Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5

Posted by T3 Online on Thu 25 Oct 2007

Another stunner from Sony's stable.

When it comes to cameras, Sony doesn't seem to be able to put a foot wrong in the styling stakes. Hot on the heels of the gloriously thin and gorgeous T7 comes this svelte snapper; an equally beautiful model with similar features.

Okay, so it feels a bit bloated after handling its wafer-thin - albeit more expensive - older brother, but it's still very slim. The slide-down lens cover/power switch is still there, but the back panel is totally different. Whereas the T7's controls are on the left side of the screen - which is great for left-handers, by the way - the T5 has its main buttons on the more traditional right.

The screen itself, meanwhile, is superb, with crisp detail and minimal smearing when the camera is panned around quickly. The menus are also very clear and easy to navigate.

Better still, image quality is excellent, being well on par with that of the T7. Colours are accurate, detail is present in abundance and you can't complain about the autofocus - it's extremely rare that you'll get a blurry shot. The VGA movie mode is also very good.

In fact, there isn't much wrong with this camera, although the zoom is very slow and, as with the T7, the lens cover can pop down too easily. Also, some of the chrome fittings, such as the mode selector, make it look a bit cheap.

But these are minor flaws. The only real problem is that we saw the T7 first and still love it. The T5 must feel a bit like Ralf Schumacher - a great performer in its own right, but overshadowed by an older and more talented sibling.