Sony DSC-S750 Optics

Zoom
A typical 3x optical zoom range with sub-par performance overall, though digital zoom performance is actually better than average.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750's optical zoom covers the equivalent of a 35-105mm, a typical 3x range among consumer digital cameras. Noise and artifacts are present at full wide angle, which results in poor definition of fine detail. There's also a small amount of blurring in the corners of the frame, but details are so soft at full wide angle that softness in the corners isn't too strong in comparison. Coma distortion is also present here, and quite noticeable in the tree branches against the sky. Results at full telephoto are better, with better definition, though still some blurring in the corners. Though details are again fuzzy and less defined, results with Sony's Precision Digital Zoom are actually better than the average digital zoom. The camera preserves a lot of fine detail, even if details aren't sharp. (Actually, detail definition here looks a lot like the camera's performance at full wide angle.)

Macro
A small macro area with good detail and high resolution.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750's macro setting performed pretty well, capturing a small minimum area of 1.92 x 1.44 inches (49 x 37 millimeters). The camera captured a lot of detail in the dollar bill, though details overall are a little soft. There's a moderate amount of softening in the corners from the lens, as well. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode.)

Distortion
Moderate barrel distortion, though slightly high pincushion.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750's 0.7% barrel distortion at wide angle is about average, though I think this level is really a bit too high. At the telephoto end, the camera's 0.4% pincushion distortion is higher than average, and noticeable across a range of subjects. This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

Chromatic aberration
Low at both wide angle and telephoto settings, though pixels are bright and noticeable at wide angle.

Chromatic aberration is low but still quite noticeable at wide angle, showing about 5-6 pixels of very bright coloration on either side of the target lines. In the right corner, blurring from the lens intensifies the effect. At telephoto, the effect is much lower, with really only a couple of pixels of dull coloration visible. Chromatic aberration is a type of optical distortion that is visible as a slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.

Corner Sharpness
Fairly strong blurring in the upper and lower right corners at both wide angle and telephoto zoom settings compared to center.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750 produced soft corners along the right side of the frame at both wide angle and telephoto zoom settings. The effect was stronger at full wide angle, however.

Coverage
Good accuracy from the DSC-S750's LCD monitor.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S750's LCD monitor showed about 102% coverage accuracy at wide angle, and about 98% at telephoto. Pretty good results overall, though a little loose at wide angle and a tiny bit tight at telephoto.