Cyber-Shot DSC-W5 Digital Camera (5.1MP, 2592x1944, 3x Opt, 32MB Built-In

Manufacturer: Sony
Model: DSCW5
Max Focal Length: 23.7 mm
Max Horizontal Image Resolution: 2592 pixels
Max Aperture: 2.8 1/f
Installed Memory: 32 MB
Image Format: JPEG
: Number of User Reviews: 7

Reviewed by: pav_kov from IN on Apr 2, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 1 Months

Strengths: Small, compact and cute camera. Excellent design. Picture quality is excellent. The big plus is a huge LCD screen - 2.5 inches. Windows XP easily recognizes it and transfer is very simple.

Weaknesses: Vibration warning appears sometimes even if camera sits on tripod. This is usually due to insufficient light bit not shaking.

Summary: (Edited April 11th by pav_kov) I highly recommend this camera. This is a slightly improved DSCW1 camera but as a result the batteries work 1/4 longer. I bought 1 GB memory stick Pro that is enough for 12 minutes of pretty good video (close to quality of my mini-DV camcorder). Memory stick of this size is very good to use as a flash memory of a USB 2.0 speed. I do not think that built in 32MB memory is something special anyway I will not use it. I am new in photography but the PC-based tutorial from CD is very helpful while paper instruction is a little complicated. Automatic adjustments are very good ¨C sometimes it is not necessary to select scene modes. The camera is very firm build and the metal body is very good. My son dropped camera from about 3 feet height ¨C but camera is still in a perfect condition.

Reviewed by: ser_lorenz from OH on Mar 31, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 12 Days

Strengths: Large LCD, AA batteries, fast performance, nice and compact camera, good photo quality, some manual controls

Weaknesses: Relatively low LCD resolution, a wider angle lenses would be better

Summary: This camera is the upgrade of the DSC-W1, which received very good reviews for photo quality.
I actually bought the W1, but a few days later I saw the W5 and I decided to change, especially because of the longer battery life and the nicer 2.5" LCD screen, which has now a slightly lower resolution but seems sharper to my eyes.
The big display is a great plus on this camera, and two or three people can easily review the photos directly from the camera.

The camera body is entirely in metal, it feels solid and is very nice, in my opinion. It is small enough to go into almost any pocket - but it could be a bit thinner.
Despite the compactness, I feel very comfortable to use the camera. It's easy to shoot with one hand, even if the camera seems a bit too heavy in this case.

The photo quality is quite good, with appropriate colors, sharpness and noise levels. This is my first digital camera and I don't have much experience, but the W1 had a very good photo quality, according to the experts reviews, and from my shots the W5 seems to have the same quality (I would be surprised if it was different!)
The lenses are equivalent to 38-114 mm: this means that the wide-angle position is not so wide, and sometimes you cut something off your photo, especially when you shoot landscapes or buildings.

The auto-focus time, shutter lag and shoot-to-shoot speed are excellent, this is one of the fastest cameras I tried at the shop.

There is a complete set of manual controls (focus, white balance, shutter speed, exposure, aperture). For each of these, however, you can choose only among a set of 3-4 predefined values, but I think this is not a great limitation for beginners like me, and can add a lot of fun with respect to a pure point-and-shoot camera.

The battery life is excellent, and the use of AA batteries ensures that you will never remain without power.

In conclusion, I chose the W5 because it seems to be a very good mix of photo quality, speed, usability, nice LCD, and compact size, being above average in each of these aspects. For each of them you can find a better camera, but I couldn't find another camera as well-balanced as this one.

Reviewed by: aishi1224 from NY on Mar 19, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 6 Days

Strengths: Longer battery life, internal memory (32MB), 2.5 inch LCD screen, comfortable in hand, simple to use.

Weaknesses: Could use faster shutter speeds in auto mode once in a while.

Summary: (Edited March 21st by aishi1224) Although I own Sony DSC-P100, I wanted to try the new technology so I bought DSC-W5. In comparison, I took a same picture with both cameras. Picture quality for the DSC-W5 was so much better. You can't go wrong with this one.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W5 is a compact and durable camera that's loaded with powerful features such as a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens and a 5-megapixel imager. The W5 has very large 2.5 inch LCD screen and is very easy and simple to use in the Auto or Program AE exposure modes. Bottom line: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W5 is an all around great camera.

It makes a perfect choice for those wanting a compact, durable, and easy to use digital camera. The 5-megapixel images it yields plenty of resolution to make photo-quality 8x10-inch prints.

DSC-W5 is upgraded version of W1, and now with 32MB internal flash memory. So, if you forget to bring along your Memory Stick media card or it runs out of capacity, you can still take pictures. At retail of $349.95, which is similar to W1's price, it's better to get the W5, which now offers 32MB additional memory and longer battery life.

Note: A portion of the available storage capacity is used for data management functions. Actual available memory is 30MB.

Reviewed by: hewens from CA on Apr 1, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: large LCD screen; AA batteries; smaller dimension

Weaknesses: a little heavy; a little delayed displaying on LCD when taking pictures

Summary: Before I bought this camera, I have owned Sony-W1. I feel W1 is quite suitable for me to use it. So this time I tried to buy another one for my friend. Because there is a new type Sony W5, I bought this camera this time. The dimension is almost same with W1 but the position of some interface is changed. It also contains a large LCD screen and uses AA batteries(this is very useful because I can buy them anywhere when my batteries are exhausted.) and has smaller dimension for easy carrying.
The disadvantages are: First, it is a little heavy compared with sony P series which uses Li-ion batteries; Second, it is a little more delayed displaying on LCD than W1 when it is set as "camera" mode, but it is Ok when it is set as "film" mode. Anyway, the quality of the pictures and films is the same as W1.

Reviewed by: hmujeeb from MA on Apr 19, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 15 Days

Strengths: Large screen makes it easy to use. Easy controls. Excellent picture quality.

Weaknesses: None.

Summary: Loved the new Sony W-5.
I have used Sony P100 in the past. This one has a bigger screen.
Havn't used a lot of complicated features yet. But overall, I would
highly recommend this camera.

Reviewed by: quyvinh from CA on Apr 14, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 30 Days

Strengths: Small size, but large lcd display, sharp german Carl Zeiss lense. Fast "ready" cycle.

Weaknesses: Weak Flash. The camera came with no case for the camera, no lcd protector.

Summary: I just started to use this camera. I previously had a Canon S50 and I noticed this camera has a much bigger lcd display. It is also lighter than the Canon.

Reviewed by: joanxpe from NY on May 9, 2005
Rating:

Experience: 7 Days

Strengths: Large LCD screen Auto focus does it all! 32MB built in memory for those forgetting to insert memory stick

Weaknesses: An extra set of rechareable batteries must always be on hand. A little bulky.

Summary: The picture quality is excellent with very little effort. There is easy access to seeing your photos on the computer. Also easy to print and share. I am very happy with this point and shoot camera, especially when shooting young children.