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Unlikely Panasonic duo rules this week's top gadgets

What a week for Panasonic. Of all the products CNET reviewed this week, the company scored the best ratings for both the most expensive gadget and the cheapest. There must be some sort of award for that. (Actually, there isn't, but there should be.)

The Panasonic TC-P65VT50 (affectionately known around these parts as the "VT50") is a 65-inch plasma TV that nabbed the hardest-won praise of all: A glowing review from our own David Katzmaier. Katzmaier gets right to the point in his review, explaining that the whole line of TVs in the VT50's series have &… Read more

Ultracompact megazoom cameras compared

Zoom lenses sell cameras these days, so it's no surprise that manufacturers are doing everything they can to get longer lenses into increasingly smaller bodies.

A 3x or 5x zoom lens used to be the standard for ultracompact cameras -- those measuring 1 inch thick or slimmer -- but in 2012, you can easily find a skinny point-and-shoot with a 10x optical zoom.

The frontrunner here is the sub-$250 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 thanks to its excellent features, fast autofocus, and the quality of its pictures and video (though its color accuracy could be better). Most of the category consists of sub-$200 cameras, though, so there are several options if you're just looking for a simple pocket camera with a long lens.… Read more

Sony HX9V vs. HX30V: Which camera should you buy?

The question I've been asked the most over the past couple months was, "Should I buy the Sony HX9V or wait for the HX30V?" Having now tested and reviewed the HX30V, I can answer that question: it depends.

After all, the cameras are very similar, at least on the surface, as they have a lot of features in common and nearly the same size and weight. There are differences, but are they enough to pay more than $100 for?… Read more

Quick Take: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX66

Though it might seem like the whole world is trading in point-and-shoots for smartphones, there are still plenty of people who don't have or want a smartphone, or who want something faster and with better photo and video quality that won't kill their phone battery while shooting all day. That's why Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-TX66 exists. It's a powerful camera that can outperform a smartphone in many ways, in a body that's no thicker than a AA battery and weighs just a few ounces.

The TX66 is almost the same as 2011's TX55, so … Read more

Sony Cyber-shot HX7V review: More features, more megapixels, still good

Sony's 2011 Cyber-shot lineup has three compact megazooms in it: the high-end HX9V, the low-end H70, and, snuggled in between, the HX7V.

The HX7V is essentially a beefed-up version of the H70, featuring the same lens and body size, but backed by a high-speed, 16-megapixel Exmor R backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor instead of a slower CCD sensor. That sensor among other things gives the HX7V many more shooting options, such as a Background Defocus mode to simulate a shallow depth of field, and creating high-resolution panoramas. And it does most everything quickly.

Now, as for photo quality, it really … Read more

Sony intros TX55 ultracompact with new digital zoom, creative filters

So it seems digital zoom is experiencing a bit of a revival after years of consumers being told not to use it. Panasonic has its Intelligent Resolution/Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom ratio by about 1.3x while maintaining the picture quality. Sony's new By Pixel Super Resolution technology in its latest ultracompact, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55, puts that ratio to shame.

Instead of just magnifying pixels or cropping in, Sony's Clear Image Zoom uses pixel creation and pattern matching when it "zooms" in. Sony claims this will maintain the image quality and keep the … Read more

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V review: The ultimate compact megazoom?

Sony has three compact megazooms in its 2011 lineup; the Cyber-shot HX9V is the most expensive. It's also the only one of the three (the H70 and HX7V are the others) that's not replacing a 2010 model. It's entirely new and hosts what seems like all of Sony's latest Cyber-shot technologies. That includes (for better or worse) a 16-megapixel Exmor R sensor, a 16x ultrawide-angle 24mm-equivalent Sony G lens, and a high-speed linear-focusing system. It shoots video in full HD at 60p. It has a GPS receiver for geotagging photos while you shoot. Shooting modes go … Read more

Sony's upcoming Cyber-shots leaked

There have been rumors of two Sony Cyber-shot models, the HX9V and HX100V, to be announced in February, but so far there has been no concrete proof. Until now.

Photo equipment retailer B&H leaked on its online store these two point-and-shoots, complete with specifications and pictures of one shooter.

The Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V, according to the Web site, employs a 16-megapixel Exmor R CMOS image sensor, a 16x optical zoom lens that extends from 24mm to 384mm, a 3-inch LCD, full-HD video recording, 3D Sweep Panorama, and optical image stabilizer. The top view of the snapper indicates that this camera will have manual exposure control and stereo audio capture. It has a pop-up flash, too.

There weren't any pictures of the HX100V, though its specifications were clearly listed on B&H's site (as we expected, B&H has removed the listings). It also has a 16-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, and the zoom range is 30x (27mm to 810mm). The remaining features, such as LCD size and video capture, are similar to the HX9V. … Read more