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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 Performance


Timing and Performance

Above average speed for a consumer camera.

Startup/Shutdown

Power on
to first shot

 1.9 seconds

Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy.

Shutdown

 1.3 seconds

How long it takes to retract lens.

Buffer clearing time

 3 seconds
(buffer clearing after LF JPEGs)

Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Mode switching

Play to Record,
first shot

 1.0 second

Time until first shot is captured

Record to play

 1.5 seconds

Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture

Display
recorded image

 1.9 seconds

Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time)

Full Autofocus Wide

 0.37 second

Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.

Full Autofocus Tele

 0.54 second

Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.

Prefocused

 0.008 second

Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF
0.36 second
This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects.
Manual focus
0.35 second
For most cameras, shutter lag is less in manual focus than autofocus, but usually not as fast as when the camera is "prefocused".
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode
Large Fine JPEG
 1.75 seconds

Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.

Single Shot mode
640x480 JPEG

 1.72 seconds

Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.

Early shutter
penalty?

 Yes

Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer

Continuous mode
Large Fine JPEG
0.51 second (1.96 frames per second);
11 frames total;
3 seconds to clear

Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.

Continuous mode
640x480 JPEG

 0.51 second (1.96 frames per second);
1 second to clear

Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.

Flash recycling

 6.1 seconds

Flash at maximum output.

Download speed

Windows Computer, USB 2.0

 7,443 KBytes/sec

Typical Values:
Less than 600=USB 1.1;
600-769=USB 2.0 Low;
Above 770=USB 2.0 High
*Note: Buffer clearing times measured with a Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo memory card. Slower cards will produce correspondingly slower clearing times. Slow cards may also limit length of bursts in continuous mode.

The Sony T20's performance is generally above average. Startup and shutdown speeds are above average. Full autofocus shutter response is above average, which we measured at 0.37s at wide angle, and 0.54s at telephoto. Prefocused shutter lag is incredibly fast, at only 0.008s. Shot-to-shot cycle times and continuous-mode speeds are also slightly above average. The flash, which doesn't pack much of a punch, takes about 6 seconds to recharge after a full-power shot - average for any digicam. Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, download speeds are unusually fast, pretty much eliminating the need for an external reader. Bottom line, the Sony DSC-T20 is responsive enough to handle most family photo opportunities.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Very good battery life for a lithium-ion design.

Operating Mode Number of Shots
Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
(CIPA standard)
380

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 uses a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power, and a charger is included. We normally recommend picking up a spare battery and keeping it freshly charged and on-hand for long outings, but the DSC-T20's battery life is good enough that few users are likely to feel the need for a second battery.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on either a fresh set of disposable batteries or a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 stores its photos and movies on Memory Stick Duo or Pro Duo cards (card not included), or in approximately 34MB of internal memory.

Image Capacity with
34MB Internal Card		 Fine
3,264 x 2,448
Images
10
File Size
3.3 MB
2,592 x 1,944
Images
13
File Size
2.6 MB
2,048 x 1,536
Images
21
File Size
1.6 MB
640 x 480
Images
202
File Size
168 KB

We strongly recommend buying a large capacity Memory Stick Pro Duo memory card, at least a 1GB card, preferably a 2GB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings and videos. (Check the shopping link above, cards are really cheap these days, so no reason to skimp.)

 

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