Sony DSC-W70 Review

Overview

Sony DSC-W70 Overview

NOTE: The Sony DSC-W70 is a near-twin (triplet?) of the Sony W30, and Sony W50, which we have also reviewed. The W70 has the larger 2.5-inch LCD display of the W50 (the W30 has a 2.0-inch display), and the W70 also increases the image resolution to 7.2 megapixels, versus the 6.0 megapixels of its lesser siblings. If you've already read the W30 or W50 reviews, you can save yourself some time here, as the functions and menus of the three cameras are virtually identical: Check the parts of this review that refer to specific image-quality and performance issues, to see how the W70's images stacked up.

Sony W70 User Report

Thin and ultra-compact, the new Sony DSC-W70 digital camera (and its siblings the W30 and W50 models) updates the Cyber-shot line with convenient portability and fully automatic exposure control in a compact, rugged metal case. The W70 offers the excellent resolution of a 7.2-megapixel CCD and 58 megabytes of internal memory, as well as a large 2.5-inch color LCD monitor and useful range of preset exposure modes. Though the Sony W70 doesn't offer any direct manual exposure control, the camera's extensive LCD menu system does offer quite a bit of creative control with image contrast, sharpness, and color options. The 3x optical zoom lens zooms across a range equivalent to 38-114mm on a 35mm camera with a maximum aperture ranging from f//2.8 - f/5.2, and the camera's Macro focus mode gets exceptionally close at just two centimeters. The Sony W70 boasts an extended ISO range, with equivalent settings from 100 to 1,000. While the 800 and 1,000 settings do allow you to capture brighter images under dim lighting, they also bring with them much higher image noise as a consequence. Still, the wide range of ISO settings is a plus for a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Though the LCD monitor dominates the rear panel, Sony managed to keep all the main functions close at hand and fairly easy to operate. Grab the Sony W70 in your right hand and your middle and third finger naturally grab the raised ridge on the front of the camera. The series of raised bumps on the rear panel provides some thumb traction, though I noticed a tendency for my thumb to slide over the Display and Menu buttons. (However, both buttons require a bit of a firm push, so I had no problems with accidentally pressing them.) Conveniently above the thumb rest is the Mode dial, and below it is the Five-way navigator. I did require a two-handed grip to accurately turn the Mode dial, due to its low-profile design. (Dave can manage it with one hand, but I'd be nervous about dropping the camera if I tried to do so.) The camera's Zoom lever encircles the Shutter button, making it easy to quickly adjust zoom while holding the camera in shooting position.

I also liked little interface niceties, such as the "virtual dial" that appears on the LCD screen when you rotate the mode dial. This display (see the screen shot at right) shows the currently-selected option and a brief explanation of what that mode is useful for.

The Sony W70 is a very responsive-feeling camera: Pressing the Power button on top of the body produces a swift reaction: The LCD comes on, the camera chimes, and the lens assembly bursts out of its silo quickly, letting the camera snap its first picture only 1.7 seconds after being turned on. A half-press on the shutter begins the focus operation. In low light, a bright orange LED illuminates the scene when necessary, so low-light focus isn't a worry (at least on nearby objects that can be illuminated by the AF-assist light). The fast Multi-point AF determines the closest object and focuses quickly, showing brackets around the areas that will be in focus. Shutter lag (the delay between pressing the shutter button and the camera taking the picture) is lower than that of most cameras on the market, with a range of 0.28-0.55 second. Everything about the camera feels like quality and performs competently. Included with the camera is a Sony LiIon rechargeable battery pack and charger, which has a pretty good battery life. I still suggest purchasing a backup battery pack, and keeping it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings, but the W70's battery life is very good by any standard. The camera's internal 58 megabytes of memory will hold a few shots, but here again, I'd recommend picking up at least a 128-megabyte Memory Stick Duo card, or a Memory Stick PRO Duo card for the Fine quality movie recording mode.

The Sony DSC-W70 is an impressive offering, much like the rest of the W-series in the Cyber-shot line. It is handsomely constructed, with a feel of quality, is uncomplicated to operate, has good battery life, and is compact enough for most pockets or purses. Its ample LCD screen and quality lens should give most users a great experience capturing pictures they'll be proud to display. The one thing I found to complain about in the W30 and W50 was their extremely high image noise at ISO 800 and 1,000. With the W70, the image noise was indeed quite high at those elevated ISO settings, but I think that most consumers would be perfectly satisfied with 5x7 inch prints made from such shots. All in all, the Sony W70 is a fine little camera -- Read on below for a summary of our findings, and check out the other pages of this review for all the details!

Basic Features

• 7.2-megapixel CCD.
• 3x zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera).
• Variable digital Smart Zoom (up to 14x at VGA resolution), or 2x Precision Digital zoom.
• Real-image optical viewfinder.
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor.
• Automatic and Program exposure modes.
• Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment.
• 58MB internal memory.
• Sony Memory Stick Duo slot (no card included).
• USB 2.0 computer connection.
• Power from one rechargeable LiIon battery pack, charger included.
• Software for Mac and PC.

