By Claire Reilly

SYDNEY, NSW: Sony Australia has today announced the upcoming launch of the new Cyber-shot WX30 fixed-lens camera which boasts an array of ‘firsts’, being the first ever W series model with a 7.5-centimetre touch screen and the first Cyber-shot camera with real-time Picture Effect mode.

The 16.2 megapixel camera features an Exmor R CMOS sensor as well as “By Pixel Super Resolution technology that boosts zoom range to 10x without quality loss at the image sensor’s maximum resolution,” according to a Sony spokesperson.

In addition, the camera is capable of shooting Full HD 1080p video and creating 3D images. The real-time Picture Effect mode allows users to create effects such as miniature, partial colour and pop colour without the use of editing software.

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The camera’s SteadyShot Active Mode helps to minimise blur on the Full HD shooting mode, while Clear Image Zoom technology boosts camera magnification without lowering pixel count.

“‘By Pixel Super Resolution’ processing further extends the camera’s 5x optical zoom range, allowing full-resolution 16.2 megapixel images with a maximum 10x zoom.

“‘By Pixel Super Resolution’ technology also significantly boosts still image quality during movie recording. At a touch of the shutter button, ‘Dual Rec’ grabs detail-packed 12 megapixel-level still photos without interrupting Full HD video shooting.”

The camera also features an Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode that allows users to sweep the camera to capture 42.9 megapixel panoramas. While the camera is not equipped with stereoscopic lenses, the 3D mode captures two frames in quick succession and estimates depth to create a three-dimensional image.

The Sony Cyber-shot WX30 camera will be available from September 2011.

The Sony Cyber-shot WX30.