Sony claims cameras able to 'see for smiles'
Subject smiles, camera snaps
Researchers in Sony's digital camera labs must be suffering from aching jaws after developing its new Cyber-shot T200 and T70 cameras. The new snappers sport a smile mode that recognises grinning subjects and then automatically takes a shot, ensuring your album will only feature pearly white choppers from now on.
Sony's Cyber-shot T200
When several people are in the shot, the shutter only fires when the main subject - who must be manually selected - smiles. A sequence of six smile shots can be taken without manually pressing the shutter.
Both models are 8.1-megapixel cameras. The flagship T200 has a 3.5in LCD viewfinder; the T70 a 3in display. However, both have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, are touch-sensitive and are coated in an anti-reflective coating to help make viewfinding easier in bright lighting conditions.
The optical zoom is the only other main difference between the two models - 5x for the T200; 3x for the T70 - and each has maximum sensitivity of ISO 3200.
An HD display output, as featured on Sony's Cyber-shot H3, is included and allows users to connect either camera up to an HD display via an HD output adapter cable, sadly not included in the box. Your images can then be shown on your display in a variety of slideshow modes and four preset musical accompaniments can be added to your toothy snaps.
Sony has also updated the Paint function on both models, which already features on several existing models. An expanded palette of 30 stamps for customising images is also available, in addition to an option that it said resizes images for emailing, web upload or for display on an HD TV.
Sony's Cyber-shot T70
The T200 is available in silver, black or red and will retail for around £300/400 (€342), while the T70 is available in silver, black, white and pink for around £230/$300 (€270). Both will appear across Europe and the US next month.
COMMENTS
Damn...
...I can't buy this camera even if I wanted to.
The wife looks much better when she is not smiling. No chance of any pictures of her then.
:^)
If it's so good at at snapping smiles...
...then why does one publicity shot show a parrot, and the other some flowers?
Whatever next?!
Perhaps camera manufactuers will come up with a device you strap to your forehead and it takes pics whenever you think "ooh, that's a nice view". Or humans with an SD card slot in the back of their heads, so you just have to blink to take a picture? This is all getting a bit silly, these features that even casual snappers don't use are being shoved into cameras just to please the marketing departments.
