Thursday 3 November 2011

Bose Companion 20 Review

2.0 speakers have always created their niche in the market with the portability and affordability they provide. Simply hook it up to your laptop, mobile phone or any other audio device and you have an enhanced audio experience. Bose has always been known for its premium audio products and the Companion 20 follows the same trend. Here’s what we feel about their new set of speakers.  
Elegant design
Elegant design


Design and Build Quality
The Companion 20 will come across as extremely simple looking speakers with the front metal grill and polished silver finish. The speakers look quite appealing and have a nice matte effect which is shared by the control pod as well. The speaker set comes with four connectors - the audio in, control pod,  adaptor and the connector to the left speaker. The bass is located at the back. The cables are pretty long but you’ll get a pretty hefty adaptor with the speakers. They weigh 2.72 kg as well, and all of this does limit its portability to a great extent. There are four rubberized slots underneath that will help the speakers stay stable on most surfaces.
The connectivity options at the back
The connectivity options at the back


The control pod deserves worthy mention. It has a feather touch top that allows users to quickly toggle the power. There’s the volume ring as well, and it’s quite responsive. To ensure that the speakers remain untouched most of the time, Bose has included the headphone jack and line - in connectivity options on the control pod as well.
The control pod
The control pod


Performance
The two set Companion 20 speakers provide a good audio experience as well. We played a few popular music tracks and here’s our feedback on the same. The song Rockstar by Nickelback plays pretty well till you get to the chorus. With the volume maxed out, the guitar and vocals get mixed and it’s difficult to clearly spot the different instruments being used. Next up, we tried Without You by David Guetta and we noticed that the bass effect was a tad less than what we’re used to hearing. Also, there was a little jarring at maximum volume. The last one we tried was Wake Me Up by Green Day. Sound quality was brilliant with clear highs and there was only a slight jarring when the overdrive kicked in. Playing music at full volume isn’t the best experience and keeping the volume to about seventy percent of the maximum will definitely give you a much enhanced audio experience.
The insides
The insides


The music is loud enough to fill an average room, but we wouldn’t recommend this speaker set for large rooms.
Gallery
The Bose Companion 20 Speakers


Verdict
The Companion 20 are priced at Rs. 14,513. In terms of functionality, these are just a simple set of speakers you would want to attach to your laptop, or PMP for somewhat ‘portable’ audio listening. There’s no fancy stuff like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth streaming. The speakers fair pretty well in terms of performance, and like all other Bose products, are highly priced. If you can shell out money for an expensive set of speakers, you can get the Bose Companion 20.

source: http://tech2.in.com/reviews/20/bose-companion-20-review/252552


BenQ AE100 Compact Camera Review

Benq is usually associated with digital projectors, monitors and computer peripherals like keyboards and mice. However, the company has an extensive line of cameras to its name, and it’s recently launched the AE100. This camera boasts of features aimed at the younger generation as well as the budget-conscious consumer. It features a 14 megapixel sensor, 5x zoom, and 720p video recording. Read on to know if this entry-level camera is worth your money.
5x optical zoom
5x optical zoom


Design and Build Quality
The Benq AE100 is a stylish looking camera with a fairly slim profile. There are two colour options available - reddish pink and silver. We received the former in our lab. The front of the camera has a textured feel to it, which Benq describes as a diamond style. This texture lends a fair amount of class and also reduces fingerprints during usage. The branding is featured on the front left of the camera, next to the LED flash, an auto focus assist, and the lens.

The rest of the body has a matte finish, which also helps in preventing fingerprints. The buttons are located to the right of the 2.7-inch screen. These buttons are for the menu, a four-way navigational pad with the select button in the centre, and a function button. There is also a toggle switch for shifting between image capture, video recording and playback. All the buttons on the camera are finished in silver and like the rest of the camera, they are made of plastic. The on/off button is located at the top of the camera along with the shutter release button. Like many cameras nowadays, the zoom rocker is featured next to the shutter release. There is a proprietary USB port located to the side of the camera that is used for charging and transferring data. The battery bay is located on the underside of the camera and it houses the memory card as well.
Thin and extremely lightweight
Thin and extremely lightweight


This is a fancy looking camera and the reddish pink colour would appeal to women. The camera is really slim as well, allowing it to easily fit in a pocket, and small enough to slip into a purse. The build quality feels a bit flimsy and plasticy, but it looks like it could withstand a couple of accidental drops from a low height. 

