Viewfinder (4.0)
Simply put, the world seen through the optical viewfinder is way off compared to the world seen through the LCD. When you frame the word Cyber-shot in the viewfinder, on the LCD screen you see “Cyber-shot” and a bunch of space — enough for about four more letters — to the right of the word. So when your subject is perfectly framed in the viewfinder, it is really on the left side of the LCD screen — and the final printed picture. Sony’s W series is certainly better known for its wide LCD screens, not for its optical viewfinders. The LCD screen is recommended for framing shots, but in case of a low-battery emergency where you’re left totally desperate, the optical viewfinder is there.

LCD Screen (7.5)
Sony expects the W7’s large 2.5-inch LCD screen to attract a wide audience. They have reason to believe that too; after all, the success of the W1 is what spurred the expansion to an entire series of “wide screen” digital cameras. Although, the lone drawback to the massive display is the meager 115,000 pixels included to form displayed images. The screen performs fairly well when turned at an angle; only at extreme angles is it really difficult to see. When in tough lighting, users can enter the setup menu and brighten or darken the LCD’s backlight in three steps. Since the optical viewfinder is so inaccurate, prepare to have the LCD screen powered up much of the time — so pack a few extra batteries.

Flash (7.0)
Sitting directly above the Carl Zeiss lens, the built-in flash has a pretty powerful punch. It can reach from 11.8 inches to 14.75 feet, which is slightly more than the average compact camera’s flash range. The Sony W7 has several flash modes: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Sync, Red-Eye Reduction On, and Red-Eye Reduction Off. The first four options in that list can be scrolled through (the icons, anyway) with the top button of the four-way navigational dial. The red-eye reduction setting can be turned on and off within the setup menu only. This is a bit of an inconvenience, as this option is buried in the menu within a menu (to enter the setup menu, you have to enter a shooting or playback menu). A Flash Level option controls the intensity of the flash; this can be found in the menu with + and — settings and will offer substantial control over the illumination. The flash works well in practice and evenly lights its subjects.

Zoom Lens (7.0)
One of the best deals Sony ever made was partnering with Carl Zeiss to pair their high-caliber glass with Sony digital electronics. Carl Zeiss is known for high-quality low-distortion lenses; the one fixed to the Cyber-shot W7 reaches from 7.9-23.7mm (equivalent to 38-114mm in 35mm format). This 3x optical zoom lens is constructed of 7 elements (3 of them are aspheric) in 5 groups. The lens makes a tiny mechanical noise that is somewhat high-pitched when focusing. It’s not as obnoxious as some zoom lens noises that I’ve heard, but is still audible and may bother some users or nearby small dogs. When turning the camera on or off, the lens extends or retracts and makes a brief noise similar to a small drill. In case this lens does not reach far enough for you, there is an extra 2x digital zoom. There are two digital zoom options available in the setup menu: Smart and Precision. The Smart zoom aims for little to no distortion, but cannot be used in the 7 megapixel image size. The Precision zoom deteriorates image quality the more it is used.

A better option would be to utilize the camera’s compatibility with conversion lenses; however, like the movie mode, this requires users to purchase something additional, in this case a $30 adaptor ring plus the accessory lens. The W7 has a filter diameter of 30mm and is compatible with several wide and telephoto conversion lenses; there are at least three extra lenses available on the Sony web store. There are also polarizing filters and such available for the engaged user.