Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55

Sony released the DSC-TX55 in September 2011 as the thinnest T-series camera ever made — 12.2mm at its slimmest point, 13mm overall, in a body that weighed 109g. The folded-path Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 5× zoom, BSI Exmor R sensor, 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen, and 10fps burst were all packed into something closer to a credit card than a camera. The black version was matte rather than glossy — the one finish on the T-series that didn't show fingerprints.

NO FILTER: SHOT ON DSC-TX55

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THE LOOKS

The black TX55 has a matte finish that absorbs light rather than reflecting it — different in feel from the glossy T77 and T300, and noticeably better for handling. The body is 93 × 54 × 13mm, 109g, with the entire rear given over to the 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen. The sliding lens cover is the only front detail. At 12.2mm at its thinnest it is, in Sony's words, closer to a pencil than a battery. Also available in silver, purple, and red.

THE SPECS

The 16.2-megapixel BSI Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ processor deliver clean output at higher ISOs — the back-illuminated design Sony originally developed for camcorders. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar folded-path 5× zoom covers 26–130mm with Optical SteadyShot. The 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen at 1,229k dots is significantly sharper than LCD alternatives of the era. Full 1080i/60fps AVCHD video. 10fps burst. Seven Picture Effects including HDR Painting and Toy Camera. 3D Sweep Panorama. microSD/SDHC + MS Micro. 93 × 54 × 13mm, 109g.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• 12.2mm at its thinnest — the slimmest T-series camera Sony made: closer to a pencil than a battery in cross-section, with a folded Zeiss zoom and OLED screen inside.
• 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen at 1,229k dots: substantially sharper and more vivid than the LCD panels standard on competitors in 2011 — the display was a meaningful step up.
• Matte black finish on a T-series body: the only T-series finish that didn't show fingerprints — making the camera look like a considered object rather than a glossy gadget.

THE VERDICT

The TX55 is the T-series taken as far as it would go — 12.2mm, 109g, OLED screen, folded Zeiss glass, and a matte black finish that actually stays clean in a hand. The output is CMOS rather than CCD, which means it's technically cleaner but lacks the warm digicam character of the earlier T-series models. That's the only honest caveat. As a physical object the TX55 is one of the more remarkable compact cameras Sony ever made.