Features
The Benq A100 has a quite a few features for an entry-level point-and-shoot, the chief feature being the wide aperture of f/2.4. Thanks to this, more light can enter the lens, making it possible to click better images in low light conditions. The other headlining feature is the 14.0 megapixel CCD sensor from Panasonic. The camera features 5x optical zoom along with an image stabilizer, ensuring that there is next to no blur while capturing images. ISO sensitivity on this camera ranges from 100 to 6400, giving users a fair amount to tweak in manual mode.
The buttons are well spaced
The buttons are well spaced


An interesting feature of this camera is the ability to record 720p videos, which is usually found on cameras that are priced higher. With this inclusion, even a budget-conscious consumer to enjoy HD video recording capabilities. The interface is fairly simple to navigate through; all controls can be accessed through the menu button and further settings can be changed by using the function or the set key. Someone who is completely new to digital cameras can get used to it with a little practice, making it the ideal entry-level buy. This camera is also loaded with a ton of shooting modes, allowing one to be entertained for a considerable amount of time by merely playing with the different settings, such as fish-eye, beauty enhancer, self portrait, love portrait, etc.

Overall, the features of this camera are pretty good and it would be the ideal camera for nights out, parties, etc.

source:  http://tech2.in.com/reviews/point-and-shoot/benq-ae100-compact-camera-review/252802


Battlefield 3 - Living up to the hype!

After the trailers, the trash talking and the rather controversial multiplayer beta, DICE’s highly awaited first-person shooter, Battlefield 3 has finally arrived. It carries with it the expectations of millions or at least thousands of gamers, who’ve been looking for their next online fix. And thankfully, it does not disappoint.

Now, the Battlefield series (not to be confused with DICE’s Bad Company games) has always provided players with a deep multiplayer experience, but this time around, DICE strapped on a single player campaign as well. The story puts players in the boots of a US Marine named Sgt Black, who via flash backs during an interrogation sequence, divulges the plot of the game. It seems a fanatical terrorist has stolen some nukes and is hell bent on detonating them in Paris and New York. Black obviously is not a huge fan of his plan and does everything in his power to stop it.
Crash boom bang!
Crash boom bang!


Battlefield’s campaign borrows heavily from other shooters on the block, and to be fair, it does deliver some pretty cinematic set pieces with much aplomb. You’ll co-pilot a jet raining hell fire on ground targets, survive multiple ambushes with your troops, manoeuvre a tank through enemy lines, take control of a turret mounted atop a jeep through a war-torn fictitious Middle Eastern country, survive a catastrophic earthquake, and lots more.

The action, while clichéd is frantic enough most of the time, especially during the indoor levels where you’ll be shredding through walls, glass, desks and pretty much anything that comes between you and your target. Unfortunately, the campaign is bogged down heavily by a ‘been there done that’ vibe that never really allows the game to create an identity for itself. Not helping matters is the fact that the AI is completely stupid, some of the missions felt a bit contrived, and the campaign went a tad overboard with its quick time events (QTEs).
Umm that doesn't look too good
Umm that doesn't look too good


Multiplayer is, of course, the main reason most of you will pick up Battlefield 3, and it is without a doubt a freaking ball. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 veterans will feel right at home with the game’s multiplayer modes like Conquest, Rush, Squad  and Team Deathmatch. Each of these modes can be played across the game’s nine vast maps. You can start your Battlefield 3 career off by dabbling with some of the more straightforward versus modes like Squad Deathmatch before you jump into the more complex, large scale ones. During Squad/Team Deathmatch, every map is cut down drastically in size, where a sizeable chunk of the map is cordoned off to provide some up close and personal combat.
Top Gun
Top Gun


If you aren’t too good at pulling the trigger, don’t sweat it; you can take up a support role since Battlefield 3 encourages and rewards players for playing as a team. You could chose to be a medic and heal your teammates or go in for a support class and make sure they never run of ammunition. As you level up your respective classes, you’ll unlock better abilities for them. For example, when you start the assault class, you’ll be limited to med packs, but once you level up, you’ll unlock the defib kit that allows you to bring your team/squad mates back from the dead.

source:  http://tech2.in.com/reviews/pc/battlefield-3-living-up-to-the-hype/252812


Norton Internet Security 2012 review

Hunting down malware is a never ending process for anti-virus and security solution companies. Every year brings new updates with promises of improved performance and more features. Symantec has been in the security solution business for a long time and they’ve released their latest iteration of their all-in-one solution - Norton Internet Security 2012.

