Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50

Performance
Since the W50's lens, sensor, body design, and imaging processor are identical to those of the W30, image quality and performance will follow suit. That model delivers pleasing performance, though it lags behind in burst mode. After a quick 1.6-second start-up, you'll get a shot-to-shot time of 1.4 seconds with shutter lag ranging from a very quick 0.25 second in bright situations to a sluggish 1.7 seconds in dim light.

The onboard flash recycles every 1.6 seconds for a relatively quick shot speed in low light despite the shutter lag. Unfortunately, burst mode is limited to 3 full-resolution shots at about 2.1fps; if you drop to VGA resolution, the number of frames goes up but only at a mediocre 1.5fps.

Image Quality
As we said about the W30, the photos have decent exposure and dynamic range, without the blown-out highlights produced by many cameras in this class. Colors are accurate but slightly oversaturated, especially the reds and oranges. Noise is the biggest issue with these models: While barely visible at ISO 80, smearing from the noise-reduction algorithm becomes evident at ISO 200 and starts to develop severe color shifts at ISO 400 and beyond. It's better than nothing if you can't use the flash, however.

The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W50 is a decent ultracompact digital camera that makes up for its lack of controls with its solid performance and image quality. Its high sensitivity can give you passable low-light shots if you can get past the noise, and its compact form makes it an easily pocketable piece of tech.

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