Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.2 x 1 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000EGLXTW
• Item model number: DSCW50
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,262 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 13, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Why Sony? Because Sony adds quality, value, and artistic expression to the basic advantage of digital photography--not just replacing film, but enhancing creative possibilities and expanding technology horizons. The new Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 camera combines high-resolution 6.0-megapixel performance and compact design with the appeal of traditional rangefinder shooting, so both first-time buyers and step-up photography enthusiasts will have a camera that's equally adept at saving their memories and capturing their vision. Quality, convenience, and aesthetic excellence--they've been Sony advantages throughout its 60-year leadership in consumer electronics.

Style, Simplicity, and Performance
The DSC-W50 combines sleek metal body and compact design with new high-tech features for image quality and operating convenience. Super-sharp 6.0-megapixel resolution delivers more detail when you're cropping or making big prints. Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens and High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) combine to produce sharp images even in low-light conditions. And Sony's original Clear RAW NR processing circuitry minimizes the color noise distortion of high-sensitivity shooting.

A Screen that Shows More
The extra-large 2.5-inch LCD screen of the DSC-W50 not only gives you a big, bright image for setting up shots and checking results, it also displays a convenient camera Function Guide, with text and icons for easy-to-operate features like color and brightness adjustments, image size, flash and self-timer modes, focusing modes and more. The DSC-W-50 even provides an eye-level viewfinder for traditional shooting. Everything You Need for Great Results
Despite its compact size, the DSC-W50 incorporates shooting features every digital photographer wants--32 MB2 Internal Memory for capturing images in-camera without a flash memory card, built-in slot for optional Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO Duo media, and Stamina Lithium Ion battery with enough power to capture up to 390 shots3.

6.0-Megapixel Super HAD CCD
Higher megapixels gives you more detail and definition for making large prints and cropping in on your subject. Sony's advanced Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.

Extra-Large 2.5-Inch LCD Screen
The DSC-W50 has a bigger, brighter 2.5-inch LCD screen for setting up and viewing images--with a one-touch "Play" button that makes it quick and easy to view your photos.

Simple Controls, Function Guide
User-friendly controls and simple on-screen Function Guide text/icon display help you set up camera functions for terrific shots--and you'll have greater creative freedom to adjust color mode (including "Natural" for subtle colors and "Rich" for more intense colors), sensitivity, brightness, and image size.

High Sensitivity Mode
A new High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) allows you to shoot with great results in low-light conditions--and Sony's original Clear RAW NR (Noise Reduction) image processing technology helps suppress the color noise that can accompany high-senstivity shooting.

Carl Zeiss 3x Optical/2x Digital Zoom
3x optical zoom helps the DSC-W50 bring distant subjects closer and lets you frame shots for better composition; Sony's precision 2x digital zoom provides an additional 2x magnification to enlarge details without jagged edges.

Stamina Battery Power
With its powerful Lithium Ion rechargeable battery, the DSC-W50 can capture up to 390 images--enough for a whole vacation. The compact BC-CSG battery charger is also supplied for battery recharging on the go.

13x Smart Zoom Feature
At VGA resolution, Sony's Smart Zoom feature intelligently "crops into" the central portion of interest in your photo without sacrificing full CCD resolution--avoiding the image degradation of other digital zooms.

Capture Images In-Camera
With 32 MB of internal memory, the DSC-W50 allows you to shoot without a flash memory card--then transfer your images to optional Memory StickDuo media, upload to your computer, or make prints on your digital printer.

Memory Stick Duo Media
The DSC-W50 has a built-in slot for optional Memory StickDuo or higher-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo media--the ultra-compact media for shooting, storing, and sharing your photo images.

MPEG Movie VX Fine Mode
The DSC-W50 can capture VGA (640 x 480) audio-video clips at high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second), with length limited only by the capacity of your media.

Product Description

The compact, hi-tech Sony DSC-W50 delivers superb 6.0 megapixel quality for cropping images or making big prints -- with an extra-large 2.5" LCD screen and Function Guide text and icon display for adjusting color, sensitivity, brightness, image size and more. High Sensitivity Mode and Sony's Clear RAW NR circuitry get great results in low light. Also features a top-quality Carl Zeiss 3X Optical zoom lens, 32 MB Internal Memory to capture shots in-camera, and StaminaLithium Ion battery for up to 390 shots -- enough for a whole vacation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

280 of 282 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The W50 is the sweet spot in the Sony line for most people, May 15, 2006

By 

Snap, Crackle and Pop (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

The W50 is the sweet spot in the Sony W series lineup, for most people. You can take it everywhere and get very good pictures. But it's not that expensive, so there's no reason not to take it everywhere (except maybe that kayak trip).

If you're wondering whether to get the W30 or the W50 (especially given the lack of reviews on the W30) - go with the W50. The W50 is a little smaller and lighter, and even with the bigger screen has lower power consumption than the W30 - so you don't have to worry that having the big screen will cut your shooting time. The W50 also comes with a combination computer / TV cable.

The S600 is somewhat interesting at the price, but a step down in LCD size and features and a little bulkier - as noted below for most people you can get plenty of battery life and a smaller size with the proprietary battery cameras.

In general, you'll also get better pictures with a W50 than with credit-card type cameras that have a tiny lens system - optics will always make a difference.

If you've used an older generation camera, you may have some misconceptions about battery life. Many newer cameras have sharply reduced power consumption, so the powerful proprietary battery can get you through a day of shooting hundreds of shots with no problem. (Be a little wise about turning it off when you're not using it!) So a lot of the conventional wisdom about batteries is wrong - you probably don't need a second battery, unless you're going into the woods for a while, and you don't need to mess with AA rechargeables. Also, lithium ion batteries don't have a memory effect, so don't worry about partial recharging. Just charge the battery each night. So - before getting a second battery, try it for a while and see if you need it.

