Here’s a brief history lesson on the Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, Sony. They were once known as “Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo” before they decided to change the company’s name to “Sony”. It’s a mix of two words – “sonus”, which is latin for “sonic” (meaning sound); and “sonny”, a word that denotes small size, or a youthful boy. Back then, it was unusual for any Japanese company to use roman letters to spell out their name instead of writing it in kanji. Also, their principal bank at the time wanted the founders to change the company’s name to “Sony Electronic Industries” or “Sony Teletech”. But they didn’t want the name to be tied to any particular industry, which turned out to serve them well today. They’ve become one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a firm grasp of the film industry, music industry and of course, the electronics industry (we will always remember the Walkman®). They also have a strong lineup of cameras, ranging from point-and-shoots to video cameras. Here are two to get you started. By Adam Kerr.
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SONY A5100, $999
If you’ve always wanted to be a serious hobbyist but never liked the idea of carrying around a bulky and somewhat heavy DSLR camera, then you should get started with this. It’s one of the smallest interchangeable-lens digital cameras around, so once you’re ready to take it to the next level, you can start purchasing other lenses to play with. It has a large and super sensitive 24.3-megapixel APS-C size Exmor™ CMOS sensor (as big as the ones in DSLRs) that works well with the powerful BIONZ X™ processor to give you flawless detail and breathtaking image quality. The a5100 is also great for taking sel es – just ip up the 3-inch LCD touchscreen and you’re good to go. The camera’s Soft Skin Effect will even enhance your skin tone for better-looking sel es. It also supports the XAVC S format (50mbps) so you can capture video footage in full HD. The a5100 features Fast Hybrid Autofocus (AF) with 179 focal plane phase detection AF points to help you track your subject while recording videos (especially useful if you’re recording videos of your pet). Once you’re done, share your precious memories via NFC or Wi-Fi directly on your Android or iOS device.
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SONY CYBER-SHOT™ RX100 IV, $1,399
It’s easy to keep things simple with the Sony Cyber- shot™ RX100 IV, especially with the amount of technology that has been thrown into it. Sure, it looks like your typical point-and-shoot camera, but you’ll know exactly what we mean once you try it. The RX100 IV is the world’s rst camera that comes with the 1.0-inch type stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor, which consists of three different layers – the pixel area, advanced signal processing and an attached DRAM memory chip. These allow for some pretty nifty capabilities, such as a super fast Anti-Distortion Shutter of up to 1/32000 per second, a Fast Intelligent AF system that can detect a moving target in under 0.09 seconds, and more. You can also record super slow motion videos at different frame rates (max: 1000fps) and in different playback formats (24p-60p). But of course, don’t expect the stuff you see on the Slow Mo Guys’ YouTube channel (their $150,000 industrial-grade high-speed camera can record videos at more than 170,000 fps), but this camera is still really good nonetheless, considering that a feature like this is usually found in higher-end cameras. It’s also one of the first Cyber-shot™ cameras that lets you record videos in 4K (QFHD 3840×2160).
Both cameras are available at all Sony Stores, Sony Centres, and selected Sony authorised dealers. sony.com.sg
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