Labs

The T100 ticks all the boxes for a covetable compact. The design is stunning, with subtle curves and a brushed aluminium finish. A massive 3 inch screen dominates the back, while the sliding door on the front protects the lens when not in use and acts as a power switch. Performance is among the best available outside DSLR territory: two seconds to shoot from

ADVERTISEMENT

power-up, just 1.3 seconds between shots in normal shooting and two frames per second in continuous mode.

Sony has squeezed a 5x zoom lens into the ultra-slim body, and optical image stabilisation is built in, plus face detection; Sony's is much better than most at spotting faces that aren't directly facing you. Video is recorded at the standard 640x480 pixel resolution, but photos can be viewed in high definition on an HDTV if you're willing to spend a further £30 on a component video cable.

The relative lack of megapixels (8 rather than 10 or 12) won't be noticed except at A4+. Noise reduction at higher ISO settings (used in low light) loses a little more detail, but photos at up to ISO 800 still look great on screen or printed at 7x5 inches. Colours are vibrant and flattering, with excellent handling of highlights.

Other cameras have better picture quality, but the T100 is a classy package that's a pleasure to own.