Low-light conditions, previously a hopeless proposition with most little digital cameras, are a snap for Sony’s CyberShot DSC-WX1. Dimmer-witted competitors’ small sensors can’t absorb enough light for top-quality flash-free shooting (and most of those minuscule built-in flashes can only reach a maximum distance of about 10 feet). But Sony has ingeniously redesigned the little sensors on the DSC-WX1, making for maximum exposure possibilities — great for twilight and nighttime scenes and indoors. The camera has some other magical tricks up its sleeve as well. In something called Sweep Panorama Mode, it will shoot a burst of 10 photos as you press the shutter button and whirl the camera around you. Then it intuitively stitches the shots together to create a 270-degree panorama. In video mode, the camera lets you zoom in and out as well as change the focus while filming, a rare feature in still cameras. The lens zooms out to a nice wide 24mm and the camera can shoot high-definition video. Pretty amazing for a camera that’s less than an inch thick. Sony CyberShot DSC-WX1, $280, or 877-865-7669.
Judi Dash, Gear & Gadgets Syndicate