User interface
Installation of the suite is simple and it requires the user to enter the license key, which is about the most complicated part of the installation. Symantec has worked on improving the interface on their products and since their major user interface overall a few years back, the interface on NIS 2012 has been tweaked a little more. The experience of using a security suite with a ton of features has gotten simpler over the years. The choice of colours, styling and icons through the interface makes it less intimidating than some of the products in the market today. For example, a bright green status indicator tells you that an update is complete or if the system is secure.
The Advanced view
The Advanced view


It also maintains its sophisticated look when you switch the Advanced view mode, of course. In this mode, there are all the familiar terms and features that you’re used to seeing. In the simple interface, there are no more controls other than the scanning and updating features. Settings and other performance related menus are still accessible though. There’s now a Windows 7 widget on the desktop, which lets you access some of the important features of the suite. The fact that help is provided when you hover the mouse pointer over a feature, also helps new users get accustomed to the features.

Features
Once installed and registered, Norton Internet Security takes over the task of updating the engine and the malware definition updates. This process is seamless and takes under 10 minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection. When we first installed the suite, it downloaded a 90MB update.
Lots of customisation options
Lots of customisation options


Unlike Norton 360 which is an all-in-one solution that takes care of parental controls, backup and a host of other features, Norton Internet Security has always been a core malware removal and prevention tool. Presence of the features you would miss are present at the bottom of the user interface.

The Scan feature allows you to do a standard scan, which is done in the traditional way. There’s also the newly added, Reputation Scan which scans files and programs and compares them with other users who have files with the same signature as others using the service. The last and the unexpected feature is a scan for your Facebook wall. The feature scans your profile and items on your Wall for any insecure content.

source:  http://tech2.in.com/reviews/windows/norton-internet-security-2012-review/252982


Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro Android Smartphone Review

With Sony Ericsson as a company undergoing a slight change, one would expect their devices to do so as well. Sadly that’s not the case, however, there never really was a general cause of concern for users to take up issue with too many of SE’s devices with regards to functionality or style. The same can be said about the newly launched Xperia Pro. Here’s a closer look.

Form Factor
Available in 3 colors – silver, black and red with a chrome rim and a superbly slick slide-out QWERTY keypad, the Xperia Pro gets high scores in the design segment. It features a 3.7-inch LED backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen (480 x 854 pixels) with Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine enhancing the colors, brightness and contrast. Overall, it makes for crystal clear viewing in all lighting circumstances. The scratch-resistant display appeared to be much more adamant about keeping scratches away as compared to the Xperia Arc. Android’s home, return and menu keys find themselves at the bottom of the display in the form of 3 physical buttons that are nevertheless soft to the touch for activation.

One seriously slick handset
One seriously slick handset


Having had the opportunity to handle all three color options, it appears that SE has made a slight faux pas with regards to the lighting and shading of the keypad in the sliver model. Being devoid of a sensor to activate the backlight of the keys, thus leaving them on whenever the keypad is out, due to the light coloration of the handset the keys are not clearly visible in bright light. This is not the case with the darker models. If you’re versatile enough with the QWERTY style, it won’t matter a bit as the keypad itself with individual spaced keys is soft, well spaced and makes for speedy and comfortable typing.
The lack of a Hot Swap slot for the microSD card is a bit of an issue but since SE bundles an 8GB card, finding a reason to ever remove the card will be hard. The USB port is placed squarely at the top of the handset (a good idea) with a micro HDMI port on the right side above the camera shutter release (bottom) and the volume rocker. The 3.5mm handsfree socket is on the left hand side above the power/screen lock button

Slim, curvey lines
Slim, curvey lines


The Xperia Pro is designed to both make a style statement and be simple but effectively usable and it does this with a sense of elegance and class.
Features and Performance
Interface
Running under the hood of the Xperia Pro is a 1GHz Snapdragon processor that SE has managed to put to extremely effective use. The UI is super fluid with apps that will literally open up instantaneously with the slightest tap of your finger or gesture. Screen rotation was sooth and lag free and so were gesture control based parts of the UI and Anroid 2.3 aka Gingerbread. It scored very well in benchmarks as well with a Linpak scoring of 37.5 in a Single Thread run and 33.8 in the Multi Thread run.

