Sony TX100V Review - Should You Buy This GPS Camera?

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX100V is the last cyber-shot camera released by Sony for the fall of 2011. The tech giant probably saved the best for last as the TX100V is the most feature-packed among the TX series models and is expectedly a bit more expensive.

But is it worth spending a few more dollars to grab the latest camera technology for 2011, or should you just stick to older, albeit proven technologies? Read on so you can have a better idea on what to expect from this camera.

Bigger, Better Display Screen

All TX cameras look the same but what separates the Cybershot TX100V from its TX cousins is primarily its display screen - it's bigger at 3.5 inches, versus 3 inches of the other TX models. This is also the only TX camera with an OLED screen (as of April 2011), thus you can expect more vibrant colors with deeper blacks on its touchscreen display.

GPS and Compass for Geotagging

Some say the GPS is just a trivial feature but this might be useful for frequent travelers who take a lot of pictures as they might have the tendency to forget where photos were taken. This will also help users find specific pictures if they got heaps of photo archives as they can simply sort it by location.

Finally, users may also want to use this feature for Flickr (where location details can be added) and other popular photo sharing websites, as well as location-based social networking. Many people find it too cumbersome to geotag photos in Flickr, especially when the album contains shots taken in different places.

3D Shots and Full HD Movie Record

Another cool feature of the DSC-TX100V is the ability to take 3D panoramas and stills even if it only has one lens. Recorded videos will also have a camcorder-like quality as the movie format is 1080/60p - it is a full HD format with the least distortion. The TX100V is actually one of the first compact cameras that records such a high quality movie.

Overall Improvement in Image Quality

Most compact cameras compromise some key features due to the limited electronics real estate. However, Sony promises better light sensitivity with a new type of sensors inside the camera (called Exmor-R) that collects more than twice the amount of light than conventional CMOS sensors. Thus, we can expect to take better pictures in low light conditions.

The Verdict

The Sony TX100V sure has a lot of very nice features, but is it worth paying more for these? What are the pros and, most importantly, the cons?

Should You Trust Digital Camera Reviews

Digital camera reviews have been all over the place. All of these media outlets from newspapers, TV and radio, have filled each review with nothing but praises. So what we really need is an outline to detect reliable reviews that actually HELP. The Question is Should You Trust Digital camera Reviews?

First point: Never trust reviews from press releases directly rooted from the manufacturer. All they reveal are the good attributes. Of course, if you do sell your own line of digital cameras, the only way to boost up your sales is to promote its good points. Glitches, as well as, limitations and bad points pertaining to your camera line will never help your sales go up. These press releases are often half-truths. Indeed, a certain digital camera on sale might have its advantages but press releases rather not talk about its disadvantages. Press releases are for promotional purposes alone to entice potential customers and give the product a better name.

Next, home shopping networks and advertisements do the same thing press releases do. They are half-truths as well. But, the good thing though, customers can always return products that do not work for them.

Lastly, digital camera reviews that actually HELP are often found in specialty magazines on gadgets and gizmos computer based and technical. There are also specialty websites for these subjects that do contain unofficial yet reliable reviews. Reviewers coming from these sources are those who are never afraid to enumerate the pluses and the minuses of each digital product out in the market. These digital camera reviews are very TRUTHFUL. Often, reviewers point out differences in the digital cameras released by a certain company for comparison whether, the digital camera line have progressed technologically or not. These reviewers are well-equipped in the field and they know what they are talking about. Reviews from these people root from first-hand experiences with using the digital camera in study and not just any review under some advertising agent out to capture you and your wallet with all the flowery words they can write down.

In addition, YOU can be among the best sources for a digital camera review. But, buy your own camera first. Check everything, play with everything and make sure this fits with what it claims to be. Be keen on specifications, options, and features especially the words, weatherproof and waterproof. If the digital camera is weatherproof, it is splash resistant. If its waterproof, it is water resistant. Never interchange these two terms. And after everything else, you can write down the myriad things you did with your camera attaching either your thumbs-up or down. Emphasize that your review is based from a first-hand experience with the product to heighten its reliability value. And if your digital camera does not satisfy you at all, call customer service.

Compact Digital Camera Reviews - Which One Should You Buy?

Over the last few years manufactures have been releasing a vast array of compact digital cameras. If you are thinking of buying a compact digital camera for yourself, or as a present for someone else then there are a few features you should be looking out for?

1. Amount of Megapixels

2. Camera Size

3. Optical/Digital zoom

4. LCD screen size

5. Memory cards

6. Battery type

Amount of Megapixels: Many people are confused into thinking that the more megapixels a camera has, the better the camera or picture will be, but this is not necessarily true. A 10 megapixel camera may produce sharper, crisper and better pictures than a 12 megapixel digital camera. When looking for a digital camera you should choose a model with 8 megapixels or more. But don't get sucked in by the more megapixels the better, hype. Canon for example have released some new cameras with lower megapixels than their previous versions.

Camera Size: Compact digital cameras come in many different sizes and thicknesses. Before you buy one it is important to decide what you want to use it for. If you just want a point and shoot camera that will fit in your purse or pocket then look for one of the slim digital cameras. If you want to be more creative then you will find that most slim digital cameras will not have the features that you need, so a larger digital camera will be more suitable. These cameras will normally need a case to put them in, and will be too large for a pocket. Slim and thin or compact and creative, you decide.

Optical/Digital zoom: All digital compact cameras have both an optical and digital zoom. Sometimes the manufactures make the digital zoom sound really good. Again don't be taken in by a 10x or 20x digital zoom, because using it will actually make the picture look very grainy. The optical zoom is much more important as the picture quality doesn't degrade when using it. Look for an optical zoom of 3x and above. The bigger the optical zoom, the closer and bigger the image will look through the view finder or LCD screen.

LCD size: Many compact digital cameras have a viewfinder and an LCD screen to take pictures with. But these days most people just use the LCD screen as it is easier to use. Having a bigger screen allows you to easily see what you are taking a picture of. It is also easier to navigate menus and review pictures after they have been taken. Buy a camera with an LCD screen of 2.5 inch or bigger.

Memory cards: My advice here would be to find out what memory card the camera will use, and buy the largest capacity that you can. Memory cards sizes are normally between 16MB and 8GB. When taking digital pictures you will find that a 1GB card doesn't hold as many pictures as you think, especially if you go on holiday or like to travel. For example if you have a 10 megapixel camera, you will be able to get around 200 jpeg images on a 1GB card. The best option is to buy two and then you always have a spare, if one gets lost or is damaged then you always have a back up.

Battery type: Your camera will either use disposable batteries or the manufactures own rechargeable battery. I always prefer to buy a compact digital camera that uses the manufactures own battery. The reason is that you are normally able to take more pictures, and they are easier and cheaper in the long run, as you don't need to constantly buy batteries. I would always recommend having a spare one, as they have a tendency to go flat just when you need them most.

The compact digital camera reviews article above covers the most important things you should be looking for when buying a camera. I hope you found it helpful.