But a case is a good idea - see the LCS-WF, or LCS-WE, or LCS-CSG maybe - there are a lot of cases out there.

Get a Memory Stick Pro Duo card - Pro cards are faster, and you need the smaller Duo size with this camera. Get at least 512MB, and maybe 1-2GB, especially if you plan to travel for more than a week, or use the video mode - which is surprisingly good, if set to fine, but uses enormous amounts of storage at that setting.

I've been using the Sony DSC-P200 for over a year now. Reviewers generally rated it as the best of the compact cameras. The W50 can't match it in some respects - the P200 has a bigger sensor and a bigger lens, both a fundamental to picture quality. But any reasonable person will be very happy with the pictures from the W50, given the size of it.

And the controls, menus and interface on the W50 have definitely been improved - for example, the W50 has easier access to the various scene modes (twilight, etc), with some explanation on the screen of what those mysterious little icons mean (so you might actually use them). Try the High ISO mode in low light no-flash situations - for nit pickers the picture quality suffers, but most people will find it useful. And again, if you need that often, no ultra-compact camera will work really well - think about something with a bigger lens and bigger sensor.

But the W50 still offers enough control (through the scene modes and the Program mode) to allow a fair amount of control over the pictures, for an automatic camera.

The build quality seems fine to me.

By the way, it uses essentially the same cable as the DSC-P200 for the USB/AV cable.

The charger is fairly compact and rated 100-240V, so while you'll need a plug adapter overseas you won't need a voltage converter.

My only real complaint so far - the battery charger is a little slow, though probably OK. Sony isn't doing itself any good on customer satisfaction by not including the (optional) fast, compact charger to go with the fast, compact camera.

A few common problems and easy fixes:
- All of these cameras will focus on what's in the center when you press the shutter halfway down. If the center of the shot you want to take is background, and not subject, you'll get the background in focus. So aim at the subject, hold the shutter halfway down to fix the focus and exposure, then compose the picture and press the rest of the way down.
- Flash pictures rarely look really good on most cameras. The W50 is pretty good, but you might have even better luck using the P mode and setting the flash to the - setting, especially for closer shots (across a table, for example). Or, use the + mode if you're in a big room.
- Try using the P mode and putting the ISO setting to something very high if you want to force a fast shutter time (for example, for action shots).

But of course good light always gives the best pictures with any camera. There are limits to what you can currently expect from any ultracompact camera.

Most of the complaints are from people expecting a camera to do everything. Be a little smart about it, and don't expect the (currently) impossible - and you'll be surprised at how many good pictures a camera like this can get for you.

332 of 337 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great price for the best portable camera, March 17, 2006

By 

S. Wong (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I did much research before buying a portable digital camera.

I looked at the Canon sd450 and several others in the same style and size. I had many criterias and most cameras fell short of it except the Sony dscw50.

My criterias were :
1. pocket portable (comparable to the canon)

2. a viewfinder (to take pictures on very sunny days)

3. large lcd screen (so I can view pictures taken with good detail.)

4. very good battery life (battery last nice and long, plus it has an icon to indicate battery life).

5. 3x optical zoom

6. very good macro .74" (It's great for shots very up close in very good detail. Much better than most cameras. I can take pictures of fine text in books, you can even take pictures of dust.)

7. High ISO (For those night scenes and indoor shots without flash. So far I am very happy. Indoor shots are fantastic.I don't use the ISO function because it is grainy, but this camera can take really good indoor photos in regular mode with an iso setting of 200.)

8. Adjustable flash - works very good indoors and outdoors. You can adjust the intensity. Flash is adjustable so it's not too overwhelming, or set to really light up a room, which is great for such a small camera.)

9. Intuitive layout - I like the layout of the controls and menus. You are usually one to three steps to adjust settings. It's easy to switch between viewfinder mode and lcd mode.

This camera excelled in almost every category compared to the other portable cameras. I haven't use the video function much so I can't comment on that. It's good for people who just need a point and shoot camera, but have enough manual controls to satisfy someone more advanced.

I highly recommend this camera.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the size fool you!!!, April 5, 2006

By 

E. A. Brown Jr. (Rome, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSCW50 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Since these ultra-compact, high megapixel cameras began coming out, I've been looking to upgrage my 3 year old Toshiba with not only something I could carry in my pocket, but one that would also provide the option of high image quality and ease of use with carry-anywhere convenience. After owning this camera for a week, I think I've found it!

This is one very slick little camera. It's the size of a deck of playing cards. Startup is quick, the menu is pretty easy to navigate (even with little or no instruction), and the size is such that you can slide it in your front pocket and forget it's even there. The 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back is really sweet. I haven't had time to even really scratch the surface as far as all the other features of this baby. But I can tell you that if you're like me and are not a complete camera or photo guru, yet still appreciate quality, ease of use, and convenience, this is one you should consider. I found the best price ($[...] delivered) through Amazon from Ace Digital Club. I ordered it Sunday night and had it Wednesday. I also got the Sony LCS-CST case (PERFECT for this camera, $[...] delivered) through Amazon from Continental Trading Co., and a 1GB stick of the new Sony Memory Stick Duo Pro High Speed memory for $[...] delivered from Ebay. For right around $[...] total, I've got one sweet camera, more memory than I'll probably ever need, and good protection to keep this baby safe! Well worth every penny if you ask me.