Special Features

• High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Snow, Beach, Landscape, and Soft Snap modes.
• Movie recording mode (with sound).
• Multi-Burst slow motion mode (16 frames at up to 30 frames/second) and Burst continuous shooting mode.
• Email (VGA) modes.
• Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 1/8 sec in Auto mode; 1/1,000 to one second in Program mode, and 1/1,000 to two seconds in Twilight mode.
• Aperture range from f/2.8 to f/13, depending on zoom position.
• Creative Color Mode menu.
• Image Sharpness and Contrast adjustments.
• Self-timer for delayed shutter release.
• Macro (close-up) lens adjustment.
• Spot, Center-Weighted, and Multi-Metering modes.
• Adjustable AF area, two AF modes plus manual mode with five distance settings.
• Auto ISO setting or 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,000 ISO equivalents.
• White balance (color) adjustment with six options.
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge printing compatibility.

In the Box

Included with the Sony DSC-W70 digital camera are the following items:

• Wrist strap.
• Rechargeable battery pack with charger.
• USB cable.
• AV cable.
• Software CD containing Sony Cyber-shot software and USB drivers.
• Quick-guide manuals and registration information.

Recommended Accessories

• Extra battery pack.
• Large capacity Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo.
• Carrying case.

Conclusion

Featuring a 7.2-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom lens, and well-designed user interface, the Cyber-shot DSC-W70 updates the popular Cyber-shot line with a thin, compact body style perfectly suited for travel. Exposure remains under automatic control, something novices will appreciate, and its seven preprogrammed scene modes help with more tricky subjects. It's a very responsive camera, with low shutter lag in daylight conditions, and excellent shot to shot speeds. It also sports very good battery life, a very capable movie mode, and excellent download speed. Finally, Sony makes a line of accessory lenses, filters, a slave flash, and even an underwater case for it as well, greatly expanding your options beyond what you'd normal expect from a compact digicam model. The bright 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is excellent for framing and reviewing shots, and the overall design and layout of the W70 is user-friendly and hassle-free. If you're looking for a good "take anywhere" camera with great versatility and good color and tonality, the Sony DSC-W70 deserves a close look. (And if you feel you can get by with a 2.0-inch LCD instead of the 2.5-inch one the W70 sports, and a 6.0 megapixel sensor the Sony DSC-W30 will save you $60-70 at retail.) One advantage that the W70 does offer over its lesser siblings is that its ISO 800 and 1000 settings produce images good enough to make 5x7 inch prints that we think most consumers would be happy with. All in all, a nice little package at an attractive price, making the Sony W70 another Dave's Pick in its category.

Design

Sony W70 Design

The Sony DSC-W70 is compact, stylish, and ready to go anywhere, with a very thin body style that's quite at home in shirt pockets and small purses. Its silvery body is about as wide as a typical business card, and about a quarter inch taller, top to bottom. Measuring just 3.5 x 2.24 x 0.91 inches (89 x 57 x 23 millimeters) and weighing 5.5 ounces (157 grams) with the batteries and a memory card installed, the Sony W70 is quite thin and light weight. When not in use, the telescoping zoom lens retracts neatly inside the body, and a small plastic leaf shutter automatically closes over the lens to protect it. Outfitted with the accompanying wrist strap, it's quick on the draw and easy to hold.

Despite its small size, the Sony W70 has just enough room for a good grip up front and one small spot for your thumb on the back. The 3x, 6.3-18.9mm zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm zoom on a 35mm camera) is just left of center (when viewed from the back), with a small and very bright orange lamp on the upper right of it, to help with focusing in low-light conditions. (This lamp also blinks less brightly when the self-timer is in use, flashing faster to let you know when the camera is about to snap the picture.) The flash crowns the top right corner, and a tiny window for the optical viewfinder is upper left of the lens.

The right side of the camera (as viewed from the rear) has a small plastic door that opens to reveal the DC In terminal. Also on this side of the camera is the eyelet for attaching the wrist strap.

The left side is smooth and featureless.

The camera's top panel includes the Shutter button surrounded by the Zoom lever. To the left is the small Power button, surrounded by a green LED that lights when the camera is powered on. Also on the top panel is a raised grill covering the tiny microphone, on the far left side.

