CES 2012: New Entry-Level Cameras From Sony

The DSC-S5000 is due to launch in February with a price tag that'll be more competitive that any of Sony's current compacts (the exact UK pricing is TBC, but it'll be under £100). As ever though, a low price means low-grade tech specs, including VGA video, no optical stabilisation and a 2.6-inch TN screen with 230,000 dots. The S5000 uses a 14-Megapixel CCD sensor and has a 28-140 mm f/3.2-6.5 lens.

It'll be interesting to see how the S5000 fares against the super-cheap Panasonic Lumix S1 which boasts optical stabilisation and 720p HD video!





The DSC-W610 could have trouble rivalling Panasonic's bargain compact too, with a 14-Megapixel CCD sensor, 26-105 mm f/2.8-5.9 lens, no stabilisation and VGA video. Again, the screen is a 2.6-inch TN display with 230,000 dots. Note that in some countries Sony will also be releasing a DSC-W620 with a slightly more powerful zoom lens and an HD video function.



The DSC-W630 basically looks like a straight copy of the W570. Both cameras use the same 16-Megapixel CCD and 25-125 mm f/2.6-6.3 wide-angle zoom lens, complete with optical stabilisation. What's more, it films 720p HD video.