Mar 01 2006

Sony upgrades W digicam line

Posted by J. Angelo as Cameras, PMA 2006

Sony cybershot W100 Sony has announced upgrades to its W-series compact digital camera line at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) 2006 trade show.

The Rangefinder-style W series gets a facelift as the lower end is now a continuation of the more compact P-series of the recent years, and is more akin to the Canon ixus line in size and feature set. The higher end models retain the old W size and form factor, but now sport higher resolution CCD sensors (7 and 8 megapixels!) and upgraded optics.

New models include the W30 (SRP: US$ 230) and W50 (SRP: US$ 250) on the lower-featured, more compact side, and the W70 (SRP: US$ 300) and W100 (SRP: US$ 350) on the larger, more feature-packed side.

Across the W series, common enhancements include the following:

Increased light sensitivity, up to 1000 ISO equivalent settings (up to 1250 ISO for the W100)
Intuitive helptext for menu system

Now what would I do with that fast a light sensitivity? I’m worried about noise and pixellation at those ISO levels, even if this was meant to enable faster shutter speeds at low-light operation! But the help system is cool, though, for novice photographers–it takes out the guesswork in photography (sometimes “Auto” mode isn’t enough, since there are a plethora of options one can explore even on a simple point-and-shoot digicam)

At any rate, the W series is worth looking at. It strikes good balance between price and funcitionality.

Share and Enjoy:

Comments (2)

2 Responses

Chris P.
02|Mar|2006

I have a Sony DSC-P200 (7.2MP) right now, and I have experienced some issues with pixellation and noise. Is the W series a cut above the P series, or is it the other way around?

I feel like I have trouble taking really artistic photos with it (without some serious scenery setup first)…Any suggestions on something more appropriate for quality digital photography?
J. Angelo
02|Mar|2006

For more serious amateur photography, I’d go for a Canon! On the low end, I think the A6xx series is great (they’re said to be inexpensive versions of the G series). The current models are the A610 and A620–the newer A640 was just announced this PMA ‘06.

You don’t much get creative control with the W, I’m afraid. It’s not exactly a cut above the P–in some respects, it’s the P but in a different body (as with the W5).

Search Gadzooki

Our Features

Software and Security

Silverlight – Is This Going To Be Web 3.0?

It’s not that often when a technology comes along that leaves me amazed. You know, the sort of thing when you look at it you think “wow, this is good. Not just good, but perhaps is going to make a difference to websites in a very real way in the near future”. [...]

Read on
More Software Features

Hardware and Gadgetry

The CrunchPad is dead. Now what?

It’s dead, Jim.

And now, news of the CrunchPad’s demise has reached the blogosphere (twice-over, I must say), we’re here to examine the post-mortem. It was an ambitious project: an internet tablet meant to sell cheap. Everybody was waiting for it with bated breath, but it never came.

Read on
More Hardware and Gadget Features

Gaming

Sony reveals PlayStation Move

I have to admit, my mind is officially blown. Sony finally revealed its new PlayStation 3 motion controller at GDC 2010 in San Francisco, and boy is it looking good.

Dubbed the Playstation Move, the advanced motion controls on this baby makes it supposedly more accurate than that other motion controller from that little-known console from [...]

Read on
More Gaming Features

Automotive

Pagani Zonda R

The Pagani Zonda R is a truly awe inspiring car. With a price tag of about £1.3 million, this was always going to be a special motor. What made it even more impressive is just how tuned it is, the level of performance and technical specification is breathtaking. Here’s the official line [...]

Read on
More Automotive Features

GADZOOKI TEAM