Sony Cybershot DSC-T33

Big on features, yet small enough to slip into your pocket, Sony's latest Cybershot is something of a small wonder. The T33 is available in three colours and packs 5.1-megapixels and a 3x optical zoom in an aluminium frame just 20mm deep.

Even more impressive is the 2.5in LCD, which remains easy to use even in direct sunlight. Menu and function controls sit to the right of this and, despite the size of the chassis, the layout is efficient and comfortable; buttons to quickly adjust photo resolution and review the last image are particularly handy.

Sony's on-screen menus are logical, but users familiar with other brands may have to hunt for some features.

One area where size has affected the design is the absence of a traditional viewfinder. Another drawback is a lack of manual settings - the T33 is focused on the designer point-and-shoot market.

You do get nine shooting modes with various options, a 1cm macro facility, a 640 x 480 30fps movie mode with audio and a USB2 docking station for transferring your snaps to your PC.

The latter also lets you charge the battery in the camera - a separate charger would have allowed for more flexibility when using spares.

We managed to get some good shots with T33, although a few images were slightly blurred at the corners. Having said that, most were detailed with vivid colours and looked great printed at 6 x 4in on a high quality inkjet.

Sony's bundled Picture Package software isn't as well designed as some and it was often easier to transfer images from the camera using Windows Explorer.

If you want a go anywhere point-and-shoot camera, the T33 is a stylish choice.

See also:

Mustek MDC 6500Z

Not the best picture quality but a very cheap 5-megapixel camera  31 Mar 2005

Canon Ixus 30

Not cheap, but still an excellent digital camera  14 Mar 2005

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