Sony Adds New Cameras, Kiosks, Memory Stick

LAS VEGAS — Sony introduced a quartet of photo kiosks and a new Memory Stick at International CES and added four new 7-megapixel digital cameras to its lineup shortly thereafter.

The Cyber-shot digital camera introductions include two models in its compact W series and two in its entry-level S series. All will offer 3x optical zoom lenses, seven scene modes, an ISO-boosting blur-reduction mode (to ISO 1,000) and internal memory.

They will also include explanatory menus that guide users through the camera's function and alert to them the various print sizes supported by differing levels of image resolution.

The W-series models will ship in February and include view finders, a five-point autofocus system, Carl Zeiss optics, 56MB of internal memory and support for the new 8GB Memory Stick Duo. They will also incorporate Sony's Clear RAW noise-reduction technology, an AF illuminator for low-light photography, a multi-burst mode and a battery life of up to 380 images.

The S-series models will offer 24MB of internal memory, support for Memory Stick Duo memory up to 4GB cards and will feature a battery life of 460 images per charge.

The DSC-W55, available in blue, pink, black and silver, features a 2.5-inch LCD and a metal body. It will retail for an estimated $200. The W35, available only in silver for $180, offers a 2-inch screen.

Available in February for an estimated $150, the S650 will feature a 2-inch LCD. The S700 will ship in March for an estimated $180. It sports a 2.4-inch LCD.

Sony also announced four new PictureStation photo kiosks at CES, adding faster print speeds, additional print sizes and digital scrapbooking software.

Two systems will be floorstanding and two will be counter-top models. All offer the ability to add borders and text to photos, create personalized photo cards, collages and scrapbook pages through built-in templates. They also feature 15-inch touch-screen LCDs and accept the popular memory card formats, in addition to DVDs and USB flash drives.

The PS500DLX3/BL floor kiosk system is equipped with three printers: two high-speed UP-DR150 roll printers, and the UPD75 printer for 8-inch by 10-inch photos. The system also includes a flatbed scanner for print-to-print applications.

The DR150 printer offers speeds of seven seconds for 4- by 6-inch and 3.5- by 5-inch prints and the UPD75 can make an 8- by 10 in roughly 80 seconds.

The PS500DLX3/BL will carry a list price of $13,525.

The new PS500DLX4/BL system offers the same configuration plus a fourth printer, Sony's new UP-CX1 4- by 8-inch photo card model. The UP-CX1 offers print speeds of approximately 21 seconds per print. It is also a floorstanding model with a list price of $14,500.

Both kiosks can produce wallet-size, 3.5- by 5-inch , 4- by 6-inch, 5- by 7-inch and 8- by 10-inch prints.

The PS500CTR/150 countertop model offers the UP-DR150 printer while the PS500CTR/X1 model sports the UP-CX1 printer. They list for $6,000 and $4,950, respectively. The printers can be placed adjacent to the ordering terminals or behind a counter.

Finally, Sony said it would ship an 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card in February. The 8GB card will carry an estimated $300 retail price.