Top Sony Cybershot DSC-W150 Camera Reviews

DC Resource wrote a review on the Sony Cybershot DSC-W150 and said: "Photo quality was very good. The W150 took well-exposed photos, with accurate (though not terribly vivid) colors. Sharpness is right in the middle of the range, and purple fringing should not be a problem. While "traditional" noise won't be an issue until ISO 800 (in good light, at least), you will see the effects of noise reduction at ISO 80 (the lowest setting). Thankfully, it's pretty mild until the ISO climbs above 400. Redeye is a big problem on the W150, but the built-in removal tool can rid your photos of this annoyance."

Camera Summary:
The Sony Cybershot DSC-W150 is an 8.1 megapixel digital camera with a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens. It is designed to be a perfect camera for families and portraits with its new smile shutter mode. The W150 features face detection technology, a new smile shutter function, advanced image management functionality, and image stabilization. The DSC-W150 is available in April in sophisticated champagne, red, black and silver for about $250.

Sony Cybershot DSC-W150 News Release Excerpt:
Sony adds “smile shutter” function to Cybershot W-series.

San Diego, Jan. 23, 2008 – Sony is introducing a line of colorful W-series Cyber-shot digital cameras with new imaging technologies for easier photo capture.

The 8.1-megapixel DSC-W150 model features a Carl Zeiss 5x optical zoom lens with wide angles 30 mm – 150 mm, and a 2.7-inch LCD screens along with eye-level viewfinders.

The lineup features a wider range of color choices than previous models – from playful pink and blue to sophisticated champagne gold and red.

Newly-available on the W-series cameras is Sony’s “smile shutter” mode, which automatically captures an image when your subject smiles – without having to press the shutter. This function even lets you prioritize adult or child faces to capture photos only when the intended subjects smile.

Smart Technology to Capture Better Photos

Each of the new W series models includes Sony’s improved face detection technology, which, like the smile shutter technology, can now distinguish between the faces of children and adults. You can select “child priority” or “adult priority” and the camera will detect up to eight faces in the camera frame and optimize focus, exposure, white balance, and flash control.

The W150 camera features new intelligent scene recognition (iSCN) technology, which allows the camera to automatically select the optimal scene mode for a variety shooting situations. In advanced iSCN mode, the camera will take a photo based on the user’s settings. If the camera determines that another setting would yield better exposure, it will automatically take a second photo with that setting. The user ultimately has two images to choose from.

Powerful Features for Outstanding Images

The series features a number of powerful features, including: Sony’s D-Range Optimizer to retrieve picture detail in photos with harsh highlights or dark shadows; semi-manual focus that allows you to select the focusing distance based on your subject’s location; an improved auto focus system that includes macro ranges; Super SteadyShot image stabilization; high sensitivity settings up to ISO 3200; and in-camera editing functions such as “unsharp mask” to sharpen images.

Enhanced Playback Options

The W150 unit is equipped with advanced image management functionality. Filtering options allow you to search for photos by date and smile. Images can be viewed by date or in a helpful calendar view, and organized in the cameras’ “favorites” folder for quick retrieval of beloved images.

The slideshow function of the W150 has also been upgraded. Photos can be selected using the same advanced filtering options available in playback mode and transitions have been improved through the application of face detection technology. Now your subjects can take center stage as the slideshow moves through sophisticated pans, fades and wipes. Improvements to the background music function include a choice of more tracks, longer tracks, and multiple tracks for longer slideshows.

To view your images in 1080 high-definition resolution, you can connect each of the cameras to a compatible HDTV sets via HD component cable or Sony’s HD Cyber-shot Station cradle (both sold separately).

Price and Availability

The DSC-W150 model will hit retail in sophisticated champagne, red, black and silver for about $250 in April.