Follow Waterproof Depth: 16ft
Shock Proof: 5 ft
Freeze Proof: Yes
Resolution: 16.2MP
Zoom: 4.0x
Focal length: 25-100mm

Sony CyberShot TX10

- Sony - 5 Comments

Site Score

4.0

Good: Slim body, Relatively good low light photos

Bad: Touchscreen could be better

Retail

$329

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Review
Product View
Sample Videos
Sample Photos
Specifications

This 16.2 Megapixel Sony DSC TX10 is a city waterproof camera. It’s not designed to handle abuses like a Panasonic or an Olympus, but because it is waterproof up to 16 feet, there’s enough protection when shooting around the pools or water parks.

There are a few improvements over the last year’s TX5. You’ll notice the that the 921k LCD screen is sharper, the full 1080p video better and it could now shoots deeper underwater.

It’s a cool camera for daily urban use but because of the touchy LCD touchscreen and small buttons it is not suitable for those looking for a dedicated camera to shoot good water sport actions.

The Good

Beautiful low light photos. Superior than most waterproof cameras.
Good HD video
Optical stabilizer works well to reduce blurry shots
Has wide angle lens. Could cram more people and scenery into your shots.
2 memory options – SD cards or Sony memory cards.

The Bad

High resolution on a tiny sensor. Pictures could be soft.
No standalone charger.
Slow to boot and shoot.
Touchscreen performance could be better.

The Verdict: How Good Is This Camera ?

We Review	We Found	Rating
Picture Quality	As expected, the pictures from the TX10 are quite soft because of the exceedingly high resolution. But the colors are accurate and the quality is sufficient for your daily needs. The optical image stabilization also works well and low-light pictures are far better than any other waterproof cameras we have seen so far. Unlike an Olympus, the TX10 pictures are clean with no noticeable grains even at ISO 800. So, if all you need is a magazine size photos, the pictures from this camera should be sufficient.	A
Video Quality	The full HD 1080p videos produced by the TX10 are better than most waterproof cameras right now. You could use the optical zoom (without it recording the sound of the lens moving), capture still photos and record stereo sound during recording. But it is still not as impressive as the Panasonic TS3.	B+
Ease of Use	The 3-inch LCD touchscreen could show your photos in higher resolution than the older TX5. You could easily tell if your shots are sharp or soft just by looking at the screen. But the icons in the menu are packed too closely together, navigation is not as intuitive as it should be and the touch screen swipe is not as responsive as you’d expected. The buttons are also small. If you need a camera that is easy to use when wearing gloves, look elsewhere.	C
Battery Life	Despite the claim that you could shoot 250 pictures per charge, we find the 630mAh battery life to be anemic and is good for only an hour of continuous shooting. If you need to charge your spare battery in your hotel room during your shooting trip, buy a separate charger. The TX10 battery charging is done in-camera via a wall charger or USB connection to your pc.	B
Built Quality	The TX10 camera design is similar to the rest of the Sony sleek T series, so there’s proven high quality lead finish to the camera. But because it is slim and small, it slipped out our wet hands rather easily. The on/off and shutter buttons are also packed too closely together – making it easy to turn the camera off when you’re trying to get a quick shot.	B
Speed	You need to wait from 5 to 7 seconds from the time you power it on to shooting your first shot. Focusing is relatively fast, but this behavior is not consistent.	C+
Toughness	Weighing at 133g, with the width slightly larger than a deck of cards, the camera does feel solid. But we do worry that the sliding mechanism would break if this camera falls to the ground. When it comes to underwater photography, this urban waterproof camera should not be taken deeper than 16 feet. It’ll be okay in your local pool, but taking it for snorkeling is a bad idea.	B+
Number of Functions	Understandably, it doesn’t have outdoor features like a compass or a GPS, but it does have a Panorama sweep mode like the previous model. The 16 scene modes should be enough for most people although they’re challenging if you don’t read your manual. For example there are Soft Skin and Soft Snap options as well as 3 Twilight modes sitting side by side. Yes, there’s the 3D photo mode. But it is nothing but a cool experiment and a marketing gimmick.	B+

Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

5 Comments

matty (Author)

May 17, 2011, 8:12 am

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I think this camera would still be great for snorkeling, just as long as you stay within its safe zones since its just a tad better than the ts1/ft1

It’s killer mode is definitely the sweep panorama/under water alternative as well as it’s gorgeous looks.

I’m a little concerned about the 16mp but since it uses the new backlit sensors, it could be justified but still, thats a lot of megs to fill up a card.

It’s a shame its hard to gauge what the 3d modes are like on these new P&S.
Also the lack of GPS is a worry since Sony have stated that they aren’t releasing another underwater camera this year.

Their movie mode is definitely a crowd pleaser especially with stereo sound but panasonic definitely handles the quality and zooming better.

Thanks for the review, definitely a camera worth thinking about!
Esther (Author)

July 21, 2011, 3:11 pm

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wow this is a great, in-depth review.. thanks for the details you’ve covered.. even including sample pictures!!
Don (Author)

August 6, 2011, 2:02 pm

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Which camera do you think is better for snorkeling? I am looking to get a camera for backpacking through South East Asia, but can’t decide between the Sony TX10, Panasonic TS3, and Olympus TG-610. I really want to be able to capture some nice pictures and videos under water, but also want decent images on the land. Thank you in advance for your advice.
admin (Author)

August 6, 2011, 9:13 pm

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The decision between a TS3 and TX10 will be a tough one. But I will go for the TS3. The video is far superior and the menu much intuitive than the TX10
Scott Bishop (Author)

October 24, 2011, 5:48 pm

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The Sony tx5 is much faster than the tx10. If you have a choice… tx5 overall. The tx3 is a little too bulky but overall a good camera but can’t touch Sony’s tx5. Sony did some changes when making the the tx10 and should not have!
All these cameras go great with the Surf Camera case to make shooting way easy.