The Sony W70's rear panel holds the remaining camera controls and function buttons, along with a bright 2.5-inch color LCD monitor for previewing and playing back images, and the optical viewfinder window. The LCD display reports a variety of camera and exposure settings, including the aperture and shutter speed settings (a nice bonus for those interested in how the camera will expose the image) and a battery gauge. The optical viewfinder is located above the LCD monitor, and has two LED lamps along the right edge of the window, each of which reports the current status of various camera functions. The optical viewfinder has no dioptric adjustment, but eyeglass wearers will be pleased with the fairly high "eyepoint," allowing a little room for an eyeglass lens between the camera body and your eye. Right of the eyepiece is the Playback button. The camera's Mode dial is in the upper right corner, conveniently located right above a set of raised bumps for better thumb traction when holding the camera. Below the Mode dial are the Display and Menu buttons, and a Five-way Arrow pad, with small arrows pointing in four directions (Up, Down, Left, and Right) and a set button in the middle. Each serves multiple functions, navigating onscreen menus scrolling between captured images in Playback mode, or activating different camera functions (Flash, Exposure Compensation, Self-Timer, and Macro). Below this is the Resolution / Erase button. Directly beneath the LCD monitor is a small compartment that houses the AV Out and USB connector jacks, protected by a small plastic flap that remains tethered to the camera when opened. Finally, three tiny holes above the top left corner of the LCD monitor reveal the camera's speaker.

The W70's flat bottom holds the threaded (metal) tripod screw mount and the shared Memory Stick / battery compartment. While most users of the W70 probably won't care, it is impossible to change the batteries while the camera is mounted on a tripod.

Accessories

You don't normally think of accessory items like add-on lenses or an external flash with compact digital camera models, but Sony's compact "W" series is a bit of an exception in this area. Here's a complete list of Sony accessories for the DSC-W70, complete with shopping links for them:

Sony W70 External Controls

Power Button: Located left of the Shutter button on the camera's top panel, this button turns the camera on and off. A green LED surrounds the button, and lights when the camera is powered on.


Zoom Lever: Surrounding the Shutter button on top of the camera, this lever controls optical zoom and, when enabled via the Setup menu, Sony's Smart Zoom or Precision Zoom options.

In Playback mode, this button controls the digital enlargement of a captured image, which can go as high as 5x. (Very handy for checking focus or the expressions on people's faces in group shots.) Also in Playback mode, the wide-angle end of the button activates the Index Display mode, which displays nine thumbnail images on the screen at one time, making for faster browsing through your captured images.

Shutter Button (see image above): Surrounded by the Zoom lever, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed, and fires the shutter when fully pressed.

Playback Button: To the right of the optical viewfinder eyepiece on the rear panel, this button enables the camera's Playback mode when pressed. A second press returns the camera to Record mode (as does a half-press of the Shutter button).


Mode Dial: Crowning the top right corner of the rear panel, this ribbed dial sets the camera's operating mode, offering Auto, Program, High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight portrait, Snow, Beach, Landscape, Soft snap, and Movie modes.

Display Button: Below the Mode dial, this button controls the LCD display, cycling through the image with information display, the image with information and live histogram display, the image with limited information display, and no image display at all (in all Record modes). In Playback mode, it cycles through a similar series, but does not disable the LCD display.

Menu Button: Just beneath the Display button, this button activates the settings menu in any camera mode. The Menu button also turns off the menu display.

Five-Way Arrow Pad: Located in the lower right corner of the rear panel, this control features four arrow buttons, each pointing in a different direction (up, down, left, and right), and a Set or OK button in the middle (Sony describes it by its shape: a dot). In all settings menus, these arrow keys navigate through menu options. Pressing the center of the button confirms selections.

In any record mode, the Up button controls the Flash mode, cycling through Auto, Forced, Slow-Sync, and Suppressed modes. The Right arrow turns the Macro (close-up) mode on and off, and the Left arrow accesses the Exposure Compensation menu. The Down arrow accesses the Self-Timer modes (two- and 10-second options).

In Playback mode, the Right and Left arrows scroll through captured images. When Playback zoom is enabled, all four arrows scroll around within the enlarged view, while pressing the center button returns to the normal, 1x display.


Image Resolution / Erase Button: Lower left of the Five-way Arrow pad, this button displays the available resolutions in any record mode. Choices are 7M (3,072 x 2,304), 3:2 (3,072 x 2,048), 5M (2,592 x 1,944), 3M (2,048 x 1,536), 2M (1,632 x 1,224), VGA (640 x 480), and 16:9 (1,920 x 1,080). Movie resolutions are 640 x 480, and 160 x 112 pixels.

In Playback mode, this button lets you erase the currently displayed image.

Operation

Sony W70 Operation

Operating the Sony DSC-W70 is very straightforward, as the camera controls the basic exposure at all times. The Mode dial on the rear panel controls the main operating modes, with options for Auto, Program, High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight portrait, Snow, Beach, Landscape, Soft Snap, and Movie modes. In all image capture modes, the DSC-W70 provides an onscreen LCD menu (activated by the Menu button), with a variety of options for adjusting image quality or adding special effects. The four arrows of the Five-way arrow pad are used to scroll through menu options, while the button in the center of the pad functions as the OK button to confirm selections. Outside of the menu, the arrow pad adjusts flash, exposure compensation, macro, and self-timer modes. A separate Image Resolution button calls up the available resolution settings, removing this item from the main menu system, thereby making it much quicker to access when needed. The Zoom control surrounding the Shutter button adjusts both optical and digital zoom (when the latter is activated through the Setup menu).

