Sony Cyber-shot WX150 Digital Camera Review

Low Light Performance

The WX150 performs pretty well in low light. Left to its own devices, the camera tends to turn on one of its many multi-shot modes to reduce noise and expand the dynamic range. But even in single-shot modes, low-light quality is acceptable. Autofocus remains fast, and since the higher ISO settings are pretty usable on this camera, blurry shots from slow shutter speeds are only a problem in the dimmest settings.

Noise Reduction

The WX150 shows solid noise performance for an entry-level point-and-shoot. The noise-to-signal ratio starts at a barely there 0.71 percent at ISO 100 and stays under 1 percent until right above ISO 800. It maxes out at about 1.7 percent at ISO 3200, before diving back down to about 1 percent at ISO 6400 and ISO 12800—those top two settings both use multi-shot noise reduction to smooth out the image quality without sacrificing the extra sensitivity, so the figures are artificially low.

More on how we test noise.

ISO Options

The WX150 has a full-resolution ISO range from 100 up to 12800. The camera can be set to automatic ISO selection, or it can be adjusted manually in full stops. At ISOs 6400 and 12800, the WX150 automatically switches to a multi-shot noise-reduction processing mode.

Focus Performance

Video: Low Light Sensitivity

The WX150 crossed our threshold for low-light sensitivity at 33 lux, which is a typically unspectacular result for a point-and-shoot.