Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30

Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
The Sony W-series of point-and-shoot cameras aims at capturing both traditional elements and new technology. In that regard, the W30 does very well. With a flat front and a few chrome highlights, it resembles a swanky new digital camera and looks much trendier than it actually is. From the back, the merger of old and new is more apparent, with the traditional optical viewfinder having its place above the modern LCD screen. The aesthetic appearance of the Sony W30 is much improved over last year’s models, although the build quality is not nearly as strong.

Size / Portability (7.5)
With compact 3.5 x 2.32 x 0.91-inch measurements, the Sony W30 can almost compete with trendier ultra-slim cameras. Its tiny, mostly plastic body and lightweight design allow the W30 to be stashed in a pocket or purse and remain easily available for sudden action. The W30 weighs 4.5 oz without the card or battery, 6.8 oz when fully loaded.

Handling Ability (6.0)
The W30 was meant for occasional pointing and shooting rather than a continuous photo session. Its design, while attractive and portable, is not entirely comfortable. The camera’s almost completely flat body provides no right hand grip for support. A few subtle aids exist for the user, such as a shiny chrome finger grip on the front left side and bumps on the back to hold the camera in place. While these features are worth mentioning, the overall handling is still cramped.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.5)
As stated previously, the camera’s design is geared more toward portability than handling. The compact size of the camera leaves little room for control buttons, which are all crammed on the back, to the right of the LCD screen. Placing the mode dial a little higher would have been helpful; as it is, the dial’s placement and stiffness make it hard to turn and the tiny lines on its edges for gripping aren’t really effective. Three buttons on the camera’s back are all nearly flush with the housing and almost the same color, rendering them difficult to find when in need of a quick ISO setting change. Perhaps the best control is the multi-selector, which, while on the small side, does its job well.

Menu (6.5)
Sony didn’t redesign the menu system for the W30; it kept the old gray Cyber-shot menus intact. As in previous models, pressing the menu button brings up a flat gray icon at the bottom of the screen. Scrolling on the icon produces an option box above it and shows the function’s text title in a lighter gray color. For instance, when users scroll on the "WB" icon, the light gray box above it reads, "White Balance, while options on a darker gray box read, "Flash, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Daylight, Auto." Occasionally, a live view appears behind the icons, showing users the real-time effects of various 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

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

 

Beep	Shutter, On, Off
Language	Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, English
Initialize	OK, Cancel

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

Folder	OK, Cancel
Protect	Protect, Exit
DPOF	DPOF, Exit
Print	All In This Folder, DPOF Image, Select, This Image, Cancel
Slide Show	Interval (3 sec to 1 min), Repeat (On, Off), Image (Folder, All), Cancel, Start
Resize	6M, 3M, 2M, VGA, Cancel
Rotate	OK, Cancel
Divide	OK, Cancel
Setup	(portal to setup menu)