The Sony W70 incorporates two nice user-interface touches that we liked quite a bit. If the LCD is on in capture mode, rotating the Mode Dial causes a "virtual dial" to appear along the right edge of the LCD display. An optional function guide can also be enabled through the Setup menu, which displays concise help text on the LCD for camera functions. The combination of virtual dial and plain-English explanations of camera modes made for a very friendly user interface. Overall, we were impressed by Sony's judicious use of space, especially with the large number of external controls provided, the larger than average LCD, and the relatively short learning curve the W70's user interface entails.

Record-Mode Display

In record mode, the LCD monitor displays the subject with a fair amount of overlaid information, indicating approximate battery life remaining (graphically), flash mode, focus mode (macro or normal), autofocus mode setting, any currently-selected exposure compensation setting, ISO setting, the current size/quality setting, and number of images that can be stored on the remaining Memory Stick space at the current size/quality. Half-pressing the Shutter button causes the camera to display the shutter speed and aperture setting it has chosen for the current lighting conditions. Pressing the Display button beside the LCD once adds a small "live" histogram display to the information, pressing it again removes the information overlay, and pressing it a third time turns the LCD off entirely. Pressing it a fourth time restores the default display.

Playback-Mode Display

In Playback mode, the default image display shows the most recently captured image, with a modest information overlay present. Pressing the Display button once adds the exposure information and a small histogram to the overlay, pressing it again removes the information overlay entirely, and pressing it a third time returns to the default display. Pressing the wide-angle side of the zoom lever takes you to a display showing images on the Memory Stick in groups of nine small thumbnails. (You can navigate a yellow outline cursor over these thumbnails by using the four arrow keys. Pressing the telephoto side of the zoom lever will bring the currently-selected image up full-screen.) Pressing the telephoto side of the zoom lever when viewing an image full-size on the LCD screen will zoom in on the image, in 17 variable-sized increments up to a maximum magnification of 5x.

Sony W70 Modes and Menus

Scene Modes: Marked on the Mode dial with corresponding black icons, these modes are for capturing images in specific situations. Seven "scenes" are available, including High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Snow, Beach, Landscape, and Soft Snap. The High Sensitivity mode increases the ISO setting automatically, so you can shoot without the flash in dim conditions. (Albeit at the cost of much-increased image noise.) Both Twilight modes capture images in low light, although the Twilight Portrait mode automatically enables the Red-Eye Reduction flash mode, combining it with a slower shutter speed to let ambient lighting brighten the background as well. Because the camera employs a slower shutter speed in both Twilight modes, a tripod is highly recommended to prevent blurring from camera movement. Snow and Beach modes optimize the camera for bright situations and prevent color loss from overexposure. Landscape mode sets the focus at infinity and uses a smaller lens aperture to capture sharp details both near and far away. Soft Snap mode enhances skin colors while keeping a soft focus for a pleasing glow.

Program Mode: This mode is marked on the Mode dial with a black "P." In this mode, the camera selects shutter speed and aperture, while you control all other exposure variables.

Automatic Mode: Indicated on the Mode dial with a green camera icon, this mode puts the camera in control over the exposure and everything except Macro, Image Size and Quality, Zoom, Flash, and the Self-Timer.

Movie Mode: A filmstrip icon marks this mode on the Mode dial. In Movie mode, you can record moving images and sound, for as long as the Memory Stick or internal memory has space. Resolution and quality choices are 640 x 480-, or 160 x 112-pixels, with Fine and Standard options in 640 x 480 mode. While recording, a timer appears in the LCD monitor to let you know how many minutes and / or seconds are remaining on the Memory Stick, and how long you've been recording, so you'll have some idea of how much time you have left. Recording in 640 x 480 Fine mode is only available with a Memory Stick Pro Duo card.

The W70 offers a Multi Burst mode separate from the movie mode and selected in the menu in Auto, Program, and Scene modes, which captures an extremely rapid 16-frame burst of images, at a selectable rate of 7.5, 15, or 30 frames per second. Multi Burst shots are played back as a slow-motion animation on the camera, but appear as a single large file with 16 sub-images in it when viewed on a computer. (This would be a fun way to catch someone crossing a finish line during a race, or to analyze golf and tennis swings.) A Burst mode is also available, and captures a rapid series of images for as long as the Shutter button is held down. Frame rates and the maximum number of images depends on the image quality and resolution settings, as well as the amount of available memory space.

