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.
Picture Quality / Size Options (7.0)
The Sony W30 captures JPEG images in either Fine or Standard compression. The compression can be chosen from the recording menu, but the image sizes themselves must be selected from the designated button at the bottom of the camera (it doubles as a delete button in the playback mode). The following sizes appear: 16:9, VGA, 2M, 3M, 3:2, and 6M. This menu shows that there is a variety of shooting formats – 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. With the latter, users can flaunt their photos on the widescreen. The 3:2 mode captures pictures perfectly cropped for 4 x 6-inch prints and the remaining image sizes are captured in standard 4:3.
