Sony Cyber-shot W30 and W50 First Impressions Review

Likes

- Nicely priced - Small, lightweight design is good for travel - Great ISO range for cameras in their class - Nice to have optical viewfinders - Text by icons in menus is helpful - Great battery life

Dislikes

- Unoriginal design - Polycarbonate construction feels too much like plastic. - New Clear RAW technology has misleading name - Resolution on LCDs is too low - Very few custom presets

Conclusion
There’s no two ways around it – these cameras were made to look like higher-priced models, but once you pick them up and play with them, you’ll definitely notice that they’re on the lower end. But that could be fine. If you’re looking for a classy, upscale slim camera that’s made entirely of metal, you’ll want to look elsewhere. However, if you want something that is small, light and has a pretty decent sensor and some good features for an affordable price, the new W30 and W50 might be right for you. They’re definitely not going to bowl anyone over with their looks (which are pretty conventional) or the construction (which feels like it’s made mostly of plastic), but they will give you adequate functionality and take decent snapshots without giving your bank account too much of a hit in the process. Wait for our full testing, however, to see if this value equation is accurate.