Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U50

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The 2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-U50 is Sony's latest member of the fun-oriented U-series. Staying true to the lineage's repute, this little shooter screams for attention with its unconventional yet sleek design. This pocketable unit has its sights set on the fashionable crowd with a well-constructed body made available in a choice of popular colors such as sexy black, stylish silver, and even a funky shade of orange.

Click for more images of the Cyber-shot DSC-U50

Not Just A Pretty Face
The appealing exterior isn't the only thing generating a buzz. The DSC-U50 has other strong features, too. Most notably, this is the first camera from Sony's camp to come with support for PictBridge--which makes sense since this technology will typically benefit the less tech-savvy point-and-shoot users the most. PictBridge is an open industry standard for direct printing between PictBridge-compatible cameras and printers of any brand.

Besides being the first Sony camera to be PictBridge-compatible, the DSC-U50 also represents the Japanese firm's maiden voyage into the realms of the smaller-sized Memory Stick Duo. Announced earlier this year, the new Memory Stick Duo is one-third the size of the original and offers speeds of up to 160Mbps.

Despite the small size, the DSC-U50 arrives with a swiveling lens design, giving the manufacturer's U series a rather refreshing twist. Like the Nikon Coolpix SQ, the lens on the DSC-U50 is able to rotate slightly more than 180 degrees (from front to back). But through a more practical design, this Sony does not suffer from the annoying design flaw found on the Nikon--the flash unit covering the LCD display. As such, it allows for better versatility and flexibility in the composing of shots. Not so generous, though, is the size of the LCD display. At 1-inch, the display can be very hard to work with, making it particularly unfriendly towards people with failing eyesight.

Perky Performance, Clumsy Handling
Unlike the cameras we've been reviewing at CNETAsia, this Cyber-shot does not offer much means for creative freedom--there isn't even plain old EV (Exposure Value) compensation available. However, the DSC-U50 does provide various scene modes to accommodate some of the more common shooting scenarios, as well as several preset white balance settings. All these are accessible through the navigational controls that reside on the top of the unit. The buttons, though, are packed much too closely. Piloting the menus can get pretty frustrating when you've big fingers and are in a bit of a hurry.

On the upside, the user interface is intuitive and well-labeled, giving rise to a gentle learning curve. The uncomplicated individuals will find this immensely liberating. In addition, though the controls are crammed together tightly, they operate crisply and provide good tactile feel, alleviating the annoyance somewhat.

While we would have appreciated optical zoom on the DSC-U50, having a fixed focus lens does have its pluses. For instance, the start-up time is incredibly quick, running up just 1 second of your time. You'll also wait a relatively short 2 seconds between shots. So while you may find yourself moving up and down the room to fit everyone in for large group shots, you can rest easy knowing you probably won't ever miss a candid moment.

Middling Image Quality
As with the U60, the DSC-U50 delivered usable photos that were mediocre for the 2-megapixel category. While the images were a little soft for our liking, the colors captured were decent and metering was generally good, giving good exposures for most of our photos. While the 2-megapixel rating typically allows you to print up to 8R size, you shouldn't expect anything more than 4R. When enlarged, we noticed more noise and artifacts that'll mar your bigger prints.

All In All...
This fashionable zippy performer isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. The entry-level 2-megapixel CCD sensor will already render the DSC-U50 unappealing to most of the more sophisticated crowd. It will, however, remain an attractive proposition for the less tech-savvy consumers who want a shooter that's easy to use, and above all else, ultraportable. The appealing cosmetics should also bode well with users in this camp.