Sony updates the rangefinder-style camera for the digital age with the 5-megapixel Cyber-shot DSCW1. Built for photographers who want to capture images through a host of automatic features to help balance light and exposure, the DSCW1 also offers a bevy of manual controls. And once turned on, it focuses and shoots full-resolution images in a little over one-second intervals. The DSCW1 features a 3x optical zoom, Carl Zeiss optics, large 2.5-inch LCD The DSCW1's super-sized 2.5-inch Hybrid LCD Monitor is much larger than the 1.5-inch displays common to other cameras in its class. (See detail)Optics and Resolution

The DSCW1 features a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens, which is specially constructed for very compact cameras, and its design allows for quick autofocusing. It has a 3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom for a combined 6x zoom.
The 1/1.8-inch Super HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise, and provides a 5.1-megapixel effective resolution (2592 x 1944). The Real Imaging Processor offers greater clarity and picture quality as well as improved response time and battery life and decreased shutter lag. Amazon.com Product Description

Movie Mode
Capture video with audio at 30 frames per second (fps) at VGA size 640 x 480; the included 32 MB memory card will store 87 seconds of vide at this setting. Movie length is only limited by the amount of storage you have on hand. The Video Mail mode captures a smaller movie (160 x 112 pixels) that's more suitable to sending to friends and family via e-mail.

Resolution modes: 2592 x 1944 (5.1MP), 2592 x 1728 (3:2 aspect ratio), 2048 x 1536 (3MP), 1280 x 960 (1MP), and 640 x 480 (VGA) 2.5-inch, 123K LCD monitor makes framing shots and reviewing pictures easy. Live Histogram Display: Available in capture and playback the Live Histogram displays the concentration of pixels at each luminosity value making it easy to evaluate correct exposure. Real Imaging Processor: The innovative Real Imaging Processor in the DSC-P93 not only improves picture quality and clarity but also improves camera response time, decreases shutter lag and improves battery stamina. Selectable Focus Mode: Monitoring AF (Auto Focus) helps you anticipate the action by focusing even before you press the shutter release. 5 Area Multi-Point Auto Focus: By evaluating 5 separate focus areas of the frame, Sony's Multi-Point AF system can intelligently focus on the subject and avoid mistakenly focusing on the background. AF (Auto Focus) Illuminator: Briefly illuminating the subject, in low--or no--light conditions, the AF Illuminator helps establish a positive focus lock. Multi-Pattern Measuring: Independently light-metering 49 points of the frame, Multi-Pattern Measuring establishes the optimum exposure, even when highlight and shadow isn't centered in the frame. Multi-Burst Mode: Captures 16 320 x 240 frames as part of a single 1280 x 960 image which plays back sequentially in the camera (selectable 1/7.5, 1/15, 1/30 second). Manual Exposure Mode: Manual Exposure Mode provides extended control with 46-step adjustable Shutter speed (30 Ð 1/1000 sec.), and 2-step Aperture control. Scene Selection Mode: With 6 Scene Modes, parameters can be matched to the shooting conditions. Choose from one of the following: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Candle, or Beach. Slow Shutter Noise Reduction: During long exposures, Slow Shutter NR captures the scene, and then the CCD noise pattern with a dark frame exposure. By subtracting the two, even long exposures can be clear. Pre-Flash Metering: With a momentary pre-flash, the camera illuminates the subject and sets exposure through the lens for accurate flash metering. Adjustable flash level and red-eye reduction ensure great flash shots. About Slow Shutter Noise ReductionThis process captures the scene
in two exposures. The second subtracts the noise pattern from the initial shot, resulting in a final beautiful photograph that is virtually noise-free.

Test

Versatile and Travel-Friendly, July 25, 2004 Reviewer: saradele (Denver, CO) -I have been very happy with this camera since I purchased it over a month ago. My requirements for a digital camera were resolution of at least 5 MP, compact size for travel, and some scene or manual modes. Two features sold me on this camera:

1. Compatibility with AA batteries. Most cameras this size use proprietary batteries, which means if you forget your battery recharger on a trip, you could be in trouble. With this camera, you can take out the included AA rechargeables once they run down and use regular AA batteries. While lithium batteries such as Energizer's E2 series are best, even alkalines will work in a pinch.

2. Larger LCD area. The extra inch makes a huge difference. You can tell immediately whether people blinked, and the screen is large enough that family and friends will enjoy flipping through the photos you've taken without having to squint. The larger area also makes it fun to zoom, rotate, and crop photos right in the camera.

