Sony Cyber-shot T · on sale August 2006 · a retrospective
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10: the slide-cover slim with a stabilised Zeiss zoom
In August 2006 Sony put a 7.2-megapixel sensor and a stabilised Carl Zeiss 3x zoom into a body 21 millimetres thick, priced it at about $400, and let a sliding lens cover switch it on. Reviewers loved the speed and the stabiliser, then wrote down how noisy it got in the dark.
Release date and launch price: launched August 2006; launch price About $40012.
Quick answers
- Sensor
- CCD, 1/2.5", 7.2 MP source
- Lens
- 38–114 mm equivalent, 3× zoom source
- Memory card
- Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo source
- Battery
- NP-FT1 source
- USB / A/V cable
- See our Sony cable page
Meet the camera
It is a slim steel compact, about 89.7 by 54.9 by 20.6 millimetres, that weighs 165 grams with battery and media.12 Popular Photography called it iPod-like in size and finish,5 and Photo Review described the body as stainless steel and ultra-thin.4 Imaging Resource's announcement lists four colours: pink, white, black and silver.1
Imaging Resource reported Sony's announcement on 2 August 2006 with a price of about $400 and shipping that month.1 The same story's specification table lists a planned price of $500 and a May availability, which disagrees with the text, so we use the figure from the article and press release.1 It updated the DSC-T30 of April 2006: same lens and imager in a smaller, lighter body similar to the earlier DSC-T9, with a smaller 2.5-inch screen and a shorter flash range, and the 16-frame playback mode dropped.1 Our DSC-T9 review covers that earlier body.
Why this one was interesting
A door instead of a button
The front of the camera slides down to reveal the lens and turns the camera on. Popular Photography said it was strange at first and then became their preferred way to switch on, especially in dark places where the small power button is hard to find.5 TechRadar called the sliding faceplate love-it-or-hate-it and warned that it is easy to flip it open by accident when sliding the camera into a bag or pocket.6
A stabiliser that let you keep the ISO down
Imaging Resource said Super SteadyShot made handheld shots possible in dim museum lighting without raising ISO.2 Popular Photography said some of its test shots were handheld exposures as long as a full second and still came out sharp.5 TechRadar noted the ceiling had risen from ISO 640 on the previous model to ISO 1000, and set the T10 against Canon's IXUS range, which it said now had real image stabilisation, and Fuji's F series, which had increasingly high ISO speeds.6
Speed
Photo Review measured power-up at about 2 seconds and an average capture lag of 0.25 seconds, under 0.1 seconds with pre-focus.4 TechRadar timed power-up at just under two seconds, against Sony's 1.3 seconds, and found no discernible shutter delay.6 Imaging Resource called shutter response excellent and autofocus much faster than average for a subcompact.2
For a later Sony compact we have also reviewed, see the DSC-W55.
What was lost
Against the T30 it replaced, Imaging Resource listed the cuts: the screen shrank from 3 to 2.5 inches, flash range was reduced, 16-frame playback went, the built-in memory dropped from 58 to 56 MB, and the battery changed from an NP-FR1 to an NP-FT1, with the CIPA rating falling from 420 to 250 shots.1 Popular Photography noted the 250-shot rating and guessed that turning off instant review would stretch it.5
The dark: its weak point
All four reviewers had something to say about noise, and they did not agree on where it starts. Photo Review said noise became visible from ISO 400 and above.4 TechRadar saw it even at the automatic default of ISO 320, though not infuriatingly, and said to stay away from ISO 1000 unless there was no other way to get the shot.6 Imaging Resource found ISO 320 kept shadow noise low, but ISO 1000 showed noticeable shadow noise even in 4 by 6 inch prints, and its conclusion said high-ISO images are very noisy, particularly in limited light.2 Its automatic ISO tended to stop at 320.2
Flash made the problem worse. Photo Review said the flash needed a high ISO setting to light an average-sized room,4 and Imaging Resource found Sony's 9.2-foot flash range was met only because the camera raised its ISO significantly in Auto, with ISO 1000 judged only marginally usable for 4 by 6 prints.3 One real photograph taken with the camera at ISO 1000, read from its EXIF data, shows what that looks like in a dark interior.