Customised SE UI works smoothly
Customised SE UI works smoothly


Sony Ericsson’s customised Android UI, although seemingly well designed has never been to smooth on quite a few of the smartphones we’ve tested. However that was not the case with the Xperia Pro. Of course running alternative UI’s like Launcher Pro etc. worked out much better in terms of usability. TimeScape is also part of the UI package and a new widget called Type and Send that allows you to do exactly what it says and even post your message to social networks or send an email is quite handy. Adao File Manager is also provided to access directories.
Media
Audio settings include EQ presets and an option called xLOUD designed to boost the output via the built in speakers. Either way, audio quality is top notch and the rather comfy handsfree included works out in the handsets favour again. The tone quality is very well balanced and distortion at peak volume is negligible but non-existent with a higher end quality of earphones. An FM radio is also thrown in and although it may not have provided the very best reception in certain areas, overall it was a non-issue. Unfortunately the Xperia Pro has no codec support for AVI files so you’ll need to download a third party player like Mobo or Rockplayer. With these 720p files in almost all formats will play seamlessly.

Does well in the media department
Does well in the media department

source:  http://tech2.in.com/reviews/smartphones/sony-ericsson-xperia-pro-android-smartphone-review/253072


Panasonic VIERA TH-L42E3D LED LCD TV Review

Gone are the days when televisions would be about serving the purpose of merely watching cable or satellite TV. With the launch of LED LCD TVs, these boundaries have been pushed further. Panasonic, one of the leaders amongst television manufacturers, has launched the Viera TH-L42E3D 42-inch LED LCD TV, which boasts of some pretty incredible features, such as social networking support, USB host, and more. Read on to see if this television can make a mark in its segment.
Very unsteady base
Very unsteady base


Design and Build Quality
First off, this TV looks really good. The bezel is predominantly black, but the bottom part is silver gray fading to black, lending it a really classy look. The bezel has a glossy finish, which seems to be a common design trend these days. Having a glossy bezel makes the television look slick, but on the downside, this can attract lots of dust and fingerprints. Slim continues to be in and though this is not the thinnest television around, its side profile measures just 1.6 inches in depth.

The back panel is made entirely out of metal. The connectivity options are located at the side and at the back and are within close proximity of each other. The side sports a USB port, SD card slot, and HDMI as well as composite ports. The rear-facing connections include a USB port, two HDMI ports, and single ethernet, composite, component and VGA ports. The advantages of side connectors are that one can easily plug in USB flash drives or components such as a keyboard or mouse.
The remote performs well
The remote performs well


The right side features physical buttons such as function, AV, adjustments for brightness, contrast, volume, etc, and the on/off button. These buttons are well built and sturdy. The base of this stand, like the bottom of the bezel, has a silver gray finish. The base looks quite attractive and with the black bezel, it makes an attractive combination. However, the build quality of the base is something we were not too fond of as it made the television rather unsteady. There was a bit of wobble and the plastic used in the base felt quite cheap. The remote control is decently built and looks similar to other Panasonic Viera remotes. The buttons are well spaced and the remote feels quite light too.

To sum up, the TH-L42E3D is an attractive looking television. The base is wobbly, but this could be a one-off issue with the review unit we received.

Features
The Panasonic Viera TH-L42E3D has a bunch of interesting features, the biggest of which being the ability to playback videos in full HD (1080p). Most LCD and LED televisions are able to support 720p, but with full HD becoming the standard, it is good that Panasonic has incorporated this feature here. The TV uses an IPS panel with edge-LED backlighting. The company claims that it has a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees.
The simple appearance of the interface
The simple appearance of the interface


The other neat feature of this TV is the ability to read USB drives. However, it is just limited to FAT32 and not NTFS. We tried a couple of NTFS drives with this TV but they could not be read. The interface is pretty easy to navigate. All options are lined up on the dock at the bottom of the screen. The interface is pretty basic looking, but has some interesting smart TV features such as Facebook and Shoutcast.

The television has two 10 Watt downward-facing speakers. The TV supports video playback in various formats, including MP4, DivX, and MKV and MPEG4.

source: http://tech2.in.com/reviews/led-backlit/panasonic-viera-thl42e3d-led-lcd-tv-review/253242


Asus ML238H review

Innovations in the LCD display space have been on-going and LED-backlighting has been just one such improvement. As users build mainstream PCs, there’s also a demand for stylish looking displays to keep things lively. We’ve reviewed a few Asus monitors in the past such as the PA246Q and the PA238Q , which are both displays made for graphics professionals. The new ML238H is more for the style-conscious crowd.


