Sony is adding high-definition movie recording to its digital camera line with the introduction of the Cyber-shot DSC-T500 model.

This 10-megapixel camera features wide and full-screen 720p movie recording at 30 frames per second in fine, standard and VGA recording modes.

The movie function is based on the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 codec for video compression and stereo audio. Benefits of the format include high-quality video as well as small file sizes that are easy to download, upload and share.

Movie capture on this model is further enhanced to include zoom while in recording mode and high-sensitivity shooting for natural- or low-light environments.

The camera can continuously record a video clip up to 10 minutes in length. It can hold hours of clips by expanding the camera?s capacity with a Memory Stick media card (media sold separately), which now has capacities up to 16 GB.



It also features a dual photo and video capture mode.

The T500 camera integrates a wide (16:9), 3.5-inch (measured diagonally), transflective, touch panel LCD screen for easy navigation, framing and viewing in strong light conditions. It has a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens with a wide field of view (33 ? 165 mm, 35 mm equivalency). It incorporates Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and high sensitivity settings up to ISO3200 helps combat blur and facilitate flash-free shooting for natural-exposed photos.

The model also incorporates face detection technology.

The T500 camera connects to a compatible HD television via an HDMI cable (sold separately). The DSC-T500 is supplied with Picture Motion Browser software for easy organizing and viewing of images. It will ship in black with a brushed metal finish in late September for about $400.