SONY - New Cameras

Sony Announces The Rugged Xperia Go and Acro S, Videos Of People Beating Them With Hammers To Follow Shortly

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Sony, Videos, Xperia Acro S,Xperia Go

Sony loves making stuff that's hard to break. The Xperia Active was probably the pinnacle of this obsession (see: hilariously awesome video), but now that Sony has decided to make pretty much all of its phones look exactly the same, it's out with the old, in with the new.

The Go and Acro S are the newest additions to Sony's rugged family, and for rugged phones, they don't look nearly as god-awful ugly as almost everything else in that segment of the market. In fact, the press images make it pretty hard to tell they've been ruggedized at all.



The Go and Acro S, pictured respectively, will be available in Q3 this year (so, by September 2012). The Go is the smaller and more rugged of the two, featuring an IP67 dust and water resistance rating - the highest level awarded to a smartphone. Its 3.5" display uses scratch resistant, thick mineral glass that also allows wet finger tracking. It's packing a dual-core 1GHz processor (who knows what kind), so it's not going to be terribly slow. I hope. It'll be launching with Gingerbread (Android 2.3), but a 4.0 update is promised.

The Acro S is the more quasi-rugged of the two, though it received IP55 and IP57 ratings for dust and water, respectively, so it's no slouch when the going gets... wet. Or dusty. Its 4.3" 720p display and 1.5GHz dual-core processor (baseless speculation / optimism that it's an S4 Snapdragon here) are pretty impressive - for a phone designed to battle the elements. It will be launching with Android 4.0, and features the same wet finger tracking display tech found in the Go.

This may describe nearly every pocket cam you've considered, but not Sony's new Handycam -- instead, think of the HDR-GW77V as a high-end camcorder you'll want to use everywhere, that happens to be just as rugged as it is practical. The camera packs the standard ruggedized punch, with a waterproof rating to 16 feet, the ability to survive a five-foot drop and a dustproof housing (though that's typically a given for tightly-sealed cams). You wouldn't think to take still photos with your camcorder, but Sony wants you to just that -- to the tune of 20.4 megapixels. The Handycam's 10x optical zoom lens can capture static frames just as easily as motion, with features like optical SteadyShot and Sweep Panorama, though the 1/3.91-inch CMOS sensor means you shouldn't expect point-and-shoot-level image quality.

The GW77V can shoot 1080/60p video and features a wide-angle 29.8mm G lens, along with a 3-inch 921k-dot ExtraFine touch-enabled LCD. There's a dual Memory Stick M2/microSD slot, 16GB of internal memory and a GPS module with built-in NAVTEQ maps to boot (accounting for roughly 2.7 gigs of that internal storage). We spent a few minutes shooting with the GW77V and were quite pleased with its performance -- the Handycam was very responsive, with very fast focusing and an Optical SteadyShot feature that resulted in smooth footage, even while holding the camera by hand with the lens zoomed in completely. This certainly isn't your run-of-the-mill waterproof model, but considering the $700 price tag, you wouldn't expect it to be. The Handycam HDR-GW77V is slated to hit stores in silver, blue and black later this month.

Sony Makes a Splash With Cyber-shot RX100, Waterproof Handycam
from All Things Digital by Bonnie Cha

Summertime means summer vacations, and to help you capture all the fun memories, here comes Sony’s latest Cyber-shot camera and Handycam camcorder.

Due out in mid-July, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is the new flagship model in the company’s line of compact cameras. It’s designed for point-and-shoot users who desire some of the advanced features found in DSLR cameras but don’t want to compromise on size, and for DSLR owners looking for a smaller, secondary camera.


The 20.2-megapixel RX100 has a sensor that is about four times larger than those found in traditional point-and-shoot cameras, allowing users to capture more detailed photos and HD video.

Similar to the DSLRs, the RX100′s lens can also produce a defocused effect, where it slightly blurs the background while sharply focusing on the subject.

The camera has 3.6x optical zoom and improved image processing for faster shooting-response times. Sony says the camera can capture up to 10 frames per second in full resolution; high-speed autofocus should decrease blurring.



Other highlights include a three-inch LCD display, various effects, a pop-up flash, and auto and manual focus.

In addition to the Cyber-shot DSC-RX100, Sony also unveiled the HDR-GW77V camcorder. Capable of shooting full HD video and taking 20.4-megapixel photos, it’s the first waterproof model in the Handycam line, and can be submerged in up to 16 feet of water.


An “Underwater Mode” automatically adjusts the white balance so you get more natural-looking video and photos while shooting in water, while a tilting three-inch touchscreen gives you control of the camcorder’s functions.

Not just for aquatic sports enthusiasts, the HDR GW77V is dustproof and shockproof, just in case you decide to take your adventures on land. It has image stabilization, a back-illuminated sensor, and built-in flash to help out in low-light conditions. There’s even a built-in GPS receiver, and Navteq maps allow you to geotag photos and videos.

The Sony HDR-GW77V will be available at the end of June for $699; the Cyber-shot DSC-RXO100 will cost $650 when it’s released next month.