Sony DSC-T2 Optics

Zoom
Fairly good performance from the 3x optically stabilized zoom lens. Digital zoom also performs fairly well.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2's optical zoom covers the equivalent of 38-114mm, which is a typical focal range for an ultra-compact lens. Overall performance is decent, with good detail and reasonable sharpness at both wide angle and telephoto, although there is noticeable chromatic aberration and some softness in the corners. There is also a bit of flare detectable around bright objects such as the house's window frames and rain gutters, but that's not uncommon with internal lens designs. The camera's 2x digital zoom performs pretty well, with better results than we usually associate with digital zoom, although it's still not nearly as sharp or detailed as optical zoom.

Macro
A below average macro area in Standard Macro mode, but with good detail and high resolution. Flash exposure was uneven and overexposed. A much smaller area in Super Macro mode, but with increased corner softness and loss of detail.

The Sony DSC-T2's standard macro setting is below average, capturing a fairly large minimum area of 2.86 x 2.15 inches (73 x 55 millimeters), but detail and resolution are both quite good, with quite good sharpness in the corners. Super Macro mode captures a tiny area of only 1.23 x 0.92 inches (31 x 23 millimeters), however corner softness extends fairly deep into the frame, and there's noticeable chromatic aberration. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode.) The flash coverage is uneven and it has a bit of trouble throttling down, blowing out some of the exposure, so plan on using external lighting for the best results with the DSC-T2's macro settings.

Distortion
Moderate barrel distortion, high pincushion.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2's 0.7% barrel distortion at wide angle is about average among the cameras we've tested, and noticeable in some of its images. At the telephoto end, the DSC-T2's pincushion distortion is much higher than average at about 0.5%, and is also noticeable in some images. This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

Chromatic aberration
Significant at wide angle, with a noticeable effect on images at edges.

Chromatic aberration is moderately high at wide angle, showing about 7-8 pixels of coloration on either side of the target lines. Fringing is brighter in the bottom corners. At full telephoto, chromatic aberration is a bit lower, and not quite as bright. Overall, the effect is noticeable in a few of our wide angle and telephoto test shots. Note: This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.

Corner Sharpness
Slight to moderate blurring in the corners of the frame at wide angle and telephoto.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2 produces slightly soft results in the corners of the frame at full wide angle, with the upper left corner being moderately soft. At full telephoto, there's also slight blurring in the corners of the frame, but with very little effect on resulting images. Note also the lateral chromatic aberration in the center at telephoto.

Coverage
Very good accuracy from the LCD monitor. The DSC-T2 does not have an optical viewfinder.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2's LCD monitor shows about 101% coverage at wide angle, and about 99% accurate at telephoto. In both cases, the image is vertically shifted ever so slightly.