Follow Waterproof Depth: 12ft
Shock Proof: 5.0ft
Freeze Proof: Yes
Resolution: 10.2MP
Zoom: 4.0x
Focal length: 25-100mm

Sony Cybershot TX5

- Review, Sony - No Comments

Site Score

4.4

Good: Best low light waterproof camera of 2010

Bad: Sand could get stuck around the sliding lens cover

Retail

$350

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Review
Specifications
Sample Photos
Sample Videos

This superslim TX5 is Sony’s first ever waterproof camera.

It has a large 3 inch touchscreen, a very easy to use panorama mode and a sensor that Sony claims will give out great pictures even in low light condition.

Instead of over-bloating the camera with megapixel like most point and shoot in 2010, the camera has only 10.2 Megapixel resolution.

From what we see, this elegantly designed tough camera gives better pictures and works faster than an Olympus or Pentax released this year.

The Good

Faster than almost all of rugged cameras in the same year.
Sharp low light pictures.
Great burst mode.
Easy to use panorama mode.

The Bad

Hard to hold when wet.
Touchscreen can be oversensitive.
Sand can get trapped in the sliding cover.

The Verdict: How Good Is This Camera ?

We Review	We Found	Rating
Picture Quality	The pictures are surprisingly good, in low ISO to high ISO ( even as high as ISO 1600). The Exmor R CMOS sensor does live up to the hype and the TX5 does deliver sharp pictures outdoor and indoor without visible grains. But you must always use the preset scene for good pictures because the Intelligent Auto mode does not seem to be that smart. There are times when it chooses the wrong preset and gives you some pretty bad photos.	A
Video Quality	It can zoom silently and shoot sharp 720p HD movies, even in low light city night. This is impressive given the fact that most waterproof camera don’t record this well. The daylight video is just as good as the Panasonic TS3 but at night, it is better. Among all waterproof cameras we have seen, this one has the best video quality for the year.	A+
Ease of Use	Though we like the 3 inch responsive touchscreen, it dominates the entire rear and there’s little room for us to hold the camera without touching it or accidentally click a touchscreen button. The screen is hard to see under sunlight too. And because all of the features can only accessed through the screen instead of buttons, there are times when we miss our shots. But apart from those annoyances, the touchscreen is responsive, menu easy to navigate and Panorama feature easy to use.	C
Battery Life	Nothing to shout about here. Though the batteries charge pretty fast, they only last around 200 shots (if you use the panorama, at night and records a few short videos.) As usual, we advise you to bring a spare or two.	B
Built Quality	It is lightweight and seems to be well built. But the built quality is not as good as the metal Panasonic TS3 because under heavy and harsh use, the paint could chip off. And like most touchscreen gadget, it is not tough (get a screen protector). The flat body is also slippery and hard to hold underwater. Having said that, we agree that it is hard not to like this credit card size elegant camera.	B
Speed	This is another area where the camera shines. Compared to an Olympus or a Pentax rugged camera, the TX5 is rocket fast. It takes only 2 seconds from booting up to start shooting its first picture. Shutter lag is minimal (under 0.3 seconds) and shot to shot time is around 1.5 second.	A
Toughness	If you read the manual, you’ll be surprised to read that your camera shouldn’t come into contact with sunscreen. It could damage the finish. For a tough camera, that’s just absurd. But apart from that, the camera built quality seem to suggest that it could well handle a 5 feet fall as advertised. Watch the video clip of a cliff jump at the video section. When it comes to underwater photography, this urban waterproof camera should not be taken deeper than 12 feet. It’ll be okay in your local pool, but taking it for snorkeling is a bad idea.	B+
Number of Functions	This camera has just over 10 scene modes and 8 face detection areas. Unless you are a power user, that is just enough for your everyday needs. For shooting fast action shots, there’s the impressive 10-frames-per-second mode (most compacts struggle to get over 1fps) and if panorama is needed, there’s the equally good and fast “Inteligent Sweep” Panorama function. While both modes reduces the picture pixel count, the quality is still considered very good for a rugged waterproof camera.	B+