(1 September 2008 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Sony is adding high-definition movie recording to its digital camera line with the introduction of the Cyber-shot DSC-T500 model in the US.

This 10-megapixel camera features wide and full-screen 720p movie recording at 30 frames per second in standard and VGA recording modes.

The movie function is based on the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 codec for video compression and stereo audio. Benefits of the format include high-quality video as well as small file sizes that are for download, upload and share.

Sony Electronics director of digital camera marketing Phil Lubell says, “Our research revealed that people like to shoot video with their point-and-shoot cameras, but were very dissatisfied with the video quality and the resulting large files. Our new T500 fulfills this customer need for a digital camera that delivers high-quality movies in a small form factor.”

The camera can continuously record a video clip up to 10 minutes in length. It can hold hours of clips by expanding the camera’s capacity with a Memory Stick media card (media sold separately), which now has capacities up to 16 GB.

The T500 camera integrates a wide (16:9), 3.5-inch (measured diagonally), transflective, touch panel LCD screen for easy navigation, framing and viewing in strong light conditions. It has a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens with a wide field of view (33 – 165 mm, 35 mm equivalency). It incorporates Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation and high sensitivity settings up to ISO3200 helps combat blur and facilitate flash-free shooting for natural-exposed photos.

The model also incorporates face detection technology, a function that automatically detects up to eight faces in the camera frame and adjusts focus, exposure and flash.

The T500 camera connects to a compatible HD television via an HDMI cable. Photos and videos can be enjoyed as slide shows in high definition for a cinematic experience.

Subjects can take center stage as slideshows move through pans, fades and wipes. Slide shows are given a boost with background music, including use of up to four pre-recorded music tracks of up to five minutes in length.