Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W350 Review

The good: Simple to operate; reliable auto shooting; 26mm-equivalent wide-angle lens; decent high ISO results.
The bad: Generally soft and somewhat noisy photos at full size.
The bottom line: A sweet little wide-angle compact, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 should make a lot of snapshooters happy
The point-and-shoot competition at and around $200 is fierce. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 brings a small, solid package at that price with a nice 26mm-equivalent wide-angle f2.7 lens, a 4x zoom with optical image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD, and an HD movie mode. Plus, it's small and attractive and has reliable options ideal for snapshooters. Shooting performance is mixed, but good where it counts, and photo quality is very good if you're able to grasp the limitations of a 14-megapixel compact camera; if you can overlook some noise and softened details, photos are even usable at ISO 800 and 1,600. However, those expecting more than a very good snapshot experience at this price should keep shopping.
Price (MSRP) $199.99
Dimensions (WHD) 3.6 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches
Weight (with battery and media) 4 ounces
Megapixels, image sensor size, type 14 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch CCD
LCD size, resolution/viewfinder 2.7-inch LCD, 230K dots/None
Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length) 4x, f2.7-4.7, 26-105mm (35mm equivalent)
File format (still/video) JPEG/MPEG-4 (.MP4)
Highest resolution size (still/video) 4,320x3,240 pixels/ 1,280x720 at 30fps
Image stabilization type Optical and digital
Battery type, CIPA rated life Lithium ion rechargeable, 240 shots
Battery charged in camera No, external charger supplied
Storage media Memory Stick Pro Duo, SD, SDHC
Bundled software Picture Motion Browser 5.0 (Windows), PMB Portable 1.1 (Windows, Mac)
The W350 is available in silver, black, blue, and pink versions; its body is lightweight and compact enough to squeeze in most pants pockets or handbags. The front is metal with micro concentric ridges adding a slight texture that improves grip. Those who have hesitated to purchase Sony cameras because of the reliance on Memory Stick media will be pleased that the 2010 Cyber-shots accept SD and SDHC cards. The slot and battery compartment are protected by a lockable door, which you'll have to open regularly to remove the battery for charging. Though internal memory is limited, it does host a small piece of software for quickly uploading photos and movies to sharing sites when the camera is connected to a Windows or Mac computer.

Controls are straightforward. On top are the power and shutter release buttons. They're flush with the body and, though they're easily pressed, they'll require most users to look to locate them. The remaining controls are on back to the right of the reasonably bright, but not great LCD. A zoom rocker that some may find finicky sits above the thumbrest; on the right edge of the body sits a vertical slider for moving from shooting stills to panoramas to movies. Playback, Menu, Delete, and a circular directional pad handle all other tasks. In addition to navigating menus, the directional pad can change flash and timer functions, change display information, and activate smile detection. Sony's menu systems remain fairly logical and uncomplicated compared with its cameras prior to 2009's interface changes.

General shooting options Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350
ISO sensitivity (full resolution) Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200
White balance Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent white, Fluorescent natural white, Fluorescent day white, Incandescent, Flash, Underwater 1, 2, and Custom, Custom
Recording modes Easy, Intelligent Auto, Program, Sweep Panorama, Scene, Movie
Focus modes Multi AF, Center AF, Spot AF, Face Detection (Adult, Child)
Metering modes Multi, Center-weighted average, Spot
Color effects None
Burst mode shot limit (full resolution) Up to 100 photos