Electronics giant Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will begin sales this month of the compact "Cyber-shot T" series that can detect a smile and immediately drop the shutter.
The photographer can program the camera to detect which type of facial expression to look for, be it a faint smile or a tooth-baring grin, a Sony spokeswoman said.
But the camera is not exclusively designed to take pictures of happy moments, she added. The user can turn off the function and use it as a normal camera.
Similar technology is also available on other Japanese cameras, including those made by Olympus, although each company develops the technology independently.
Sony's DSC-T200 and DSC-T70 will be launched September 21 at a price starting at 40,000 yen ($345).
© 2007 Agence France-Presse
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