Playback Mode: Playback mode is accessed by pressing the Playback button on the rear panel. In this mode, you can scroll through captured images, delete them, write-protect them, and set them up for printing on PictBridge-compatible printers. You can also copy, resize, and rotate images.

Record Menu: Available in all three Record modes by pressing the Menu button, the Record menu offers the following options (some options are not available in all modes):

• Color Mode: Offers Normal, Rich, Natural, Sepia, and Black & White color modes.
• Focus: Sets focus control to Multi AF or Center AF, or one of five preset focus distances (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 7.0 meters, and Infinity).
• Metering Mode: Chooses between Multi-Metering, Center-Weighted, and Spot modes. Spot metering reads the exposure from the very center of the frame (identified by a cross hair target on the monitor). Spot metering is handy for backlit subjects, or any time the subject and background exhibit very high contrast. Center-Weighted also reads from the center of the frame, but from a larger area than Spot. Multi-Metering mode reads the entire frame to determine exposure.
• White Balance: Adjusts the overall color balance of the image, to suit the light source. Options are Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, and Flash.
• ISO: Adjusts the camera's light sensitivity. Options are Auto, or 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,000 ISO equivalents. (See our note under the Exposure tab of this review: The ISO 800 and 1000 settings produce very noisy images, but they're still usable to about 5x7 inch print sizes.)
• P.Quality: Sets compression between Standard and Fine.
  
• Mode: Sets capture mode, Normal (single), Burst, and Multi-burst.
• Interval: When in Multi-burst mode (grayed out otherwise), sets the capture interval between 1/7.5, 1/15, and 1/30.
• Flash level: When the flash is enabled (grayed out otherwise), sets flash power to plus, normal, and minus settings.
• Contrast: Alters the level of contrast in images with plus, normal, and minus settings.
• Sharpness: Controls the overall image sharpness and softness with plus, normal, and minus settings.

Playback Menu:

• Folder: Selects the folder for playing back images.
• Protect: Write-protects the current image (or removes protection), preventing it from being deleted or manipulated in any way except with card formatting.
• DPOF: Marks the current image for printing on a DPOF device. Also removes the print mark.
• Print: Prints the current image.
• Slide: Plays back images in an automatic slide show. You can set the time interval and whether or not the sequence of images repeats.
• Resize: Resizes the image to 7M (3,072 x 2,304), 5M (2,592 x 1,944), 3M (2,048 x 1,536), 2M (1,632 x 1,224), VGA (640 x 480) sizes. (When an image is resized, the original image is left in place, and a new copy is made at the selected size.)
• Rotate: Rotates the image 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Divide: Allows you to trim material from the beginning or end of a recorded movie, or to extract an interesting bit of action from the middle of a longer clip.
• Trimming: Lets you crop an image and save it as a separate file from the original.
• Setup: Accesses the camera's Setup menu.

Setup Mode: This mode allows you to change a variety of camera settings, and is accessible through each of the camera menus by scrolling to the Setup icon and pressing the right arrow button.

• Camera:
  • AF Mode: Sets the focus mode to Single, or Monitor. (Monitor is Sony's term for continuous autofocus.)
  • Digital Zoom: Switches between the up to 14x Smart Zoom and up to 2x Precision zoom, or turns digital enlargement off. (Smart Zoom values will depend on the resolution selected, 14x is the max at VGA resolution.)
  • Function Guide: Turns the Function Guide on or off. If enabled, the guide displays text about camera functions when they are accessed.
  • Red Eye Reduction: Enables or disables the Red Eye Reduction flash mode, affecting both Auto and Forced flash modes.
  • AF Illuminator: Turns the AF Assist light on or off. If on, the light automatically illuminates in dark shooting conditions.
  • Auto Review: Immediately plays captured image onscreen for two seconds.
  
  

• Internal Memory Tool (only available when no Memory Stick is present):
  • Format: Formats the internal memory, erasing all files (even protected ones).
• Memory Stick Tool:
  • Format: Formats the Memory Stick, erasing all files (even protected ones).
  • Create REC Folder: Creates a new folder for recording images.
  • Change REC Folder: Changes the folder that images are recorded to.
  • Copy: Copies images from the internal memory to a Memory Stick.

• Setup 1:
  • LCD Backlight: Controls the brightness of the LCD display, with options of Bright or Normal.
  • Beep: Controls the camera's beep sounds, turning them on or off. A Shutter option enables only the shutter beep noise.
  • Language: Selects among Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, or English for the menu language.
  • Initialize: Resets the camera to its default settings.
  
  
• Setup 2:
  • File Number: Chooses between Series (continuing the shot number infinitely) or Reset, which resets the frame number by folder.
  • USB Connect: Sets the USB connection type to PictBridge, PTP, Mass Storage, or Auto.
  • Video Out: Sets the timing of the video output signal to either NTSC or PAL.
  • Clock Set: Sets the camera's internal clock and calendar.

