Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
The 14.1 - megapixel Sony Cyber - shot DSC - W370 is a substantial power point - and - flash photographic camera with a decorous array of features for the cost ( $ 230 as of March 31 , 2010 ) , including a 7X - opthalmic - zoom lens ( 34 mm to 238 mm ) , a 3 - inch LCD screen , and 720p gamey - definition TV recording . The camera comes in flushed , green , or silver .
Due to its bigger soar lens , the DSC - W370 is a bit on the large side for a point - and - burgeon forth , weighing 6.3 ounce when load up with a battery and a computer memory bill of fare ( it takes either SD / SDHC cards or Memory Stick in its combo storehouse slot ) . At 4 by 2.25 by 1.06 inches , it ’s just a tad too big to put in your air pocket for a dark out .
In my casual hands - on mental test , I found the image quality to be moderately good – surprisingly little grain appeared at even at the highest ISO setting ( 3200 ) , colors looked true ( but sometimes a number washed out ) , and image taken in macro musical mode were very clear .
In PCWorld Labs ’ immanent jury examination for persona timbre , the camera also fared very well . Color accuracy and exposure calibre were the DSC - W370 ’s unattackable suits , earning it an overall imagination musical score of Good . Battery lifespan was a bit less telling , as the camera ’s 270 shots on a single charge of its battery resulted in a score of Fair .
Lagginess away , the DSC - W370 has quite a few nifty modes that jell it apart from other likewise priced point - and - shoots . It features a Sweep Panorama mode , which allows you to take a 243 - level panoramic shot with minimal try . You just press out the shutter button once and move the photographic camera steadily in the counseling of an on - concealment arrow ; if you move the camera too quick , it warns you that it ca n’t keep up , so there ’s pretty much no way to make a mess of matter . The Sweep Panorama mode is quickly approachable via a selection on the mode dial , and it takes aspect photograph from give to right wing , right on to left , up to down , or down to up . It ’s a nifty feature for people who like to dissipate panoramic views of beautiful scene – it ’s fast and easy , and the pictures turn out very nicely as long as there are n’t a lot of things actuate around in the scene you ’re trying to enchant .
The DSC - W370 also features a self - portrayal timekeeper , which is particularly ready to hand for anyone who like to take pics of themselves for Facebook or MySpace . Using the camera ’s face - sleuthing technology , the timer postponement until it discover your font in the scene andthenstarts the timer ( unlike veritable timers , which but count down from the moment you press the push button ) . You ’ll also line up a fashion for a double - portrayal , in which two or more faces trigger the tv camera ’s timer .
Other notable feature admit Intelligent Auto modality , which adjusts vulnerability configurations based on a shot ’s firing and compsition , and the grinning mood , which is gimmicky but works really well . Smile fashion snaps a motion-picture show automatically when someone in front of the camera is smile ; you’re able to adapt the modality ’s “ sensibility ” in the options . Smile mode has its own quick - access push button on the directive pad , which is interesting because it does n’t really seem like a characteristic that a person would use very often .
Despite its not experience much coverage on the broad - slant end , I got great use out of the 7X - optic - zoom lens . I did some of my shot at the Monterey Bay Aquarium , and I was able-bodied to capture bantam lilliputian minnow from several feet away very efficaciously . The image stabilisation – swash on Sony ’s Website as Optical SteadyShot engineering – worked well during my test shots ( trust me , those Pisces the Fishes were move all over the place ) .
The DSC - W370 shoot 720p HD video at 30 frames per second in MPEG-4 format , and you ’re able-bodied to zoom in and out while filming ; autofocus lick well in video mode during my helping hand - on exam . The video gets grainy if you zoom in too much , but looks fine up to about 5X. The DSC - W370 also has an HDMI port for playing on - photographic camera videos on the bighearted screen , and you’re able to record up to 29 minutes ( 2 GB ) per movie .
Overall , the Sony Cyber - shot DSC - W370 is a decent camera . It has a lot of cool features for the price , but it ’s pretty adult and the lag meter is annoying . If you ’re looking for a tv camera that does a lot on a low budget , the DSC - W370 is a nice choice ; but if you ’re seek an everyday camera to shoot with on the go , look for a small model that has quicker answer time .
