Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77

Diwali Dhamaka: Ultra compact cameras under 15K

There are many among us who value style and performance more than the price, and demand a little more than the standard options that you find on an entry-level digital camera.

Here's some of the best (under Rs. 15,000) ultra-compact digital cameras available in the market.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 (Rs. 14,990)

A replacement for last year's T70, the Cyber-shot T77 features a 10 MP sensor that comes with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 35-140mm lens capable of 4x optical zoom and a 3-inch touch screen LCD. It also incorporates Sony's Super Steady Shot optical stabilization to minimize blur caused due to camera shake.

Tech-specs apart, the T77 is one of the best looking ultra compact cameras available today. It comes in a multitude of body colors with exquisite finish and measures just 94x57x15mm and weighs about 151 gm.

The T77 features face detection technology that is linked to the camera s auto-exposure, autofocus, white balance and flash metering system; something not seen in other brands of cameras.

The face detection system provides a Smile Shutter function, child/adult priority mode, as well as a new anti-blink function in portrait mode that automatically warns the user if the subject has his/her eyes closed in the shot. Thanks to Sony's Bionz image processor, the T77 offers improved image quality, faster response times and better battery life.

The T77 has 15 MB of built-in memory as well as a Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo card slot. It also has USB 2.0 connectivity for connection to PCs and televisions.

The T77 comes for around Rs. 14,990 with a 1-year warranty.
Those who don't want to spend so much but still want an ultra compact camera can go for Sony's W130, which is a plain-looking 8 MP camera sporting a 4x optical zoom lens, a 32-128 mm lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and comes with most of the features that the T77 has to offer.

The main difference between the two, apart from the looks, is that the W130 has a wider lens as compared to the T77, whereas the T77's lens is better when it comes to shooting distant objects.