In addition to indoor settings, I have tested the camera in the Colorado mountains, suburban Chicago, and downtown DC. The scene modes did an especially beautiful job with the mountains and lakes. I had been worried after some reviews suggested that Sony cameras make colors look washed-out and faded, but I did not experience this. My images have also been very sharp, and I can see details far in the background, such as signs in shots of city streets. I also like that you can set the camera to record images in a 3:2 ratio, so that if you are planning to make 4x6 prints, the camera saves exactly the image that will be printed. My only complaint is that the red-eye mode doesn't completely eliminate red eye in indoor shots, but I understand that this is typical for compact cameras.

Since this camera and its LCD screen could easily be damaged in a purse or backpack, I would recommend a semi-rigid carrying case such as Sony's LCMWA model.

This camera will not be right for everyone. If you're looking for a simple point-and-shoot and don't want to worry about settings, consider Canon's PowerShot S500 Elph. If your photos mostly will be indoors and redeye is your major concern, consider Nikon's Coolpix 5200. If you'll be doing a lot of telephoto zooming, consider the Pentax Optio 555 with its 5X optical zoom. But if you're looking for a versatile compact 5 MP camera in the advanced consumer/prosumer segment, then look no further than Sony's DSC-W1.

Great, if you know what you are looking for, July 6, 2004 Reviewer: Matthew A. Flower (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews After reading every online review I could find, I decided to purchase the DSC-W1 and after taking about 300 images, I am quite pleased with it.
The camera is light and small. It has plenty of "scene modes" that make it easy for anyone to take a picture. You can also take 640x480 movies with sound for as long as your memory stick pro will hold them. (If you are using a regular memory stick, the time is limited.) The camera is lightning fast, both in startup time and time to store an image after shooting. There is a "burst mode" too that can allow multiple shots to be taken in succession, but it is too buried in the menus to be useful unless you know that good action is coming.
Night photography seems to be working out quite well with this camera. One thing I liked over similar cameras in this category is the 30 second exposure time, which is fairly high. (Many didn't allow anything more than 10 seconds.)
I ditched the included Sony batteries after reading a review somewhere and bought some Powerex 2300 batteries from MahaEnergy. I haven't been able to go through two sets of batteries (the camera takes two AA's.) in a day's time. In fact, one set seems to do just fine almost all of the time.
The Sony supports up to 400 iso, though there is a fair amount of noise at this level. I've been using Neat Image to clean it up though and I have no qualms about shooting at this speed as long as I'm using software to clean it up.
I'm just beginning to learn how to photograph things somewhat well, and I do have a few gripes. Most are very minor, and most would have been solved if I would have saved up the money to buy a digital SLR instead of trying to force this point and shoot to try to be a digital SLR.
First, macro mode doesn't seem to let you get very close. With my friend's Olympus Camedia, I seem to be able to all but rest my lens on the subject. With the DSC-W1, I can't seem to get much closer than 6 inches with it getting too blurry to take a picture. You can get some close shots, but if you are really looking at getting into macro photography, you might want to look at the Olympus, or at other cameras.
Night photographers will find it irritating that there is no sort of remote cable release or remote IR release. You can get around this problem with the self timer if necessary, but some shots you just aren't going to get. There isn't any sort of built-in stabilization either, though I wouldn't expect any on a $400 point and shoot. A tripod is required gear if you are going to take shots in dim light without a flash.
Also, it is worth noting that the camera doesn't have a hot-shoe. You are going to be using the built in flash. The built-in flash seems to be okay, and I'm imagining that the average point-and-shoot photographer won't care.
Overall, I'm really pleased with this camera. If you want to be really get into the technical side of digital cameras, save up and buy a Canon Digital Rebel or some other spiffy SLR. If you want a camera that you'll be happy to put in your pocket and take with you, the Sony is an excellent choice.


Flexible, smart camera, January 5, 2005
Reviewer:
B. Banerjee "GateReview" (USA) - See all my reviews

My Critical Customer Requirements (CCRs)that the camera met were

1) Commonly available power source - the camera uses AA batteries and recharbale AAs last the entire time taken to fill up a 256M card
2) Small - the camera (without any additional lenses) can be carried in a coat pocket/purse
3) Fast - this camera allows me to respond very quickly to a photo opportunity and is smart enough to track the action and maintain focus
4) Price - I was able to get it for $321 from the Circuit City site
5) "Cool Value" - the large screen and plenty of manual control features, as well as additional lense options make this a great indoors/outdoors camera

Some CCRs that the camera did NOT meet were
1) Continous zoom will not work - if I used the 2.6x lense extension kit, at the lower zooms, the field of vision is reduced by upto 50% (the picture you take seems to be taken through a tube). The extension lense work well when the zoom is at it maximum
2) Polarizing filters utility limited - the filters do not work with the extented zoom lenses. However they work well with the standard 3x optical zoom.
3) Extension kit - the extension kit causes some reduction in the filed of view, especially when using the built in flash.

Overall, I am delighted with the camera, hence the 4 stars.
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