Optics

Sony W70 Optics

Lens

Zoom
Good lens performance, a typical 3x optical zoom range.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70's Zeiss lens zooms over the equivalent of a 38-114mm range, a typical zoom range for its class. Results are good at wide angle, with only minimal coma distortion in the trees and well defined details. Details are a little softer at telephoto, however, and lens flare seems to be a bit more of an issue there. The W70's 4x digital zoom performs well in comparison to most digital zooms, holding onto a nice level of detail despite the inevitable loss in quality from the digital enlargement.

Macro
A very tiny macro area with good detail, though fairly strong blurring in the corners. Flash exposure is very uneven.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70's macro setting performs very well, capturing an unusually small minimum area of only 0.94 x 0.71 inches (24 x 18 millimeters). Detail is strong and resolution high, though with a fairly large amount of softening in the corners from the lens. (Most cameras have some softening in the corners in macro mode, but the W70's is a bit more than most.) The W70's extremely close shooting range here almost entirely precludes use the flash, which is partially blocked by the lens, resulting in an uneven exposure. (Plan on using external lighting for your closest macro shots with the W70.)

Distortion
Moderate barrel distortion, and moderately high pincushion.

This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel--usually at wide angle) or inward (like a pincushion--usually at telephoto). The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70's 0.6% barrel distortion at wide angle is a bit lower than average, but still noticeable in its images. At the telephoto end, the W70's 0.4% pincushion is a little higher than I'd like to see.

Barrel distortion at 38mm is 0.6%

Pincushion at 114mm is 0.4%

Chromatic aberration
Moderate, small effect on images at edges.

Chromatic aberration is moderate at wide angle, showing about 6-7 pixels of bright coloration on either side of the target lines, but decreases to very low levels at telephoto focal lengths. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)

Corner Sharpness
Moderate softening in the left corners of the frame at telephoto, but much better than average sharpness at full wide angle.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 produced slightly soft corners in some shots, most noticeable at its more telephoto focal lengths. At full wide angle, the corners are much sharper than average.

Viewfinder

Coverage
A tight optical viewfinder, but good accuracy from the LCD monitor.

The Sony DSC-W70's optical viewfinder was quite tight, showing only about 80% of the final frame area at both wide angle and telephoto lens settings. However, the LCD monitor showed almost exactly 100% accuracy.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 Photo Gallery .

Exposure

Sony W70 Exposure & Imaging

The Sony DSC-W70 provides the usual point & shoot “green zone” fully automatic exposure mode, as well as a healthy handful of scene modes for special subjects, and a high-ISO mode for shooting under dim lighting. It also offers a programmed exposure mode that gives the user a modicum of control, including such things as focus, metering mode, exposure compensation, ISO setting, white balance, etc. It even offers adjustments for color saturation and image sharpness. All in all, the W70’s exposure modes go well beyond the basic point & shoot necessities.

Print quality from the W70 is quite good, it’s 7.2 megapixel CCD producing enough resolution to make 13×19 inch prints that are a little soft but more than adequate for wall display. The more common 8×10 inch enlargements are tack-sharp, even allowing for a fair amount of cropping. The Sony W70 does surprisingly well at high ISOs: Its ISO 400 images look fine when printed as large as 8×10 inches, and even its ISO 800 and 1,000 shots are usable at sizes of 5×7 inches and below.

All in all, the Sony W70 is a capable camera in a very compact case, with a good assortment of controls and options. Read on below for our specific test results.

Color

Saturation & Hue Accuracy
Slightly oversaturated reds, blues, and yellows, though generally good overall color and hue accuracy.

In the diagram above, the squares show the original color, and the circles show the color that the camera captured. More saturated colors are located towards the periphery of the graph. Hue changes as you travel around the center. Thus, hue-accurate, highly saturated colors appear as lines radiating from the center.

Most consumer digital cameras produce color that’s more highly saturated (more intense) than found in the original subjects. This is simply because most people like their color a bit brighter than life. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 does push strong reds and blue tones some, though results are generally pleasing. Where oversaturation is most problematic is on Caucasian skin tones, as it’s very easy for these “memory colors” to be seen as too bright, too pink, too yellow, etc. Here, the W70 produced good looking skin tones, with just a slight warm tint that most consumers should find quite pleasing.

The other important part of color rendition is hue accuracy. Hue is “what color” the color is. Like most digicams, the W70 shifts cyan colors toward blue (a very common tactic, apparently aimed at producing better-looking sky colors) and blue-greens toward cyan. Overall color accuracy was very good though, actually among the best we’ve seen to date.

See full set of test images with explanations See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Sensor

Exposure and White Balance

Indoors, incandescent lighting
A warm cast with both Auto and Incandescent white balance settings, average positive exposure compensation required.

