Sony DSC-W30 review posted
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 18:18 EDT)
Featuring a 6.0-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom lens, and well-designed user interface, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30 updates the popular Cyber-shot line with a thin, compact body style perfectly suited for travel.
Exposure remains under automatic control, something novices will appreciate, and its seven preprogrammed scene modes help with more tricky subjects. The Sony W30 is a very responsive camera, with low shutter lag in daylight conditions, and excellent shot to shot speeds. It also sports very good battery life, a very capable movie mode, and excellent download speed. Finally, Sony makes a line of accessory lenses, filters, a slave flash, and even an underwater case for it as well, greatly expanding your options beyond what you'd normal expect from a compact digicam model.
The bright 2.0-inch color LCD monitor is excellent for framing and reviewing shots, and the overall design and layout of the Sony W30 is user-friendly and hassle-free. If you're looking for a good "take anywhere" camera with great versatility and good color and tonality, the Sony DSC-W30 deserves a close look. (And if you'd like a the same camera with a larger 2.5-inch LCD, the Sony DSC-W50 is only about $30 more at retail.)
We suggest that you ignore the ISO 800 and 1000 settings on the camera, as the image quality there is really marginal even for snapshot-size prints, but if you look at the Sony W30 as an ISO 400 camera, it competes very strongly, making it a Dave's Pick in its category. Read our full review of the Sony DSC-W30 for all the details!
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