Meet the Sony Cyber-shot WX70, and its little brother, the WX50, its next pair of ultra-compact Cyber-shot digital cameras. On paper they could be the company’s most powerful pocket snappers yet: both feature a highly sensitive 16.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor as well as features lifted from the pricier NEX compact system camera range.
Which NEX features, we hear you cry. Well, both the Sony Cyber-shot WX70 and WX50 come with Extra High Sensitivity, which essentially means the ISO now goes all the way to 12800 – that should translate to sharper handheld shots in low light conditions. They can also capture full HD 1920 x 1080 AVCHD video at 50 frames per second, and a new Active Mode for Sony’s SteadyShot anti-shake tech cancels out the effects of your shaky hands the whole time you’re recording.
Both the WX70 and WX50 also come with a selection of Hipstamatic-esque “Picture Effects”, in-camera filters such as Toy Camera, HDR Painting, Soft High-key and Rich-tone Monochrome. Other features include a Carl Zeiss lens with 5x optical zoom. The WX70 has a 3-inch 921,000-dot screen, while the WX50 has a 2.7-inch 460,000-dot display (this seems to be the only major difference between the two cameras).
Sony says both models will launch in Europe in mid-March, with prices to be confirmed closer to the release date.