Auto White Balance +1.0 EV	Incandescent WB +1.0 EV

Color balance indoors under incandescent lighting was quite warm and reddish in Auto white balance mode, and the Incandescent setting also resulted in a pronounced warm cast. The Sony DSC-W70 required a +1.0 EV exposure compensation adjustment, which is about average for this shot, though the highlights on Marti’s shirt are quite hot at that setting. In addition to the strong warm cast, overall color is a bit dark here, making the blue flowers very dark and purplish. (A very common outcome for this shot.) Our test lighting for this shot is a mixture of 60 and 100 watt household incandescent bulb, a pretty yellow light source, but a very common one in typical home settings here in the US.

Outdoors, daylight
Good overall exposure and color outdoors.

Auto White Balance, Auto Exposure	Auto White Balance, Auto Exposure

Outdoor shots generally showed nearly accurate exposure with slightly blown out highlights. Shadow areas held onto a good amount of detail, though with some noise suppression to lessen definition. Overall color looked good as well, if just a hint dark in some cases.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Resolution
High resolution, ~1,300 lines of strong detail.

Our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 1,300 lines per picture height, with extinction at around 1,800. Use these numbers to compare with other cameras of similar resolution, or use them to see just what higher resolution can mean in terms of potential detail. Beware that while you might be able to make out what looks like distinct lines at numbers higher than those we’ve mentioned here, the camera is just doing its best to continue interpreting the lines. If you zoom in and follow them from the wider portions, you’ll see the lines converge and reappear several times, so the lines you see at 1,700 and higher are really only artifacts generated by the camera’s imaging system.

Strong detail to 1,200~1,300 lines horizontal	Strong detail to 1,200~1,300 lines vertical

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Sharpness & Detail
Sharp images overall, though some blurring of detail from noise suppression.

Good definition of high-contrast elements.	Subtle detail: Hair Noise suppression tends to blur detail in areas of subtle contrast, as in the midtone areas of Marti’s hair here.

The Sony DSC-W70’s images are sharp and clear overall, without any strong over-sharpening or edge enhancement on the camera’s part. (Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.)

Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost “watercolor” look appears. The crop of Marti’s hair above shows this in the darker shadows, though quite a few individual strands of hair are visible in the brighter shadows and highlights.

ISO & Noise Performance
Moderate noise at the normal sensitivity settings with slightly blurred detail, but very high noise with stronger blurring at the higher settings.

ISO 100	ISO 200	ISO 400
ISO 800	ISO 1,000

The Sony DSC-W70’s lower ISO settings produced moderate noise, with only slightly blurred detail in the dark areas. As you’d expect, noise level increased significantly with the higher ISO settings, resulting in a stronger noise pattern and stronger blurring. That said, most consumers would probably consider ISO 400 shots usable at print sizes as large as 8×10 inches. Shots at ISO 800 and 1,000 are noisy and a little soft even at 5×7 inches, but just fine for 4×6 prints.

Extremes: Sunlit and low light tests
High resolution and strong detail overall, though slightly limited shadow detail. Pretty good low-light performance, capable of capturing bright images under average city street lighting and slightly darker conditions.

+0.7 EV	+1.0 EV	+1.3 EV

Sunlight:
Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here.)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 performed fairly well in response to the deliberately harsh lighting in the test above, though contrast is slightly high and shadow detail a bit limited. Noise suppression in the shadows also contributes to the loss of detail. Although Marti’s skin tones and some of the foliage of the flower bouquet is a little dark there, the best exposure was obtained at +1.0 EV, which is about average for this shot. Though midtones are brighter at +1.3 EV, highlights are just too hot. (In “real life” though, be sure to use fill flash in situations like the one shown above; it’s better to shoot in the shade when possible.)

	1 fc 11 lux	1/2 fc 5.5 lux	1/4 fc 2.7 lux	1/8 fc 1.3 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux
ISO 100	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8
ISO 200	1/1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8
ISO 400	1/3 sec f2.8	1/1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8
ISO 800	1/6 sec f2.8	1/3 sec f2.8	1/1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8
ISO 1000	1/8 sec f2.8	1/4 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8	1 sec f2.8
ISO 1000	1/8 sec f2.8	1/8 sec f2.8	1/8 sec f2.8	1/8 sec f2.8	1/8 sec f2.8
Twilight Mode (ISO 100)	1.3 sec f2.8	2 sec f2.8	2 sec f2.8	2 sec f2.8	2 sec f2.8

Low light:
Our low light testing revealed some limitations in the DSC-W70’s lens and sensor abilities, though the camera is capable of capturing bright images under average city street lighting at night (about one foot-candle). At the higher ISO settings, images were bright down to about 1/4 foot-candle, which is about a quarter the brightness of average city street lighting. The camera’s autofocus system was able to focus on the subject down to the 1/4 foot-candle light level unassisted, and down to the darkest light level we test at with the AF assist lamp enabled. Keep in mind though, that the longer shutter times here demand the use of a tripod or other camera support to get sharp photos. (A useful trick is to just prop the camera on a convenient surface, and use its self-timer to release the shutter. This avoids any jiggling from your finger pressing the shutter button, and can work quite well when you don’t have a tripod handy.)

