Out of the box, the DSC-W50 package includes the unit, battery charger, power cord, rechargeable battery with protective case, USB/AV cable for a multi-use terminal, wrist strap, CD-ROM Cybershot application software, a “read this first” manual, and a “user’s guide/troubleshooting” manual.

SONY CYBERSHOT DSC-W50

With dimensions of 89 x 57 x 23 millimeters and weighing 157 grams, the DSC-W50 has a large 2.5-inch 115K TFT LCD screen that allows the user easy shooting and sharing of his or her favorite pictures.  Add to that is the 32MB internal memory, and a Memory Stick DUO or Memory Stick DUO PRO media slot (which supports up to 2GB) for added storage; unfortunately, the stick itself is not included in the package.

I found out that even without a quick reading of the manual, the DSC-W50 is a user-friendly digital camera.  Its controls, simple on-screen functions, guide text/icon displays, and set-up, give the user greater creative freedom in adjusting the camera’s modes including color, sensitivity, brightness and image size.

The color mode feature of the DSC-W50 can be set at B&W (monochromatic picture effect), Sepia (classical style), Natural (for quiet colors), Rich (colors are brighter), and Normal modes.  Sony’s original Clear RAW NR (Noise Reduction) image processing technology helps suppress the color noise that can accompany high-sensitivity shooting.  I find these quite amazing, especially if I were to upload pictures from an on-line album and Friendster (assuming I had an on-line album or important pictures on Friendster).

I guess that some of the camera enthusiasts are aware of ISO sensitivity.  For starters, this is a unit of measurement that estimates how much light an image pickup device receives.  As for the DSC-W50, it has an ISO of up to 1000.  I tried to take pictures at different ISO levels, but I find it a bit of a hassle because at ISO 80 images tend to be darker, while at ISO 1000 the image is noisy.  I had to put it in Auto and let the camera automatically adjust and calibrate the ISO, and it didn’t disappoint.

The impressive feature of the DSC-W50 is that it can shoot images depending on the location and brightness of the area.  Sony was kind enough to include the lighting effects (white balance) in the camera flash.  It includes daylight (for beach outdoors, night scenes, neon signs, fireworks, sunrise, sunset), incandescent (during party balls and photography studios), fluorescent, cloudy, and auto.  And when I tested it in these selected conditions, the DSC-W50 certainly impressed me.

Another unique feature of the DSC-W50 is the Auto Focus (AF) and Digital Zoom feature.  Regarding the AF feature, the camera has two AF settings, namely, Single AF that automatically adjusts the camera’s focus when the shutter button is pressed and held halfway down, and Monitor AF wherein the camera automatically adjusts focus before the shutter button is pressed and held halfway down.  The Single AF is recommended for shooting stationary subjects, while Monitor AF shortens the time needed for focusing.  However, the drawback with the Monitor AF is that it consumes too much battery power.

As for the Digital Zoom features, the camera also has two settings, namely, Smart Zoom where the images are enlarged digitally with almost no distortion, and Precision Digital Zoom which enlarges all image sizes up to a maximum of 6x.  But there are shortcomings with these features.  The former cannot be used if the image size is set at 6MP, while the latter’s image quality tends to deteriorate.

The DSC-W50 can also record videos with sound.  The maximum video size is 640 x 480, and this can be set as Standard or Fine.  But the drawback is that when you don’t have the Memory Stick DUO or PRO DUO with you, videos can only be set and saved at 640 x 480 Standard using the 32MB internal memory.

Despite these shortcomings, the DSC-W50 battery life packs a punch.  Powered by an NP-BG1 Lithium Ion battery, it can be fully charged for two hours of constant use, and has a standby time of between six to seven days.  During shooting mode, it can capture up to 400 images (based on a 1GB Memory Stick DUO or PRO DUO, and at 6MP setting).  This is good enough for your basic, summer getaway outings.

The DSC-W50 has a PictBridge feature that allows a user to directly print images from the camera via a typical computer printer.  After I took pictures, I attached the USB cable to the Epson Stylus Photo R250 Inkjet Printer and printed the pictures from there.  The pictures printed on photo paper are clear and crisp, and I took them home as a souvenir.

I find the Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 a good digital camera for the family and the barkada.  If you are planning to go on a real summer vacation on some isolated island, it’s better to have this digital camera in your backpack.