Review posted for Sony DSC-W50
By
Dave Etchells
(Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 13:52 EDT)
Featuring a 6.0-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom lens, and well-designed user interface, the Sony DSC-W50 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 W50 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 normally expect from a compact digicam model.
The bright 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is excellent for framing and reviewing shots, and the overall design and layout of the Sony W50 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-W50 deserves a close look.
(NOTE: The Sony W50 is a near-twin of the Sony W30 that we reviewed just a short while ago. The only noticeable difference is that the LCD on the W50 is a half-inch larger than that on the W30. In our testing though, we found that the W50 tended to produce images with a bit more of a warm cast than those from the W30. As a result we tend to favor the image rendering of the W30, but the difference is slight. Compare the test images from the two cameras and make up your own mind. -- After all, that's what the Imaging Resource is all about!)
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