NOTE: This low light test is conducted with a stationary subject, and the camera mounted on a sturdy tripod. Most digital cameras will fail miserably when faced with a moving subject in dim lighting. (For example, a child’s ballet recital or a holiday pageant in a gymnasium.) For such applications, you may have better luck with a digital SLR camera, but even there, you’ll likely need to set the focus manually. For information and reviews on digital SLRs, refer to our SLR review index page.

Flash

Coverage and Range
A somewhat limited range for the W70’s flash, particularly at telephoto focal lengths. Our standard shots required a High Intensity boost for good results.

38mm equivalent	114mm equivalent
Normal Flash, High Intensity	Slow-Sync Flash, High Intensity

Flash coverage was rather uneven at wide angle, and just slightly uneven at telephoto. In the Indoor test, the DSC-W70’s flash underexposed our subject at its default setting, and required a High Intensity boost for bright results. Even here, the exposure is a little dim, with a slight pink cast. (This shot commonly requires +1.0 – 1.3 EV of exposure boost, so the W70’s results are actually pretty typical.) The camera’s Slow-Sync flash mode produced slightly brighter and more even results, though with a strong orange cast from the room lighting. Despite the longer shutter time, the Slow-Sync mode also required a High Intensity boost.

Flash Range: Wide Angle
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft
1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100
11 ft	12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft
1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100	1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 100

Flash Range: Telephoto
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft
1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100
11 ft	12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft
1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100	1/50 sec f5.2 ISO 100

At wide angle, shots at ISO 100 are bright out to a distance of about 9 feet, decreasing in brightness from that point on. At full telephoto and ISO 100, even the 6-foot shot is a little dim, and the images darken from there. Bottom line, an unimpressive flash range, at least at ISO 100.

Manufacturer-Specified Flash Range
Wide Angle	Telephoto
12.1 feet ISO 320	6.5 feet ISO 250

Our standard test method for flash range uses a fixed setting of ISO 100, to provide a fair basis of comparison between cameras. We’ve now also begun shooting two shots using the manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera, to assess the validity of the specific claims. In the shots above, the Sony W70 exposed properly at the officially rated distances, but only by boosting the ISO a fair bit, which increases image noise.

Output Quality

Print Quality
Good print quality, great color, soft but usable 13×19 inch prints. ISO 400 images are a bit soft and noisy but quite usable at 8×10 inches. ISO 800 and 1000 shots are best limited to 5×7 inch or smaller prints.

Testing hundreds of digital cameras, we’ve found that you can only tell just so much about a camera’s image quality by viewing its images on-screen. Ultimately, there’s no substitute for printing a lot of images and examining them closely. For this reason, we now routinely print sample images from the cameras we test on our Canon i9900 studio printer, and on the Canon iP5200 here in the office. (See the Canon i9900 review for details on that model.)

The Sony W70 delivers enough resolution to make 13×19 inch prints that are slightly soft, but more than acceptable for wall display. At high ISOs, its images are somewhat noisy, but 8×10 inch prints from ISO 400 shots should be acceptable to most consumers. At ISO 800 and 1000, noise increases further, despite the anti-noise processing’s impact on image sharpness. Still, while the ISO 1000 images are pretty noisy, we think most consumers would be perfectly happy with prints as large as 5×7 inches made from them.

Color-wise, images from the Sony W70 printed on our Canon i9900 printer were quite appealing. Colors were bright and vibrant without looking overdone. Greens were a little muted relative to images from some other cameras we’ve tested, but this was only apparent when comparing prints from competing models side by side. Viewed on their own, prints from the W70 looked very good. (The W70’s handling of greens is actually accurate, neither over- nor under-saturated. The reason its green hues look a little dull relative to other cameras is because most consumer cameras oversaturate greens somewhat to produce artificially bright, vibrant foliage colors.)

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a
collection of more pictorial photos, see our
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 Photo Gallery
.

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Performance

Sony W70 Performance

We were quite impressed with the Sony DSC-W70's responsiveness. It starts up and shuts down quickly enough, and its shutter response is quite a bit faster than average these days, particularly among relatively compact digital cameras. It's faster than average from shot to shot in single-shot mode, but its continuous-mode speed is a little laggardly by current standards. It's ultra high-speed (but lower resolution) Multi-Shot mode makes up for this though, giving frame rates as high as 30 frames/second, albeit for only 16 frames in a series. Another plus in the W70's favor is its excellent battery life, particularly impressive for such a compact camera model.