Digital Trends

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 June 30th, 2008 | by David Elrich

Performance and Use

It wasn’t too long ago I marveled at the fact image resolution hit 4000 x 3000 pixels (12MP)—which is now pretty common. With its 13.6-megapixel sensor, the –W300 captures 4224 x 3168 pixels. And point-and-shoots won’t stop here since we’ve learned 14+MP digicams will arrive in the Fall. In case you’re wondering what you can possibly do with all these pixels think 13x19 prints and the ability to really crop your images and still get a good-sized print. Now if mega-prints mean nothing to you and the only crop you care about is corn, the –W300 may be over-the-top. Yet for only $349 USD we’re not talking about asking former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo for a deal on a loan like some U.S. Senators we’re seeing in the news. Simply put—it’s pretty affordable.

I set the camera at highest resolution with digital zoom defeated, in single-shot mode, with grid lines showing on the LCD and in Auto then shot scenes in Manhattan and the suburbs. I also set the optical image stabilization to kick in when the shutter was pressed halfway rather than continuous. When you’re in Auto this camera—and many other 2008’s—will determine what type of picture you’re taking then move into that particular scene mode. It’s fun watching the icons change as you move the camera. For the most part, this camera “guessed” well. It also handled smiley faces in great style.

The camera has a nine-point auto focus system so it grabs focus quickly and accurately. It doesn’t have the more advanced cross-type AF sensors found on D-SLRs but it’s really not in the same league. For what it is, the digicam works well. Another big plus is the fact the – W300 works very quickly. It has the advanced BIONZ processor so it doesn’t take long to save the 13.6MP images to the card. Surprisingly it has an almost 2 fps burst speed and the camera hardly stopped for a breather as I shot joggers in Manhattan. This level of processing really separates the good cameras from the bad and the Sony is definitely in the good camp. 

Image Courtesy of Sony

I moved from Auto and Easy then on to the other options—especially Hi ISO because the weak link in the vast majority of point-and-shoots is digital noise at higher ISOs (400 and above). Unfortunately, the – W300 has this problem as well and I wouldn’t go beyond 400. 

Even though this an aim-and-forget forget, Sony offers loads of tweaks if you decide to move the mode dial from Auto. You can bracket your shots, adjust seven levels of white balance and the flash output. The DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) can also be adjusted since this helps bring out details in shadows. Noise reduction can also be tweaked (I kept in standard for the most part), plus saturation, contrast and sharpness can be adjusted as well. You can also add color filters and change the overall tone of the image. While all well and good—along with the aperture and shutter options—I strongly doubt buyers will use them. And why should the casual photographer even care? The camera has to just work well in Auto and Easy - and it does.

After taking several hundred images it was time to make prints and play them back on my HDTV using the optional component-in cable. For the most part I was happy with the prints (8.5x11s). Colors were nicely saturated and lifelike. An American flag decal on a NYC bus really popped off the paper. I shot a terrific church mosaic and could see some excellent detail on the small tiles. The camera handled smiles very well too as flesh tones were properly exposed without the flash wiping out the color. Where the camera had difficulties was indoors without the flash as noise appeared at 400 ISO.

The photos looked very good on a 50-inch plasma. Sony has a very cool built-in slideshow with its own fades, special effects and music. It’s a great way to re-live your memories without creating your own slideshow.

Conclusion

As a go-everywhere point-and-shoot digicam, I have no problems recommending the DSC-W300. You get plenty of pixels, very fast response, optical image stabilization and quick focusing in good light. When shooting in available light without the flash, there’s a bit of a lag saving files to the card but nothing too terrible. The LCD screen works well but has problems with direct sunlight; fortunately the viewfinder saves the day in those instances. Now let’s answer that question posed earlier—is this camera total overkill? Sure but don’t you want 13.6 megapixels instead a cheaper one with “only” 8? I do…


Pros:

• Takes great daylight shots
• Handles smiling faces with aplomb
• Fast focusing and response time

Cons:

• Digital noise at ISO 400 and above
• LCD wipes out in direct sunshine
• Would prefer a wider zoom range