 
On Video: Asus ML238H


Design and build quality
The first thing you notice about the ASUS ML238H is its ultraslim design. Owing to the LED-backlighting, the panel itself is really slim and light-weight. The power unit is outside the display in the form of an adapter, the same size as a netbook power adapter. The finish on the frame surrounding the display itself is all gloss. The rear end of the display has a white colour finish while the front panel which houses the touch-sensitive controls has a black finish. The edges of the display have a fine perforated feel and look to it.
Plain white finish on he rear
Plain white finish on the rear


The tripod is also pretty unique. It’s made of two sturdy circular metal frames which neatly lock into each other to support the screen. Installation is simple but we had some issues with one of those loops. After spending a few minutes with it, we managed to get it all setup. The stand allows no vertical movement of the screen but it can rotate from side to side to some extent. It does this very smoothly with little effort but there is some wobbling when you put some pressure against the monitor.

The screen doesn’t have a very slim bezel and lower panel that houses the touch senstiive buttons is pretty large. This gives the user the impression of it being a large screen, but this is in fact a 23-inch display. There are five touch sensitive buttons excluding the main power button. The interface on the ML238H is simple but the touch sensitive buttons aren’t always responsive so there are occasions when you need to keep pressing the buttons to get a feature to work. There are smooth transition and fading in/out effects, so there’s always a feeling that the interface is lagging. The menus only light up when you touch them once.

Features
The ML238H uses a full HD1080 (1920x1080) TN panel, unlike the IPS panels on their higher professional line of displays. LED backlighing is part of the panel and its thin profile is all thanks to this technology.
Slim display with an elegant stand design
Slim display with an elegant stand design


In terms of connectivity, you don’t get a lot, as compared to some of the other models that Asus and other brands have to offer. For example, there’s only a D-Sub and a HDMI connector at the rear. The display also comes with a DVI-to-HDMI convertor, which means you can also use your PC with no HDMI ports with this display. There are plenty of connector options for the power adapter as well.
Large bezel at the base of the 
display
Large bezel at the base of the display


There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack at the rear, which can be used to connect earphones or speakers. There are a couple of display profiles besides the sRGB mode. Most of them adjust the level of saturation on the colour while the night viewing mode tones down the backlighting levels. The sRGB and Standard modes are the recommended ones though.

 source: http://tech2.in.com/reviews/monitors/asus-ml238h-review/253392


Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Review

Lenovo failed to deliver on their promise of the Le Pad but at least we have a part of it in the form of the IdeaPad K1 tablet. If you look at the pictures more closely, you'll notice the K1 and the tablet portion of Le Pad are virtually identical. The company announced this along with two other tablets a couple of weeks back in a rather grand spectacle. This is Lenovo's first foray in the world of Android tablets and it faces stiff competition from the iPad 2, Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 750. The K1 looks rock solid on paper, but what is it actually like in the real world, is what we are about to find out today.

Design and Build
The K1 tablet is built to last, something we've come to expect from Lenovo. The fit and finish of the aluminium body is really good and the brown leather back gives a premium feel while also helping with the grip. The rounded edges and wide bezel allows you to hold it firmly without your fingers interfering with the touchscreen. It's not what you'd call light at 750g and after a short while you feel the fatigue in your wrists. There’s a little 'Home' button on the front which also doubles as a optical trackpad for moving backwards and forwards through web pages and applications. The 10.1-inch multi-touch screen is rich and vibrant although a bit reflective at times.
Built well with a nice design
Built well with a nice design


The microphone, power button, volume rocker, orientation lock and microSD card slots are placed on the left while the SIM tray is on the right for the 3G model. At the bottom we have a mini-HDMI jack, 3.5mm headphone jack and the docking/charging port. Lenovo uses a proprietary connector for data transfer instead of the microUSB. We would also have liked to see a modular data/power cable, instead we got two separate cables.
A look from all sides
A look from all sides


This would have been ok if you could charge and connect the tablet to the PC at the same time, but you can't. We also wished the buttons would have been a little larger making them easier to use. Perhaps the most annoying design choice is the flaps for the SIM and memory card slot, which require you to use a pin to open them, like on the iPhone 4. This is just an unnecessary inconvenience.
Leather-back tablet
Leather-back tablet


