The DSC-W5 may seem familiar, as it was already announced by Sony Europe a couple of weeks ago. The W7 is largely similar to that model, but with the inclusion of a seven megapixel CCD sensor in place of the W5's five megapixel imager. The new models hint to the success of Sony's existing Cyber-shot DSC-W1 model, which launched the W series - and apparently persuaded Sony to expand the W series from one to two models available simultaneously.

Both cameras retain the W1's body styling, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, and large 2.5" LCD display (although at 115k pixels, the LCD is somewhat lower resolution than that of the W1). The new models feature 32MB of built-in memory rather than a bundled flash card as with the older camera, however - something we applaud as bundled flash cards are of little use given their small capacities. Internal memory is never accidentally left at home, and can serve as an overflow when your flash card runs out of space, without the need to change cards.

Sony's Cyber-show DSC-W5 will cost $349.95 in the USA, while the DSC-W7 will ship at a cost of $449. Both cameras will be available in March 2005.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W5
General
Camera Type	Compact
Manufacturer	Sony
Model Number	DSC-W5
Dimensions	3.6 x 2.4 x 1.5" 91.0 x 60.0 x 37.1mm
Weight	253.0 g 8.8 oz
Planned Price	$349.95
Planned Availability	Mar 2005
Image Capture
Sensor Type	1/1.8" Sony SuperHAD CCD 5.10 megapixels (effective)
Aspect Ratio	4:3, 3:2
Image Dimensions	2592 x 1944 (5.0 megapixels) 2592 x 1728 (4.5 megapixels) 2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels) 1280 x 960 (1.2 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Quality	2 levels
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder	Yes, Optical
LCD	2.5", 115,000 pixels
Lens
Lens Type	Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom 30mm lens thread, Body threads, optional adapter
Image Stabilization	No
Focal Length	7.9 - 23.7mm (actual) 38 - 114mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range	f/2.8 - f/5.6 (wide); f/5.2 - f/10 (tele)
Focusing System	5-Area Contrast Detect with AF assist lamp Manual Focus possible (5) steps
Focusing Range	Normal: 20" - infinity (50 cm - infinity) Macro: 2.4"
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 100, 200, 400
Shutter Speed	30 - 1/1000 second
Exposure Modes	Program, Manual
Metering Modes	49-area Multi-Pattern
Exposure Compensation	+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance	Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent
Internal Flash	Modes: Auto / Forced On / Forced Off / Slow Synchro (red-eye reduction on / off) Range: 11.8 in. - 14.75 ft. (0.3 - 4.5 m)
Creative
Scene Modes	Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle, Beach
Digital Zoom	0.0 - 2.0x
Self Timer	Yes, 10 seconds
Time Lapse	No
Movie Format	MPEG with audio 640x480 and 160x112 Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium	Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Built-in
File Format	JPEG
Connectivity
Video	Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Power
Battery Type	Alkaline disposable, NiMH Rechargeable
Battery Form Factor	2 x AA
Product Bundle
Software	Picture Package for Sony v1.6 (Windows), Pixela ImageMixer VCD2 (Macintosh)
Battery / Charger	2 x NH-AA-DA NiMH rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory	32.0MB built-in memory
Other
Internal Microphone	Yes
Tripod Mount	Yes
Remote Control	No
Operating System Compatibility	Windows, MacOS
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7
General
Camera Type	Compact
Manufacturer	Sony
Model Number	DSC-W7
Dimensions	3.6 x 2.4 x 1.5" 91.0 x 60.0 x 37.1mm
Weight	253.0 g 8.8 oz
Planned Price	$449.00
Planned Availability	Mar 2005
Image Capture
Sensor Type	1/1.8" Sony SuperHAD CCD 7.20 megapixels (effective)
Aspect Ratio	4:3, 3:2
Image Dimensions	3072 x 2304 (7.1 megapixels) 3072 x 2048 (6.3 megapixels) 2592 x 1944 (5.0 megapixels) 2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels) 1280 x 960 (1.2 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Quality	2 levels
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder	Yes, Optical
LCD	2.5", 115,000 pixels
Lens
Lens Type	Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom 30mm lens thread, Body threads, optional adapter
Image Stabilization	No
Focal Length	7.9 - 23.7mm (actual) 38 - 114mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range	f/2.8 - f/5.6 (wide); f/5.2 - f/10 (tele)
Focusing System	5-Area Contrast Detect with AF assist lamp Manual Focus possible (5) steps
Focusing Range	Normal: 20" - infinity (50 cm - infinity) Macro: 2.4"
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 100, 200, 400
Shutter Speed	30 - 1/1000 second
Exposure Modes	Program, Manual
Metering Modes	49-area Multi-Pattern
Exposure Compensation	+/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance	Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent
Internal Flash	Modes: Auto / Forced On / Forced Off / Slow Synchro (red-eye reduction on / off) Range: 11.8 in. - 14.75 ft. (0.3 - 4.5 m)
Creative
Scene Modes	Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle, Beach
Digital Zoom	0.0 - 2.0x
Self Timer	Yes, 10 seconds
Time Lapse	No
Movie Format	MPEG with audio 640x480 and 160x112 Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium	Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Built-in
File Format	JPEG
Connectivity
Video	Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Power
Battery Type	Alkaline disposable, NiMH Rechargeable
Battery Form Factor	2 x AA
Product Bundle
Software	Picture Package for Sony v1.6 (Windows), Pixela ImageMixer VCD2 (Macintosh)
Battery / Charger	2 x NH-AA-DA NiMH rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory	32.0MB built-in memory
Other
Internal Microphone	Yes
Tripod Mount	Yes
Remote Control	No
Operating System Compatibility	Windows, MacOS
More Photos