Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20

Auto Mode (5.50)

Unlike most ultracompact models, the Bloggie Touch does have a simple autofocus mechanism. This autofocus is essentially an auto macro detection that allows you to focus on subjects as close as four inches away. Unfortunately, this focus system does not work quickly on the camcorder, and we noticed certain occasions where the Bloggie Touch would get "stuck" in macro focus for roughly five or six seconds while we were trying to shoot a regular shot. This is a disappointment because we like the camcorder's ability to record close subjects, but we don't want the focus switch to take any longer than a second or two.

Auto exposure on the Touch worked far quicker and we liked it. Exposure was adjusted with accuracy and the transition between light and dark scenes looked smooth and good. White balance worked well for the most part, but we did occasionally see the Bloggie Touch have some trouble under mixed indoor lights. This was particularly noticeable during focus adjustments, as we'd see the image turn a slight orange hue for a moment while the camcorder adjusted. There is face detection on the Bloggie Touch, but the system isn't nearly as effective as it is on a normal consumer camcorder.

Zoom (3.75)

With its touch-screen design, the Bloggie Touch makes use of a different zoom interface than we're accustomed to seeing on ultracompact camcorders. The digital zoom is manipulated using a slider system on the side of the LCD, or you can press the "T" and "W" icons on the top and bottom of the slider to use them as traditional zoom buttons. We like the slider system because it allows you to produce smooth zooms and gives you more control over the speed at which these zooms are carried out. Of course, this is all somewhat moot considering the camcorder only has a measly 4x digital zoom. We'd like to see Sony implement this same system on an ultracompact camcorders in the future—and hopefully some will have optical zooms instead of digital ones.

The onscreen slider and buttons allow you to use the digital zoom on the camcorder.

Zoom Ratio (0.0)

The Bloggie Touch doesn't have an optical zoom, but, like most ultracompact models, it has a 4x digital zoom. As we said above, the zoom works better than what you normally see from an ultracompact camcorder, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a digital zoom rather than an optical one. Using digital zoom degrades the quality of the image slightly because it is achieved using processing rather than an optical system. We recommend keeping your zoom use on the Bloggie Touch to a  minimum.
 

Focus (0.0)

There's no manual focus adjustment option on the Bloggie Touch, but the camcorder does have a slight autofocus mechanism. Considering that most ultracompact models feature fixed lenses, the fact that the Bloggie Touch offers a small amount of autofocus is rather unique.

Exposure (0.0)

The Bloggie Touch is a basic ultracompact camcorder, so it doesn't even have a manual exposure adjustment option.

Aperture (0.0)

The Bloggie Touch has no manual aperture options either and the lens has a widest aperture setting of f/2.8.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

Shutter speed is fully automated on the Bloggie Touch. According to Sony, the camcorder has a range of shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/4000 of a second.

White Balance (0.0)

Like aperture and shutter speed, the Bloggie Touch has a fully automated white balance system—with no manual options or presets.

Gain (0.0)

Gain control is fully automated on the Bloggie Touch.

Colour & Image Controls (0.0)

There's no special colour or image controls on the Bloggie Touch. All you can really adjust is the record mode and the photo size.

Other Manual Controls (0.0)

Sony tried hard to keep things simple on the Bloggie Touch, as there are no extra manual controls on the camcorder.

Manual Controls Summary
Control	Sony Bloggie Touch	Kodak Playsport	Sony MHS-CM5	Picsio GC-WP10
Focus	No	No	No	No
Exposure	No	No	No	No
Aperture	No	No	No	No
Shutter Speed	No	No	No	No
White Balance	No	No	No	No
Gain	No	No	No	No