Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Pro Reviews

The Sony Cyber-shot TX10 is a very nicely designed ultra compact, certainly, with the virtue of being impervious to water. It can handle being dropped and dust will not degrade it. On those tests, the TX10 scores high marks. Exposure in the shade was uniformly insufficient, although sunlit scenes were nicely captured. Color did shift, particularly reds, but it wasn't unpleasant in sunlit shots. Noise suppression is a factor at all ISO settings, unfortunately, but the camera still manages to output good 13x19-inch prints at ISO 125, and even ISO 3,200 produces a good 5x7. Watch hair indoors, though, as it has a tendency to turn into mush, producing at best an 8x10 even from ISO 125 shots. The main problem with the Sony TX10 is its touchscreen. Several of us tried it and we all had the same maddening experience. It just wasn't consistently responsive. And since that's the only user interface this little box has, it doesn't win a Dave's Pick.

Similar to the Ricoh PX, the stylish TX10 camera won't look out of place in general use when out with friends but is tough enough to survive extreme shooting conditions. It is hampered by quite a hefty price tag, sitting towards the top of the "tough" camera range, but if you have a habit of dropping cameras on the floor or in water, the investment may prove worth it. Overall, you are getting a feature packed camera, which is easy to use and takes excellent pictures. If you have the money, the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10 comes recommended.

At the end of the day, style is as much a draw as substance here, and the Sony CyberShot DSC-TX10 is probably the most attractive looking robust camera we've seen to date, which, although not particularly a scientific assessment, hits the nail squarely on the head when it comes to the camera's appeal and likelihood to succeed.

The Sony Cyber-shot TX10 has a lot to offer for an ultra-compact in this price bracket. It's small, light and stylish and shares the clean lines and good looks of other models in the TX series. Its stabilised 4x optical zoom produces good results, its touch screen is sensitive and coupled with a customisable control layout and menu system that is sensibly layed out and easy to use. Though its f3.5 lens is not particularly bright and its high ISO performance less than sparkling, the Cyber-shot TX10 redeems itself with a lightning fast burst shooting mode and composite low-light and HDR modes. Added to which it has a raft of clever shooting modes including panoramic, 3D, 3D panoramic, Background defocus and Superior Auto that really do extend the range of possibilities for picture taking.

The Sony TX10 offers just about the best overall image quality we’ve yet seen in a toughened camera with a folded-lens design. While some processing and compression flaws do become apparent at 100% and above, at lower sizes images deliver plenty of punch. Add to this Sony’s Sweep Panorama technology, which remains the benchmark for ultra-wideangle fun, along with excellent movie recording abilities and the TX10 just about justifies its premium price tag. The lack of finger-grip and shiny aluminium finish do make it a bit slippery to hold though, so be sure to use it with a wrist strap attached - otherwise you may well end up testing the camera’s shockproof qualities sooner rather than later.

We could find little fault with the bright and colourful images the TX10 produces, that backlit Exmor R sensor delivering usable, largely grain-free results up to and including the maximum setting of ISO 3200. At least, for once, picture quality hasn’t been completely sacrificed on the altar of style.