Like that look? See recent eBay sold listings for this camera ↗
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The little wins
Bright autofocus assist
Popular Photography said the focus-assist beam was above average in brightness and kept the camera quick when light was poor,5 and Imaging Resource listed a bright AF-assist lamp among its likes.2
How it drew the picture
Photo Review gave image quality 9 out of 10, citing sharp outdoor pictures, accurate colours, negligible fringing and above-average resolution for a slim compact.4 Imaging Resource called the lens sharp, softening only in the extreme corners, with lower-than-average chromatic aberration but higher-than-average pincushion distortion at the telephoto end, and bright colours with oversaturated strong blues.2 TechRadar disagreed on sharpness: it found results often softer than it liked, daylight pictures slightly washed out with some highlight detail lost, and doubted that 7 megapixels delivered more real detail than 6 from the same-sized chip.6 That doubt is the TechRadar writer's judgement, not a measurement.
Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture. We found no free-licence photo of the camera body.
Where it let you down
Three reviewers disliked the indoor colour: Photo Review said automatic white balance failed to correct incandescent orange casts and the fluorescent preset failed under household fluorescent lighting;4 Imaging Resource rated incandescent white balance below average;2 and Popular Photography saw unusual colours in mixed tungsten and daylight.5 Photo Review and Popular Photography called the controls tiny, and Photo Review found the battery and card cover flimsy.45 Popular Photography said it was easy to cover the lens with a fingertip because of its position in the corner, and TechRadar made the same point.56 Photo Review timed processing at just under 3 seconds per shot, with a burst of seven shots taking roughly 14 seconds to process, while Imaging Resource also listed slow continuous-mode cycle times as a dislike.42 Video tops out at VGA, and Popular Photography noted it cannot zoom while recording.45
The screen is the clearest case of reviewers contradicting each other. TechRadar called it bright and clear,6 Imaging Resource said it was usable in dim light and somewhat hard to see in full sun,2 and Popular Photography found it sharp but dark in daylight and in the dark, even on its Bright setting.5
What the reviewers said
| Outlet | Date | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Imaging Resource | 22 Sep 2006 | 4.5 out of 5 and "an easy Dave's Pick": a strong subcompact with excellent stabilisation and a great camera to take on a vacation; it wanted less high-ISO noise after dark.2 |
| Photo Review | Undated | 8.5 out of 10 overall (image quality 9): good imaging in a smart, ultra-slim body; weak in low light and under artificial light.4 |
| Popular Photography | 17 Dec 2008 | A reviewer who normally carries a bag of pro gear took it on a family trip and found very high image quality; small buttons and a clunky menu were the complaints.5 |
| TechRadar | Undated | The most critical: not much new that rivals had not done better, noise at low ISO, suited to people who care as much for style as substance.6 |
The timeline
- April 2006Sony announces the DSC-T30, whose lens and imager the T10 reuses.1
- 2 August 2006Imaging Resource reports the T10 announcement, about $400.1
- 22 September 2006Imaging Resource publishes its review.2
- 17 December 2008Popular Photography publishes its review, quoting a street price of $306.5
Should you buy one now?
Buy one if you want a very thin 2006 CCD compact with a real stabiliser for daylight and dim museum-style scenes, and you can live with noise indoors and with Memory Stick cards. It launched at about $400;12 what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:
- The lens cover. It is the power switch, so check that it slides smoothly, opens fully and switches the camera on.56
- The battery. It uses an NP-FT1;1 a fresh one is on Amazon ↗. Rated life is only 250 shots.2
- The card. It takes Memory Stick Duo and PRO Duo, and VGA video needs PRO Duo;2 see our memory card guide.
- The screen. Reviewers disagreed about its brightness, so judge it yourself in a bright and a dim room.625
- The buttons and cover. Check the tiny controls and the battery door, which one reviewer found flimsy.4
If you are wondering why cameras like this are being hunted down again, we tell that story once, in Pictures that never left the card.
See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗NP-FT1 battery ↗
Sources
- Imaging Resource, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 announcement (2 Aug 2006; specification table)
- Imaging Resource, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 review overview and conclusion by Mike Pasini and Dave Etchells (22 Sep 2006)
- Imaging Resource, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 test images page (flash range notes)
- Photo Review (Australia), Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 review (undated page)
- Popular Photography, Camera Review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 by Mark Lent (17 Dec 2008)
- TechRadar, Sony Cyber-shot T10 review by tech.co.uk staff (undated page)
Photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.