The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 is a 12.1 Megapixel compact with a 3x zoom lens and optical stabilisation. Launched in February 2007 as part of an update across Sony’s W-series, it shares the title of highest resolution compact with Panasonic’s Lumix FX100.
Along with the lower resolution W80 and W90 models, the W200 sports an optical viewfinder in addition to a 2.5in screen – something of a rarity in today’s compacts. The W200 also features a reasonable degree of manual control and a surprisingly wide variety of optional accessories including a component video cable for HDTV slideshows and lens converters to widen or lengthen the basic 35-105mm equivalent range.
When Sony announced the Cyber-shot W200 though, you could almost hear a collective groan from reviewers and savvy buyers alike. We’ve all seen the image quality of compacts decrease in recent generations with noise levels becoming a serious problem as manufacturers continue to squeeze more pixels onto the limited real estate of compact sensors. It seems numbers still sell, and for digital cameras that means ever-increasing resolutions, even if it’s at the cost of compromising other aspects.
So along comes the first 12 Megapixel compact and we’d forgive you for expecting the worst – we certainly did. Surely after what we’ve seen at the 7 to 10 Megapixel level, the W200 doesn’t stand a chance – and yet as we discovered in this review, the quality can actually be a lot better than you’d think. Over the following pages you’ll see it compared to rivals with 6 to 10 Megapixels and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results. Not all of them admittedly, but certainly by some.
Along with the lower resolution W80 and W90 models, the W200 sports an optical viewfinder in addition to a 2.5in screen – something of a rarity in today’s compacts. The W200 also features a reasonable degree of manual control and a surprisingly wide variety of optional accessories including a component video cable for HDTV slideshows and lens converters to widen or lengthen the basic 35-105mm equivalent range.
When Sony announced the Cyber-shot W200 though, you could almost hear a collective groan from reviewers and savvy buyers alike. We’ve all seen the image quality of compacts decrease in recent generations with noise levels becoming a serious problem as manufacturers continue to squeeze more pixels onto the limited real estate of compact sensors. It seems numbers still sell, and for digital cameras that means ever-increasing resolutions, even if it’s at the cost of compromising other aspects.
So along comes the first 12 Megapixel compact and we’d forgive you for expecting the worst – we certainly did. Surely after what we’ve seen at the 7 to 10 Megapixel level, the W200 doesn’t stand a chance – and yet as we discovered in this review, the quality can actually be a lot better than you’d think. Over the following pages you’ll see it compared to rivals with 6 to 10 Megapixels and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results. Not all of them admittedly, but certainly by some.
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