: can
be activated with the power button, avoiding the need
to open the lens.
Still Image Capture:
offers a selection of 11 shooting modes, which includes
9 scene modes, all of which are selected in the capture
menu (See the Characteristics section of the
review for more information about the contents of the
menu.):
Auto Shooting
mode is a poin- and-shoot mode that lets the camera
make all the decisions.
Program mode
provides the greatest amount of control over the
camera, while leaving the selection of aperture
and shutter speed up to the camera.
High Sensitivity
allows shooting without using the flash, the camera
increasing the sensitivity of the CCD as necessary
to avoid camera shake. Shutter speeds can be as
low as 1/4 second, and sensitivity as high as 1000
ISO.
Twilight mode,
which serves to capture low light scenes without
flash, has a maximum exposure time of 2 seconds.
Twilight Portrait
allows capturing low light portraits using the flash
and a low shutter speed to also capture the background.
Soft Snap is
designed to capture portraits with soft focus backgrounds.
Landscape sets
the focus to infinity to ensure correct focus.
High Speed Shutter
gives priority to a high shutter speed, increasing
sensitivity if necessary, to capture movement.
Beach compensates
the exposure to take into account the brightness
of water and sand.
Snow functions
the same way as Beach, compensating the exposure
to ensure the metering takes into account the brightness
of snow.
Fireworks provides
a maximum exposure time of 2 seconds with the focus
set to infinity and the white balance set to daylight.
Movie mode: offers
three recording modes:
640 Fine requires the use of a Memory Stick
Pro Duo and captures video with sound at 30 frames
per second for as long as there is space on the Memory
Stick Pro Duo.
640 Standard captures video with sound at
25 frames per second for as long as there is space
in the internal memory, or Memory Stick Duo.
160 captures video with sound at a frame
size of 160 x 120 pixels and at 25 frames per second
for as long as there is memory space.
During the recording, the optical zoom remains functional,
and the white balance and exposure are adjusted as required
as the recording progresses.
The DSC-T30 has no optical
viewfinder, and most of the camera's back is taken up by the
large 3-inch monitor, leaving only a small strip for
the other external controls of the Sony T30.
The monitor has a resolution of 960 x 240 pixels and is composed
of 230,400 pixels, giving it a sharp and clear image. In addition,
pressing and holding the
button for more than 1 second allows increasing, or decreasing,
the monitor's brightness.
At the top right of the back, the zoom control doubles
as a way to view thumbnails of the captured images (an index
view) showing 9 thumbnails per screen, when the camera is
in Playback by pressing it on the W
side. Pressing the zoom control on the T
side allows zooming into an image up to 5X.
The Control button, with its four directional arrows,
is bracketed, top and bottom, by two round buttons. The one
on the top left serves to call up the menu that corresponds
to the current camera mode: Still Image, Movie, or Playback.
(See the Characteristics section of the review for
more information on menu items.)
The other button, ,
on the right, controls the Display and in turn the information
superimposed on the monitor. Set to the capture mode, some basic
settings are displayed by default: the battery state, with an
estimate of the time until the battery is drained; the image
size; the image quality; the folder name into which images are
being saved; the remaining number of images that can be captured;
the ISO setting if other than Auto, along with other settings
that differ from the defaults, an icon that shows how much space
remains on the card; the AF brackets; and the focus method in
use.
Pressing the
button once adds a real-time histogram to the display, showing
how brightness is distributed throughout the frame. A second
press of the button removes all indications with the exception
of the AF brackets and the AF type, while yet another press
of the button returns the display to its defaults settings.
Moreover, when the shutter release is pressed halfway, the
shutter speed and aperture selected by the camera appear on
the lower right of the monitor.
In the Playback mode, the default
display presents the image with the following superimposed
on it: the remaining battery charge shown in minutes, the
image size, the folder in which it is stored, the rank of
the photo amongst those in the folder, the memory icon, and
the time and date on which the image was captured.
Pressing the
button once adds additional information about exposure compensation,
ISO setting, flash mode, white balance, aperture and shutter
speed used for the image and a histogram.
The Control button is
next, providing a means to navigate the menus, or review photos.
A small button at its centre serves to confirm menu selections,
while its four directional arrows each offer a function, etched
on the face of the button, when the camera is set to a capture
mode:
The up arrow button
serves to select the Flash Mode: Auto,
Forced On, Slow Synch, and Forced Off. A red-eye reduction
mode is available, but must be enabled in the Setup menu
first.
The right arrow
button sets the camera to Macro Mode, or Magnifying
Glass. The Macro mode allows the T30 to
focus on a subject that is 8 cm (3.12 in.) from the
lens while the zoom is at the wide angle end, and 25
cm (9.75 in.) when the zoom is at the maximum telephoto
setting.
The Magnifying Glass mode locks the lens at
the wide angle and allows focusing on a subject that
is from 1 to 20 cm (0.39 to 7.8 inches) away from the
front of the camera. If the zoom control is used, the
digital zoom is applied.
The down arrow button
starts the Self-Timer, which offers a 10-second
delay once the shutter release has been pressed.
The left arrow button
makes the camera enter the Quick Review mode so
that the last captured image can be seen without having
to change to the Playback mode.
The other two buttons below the 4-direction control offer
the following functions:
In the still image capture
modes the left button serves to set the Image
Resolution from an on-screen menu or the type
of movie in the movie mode, which includes a short description
of the suitability of the selection (see the Characteristics
section for details on the resolutions available with
the T30).
And when the T30 is set to the Playback mode, or when
the Quick Review mode is active, the button can be used
to delete unwanted images.
The Slide Show button
starts an automatic slide show of the images in the camera.
The slide show includes music if desired — 4 discretely
looping pieces are pre-loaded in the camera — and
offers various dissolves and effects, all of which are
preset in the Playback menu (see the Characteristics
section of the review for a list of the options contained
in the menu).
In most respects the ergonomic
design of the DSC-T30 is quite good. Buttons and controls
are easily accessed, the screen is sharp and detailed and,
with a boost to its brightness, remains visible outdoors in
sunlight, and the camera is quick to respond to controls,
including the shutter release.
Still, as we had observed with other cameras that have the
lens in the upper corner, care has to be taken to avoid having
fingers stray into the field of view, and cause a shadow in
the image.
Ergonomics
button for more than 1 second allows increasing, or decreasing,
the monitor's brightness.
side. Pressing the zoom control on the T 
side allows zooming into an image up to 5X.
