Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Apr 27, 2006 - By Emily Raymond
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30 was introduced at the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show in February 2006. Marketed as an entry-level digital camera with its simplified modes and control systems, the W30 even has a function guide for users who are only now dipping their toes into digital photography. For a relatively low price, this point-and-shoot model offers basic features, such as a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens and a 2-inch LCD screen, as well as a few interesting settings like the High Sensitivity Mode. This mode offers an ISO 1000 setting so users can snap shots in low light; higher ISO settings on consumer digital cameras are becoming hot items this year. At $229, the thin Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W30 offers consumers a basic medium to snap digital photos on the fly.
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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.

The recording menu has the most options available in Program mode. In Auto mode, it’s limited to the burst mode options and setup.  The following menu is from the Program mode.

 

Color Mode
Black & White, Sepia, Natural, Rich, Normal
Focus
3.0m, 1.0m, 0.5m, Center AF, Multi AF
Metering Mode
Spot, Center, Multi
White Balance
Flash, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Daylight, Auto
ISO
1000, 800, 400, 200, 100, 80, Auto
Picture Quality
Fine, Standard
Recording Mode
Multi Burst, Burst, Normal
Flash Level
+, Normal, -
Contrast
+, Normal, -
Sharpness
+, Normal, -
Setup
(portal to other menu)
 
From the far right of the recording and playback menus, users can access the dreary grey-and-black setup menu. Four icons appear at the left side of the menu, their options to the right. The camera icon pulls up the following menu page.
 
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 icon brings up this menu.
 
Format
OK, Cancel
Create Rec Folder
OK, Cancel
Change Rec Folder
OK, Cancel
Copy
OK, Cancel
 
The Setup 1 icon has a camera shape with a line through it. When selected, it brings up the following short menu.  

 

Beep
Shutter, On, Off
Language
Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, English
Initialize
OK, Cancel
 
The Setup 2 menu is equally as exciting.
 
File Number
Series, Reset
USB Connect
PictBridge, PTP, Mass Storage, Auto
Video Out
NTSC, PAL
Clock Set
OK, Cancel
 
The nice thing about the recording and setup menus is that there is always a way out. When users select Cancel on an option, the camera takes them back a step instead of throwing them out of the menu system entirely. This is particularly useful for changing several settings at a time.
 
In the playback menu, scrolling on an icon doesn’t bring up its options; an icon has to be selected to see more. The following menu is from the playback mode.
 
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)
Components Page 5 of 12 Modes
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