Updated 31/05/2011: holding the camera when I looked back there and I'm glad I kept it. Updated rating from 3 stars to 4 stars
I have an underwater camera and robust, junkie, so when I heard about the new camera, I had very high expectations. I've owned two other Panasonic TS1 waterproof cameras and loved them (other than mine leaked last and destroyed the camera. Thank God for SquareTrade) I am not a Sony fanboy "and has never been, but have had some good experiences with quality of construction and ease of use with their products, so I thought I would share a way with Panasonic and test TX10. ... On paper, this camera seemed like it was the perfect water / outdoor camera. I loved the fact that you could drop it in your pocket and take with it everywhere because of its size and it looks at home in a nice restaurant. I spent a week snorkeling, hiking and adventure in Kauai, then served as my first chance to make a thorough overview of what this camera was made for the outdoors .. . and I was not overly impressed with the real world use. The images and videos were good for such a small point and shoot, but the practical was missing on several fronts to make this the "perfect" outdoor camera. But there are a lot of things I really appreciate this little camera. The Classic Pro / Con style, here are my overall thoughts and feelings on Sony TX10.
Advantages:
-Small and compact. Sexy. Take it anywhere. Looking at home on the beach or in a fine restaurant.
-Touch screen is "cool". I would love this video on non-casual waterproof camera ... BUT ... Its also a con, see below
-Cool, useless features like Smile Detection (takes the picture automatically when you smile) and 3D ... did not use 3D. As I said, fun but meaningless.
-Slide cover to protect the lens when it is closed ... But again, even a con. See below
Screen resolution is awesome
-Has the 1080i video at 60 frames per second versus 30 frames per second, most point and shoot operation. This gives the "natural" movement. I love it and it looks good on my 55 "TV
Large-angle lens 25mm
-Image and photo quality was great ... But the video seemed to struggle at times to focus properly.
-I really like the Panorama Shooting mode. Very cool pictures, and they seem well made and fairly smooth. You can take the "High" panoramic images that are up to 43 megapixels! (UPDATE: It has been
-Impregnation seemed pretty stable. I have never found a few drops of water in the house or mist the lens.
Cons:
-Due to the fact that the video is 1080i (interlaced) video tends to have lines when playing in media players such as VLC on Mac and PC (UPDATE: It is the Player's sake - I stuck the SD card in mine. Panasonic Blu- Ray player that can play AVCHD from SD card and 1080 60i video, taken with the camera looks amazing.)
-It was a big one. Start with photo time is so slow (5-7 seconds) and takes a video is 5 seconds on top of it. At the time you press the Record button to capture movies, it takes at least 5-7 seconds to start to film. So annoying. This is incredibly slow compared to Panasonic TS1s I owned. (Update: Still annoying.)
-This is speculation here, but the small and sleek style feels as if I dropped it that it would wear out really bad, or can rupture. Not robust at all. (UPDATE: The black model of this camera will show hack pretty easy ... seems like it only has a very thin coating on the back.)
-The screen is easily scratched by keys or other things in my pocket (skærmbeskytter!)
-The touch screen is accurate about 80% of the time. Its finicky and sometimes inaccurate. Some things have to be used 2-3 times to register. It can not be used while the water if you want to change the settings. Huge CON. Tactile buttons are the key if you need a camera underwater or in snow with gloves on.
-The trigger is too sensitive for me. if you happen to also operate it will take you out of playback mode, ... The full-timers most camera's sensitivity to half-press to focus.
I do not know if it was the unit I had or not, but the white background noise in these films are pretty bad. I tried it in multiple settings, completely dry and it was always there. You can not really tell you about playback on the camera itself, but when you play in any media player, it's overwhelming. If I get a replacement of the unit, I will update this to see if it was a bad microphone. (UPDATE: It was a bad microphone I got a new unit, and the sound is good at it.)
The picture-door kind of tricky to get down. The front is so smooth and the edges are so thin that sometimes a bit clumsy to get it down, even got some dirt stuck between the slide and front of the camera and made some fine scratches when opening and closing of the camera.)
-My fear is that sand and dirt will get stuck in the hinges of the screen cover and jam it or make it grind. I have heard that it is usually not a problem, but the style ... (UPDATE:. Dirt and sand got in the hinge and you could hear the paint while it was there when I returned from my trip to southern Utah a quick fresh water rinse in the sink seemed to bring it back to normal)
-The image covers keep the water after the camera is dry ...
-Battery life is not that good at all, and I do not think you have to plug it in to charge it, rather than having its separate charger. I would like to have two batteries and charge one while I take the others to use. (UPDATE: I purchased the Sony battery charger for this and aftermarket generic battery from eForcity here on Amazon, the secondary battery is actually a better life than the Sony battery Sony battery: 630mAh .. aftermarket. 900mAh I would recommend it)
So there you have it. I love the form factor, but for a rugged outdoor camera I would prefer a more solidly built as Panasonic TS3. Great form factor for everyday use in town use. The biggest concern I have that will probably cause me to return the camera, touchscreen and non-robust built. The films and pictures are amazing, so when it comes down to it, that's what matters most. If you want a waterproof camera to protect against spills or just a fun day at the pool as this may be something for you. To use this camera on snow, on the beach, snorkeling, hiking, climbing, etc. .. Be careful with it, or I'd probably look more to a more robust camera that Panasonic TS3 or TG Olympus Tough Series. They all take great pictures and videos in my opinion. I would recommend this camera? Yes.
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