That Sony makes quality products is not a secret. Whenever Sony announces the release of a product, the world watches with curiosity and intent. Sony digital compact cameras are some of the world’s best selling cameras. One of their latest digital compact cameras is the Cyber-shot DSC-WX150, an 18-megapixel point-and-shoot camera that features BIONZ Image Processing Engine. The camera also features 10x Optical Zoom lens which is quite long for a camera of its size but offers better quality photos and a longer focal range. The camera is marketed as a small sized point-and-shoot with a longer zoom range. Here is a preview of the camera that had promised so much prior to its release and has delivered exactly that.

The design

By design, the Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 was supposed to be a small camera packed with features. This may mean compromising a few features from the earlier variants. One thing that surprised many is that key qualities of a camera like performance, photo quality, or functionality were not compromised in this camera which is a big plus point. However, what you won’t get with the camera is the manual functionality, which of course won’t be a cause of concern considering the calibre of the camera.

The 10x optical zoom lens that occupies most of the front face of the camera retracts inwards when the camera is switched off and zooms outwards when turned on or when controlled by the zoom buttons. The camera controls are very simplistic and easy to follow but will need some getting used to. Since the camera had to be reduced in size, most buttons are flattened and small in size making it hard for someone with flat fingers to control. The buttons are few, with most of them at the rear panel that also feature the 460k-dot resolution 3-inch display.

The mode dial that is present in most cameras is missing here and it has been replaced by  a toggle switch that allows you choose between Still, iSweep Panorama, and Movie modes. Then there is the menu button which when pressed the camera displays overlay of options on the screen and with the use of jog dial, you can select the option that you want. Other buttons like delete, movie and playback buttons are also placed on the rear panel.

Key features

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 has been hailed for its fast autofocus speed and minimal shutter lag. The camera takes just 1.3 seconds from off to taking a photo and has a shutter lag of around 0.2 seconds which is practically non existence. However, the lag can be ‘felt’ when using flash and can take up to 4.3 seconds from shot to shot.

The camera features a 10x zoom lens that covers a 25-250mm (35mm equivalent) range. This is a huge achievement for camera of this size and with it you can shoot a wide range of scenes starting from portraits to landscapes. With this lens and the powerful sensor that the camera possesses, you can take very clear and high quality photos even in low light. The camera produces photos with much reduced noise up to ISO 1600. Many cameras of even higher class tend to show more noise at ISO 800 but this is not the case with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 records 1080i60 video in AVCHD format but saves the recorded file in 30 frames per second. The videos are quite impressive and show true sharp colours. You can also take still photos as you record a video.

Verdict

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is one of the finest digital compact point-and-zoom cameras released this year. Its impressive 10x optical zoom and ability to take sharp and high quality photos with ease makes it a wonderful companion to have.The compact size makes it ideal to be taken anywhere with ease. The down part is its difficult to use tiny buttons and the fact that there is no battery charger made for this camera. However, for a price of Rs. 14,990, this camera is worth every penny and a good asset for a beginner.