Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Jan 01, 2004 - By Alex Burack
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Model Design / Appearance
The W100 is one of a few new releases in the W-series that show a fresh design. Sony W-series cameras before 2006 were chunky and not very sleek. They had bigger hand grips and thicker bodies. The W100’s design is a welcome change in many ways. Its flatter front face plate, as well as fewer chunks and protrusions in the overall body, makes the W100 more portable as well as more attractive.

A fishnet texture on the metal front faceplate adds a non-slip surface to the camera. This metal faceplate is available in black and silver, but the contoured plastic rear panel is always silver. The two panels are connected by a shiny chrome band that runs around all sides of the body.. Overall, the design of the W100 is better than previous W-series digital cameras and certainly gives it a more sleek and modern look.

Size / Portability
At 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.98 inches, this camera is about the size of a man’s palm. It weighs 5.9 oz when unloaded, which doesn’t sound like much but seems a little hefty when held. When the camera is loaded with its lithium-ion battery and Memory Stick Duo media, the W100 weighs 7 oz. This is quite a bit of weight to be wearing from the wrist. Its flat facades and retracting lens provide easy storage in a pocket or purse. The redesign allows more portability than previous W-series digital cameras, and the flat point-and-shoot design compliments the Sony Cyber-shot W100’s smallish size.

Handling Ability
There is always some give and take when it comes to digital cameras at different price points and different sizes. Because the Sony Cyber-shot W100 is so small, there isn’t much space to work with. This, paired with the flat design, makes the W100 more difficult to handle than previous W-series cameras. The zoom switch is much too small, the mode dial is placed too high and cramps the right hand, and the left fingers get in the way of the optical viewfinder frequently. There is no hand or finger grip on the front of the camera, but the front plate is textured. Even still, handling the W100 could be difficult with sweaty palms. Still, the W100 wasn’t built for long photo shoots in the studio. It was made to be carried around in a pocket and occasionally brought out for a shot in the zoo or a portrait with the grandparents.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Poor placement squanders what little space exists on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100.The control buttons and dials on this model aren’t made for large fingers, or even small ones in some cases. While the shutter release button is comfortable, the zoom switch that surrounds it is anything but: it protrudes from the front of the camera, close to the right edge, and only turns about 15 degrees to the right and left. Users will find their hands quite cramped, and the mode dial offers no relief. The dial is stiff and requires way too much effort to rotate, even though its exposed top side is textured like a traditional film camera’s mode dial.

Other controls, though far from ideal, aren’t as bad. The buttons on the back of the camera are small, but are far enough apart that users won’t accidentally make six selections at once. While the multi-selector is also on the small side, it is larger than the buttons. Overall, however, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100 is not made for comfort or serious menu or mode changes because of its small controls and uncomfortable placement.

Menu
Sony may have redesigned the outside of the W-series, but the menu system remains the same as that in other Cyber-shot digital cameras. Pushing the Menu button brings up a
a dark gray keyboard-type band across the bottom of the LCD screen. Six options manifest themselves as icons across the band, with blue arrows showing which way to scroll for more options. When users scroll over an icon, a lighter gray box with the text title of the option and the accompanying choices pops up above the band. A yellow box surrounds the selected choice, and a yellow check mark tags to the left side just to make sure users know which option is currently activated. The menu options vary from mode to mode, but the most options are available in the manual mode. The following is the recording menu from the manual mode.

Color Mode
Normal, Vivid, Natural, Sepia, Black & White
Focus
Multi AF, Center AF, 0.5m, 1.0m, 3.0m, 7.0m, infinity
Metering Mode
Multi, Center, Spot
White Balance
Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash
ISO
Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250
Picture Quality
Standard, Fine
Recording Mode
Normal, Burst, Multi Burst
Interval (available only when Multi Burst selected)
1/30, 1/15, 1/7.5
Flash Compensation
+, Normal, -
Contrast
+, Normal, -
Sharpness
+, Normal, -
Setup
(portal to setup menu)

The menu is an overlay to the live view, so users can see most of the changes in real time. Color Mode, White Balance, ISO, Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness options can be seen with the live view. Pressing the Menu button is the only way to exit: the W100 doesn’t automatically leave menus after a single selection like some compact digital cameras. This is helpful, as it keeps users who have a long list of changes from entering and re-entering the menu over and over and over again.

A wide variety of choices in the setup menu fit nicely into four different folders. Entering the setup menu causes the screen’s background to go black and the choices to appear on a gray box. Four folders appear on the left side of the screen, the selected folder appearing with a yellow background and its text title at the top of the screen. The first folder is the Camera folder and contains the following options.

AF Mode
Single, Monitor
Digital Zoom
Smart, Precision, Off
Function Guide
On, Off
Red-eye Reduction
On, Off
AF Illuminator
Auto, Off
Auto Review
On, Off

The Memory Stick Tool menu is next, and shows these options.

Format
OK, Cancel
Create Recording Folder
OK, Cancel
Change Recording Folder
OK, Cancel
Copy
OK, Cancel

The Setup 1 menu has a briefcase icon with a “1” next to it. These are the choices.

LCD Backlight
Bright, Normal
Beep
Shutter, On, Off
Language
Italian, French, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English
Initialize (this returns the camera to its factory default settings)
OK, Cancel

The Setup 2 menu garners these options.

File Number
Series, Reset
USB Connect
Auto, Mass Storage, PTP, PictBridge
Video Out
NTSC, PAL
Clock Set
OK, Cancel

Not only is the folder system a neat method of organization which makes it simpler to find options, it allows users to see all the options on a single screen. .
The playback menu is also accessed via the Menu button, and offers the following options.

Folder
OK, Cancel
Protect
Protect, Exit
DPOF
DPOF, Exit
Print
All in this Folder, DPOF Image, Select, This Image, Cancel
Slide
Interval (3 sec-1 min), Repeat (On, Off), Image (Folder, All), Cancel, Start
Resize
OK, Cancel
Rotate
OK, Cancel
Divide
OK, Cancel
Setup
(portal to setup menu)

A designated on-camera button, rather than a menu option, deletes pictures.
All of the choices in the playback menu allow a way to opt out and go back to the main menu, which is nice. With the Sony menu interface, users won’t be constantly falling in and out of the menu system. Text titles and even a few live views explain all of the icons, making Sony’s menus some of the bests on the digital camera market.

Ease of Use
This Sony aims for ease of use because of its point-and-shooter audience, and, in some ways, it hits the mark. A function guide explains the different modes on the mode dial and even elaborates on the different resolution choices in the image size menu. It informs users how large each resolution can print and how many pictures are left on the card. When users get tired of the function guide, they can turn it off in the setup menu.

A tiny zoom switch and a cramped mode dial do make handling difficult, as does the absence of a hand grip. However, the W100, with its flat surfaces and trim profile, is easily portable. Overall, handling is poor, but the W100’s automatic modes, menu interface, and function guide all boost this digital camera to its easy to use status.

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