Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 Digital Camera Review
By Emily Raymond
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
May 12, 2007
The 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 is a good option for consumers who want a decent-performing camera but don't have a lot to spend. It’s an entry-level digital camera, so it doesn’t come with many frills, but its $179 retail price makes it a practical choice.
The camera’s design is simple with a clean and flat silver finish. The Sony W35 measures 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches and doesn't weigh much. The housing of the camera feels inexpensive and its construction is questionable at best - don’t expect it to last forever. This camera isn’t built for long photo shoots but instead for the occasional snapshot. Most cameras in this price range aren't incredibly sturdy or skinny. The Kodak C743 and Panasonic LZ6 are both 1.3 inches thick and have similar 7-megapixel specs. The Kodak costs $149 while the Panasonic goes for $179.
The W35 has a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens that is compatible with a few Sony conversion lenses that fit over the lens to widen or lengthen the view. Other camera components include an optical viewfinder that is small and inaccurate and is best avoided, and a 2-inch LCD screen. The Panasonic LZ6 has a similar 2-inch LCD screen but comes with a longer optically stabilized 6x lens.
The LCD is perhaps the best viewing option but is flawed. It has only 85,000 pixels so the view is grainy and it’s hard to tell if subjects are focused. It is bright but the refresh rate isn’t very fast so if your subjects are moving it’ll look like an old-fashioned movie.
Speaking of movies, the Sony W35 has a basic Movie mode that records television-quality 640 x 480-pixel clips. The camera comes with 56 MB of internal memory, far more than what most cameras offer. The 5.1-megapixel Fuji A500 comes with 12 MB, the Kodak C743 with 32 MB, and the Panasonic LZ6 with 27 MB of built-in memory.
The W35 records video to its massive stash of internal memory at a slow rate of 16.6 frames per second, which makes video look choppy. When recording to an optional Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo card, however, video is recorded at a much better 30 fps rate. The audio in the movies isn’t fabulous, but it’s decent considering the camera’s low price.
The easy-to-use Sony Cyber-shot W35 doesn’t have any truly Manual modes, but has an Auto mode and seven Scene modes. Most modes are tailored to well-lit situations such as the Beach and Snow modes. The High Sensitivity mode is the only one optimized for less-than-perfect lighting. Its pictures don’t look great, though: edges look fuzzy and details are lost.
We ran the W35 through several tests and determined its resolution isn’t what it should be. The advertised 7.2 megapixels can produce decent 8x10-inch prints, but very fine details are lost. Even more detail is lost when the ISO sensitivity (comparable to film speed) is boosted. The Sony W35 has ISO options up to 1000, but the image gets speckled with noise starting at ISO 400.
Pictures taken in low light were noisy and dark since the shutter doesn’t open longer than 1 second. Most cameras of this caliber offer at least a 4-second shutter speed. To its credit, this digital camera produced realistic and accurate colors. The $149 Canon A460 allows users to manually adjust the shutter speed as long as 15 seconds for better low light photography.
The W35 is the baby sister to the Sony Cyber-shot W55, which has the same 7.1-megapixel resolution and 3x optical zoom lens. The Exposure modes and features are virtually the same, and it even packs the same 56 MB of internal memory. The only differences are that the W55 is more expensive at $199 and has a more impressive 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels. Its body looks just about the same, but comes in four colors including light blue, pink, silver, and black.
All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 is a decent digital camera at a relatively low price. The 7.2-megapixel digital camera costs $179 and comes with a basic set of components like a 2-inch LCD and 3x lens, and very few frills. There are a few bright spots: 56 MB of internal memory is more than the average of 12-16 MB offered on other cameras and allows you to snap more photos straight from the box. The Sony W35 is a good camera but if you’ll be shooting in low light often, you should look elsewhere.
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