Overview
The Sony DSC W55 is one of the cheaper pocket sized digital cameras. It has seven megapixels and a three times optical zoom lens. One feature the DSC W55 has that you do not find very often is a viewfinder. This can be a big help in bright sunshine. Otherwise this is a pretty straightforward and easy to use digital camera.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
7
3x
2.5 inches
90 x 57 x 23mm
116g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
20cm
No
No
Lithium ion rechargeable
Memory Stick Duo
Image Quality
On the whole I thought the DSC W55 performed well for one of the less expensive, pocket sized digital cameras. There were no serious concerns with the test photos although as ever there were one or two areas where the camera could have stepped up a notch.
The first outdoor test shot is the best of the three scenic shots. This is not surprising as it doesn't push the camera quite as far as the second and third photos. In the first shot the sharpness levels are good. The glare of the sun is handled well and apart from one or two darker areas under the trees contrast is handled well.
For the second shot zoom is not used and the lens is at its widest angle. Focusing compares well with other similar cameras although it does get softer as you reach the edges. Darker areas also creep into the corners.
With the zoom fully extended for the third test shot the camera finds focusing harder and this photo is the weakest of the three.
As you can see from the dedicated test for colours Sony digital cameras are capable of producing strong colours. Blues in particular are stronger than those produced by cameras made by most other brands. This can add life to your photos, but some people may prefer the colours to be toned down a little.
Both of the portrait shots are good. Both shots could have been a shade sharper and I also would have liked to have seen the skin tones highlighted more in the outdoor shot.
When I reviewed the similar DSC W35 the indoor portrait struggled for focus. In my review I suggested stepping in closer might alleviate the problem. I have tried that successfully here. The problem is that this increases the power of flash as it hits the eye and creates a fairly heavy red eye problem.
The other indoor test shot in extreme lowlight proves that if you can get in close enough the DSC W55 is able to focus in just about any conditions.
In most respects the macro shot is good. It is a sharp photo and it is also bright. The problem is that the DSC W55 creates a blue colour caste. This is something I see now and again with cameras and it is a reaction to the artificial lights. Although theoretically you should be able to avoid the problem by changing white balance settings this is not always the case. It should not be an issue with outdoor natural shots where you are using natural lighting.
As with the majority of digital cameras the noise problems at higher ISO settings are apparent with the DSC W55. The main reason for using higher ISO levels is in lowlight where flash is not permitted or you are out of the range of the flash unit. Therefore if you are not planning to take this type of photo very often it should not be a problem. At ISO 400 noise is already visible in photos. At ISO 1000 picture quality is really suffering.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take a single photo in 0.29 seconds and five in 6.17 seconds. With the flash time increased slightly to 0.43 seconds for a single photo and 8.85 seconds for five photos. These are good times and the camera offers a faster response than many of its rivals.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 38 - 114mm in 35mm format. The maximum lens aperture is f/2.8 - 5.2. There is a smart zoom feature. This increases the capacity of the zoom lens when you shoot at lower resolutions. 6x digital zoom is also available.
For close up photography the camera can focus from 2cm away from the subject. There are three methods of focusing you can choose between: single, monitoring and continuous. The focusing area can be set to multi point, centre weighted, spot or flexible spot.
A small selection of built in scene modes are available. Whenever you select a scene mode the camera knows the type of photo you are about to take and uses what it considers to be the optimum settings. The scene modes are: Twilight, Twilight portrait, Soft snap, Landscape, Beach, Snow and High Sensitivity.
The built in flash unit works up to 3.9m when the zoom is not being used. With zoom the maximum distance falls to 2m. The flash modes available are Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Syncro and No Flash. Red eye reduction can be turned on and off through the setup menu.
This is one of the few pocket sized cameras with an optical viewfinder. There is also a 2.5" LCD screen. This is made up of 115,000 pixels.
There are two special resolutions available to you. The first allows you to take photos that do not need to be trimmed at all to fit onto 6 x 4" paper for printing. The second allows you to take photos that fit onto a widescreen television for display purposes.
Shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera and work in the range 1 to 1/2000 seconds. Controls you do have access to include exposure compensation (+/- 2.0EV, 1/ 3 EV step), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash), metering (Multi Pattern, Centre weighted, Spot) and ISO (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000). You can also adjust levels of sharpness, saturation and contrast. There is also a burst mode where you can take up to four shots at a maximum rate of 0.9 shots per second.
The movie mode shoots video clips at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and at a top speed of 30 frames per second. Sound can be captured, but zoom can only be applied before you start recording the movie. The duration of each clip is only limited by the capacity of the memory card.
All the necessary cables and software to connect the camera to a PC, television and compatible printer are included in the box.
You can also buy lens converters for the DSC W55. Converters can be bought to increase the zoom capabilities or increase the wide angle capacity of the lens.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use you are likely to find the DSC W55 straightforward. There are a few buttons and dials on the back of the camera that you will need to get to know, but they all have an easily recognisable purpose. The menu system is also easy to find your way around.
Cost
The Sony DSC W55 is available online for around £130. Other similar models are the Panasonic DMC FX3 (£135), Olympus FE-230 (£120) and the Pentax Optio S7 (£110). Although you can buy cheaper, as you can see, the DSC W55 still offers good value in my opinion.
Style
In terms of looks the DSC W55 is a fairly standard camera. It is a typical shiny, silver rectangle with a brushed aluminium front. With dimensions of 88.9 x 57.1 x 22.9 it will fit into a pocket. It is comparatively lightweight weighing 116g.
Batteries
Power is supplied by a lithium ion battery. Both the battery and a charger are supplied with the camera. Sony estimates you should be able to take around 380 shots between charges.
Memory Cards
Photos and movies can either be stored internally on the 56mb of memory built into the camera or on memory stick duo or memory stick pro cards. I was able to take 19 shots before the internal memory was full.
Click here to save money on Memory Stick Duo.
Points I like:
Value for money
Add conversion lenses
Viewfinder
Overall picture quality
Large internal memory
Where it is not so hot:
Redeye in indoor portrait
Summary
The Sony DSC W55 is one of the less expensive, pocket sized digital cameras. It has a lot of good things going for it and if you want a digital camera that offers all the usual features and good value for money as well then this is certainly an attractive option.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Sony DSC W55 Review Sony DSC W55 Specification Sony DSC W55 Sample Images
Review Date
April 2007