Overall, Lenovo has done a splendid job with the look and feel of the tablet. The 1280x800 resolution screen is crisp with decent viewing angles and there’re plenty of connectivity options to keep any enthusiast satisfied. Having said that, we wished Lenovo had added standard USB host support, if not natively then at least via an adapter like Samsung did with the Tab 750.

source: http://tech2.in.com/reviews/tablets/lenovo-ideapad-k1-review/253742


Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V Compact Camera Review

The camera market these days is swamped with a variety of cameras that serve different purposes, leaving consumers with plenty of choices to pick from. Most people do not opt for DSLR cameras because of the high price as well as the fact that they may be a bit difficult to use. That’s where super zooms come in; they do not offer the image quality or even the settings that are found on a DSLR, but they look awfully similar. However, this may not be feasible for travellers as they would want these zoom capabilities as well as the ability to tweak settings to a certain extent within a compact package.
The pop-up flash has a sturdy build
The pop-up flash has a sturdy build


As far as travel compacts go, we’ve recently seen the launch of the Canon Powershot SX230HS as well as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20. Sony has just released the Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V travel compact, which has some pretty interesting attributes, including 16x optical zoom, a 16.2 megapixel sensor, 3D still image capturing, and full HD video recording, amongst others. Here’s a closer look at this point-and-shoot camera.

Design and Build Quality
The DSC-HX9V is a compact camera, but is a bit larger than other point-and-shoot compacts available in the market. That said, given all the features and functions loaded in this camera, it is quite slim. The camera sports a predominantly matte black finish, with a gun metal finish on the side and top. There is a rubberized hand grip, allowing you to shoot images easily with one hand. There is also a thumb grip on the back, making the camera easier to hold.

The lens on the front is slightly raised from the body, but still allows the camera to retain its compact size. The lens slides out easily and there no build issues noticed here. There is a large 3-inch screen at the back that flushes along the body. To the right of the screen are the buttons, which have a silver finish. The four-way navigational key acts as a jog dial as well as for scrolling between the different options. The dial is easy to turn, with very little resistance.
Many quck access options through the mode 
dial
Many quck access options through the mode dial


To the top of the camera is the mode dial, the shutter release button that’s attached to the zoom rocker, a stereo speaker, on/off button and a custom button. These buttons are well spaced out and sturdy. The pop-up flash is located on the top right of the camera and can be deployed by activating the flash. The build quality of the flash is good. Concealed in a bay at the side is the mini HDMI port. The flap for this port is made of plastic and when closed, remains flush against the side. The camera uses a USB port for charging, so there is no need to remove the battery from its bay. The battery bay also houses the 4 GB memory card that comes bundled with the camera.

This is a stylish looking camera and though on the slightly bulky side, it can fit easily in a jeans or shirt pocket. The build quality is good and feels like it could definitely withstand a few knocks.

Features
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V, as mentioned earlier, is pretty loaded with features. It houses a 1/2.3-inch 16.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor with a BIONZ processor. Sony claims that by using this processing engine, the noise levels are reduced and the colour integrity is maintained. We will see if this holds true in the performance section. The processor is fast, allowing one to click images quickly for continuous shooting.
The images on the screen appear very 
detailed
The images on the screen appear very detailed


One of the main features of this camera is the 16x optical zoom featured on Sony’s proprietary G lens. These lenses complement another feature of this camera, whereby the background defocuses while the subject in focus appears sharp. These lenses are also found on Sony’s Alpha range of DSLR cameras. The image stabilization, called Optical SteadyShot, helps in reducing blur when the zoom is set at its maximum. The ISO range is between 100 - 3200. In the Scene mode, there is a High ISO Sensitivity option that allows you to click images well in extremely dark environments. The camera lacks the aperture priority and shutter priority modes, but these settings can be adjusted through the manual mode.

The interface is pretty easy to operate and we found ourselves enjoying the ease of use a lot. Another feature we enjoyed was the camera’s 3D ability. There are three options. The first is the ability to view a 3D captured image on the camera as well as a 3D TV; the second is 3D sweep panorama; and the third is the ability to capture images in 3D to be viewed on a 3D TV. We had to tilt the camera to view 3D images on it.

Other features of this camera include full HD (1080p) video recording, a built-in GPS and compass as well as several scene modes, giving you the ability to capture images based on profiles such as soft-skin, fireworks, snow, sports, etc.


source: http://tech2.in.com/reviews/point-and-shoot/sony-cybershot-dschx9v-compact-camera-review/254012


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