Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is a bit of surprise. Last year, Sony's high-end 10x zoom camera, the HX7V, though pocketable, was still a chunk of camera. The WX150, on the other hand, gets the same zoom range -- 25mm to 250mm -- but in a slimmer, smaller, lighter body.

8.0

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150

$199 at Amazon

The Good

The <b>Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150</b> is a very fast, 10x zoom ultracompact with lots of automatic shooting options, and very good photo and video quality.

The Bad

The WX150's 18-megapixel resolution is of little use and its small, lightweight body can make it difficult to keep the zoom lens steady.

The Bottom Line

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is an excellent little camera that doesn't sacrifice features and performance for size.

It's actually so small, Sony bumped it from its high-zoom H-series models, and it's now with the W-series ultracompacts. However, making cameras smaller usually comes with compromises to something else, be it performance, photo quality, or functionality. That was the case with Canon's PowerShot Elph 520 HS.

That's not the case here, though, and that's what's kind of surprising; it's an ultracompact megazoom that's worth seeking out.

It's not perfect, but for its price and size, it's an excellent choice if you're after a very pocket-friendly snapshooter with some extra zoom.

Image quality
Overall, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 produces very good photos both indoors and out. At lower ISOs, you can definitely get shots that look good printed up to 10x13 and they stand up to a little enlarging and cropping. That's probably more than most people need, but it also means that the occasional 8x10 isn't out of the question. Subjects do get visibly softer above ISO 400, but shots are usable at small sizes up to ISO 1600. Sony's Handheld Twilight mode can help out here, though, as the results are not quite as soft and noisy when shooting in low light. I wouldn't bother using the two highest ISOs, though, as they look more like artist renderings than photos and have off colors.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 sample pictures

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The WX150 produces bright and vivid colors that most point-and-shoot users should find pleasing. However, they aren't always accurate, especially when it comes to blues. Neutrals, reds, and greens were truer, though. As for the lens quality, there is a little bit of barrel distortion present at the camera's wide end, but no pincushioning at the telephoto end. Center sharpness is very good, but the lens does get softer out to the sides and in the corners. My test camera was particularly soft in the top left and right corners. Purple fringing is visible in high-contrast areas, but generally only when photos are viewed at larger sizes. (Read more about the WX150's image quality in the slideshow above.)

Movies captured by the WX150 are very good as well, on par with an entry-level video camera. The 60i frame rate and image stabilization make for some smooth movement, too. You may see some ghosting with fast-moving subjects, though, especially if you view them on a larger HDTV. If you'd like a single device for capturing good photos and videos, this is one of the better options available. For the best results you'll want to record in AVCHD, but for Web sharing there is the option to record in MP4 format. The optical zoom does work while recording (though you may hear it moving in quiet scenes), and there is a fairly good stereo mic on top.

Shooting performance
Sony promised fast autofocus speeds for the WX150, and that's what you'll get. Shutter lag -- the time it takes from pressing the shutter release to capture without prefocusing -- took just 0.2 second in bright conditions, so shooting feels near instantaneous. It slows down some in low light and with the lens extended, but it's still good at 0.6 second. From off to first shot is a quick 1.3 seconds, though it did drop to 1.7 seconds from shot to shot. It feels faster than that time suggests, though. The only time it really lagged was when using the flash. That drove the shot-to-shot time up to an average of 4.3 seconds.

The camera's burst shooting mode is capable of up to 10fps, but in our more demanding test it averaged 7.2fps, which is still very good. However, this burst shooting sets focus and exposure with the first shot, and once you've fired, you're stuck waiting for the camera to save the photos, generally a second or two per photo. Though its speed is excellent for a point-and-shoot, that doesn't mean it's going to be perfect for shooting active kids and pets, especially since its many multishot modes require still subjects.

Design and features
Save for the lens, the WX150's design isn't very different than last year's WX9. That camera had a Carl Zeiss 5x, f2.6-6.3, 25-125mm lens, which was a very nice lens. Unfortunately, in the move to a 10x optical zoom, the WX150 loses the WX9's bright f2.6 maximum aperture; the WX150 starts at f3.3 instead. It's not the end of the world, but it does mean the WX150 will need its higher ISO sensitivities a little bit sooner when you have less light.

About the only hangup I have with the design is that it's almost too small and light. Many of the controls are very small and a few of its buttons are flat and flush with the body, including the power button. Plus, the mode dial/directional pad is slightly frustrating to use and could accidentally move you out of your chosen shooting mode if you're not careful with your thumb. Also, because there's not much weight to it, it can be very difficult to keep the lens still when fully extended. This is a problem with all long-lens compacts, but there's just less to grab onto with the WX150.

All of Sony's higher-end Cyber-shots charge by USB by connecting to a computer or the included wall adapter. It's a Micro-USB port, too, so they're pretty easy to come by. The battery life is a CIPA-rated 240 shots, but if you're shooting a lot of video, have the display brightness cranked up, or using a lot of the multishot modes or burst shooting, this will cut into your battery life. If you buy a backup battery, you'll probably want to buy an external charger as well, or just plan ahead.

Like all of Sony's higher-end cameras, there are a lot of shooting options that take advantage of its fast Exmor R sensors and Bionz image processors. For those who like to leave it in auto, there are three options: Easy, Intelligent Auto, and Superior Auto. Easy mode takes away all options except for image size (large or small) and enlarges onscreen text. Intelligent Auto picks from 10 scene types and turns on face detection, dynamic range optimization, and image stabilization. Superior Auto takes Intelligent Auto and adds three multishot modes: Handheld Twilight, Anti Motion Blur, and Backlight Correction HDR. These multishot modes are also selectable as distinct modes in Scene options, along with 13 others like Soft Skin, Gourmet, and Pet, and an Underwater option for use with an optional marine housing.

There is a Program mode if you want to take more control over your results, but you won't find any semimanual or manual shooting modes; the WX150 is really made for automatic snapshots. That said, Sony gives you a lot of extra auto shooting options including nine picture effects such as a miniature/tilt-shift, HDR, and high-contrast black-and-white, and 3D stills and easy pan-and-shoot panoramas. (Read more about the WX150's shooting capabilities in this slideshow.)

Conclusion
Overall, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 is an excellent camera for its size, price, and capabilities. My issues with it are relatively minor, such as its lack of a regular continuous shooting option or its tiny buttons. Snapshooters should be happy with its photo and movie quality (unless you're after really accurate colors across the board) and its fast autofocus makes it easy to get that quick one-off shot.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150

1.3

1.7

0.6

0.2

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10

1.9

1.1

0.7

0.4

Nikon Coolpix S8200

1.1

1.5

0.6

0.3

2.1

1.9

0.6

0.3

Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR

1.9

2.2

0.8

0.4