Sony DSC-W100

Reviewed March 2007

Introduction

The Sony DSC-W100 takes up where the W50 left off, offering an increase in resolution to 8.1 megapixels, while retaining all the other technical specifications and characteristics of its predecessor, such as the Carl Zeiss 3X optical zoom and the 2.5-inch LCD monitor.

Three controls are aligned on top of the W100: the Power Switch, recessed into the surface of the camera to avoid having the camera turn on accidentally while it is being handled, and ringed by a green light when the camera is On; the two-stage Shutter Release; and the Zoom Control around it.

With the DSC-W100 set to playback images, the zoom control allows seeing captured images as an index with 9 thumbnails per screen when pushed to the or [W] wide angle side, or zoom into an image under review up to 5X when pulled to the [T] telephoto side.

Although the DSC-W100 is very compact, and that most of its back is taken up by the 2.5-inch, 115,200-pixel monitor, it still offers an optical viewfinder, something of a rarity with many of today's compact digital cameras.

The viewfinder is positioned at the top left side of the camera, making it very easy to use. Albeit extremely simple — the viewfinder is devoid of any markings — it makes it possible to save power when necessary, or still take photos when the lighting conditions make it difficult to see the monitor's image clearly.

Two LEDs are stacked on the right side of the viewfinder's exit pupil, next to the DSC-W100's speaker. The upper one lights green to confirm focus, or blinks if there is a problem acquiring focus. The lower one lights orange to confirm the flash is charged, or blinks when the memory is being accessed.

The top right of the camera's back provides a button, , to start the Playback mode when the camera is set to capture mode. Moreover, the button can be used to start the camera in the Playback mode, avoiding the lens opening, when it is maintained pressed for more than a second, switching the camera to capture mode if pressed a second time.

The silver Mode Dial is to its right, offering 10 positions each of which is a capture mode. When the mode dial is turned while the camera is on, an animation of the dial is displayed on the monitor, turning as the dial is turned. Each mode's icon or letter is shown as well, and if enabled in the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section for information about the Setup menu) a short explanation of the mode can be displayed simultaneously.

Two buttons are stacked below the Mode Dial:

• The upper one controls the level of information superimposed on the monitor, be it when the camera is set to a capture mode, or the playback mode. Moreover, it also serves to turn off the monitor when the camera is in a capture mode.
• The lower one, labelled MENU, displays the menu that corresponds to the camera's current mode. (See the Characteristics and Interface and Software sections of the review for more detail about the contents of the menus.)

Set to a capture mode, the default presentation on the monitor includes basic camera settings: battery state, capture mode, image size, image quality, the folder into which images are being stored, the remaining number of photos that can be saved along with an icon that illustrates the capacity of the memory card, the AF brackets, the focus mode, and the AF type.

Pressing the button once adds a real time histogram that illustrates the distribution of brightness in the frame. Pressing the button a second time removes all superimposed information with the exception of the AF brackets, the focus mode and the AF type.

Whatever the information level, when the shutter release is pressed halfway, the selected aperture and shutter speed are indicated on the screen in the lower right. A third press of the button turns off the monitor.

With the camera set to the Playback mode, the default presentation includes the battery state, the image size, the folder name and the image's positron within those in the folder and the Memory Stick icon at the top of the monitor, while the image's file name, the capture date and time are superimposed across the lower part of the monitor.

Pressing the button once adds information about exposure compensation, ISO setting, flash mode, white balance, shutter speed and aperture along with a histogram. Pressing the button a second time removes all superimposed information from the image.

The 4-direction control is composed of a silver disk surrounding a silver button that serves to confirm selections made in the menus. While the 4-direction control serves to navigate the menus and select images from playback, it also serves to change shutter speed and aperture when the camera is set to the Manual mode. The right and left arrows change the shutter speed, and the up and down arrows change the aperture.

The 4-directions also control additional settings when the camera is set to a capture mode, and each of these functions is identified by an icon:

	The up arrow controls the Flash modes: Auto, Forced On, Slow Synch or Forced Off. Red-eye Reduction is available, but must be enabled in the menu.
	The right arrow selects the Macro mode, which allows the camera to focus on a subject that is 6 cm (2.4 inches) from the front element of the lens when it is at the wide angle end, and 30 cm (1 ft) at the telephoto end.
	The down arrow starts the Self-Timer, which provides a 10-second delay before the shutter is released. The Self-Timer must be re selected after each photo.
	The left arrow controls the Exposure Compensation providing a range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments. An exposure scale is displayed on the monitor and the up and down arrows can then be used to select the compensation, while the effect of the changes are reflected in the brightness of the image on the monitor.

One more button completes the external controls of the W100. Positioned below the 4-direction control, it has a dual function:

In the capture modes and in the Movie mode, it serves to set the image size or resolution. (See the Characteristics section of the review for a complete list of the image sizes available on the DSC-W100.) While in the Playback mode the button serves to Delete unwanted images.

The external controls of the DSC-W100 are well thought-out, allowing them to become familiar rapidly. Worth noting in particular, the 4-direction control is responsive, and allows making changes to camera settings quickly and precisely.