Sony Cybershot W200 Goes Up To 12M
New Cybershot sports image stabilisation and a 12MP sensor
(by Mike Slocombe for Digital Lifestyles, May 2007)



Finally expected to ship very shortly is Sony's latest addition to their Cyber- shot digital camera range, the DSC-W200
which sports a 12.1-megapixel sensor, a slimline form factor and high-definition output for plugging in the camera to a HD TV.

With an asking price lurking around the £270 ($400) mark, the Cyber-shot W200 packs a fair amount of features for your buck, boasting Super Steady Shot image stabilisation and an advanced Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design promising good low light performance and blur-free photos.

The 35-105mm 3x zoom range isn't going to excite hedge-dwelling twitchers or wannabe paparazzi, but the 3 9/16" x 2 5/16" x 1 1/16" (91 x 58.5 x 27.3 mm) dimensions make it a pocketable, carry anywhere number.

Nowadays, no modern consumer camera is complete without some of that trendy Face Detection technology bolted on, and Sony has obliged with their version which boldly claims to automatically control focus, exposure, colour and flash and, err, "capture the personalities and emotions that make memories come alive."



Keeping with current trends, the camera's top ISO rating has also had a mighty shove upwards, with the W200 managing an impressive top end sensitivity of ISO 6400, albeit at a much reduced resolution of just 3 MP.

We haven't seen any examples of what to expect at this lofty sensitivity yet, but we'd expect more noise than a Motorhead gig.

Sony reckons you can expect better photos thanks to its Sony Bionz high-speed processing engine, which utilises D-range optimisation to control bright highlights and retain detail in shadows and backlit areas.

Video support comes in the shape of 'MPEG Movie VX Fine Mode', which can capture VGA (640 x 480) audio/video clips at a high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second), with recording length limited only by memory capacity.

Finishing off the feature set, there's 9 point auto focus, in-camera retouching and red-eye reduction, TV slideshow playback accompanied by MP3 tunes, a large 2.5" LCD Screen and a handy built-in optical viewfinder.



Punters looking to show off their swanky HD plasma screens will be chuffed to learn that the W200 is compatible with the Sony VMC-MHC1 high-definition component cable, making it easy to hook it up to a TV and start boring friends and relatives with family snaps in glorious high definition .

Sony are doggedly sticking to their proprietary Memory Stick DUO PRO slot, backed with 31MB of internal memory, and according to Sony Japan, there's optional wideangle and zoom lens attachments available.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 Digital Cameras specs

LCD: 2.5?2 (115K Pixels) TFT LCD screen
Viewfinder: Optical
Lens Construction: 6 Elements in 5 Groups, 3 Aspheric Elements
Microphone/Speaker: Yes/ Yes
Lens Type: Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar
Docking Station: Yes, via optional HD Cradle

General
Recording Media: 31 MB internal Flash Memory, optional Memory Stick DUO Media, optional
Memory Stick DUO PRO Media
Imaging Device: 1/1.72" Super HAD™ CCD
Megapixel: 12.1 MP

Optics/Lens
Total Zoom: 6X
Optical Zoom: 3X
Digital Zoom: 0-2.0X (Precision)
Exposure Compensation: ±2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Step Increments
Minimum Focus Distance: 19.7" (50cm) Normal, 0.74" (2cm) Macro
Focal Length: 2.8 - 5.5mm
35mm Equivalent: 35 - 105mm
Focus: 9-Area Multi-Point AF, Centre AF, Spot AF
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400
Shutter Speed: 1/4-1/1600 sec. (Auto), 1-1/1600 sec. (Program Auto)
Aperture Range: Auto, f2.8-8(W)/f5.2-14.8(T)
Filter Diameter: N/A
Macro Mode: Yes

Features
Date/Time Stamp: No/ No
Erase/Protect: Yes/Yes
Media/Battery Indicator: Yes/Yes
Memory Stick PRO Media Compatibility: Tested to support up to 8GB Memory Stick DUO
PRO media capacity; does not support Access Control security function.
Colour Mode(s): Black & White, Natural, Sepia, Vivid
Red-Eye Reduction: Yes (On/Off all modes)
Self Timer: Yes (10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off)
Still Image Mode(s): Normal, Burst, Bracket Exposure
White Balance: Automatic, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3,
Incandescent, Flash

Auto Features
Movie Mode(s): MPEG VX Fine with Audio (640×480 at 30fps) (MPEG VX Fine requires Memory
Stick DUO PRO media), MPEG VX Standard with Audio (640×480 at 16fps), Presentation (320 x240 at 8fps)
Power Save Mode: Yes (after approx. 3 min. of inactivity)
Scene Mode(s): Beach, High Sensitivity (ISO3200), Extra High Sensitivity(ISO6400), Fireworks,
Landscape, Snow, Soft Snap, Twilight, Twilight Portrait
AF Illuminator Light: Yes
PictBridge Compatible: Yes
Multi-Pattern Measuring: Yes
SteadyShot Image Stabilization: Yes

Inputs and Outputs
Accessory Terminal: N/A
Audio/Video Output(s): Yes via Multi-Use Connector
USB Port(s): Yes (Supports USB 2.0
Operating Conditions
Flash Effective Range: TBA
Flash Mode(s): Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Synch

Power
Battery Capacity: 3.6V, 960 mAh
Battery Type: Lithium-Ion NP-BG1
Service and Warranty Information
Limited Warranty: 1 Year Parts & Labour



Sony