Sony DSC-W100 Performance

Camera Reviews / Sony Cameras / Sony Cybershot i Full Review

Navigate Review Jump to review page...

Sony DSC-W100 Performance

Timing

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100 Timing
Good to average speed for a consumer camera.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	1.7 seconds	Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy
Shutdown	1.5 seconds	How long it takes to retract lens
Buffer clearing time	65 seconds (7 seconds buffer clearing in LF JPEG)	Worst case buffer clearing time
Mode switching
Play to Record, first shot	1.0 second	Time until first shot is captured
Record to play	1.4 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture
Display recorded image	0.6 second	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time):
Full Autofocus Wide	0.31 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele	0.59 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Prefocused	0.012 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF	0.43 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase on our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects
Manual focus	0.19 second	For most cameras, shutter lag is less in manual focus than autofocus, but usually not as fast as when the camera is "prefocused"
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	1.37 seconds	Time averaged
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	1.30 seconds	Time averaged
Early shutter penalty?	No	Some cameras won't snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	0.98 second @ 1.02 frames per second; 4 frames total; 7 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.82 second @ 1.22 frames per second; 100 frames total; 65 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged
Flash recycling	6.52 seconds	Flash at maximum output
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	3,961 KBytes/sec	Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-770=USB 2.0 Low; 771-4000=USB 2.0 High

The Sony DSC-W100's performance ranges from quite fast to average, with a good startup time of 1.7 seconds. Shutter response is fast with the lens set to wide angle and telephoto, with an excellent prefocus time of 0.012 second (half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure). Shot to shot cycle times are quite good, at about 1.37 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and it captures frames continuously at this rate. Where things slow down is the DSC-W100's continuous mode, which only shoots at about 1.02 frames per second, for a maximum of four frames. The flash takes about 6.5 seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, about average for this class of camera. However, the camera's Multi-16 mode captures about 30 frames per second, though images are limited to the 320x240 resolution. Download speeds are quite fast. Bottom line, while not a first choice for sports or other fast-paced action, the DSC-W100 is responsive enough to handle most family photo opportunities.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Moderate battery life with the LCD on, slightly better when LCD is switched off.

Operating Mode	Number of Shots
LiIon rechargeable battery, LCD on	360
LiIon rechargeable battery, LCD off	410

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power. The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on either a fresh set of disposable batteries or a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions. Because battery life is moderate with the LCD on or off, I recommend picking up a spare battery and keeping it freshly charged for extended outings.

Storage
No card is included with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100, although it accepts Memory Stick Duo cards; 64MB RAM is built into the camera.

Image Capacity with 64MB Internal Memory		Fine	Normal
3,264 x 2,448	Images	16	30
3,264 x 2,448	File Size	4.1 MB	2.2 MB
2,592 x 1,944	Images	25	48
2,592 x 1,944	File Size	2.7 MB	1.4 MB
2,048 x 1,536	Images	41	72
2,048 x 1,536	File Size	1.7 MB	929 KB
1,632 x 1,224	Images	65	123
1,632 x 1,224	File Size	1.0 MB	551 KB
640 x 480	Images	394	985
640 x 480	File Size	172 KB	69 KB