Sony launches 360 degree sweep panorama series

The world’s thinnest 10x optical zoom, the DCS-W690, along with five new cameras, are the latest range of hi-spec affordable cameras launched by Sony at Siedles Pvt. Ltd., sole authorised distributor for Sony in Sri Lanka at its head office on Friday, 8 June.

The six new compact cameras from Sony make it simple for everyone to freeze their favorite moments in life. The Cybershot W-series (DCS-W610, W620, W630, W650, W670 and W690) all provide exceptional quality and come with a plethora of features as standard.

Razali Yaacub, Representative for Sony, South East Asia, announced his confidence in their latest range. “The photo taking culture is on the rise, we take pride in making products to meet our consumers ever changing needs through innovation and the results are infinitely satisfying.”  

The new 360 degree sweep panorama on all models capture an all-round view of landscapes, city scenes and anything that your artistic eye desires.

The user simply selects the shutter button and sweeps the camera in a smooth motion, the images then stitch together automatically creating a stunning image.

“In Sri Lanka, Sony is very proud to have leadership position in the digital camera market place and we will look to protect our lead indefinitely through class leading features.”

A breakdown of camera functions was explained by Kamal Gunawardana, Marketing Officer for Siedles Pvt Ltd. Intelligent auto (iAUTO) recognises up to 33 different shooting situations from portrait to twilight scene.

Cybershot technology automatically adjusts exposure and other camera settings for a clear, natural result without hassle.

Toy, pop, soft and silky and partial are a few picture effect modes on offer. “It is a small camera with big performance, the picture effects available help expand ones creativity.”  

The Cybershot DCS-W690 achieves excellent performance within a body just 17.5mm thick. This is thanks to the newly developed AA lens element, the W690 offers a 16.2 effective mega pixel super HAD CCD, g-lens (25-250mm), improved optical steady shot and 360 degree sweep panorama combining together to ensure Sony maintains its leadership slot, with motion to grow.

The W-series has been out for over a month now, sales and feedback have shown a strong-positive correlation. The ease of use, variety of styles and competitive pricing is setting the pace.

According to Rajen Udeshi, Director of Marketing at Siedles, next week is the beginning of a strong marketing campaign for the Sony Cybershot series that will reward customers for their purchases. This is with intention to capture the market in the build-up to the t20 World Cup starting in September in Sri Lanka.

Razaili Yaacub, Representative for Sony, South East Asia, went on to comment on however much research a consumer conducts before purchasing a camera, no other competitor within this market, at this price point provides the image quality that Sony does.

“A rival company came out with quite a competitive product range under Rs. 20,000 with built in wifi. It was the first in the market but in a country with internet penetration of only 8%, it simply doesn’t work, maybe in Colombo and developed areas.”

This is to derive that the latest W-series on offer is highly price competitive, but the value of added features and sweep panorama technology provide customers with the best deal around.

The steady shot image stabilisation feature on the Cybershot W-series ensures clearer handheld images with less blur. One can record in HD and capture the magic of all adventures, the HD video (720p) saves as an mp4 format that uploads easily to sites like Facebook and YouTube.

When asked whether the latest camera phone technology has affected sales within the camera industry, Razali Yaacub responded: “Surprisingly no, but what it has done to the digital camera market is pushed the prices of compact cameras down.

There will always be demand for compact cameras because technology such as iphones, androids and tablet PCs do not have the image processors and quality that compact cameras offer.

They are very good for point and shoot but not for a holiday to capture important moments in life.”

(ST)