Auto Mode (7.0)
The DSC-W1 contains far more manual flexibility and control than most point-and-shoot cameras do, providing an opportunity for automatic shooters to grow should they desire to do so. However, automatic performance is a prerequisite for point-and-shoot cameras and, while the DSC-W1 does go a bit beyond, its automatic functioning remains above par. With automatic control of focus, exposure, and white balance, the W1 user can rest assured that, should they feel like turning their mind off and the camera on, their images will be taken care of. The only reservation I have lies in the DSC-W1’s ability to automatically control ISO settings, as often images taken in auto ISO mode appear noisy and distorted. Otherwise, automatic alterations on the W1 are registered instantaneously and accurately, making the W1 a proficient point-and-shoot camera that the automatic user can rely on.

Movie Mode (8.5)
The Cyber-shot DSC-W1 has video capture capabilities within its movie mode. At its highest quality, the W1 can record MPEG video at 640 x 480 pixels of resolution at 30 frames per second until the card is full. This frame rate is rapid enough to capture fluid motion. While most agree that video imagery from a digital camera cannot parallel a camcorder, the frame rate and resolution offered on the DSC-W1 is about as much as one could desire from a pocket point-and-shoot.

Drive / Burst Mode (6.5)
The DSC-W1 has two continuous shooting options. There is a burst mode as well as a multi-burst mode. When set on the highest quality, the DSC-W1 can take up to 9 consecutive shots at roughly 1.2 frames per second. In multi-burst mode, 16 shots can be taken successively at either 1/30, 1/15, or 1/7.5 sec. Multi-burst mode compiles the succession of images onto a single frame, allowing the viewer to perceive slight alterations from shot to shot.

Playback Mode (8.0)
The Cyber-shot DSC-W1 has an expansive playback mode that contains most viewing options sought in a point-and-shoot camera. Viewable on its enlarged 2.5” LCD monitor, the DSC-W1 can produce instant slide shows of captured images. It has a DPOF print option and it's PictBridge enabled so the user can print directly to compatible printers. Within the playback mode, the user can zoom in up to 5x on an image as well as move around the photo using the directional pad. There is a thumbnail mode offered in which the user can erase more than just the single selected image if desired. This is a nice feature that I wish more cameras would consider, as it becomes tedious to have to erase individual images when going to shoot. There is also an image protection feature available for the select images you don’t want carried off in the mass disposal. Within the playback mode, the DSC-W1 user has the ability to observe, alter, and erase images as desired.

Custom Image Presets (7.0)
Custom image presets have become essential in the point-and-shoot digital camera world. While some people will have their cameras for years without touching the preset options, they simplify shooting and reduce the user’s need to specify adjustments. The custom image presets are designed to orient the camera to various scenarios and settings based on a more generalized concept of the scene. For these presets, the camera will set the exposure and camera settings to optimize the parameters of the shot that will be required for that shooting situation.

The Sony DSC-W1 contains six custom image presets in total, each accessed from the mode dial on the top of the camera. Twilight mode, marked with a crescent moon icon, is designed to optimize the camera for shooting distant scenes at night. Often, manual control enthusiasts will adjust aperture, shutter, and ISO settings to maximize nighttime exposures. In the twilight mode, the W1 will make some of these adjustments for you, particularly slowing down the shutter speed. This will leave the shutter open for a longer duration, letting in more light but also increasing the chance of blurred motion when a tripod is not used. There is also a twilight portrait mode on the W1, labeled with a silhouette of person under a crescent moon. This mode functions in a similar manner to the general twilight mode; however, the twilight portrait mode is meant for closer, tighter-framed shots, while the general twilight mode is more for landscapes and broader shots. In twilight portrait mode, the camera will again slow the shutter speed so the subject will need to remain relatively still. It is meant to provide a clear exposure of the subject while maintaining the dark atmospheric backdrop. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 also contains a candle mode that functions similar to the twilight portrait setting in that it attempts to gain a proper exposure of the subject while preserving the atmosphere around them. The candle suggests a sort of sensitivity to light. It is described as being useful for parties and candlelit scenes to preserve the soft feel the candles create.

There are three additional modes present on the Sony DSC-W1. One is a landscape mode, marked with a mountain icon. This is primarily a focal setting, aligning the focus for distant objects. Additionally, there is a setting labeled with a palm tree and line, or beach view, on the mode dial. The object of the beach mode is to ensure proper coloration in the textures of the sea and waves when shooting the ocean or water. This mode deals primarily with white balance settings, attempting to get the correct blue and green tones. The final customized image preset offered on the Sony DSC-W1 is a soft snap mode, depicted on the mode dial with two people side-by-side; one is clear and outlined and the other is filled in all-black. The soft snap mode is a portrait mode of sorts, meant to increase saturation to certain tones (pinks and reds, sometimes orange) to soften the appearance of skin-tones in the image. This will make the subject’s skin warmer and more vibrant, smoothing out slight imperfections. Additionally, the soft snap mode will soften the focus around the subject. Much in the same way that telephoto (or closeup) shots are used in films, the subject will become the clear focal point in the frame while the background softens and drops out of focus. This helps to make the subject more pronounced as well as create a softer, more diffused feel in the image.

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