Manual Control Options
Manual control enthusiasts may find the terse list of full manual control options to be too limiting. Manual control options that can be fully controlled by the user are metering, ISO and exposure. All three of these manual controls are listed within the shooting menu system. Other controls included require the user to rely on preset options. These not-so-manual options are focus and white balance. And finally, the DSC-W35 provides absolutely no manual or preset control over shutter speed or aperture, but this should come as no real surprise considering the price, the camera‘s point-and-shoot audience, and the simplicity of the camera’s design.
Focus
Auto Focus (6.5)
There are a couple of different auto focus options for the photographer shooting with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35. Within the shooting menu, the user can switch between multi and center AF. The multi-AF option allows for five areas laid out in a centrally placed “t,” to be chosen automatically by the camera when the shutter is partially depressed. These five areas are clumped in the center of the frame, and while it does cover more frame area than the spot mode and will allow for focusing on more complex subjects, the five-area multi-AF still leaves much of the frame unconsidered. Users will not be able to adjust the AF areas of the multi-mode, and the only way to re-adjust the focus is through re-pressing the shutter partially and hoping that the camera registers a new focal pattern. Both options responded quickly, and the AF illuminator reacted properly when encountering low-lit subjects.
Manual Focus (1.0)
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 provides marginal manual focus control - most point-and-shoot cameras include some level of manual focal control. The manual focus option is listed within the shooting menu in the Focus sub-menu and allows users to select between settings of 0.5 m, 1.0 m, 3.0 m, 7.0 m and infinity. While a live view display is shown as settings are selected, the user will find these general parameters hardly sufficient if true control over focus is necessary. These settings, while helpful in basic shooting setups, fall short of the mark when used in more complex scenes. Additionally, the placement of manual focus settings within the menu system will mean that any time the subject distance or camera angle changes, the photographer will be required to enter the menu system to make the proper adjustments. This setup is neither intuitive nor quick. The DSC-W35’s manual focus feature should be used sparingly - if at all.
Metering (7.0)
The metering settings for the Sony W35 are housed within the shooting menu. The metering parameters for this digital camera allow the user to switch between multi, center, and spot. These three metering modes enable users to adjust from the more general multi-metering setting to either the spot or center metering modes when complicated lighting situations with multiple sources or backlit subjects are encountered. The camera reacted quickly and accurately when both spot and center metering modes were used. These metering options should be more than adequate for both the beginner and the advanced point-and-shoot photographer.
Exposure (7.0)
Exposure compensation is included on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35. The exposure control is located on the back of the camera body. The feature is controlled by the left arrow of the four-way control interface, and the exposure compensation graphic display can only be entered when the camera is in a shooting mode and the menu systems are closed. When activated, the exposure compensation display will appear as a vertical semi-transparent scale that runs along the left side of the LCD screen. The exposure compensation scale for the DSC_W35 is the standard +/- 2 EV with 1/3 EV step adjustments being made by pressing the up and down arrows of the four-way control. Numerical markers are present for EV settings of –2, -1, 0, 1 and 2 EV.
White Balance (5.0)
Manual control over white balance is not fully possible when shooting with this camera, but a handful of preset white balance modes can be engaged in all modes except auto. The white balance settings vary depending on mode with the biggest selection of options available in the program mode. One of the great benefits of shooting with a camera like the DSC-W35 is the live view display that remains when the menu system is opened. This means that as users switch between white balance presets, manual, and auto settings, the immediate results of these adjustments become apparent on the LCD. This provides hesitant point-and-shoot users with a handy visual reference. The white balance settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 are listed within the shooting menu and allow the user to switch between auto and daylight, cloudy, fluorescent, incandescent and flash. While these settings are helpful in general situations, the likelihood that these presets are going to work successfully 100 percent of the time is slim to none.
ISO (7.75)
ISO settings can be controlled when shooting in the program mode. In addition to the more manually replete program mode, the camera also has a High Sensitivity shooting mode. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this mode actually allows for manual control over ISO. Instead, the High Sensitivity shooting mode allows the camera to broaden the automatic ISO range to higher levels in order to bypass the in-camera flash. This will of course mean higher levels of noise and decreased dynamic range, but it will also result in less blown-out images caused by close-range, aggressive flash. The ISO settings for the DSC-W35 include an auto setting and manual settings of ISO100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000. The ISO settings for the DSC-W35 are located within the shooting menu of the program mode.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 only allows the user to shoot still images with automatic shutter speeds. The automatic shutter speed is a snappy 1/8th to 1/2000th of a second that won’t be able to handle lower light situations in comparison to cameras like the Kodak EasyShare C743 that has a slow shutter speed of four seconds.
Aperture (0.0)
Not surprisingly, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 provides absolutely no control over aperture. The maximum aperture for the Sony DSC-W35 is f/2.8 in wide and f/5.2 in telephoto.
