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Level-and-shoot digital cameras nowadays aren’t notably thrilling, except in fact they’ve some distinctive options equivalent to 4K video assist or a excessive zoom vary. By the way, Sony’s new Cybershot DSC-WX800 manages to squeeze each these options into a extremely compact physique. The truth is, Sony claims that that is the world’s smallest fixed-lens digicam with such a large optical zoom vary.
The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 is offered proper now in India at a worth of Rs. 34,990, which does not appear so dangerous contemplating the options you get. We have been wanting to see how this digicam performs, and now that we lastly received our fingers on a retail unit, it is time to see if the Cybershot DSC-WX800 is the proper digicam on your subsequent trip.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 design and ergonomics
The Cybershot DSC-WX800 weighs round 233g and is roughly the identical dimension as Sony’s DSC-HX90V and RX100 IV compact cameras. Sony has basically used the identical physique because the predecessor to this mannequin — the Cybershot DSC-WX500 — and has merely upgraded a few of its options. The digicam feels nicely put collectively, and all of the plastic and metallic components meet properly, with out leaving any unpleasant gaps. When switched off, the lens would not protrude a lot so this digicam may be simply slipped into your pants pocket.
There is not a lot of a handgrip on the proper aspect, aside from a small patch of rubber on the again for the place your thumb rests. We did discover this to be a difficulty at occasions, particularly when taking pictures with one hand, as there’s not lots of floor space to grip. The entrance metallic plate has a easy texture that appears good, however some rubber padding right here would have been useful. It isn’t an enormous criticism, however a little bit element that Sony appears to have missed.
On the highest of the digicam, there’s a change to pop open the flash, in addition to energy and shutter buttons and the mode dial. The shutter button has a little bit of play once you attempt to half-press it to lock focus, so this might have been designed higher. The mode dial is tiny however pretty stiff, so we by no means had unintended adjustments when taking pictures. The Cybershot DSC-WX800 lacks an digital viewfinder (EVF), which implies all framing must be carried out via the LCD display on the rear.
Talking of which, the 3-inch TFT show is a touchscreen with a 921K dot decision. It has first rate brightness however it does wash out just below shiny daylight. Having an EVF would have been useful right here. The display additionally flips up 180 levels, making it simpler to shoot selfies. A 3-second timer is activated by default once you flip the display over, so you have got time to hit the shutter and pose on your selfie.
The button structure on the again is sort of similar to that of the older mannequin. You’ve got a rotating dial that additionally doubles up as a four-way navigation pad together with buttons for video recording, menu, playback, a operate button and a customisable ‘C’ button.
There is a Micro-USB port on the proper, which is used for charging and connecting the digicam to a PC. The Micro-HDMI port is positioned on the backside. There’s additionally a flap on the backside for the battery and storage. The Cybershot DSC-WX800 accepts both a microSD card or a Reminiscence Stick Micro card. It is a little bit unusual that Sony did not use a full-sized SD card slot, contemplating that the earlier mannequin had one and the size of this digicam are kind of similar.
Contemplating how low-cost microSD playing cards have grow to be, this is not an issue however you will have to recollect to hold an adapter round if you wish to copy information over to a laptop computer once you’re travelling. The Cybershot DSC-WX800 is simply accessible in a single color, which is black. Within the field you get a wall charger, a Micro-USB cable, and a wrist strap.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 specs and options
The Cybershot DSC-WX800 packs in an 18.2-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch Exmor R CMOS sensor with a BIONZ X picture processor. It has distinction detection autofocus, an aperture vary of f/3.5 to f/6.4, a zoom vary of 24-720mm (35mm equal), and SteadyShot optical stabilisation for stills and flicks.
The digicam has a local ISO vary of 80-3,200, which is expandable to ISO 6,400. The digicam solely shoots JPEGs and there is no RAW file assist. It has a steady burst taking pictures velocity of 10fps (inSpd Precedence mode). 4K video may be recorded at 30fps, whereas 1080p recording can go as much as 120fps. Eye autofocus can be supported.
The digicam has a characteristic referred to as Zoom Help, which helps you to zoom out quickly so you possibly can re-frame your topic, after which return to the precise the zoom place you have been at. It is useful at excessive zoom ranges, as you do not have to maintain adjusting the zoom change forwards and backwards. The Zoom Help operate may be assigned to a number of the buttons in the back of the digicam. Even a number of the labeled buttons may be reassigned to completely different features, so that you get a good degree of customisation to adapt to your taking pictures model.
The Cybershot DSC-WX800 has Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1, and NFC, and syncs together with your smartphone utilizing the Sony PlayMemories Cell app. You’ll be able to management the digicam remotely or use your telephone to flick thru pictures and replica them over, both on the authentic dimension or at a decrease decision.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 efficiency and battery life
Given the value level and the scale of the sensor on this digicam, we weren’t anticipating miracles in our ISO take a look at. Nonetheless, it is fascinating to see how this little digicam fares at greater ISO ranges. We start with ISO 100, and at a one hundred pc crop, you possibly can see that issues aren’t off to an amazing begin. There’s some gentle distortion within the shadows, and it turns into extra obvious as soon as we go as much as ISO 400. Discover that the main points additionally start to degrade a bit, and we’re but to get to the upper ISO ranges. At ISO 800 to 1600, particulars get progressively mushier.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 ISO take a look at
On the highest native ISO degree, the picture is is barely usable. The expanded ISO degree of 6400 ought to be averted as photographs merely grow to be grainy messes. For low-light taking pictures, we discovered it greatest to go away the digicam in Auto mode.
The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 can benefit from multi-frame taking pictures, which implies it captures a collection of frames and combines the output to cut back noise. This may be pressured in any of the ‘Program’ modes too, by choosing “ISO Multi-frame NR”. It really works nicely however it may additionally backfire at occasions, particularly in very low mild. We discovered that it might mess up the publicity and colors in some photographs.
Beneath good mild, the Cybershot DSC-WX800 captures shiny and vivid pictures, with good sharpness and element. Reds and greens do seem a little bit exaggerated at occasions, which could not all the time be essentially the most correct illustration of the scene you are taking pictures, however it might enchantment to causal customers who’re the goal marketplace for such a digicam within the first place. Macros are dealt with nicely too, though at greater zoom ranges and below harsh lighting, the digicam struggles a bit to get the proper publicity.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 digicam pattern (resized for internet): ISO 80, f/4.5, 1/800s, 56mm (35mm equal) Faucet to see full-sized picture
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 digicam pattern (resized for internet): ISO 100, f/5, 1/1000s, 75mm (35mm equal) Faucet to see full-sized picture
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 digicam pattern (resized for internet): ISO 200, f/6.4, 1/250s, 720mm (35mm equal) Faucet to see full-sized picture
Sony claims that the digicam can lock focus in 0.09 seconds, however that is solely on the widest focal size. We discovered focusing to be pretty fast, even with transferring topics, however it slows down as you zoom in. On the highest zoom degree, the digicam can take a second or two to lock focus, relying on the lighting and the scale of your topic. Eye autofocus works nicely, and we preferred the Lock-on AF characteristic, which tracks your topic for nonetheless photographs and in sure video modes.
We have been in a position to seize some fairly good motion photographs utilizing the burst mode, even from a transferring boat. This bodes nicely for the digicam’s optical stabilisation. The zoom vary is kind of spectacular, and photographs retain good sharpness and element even on the highest zoom degree. You’ll be able to allow digital zoom too, however the picture high quality takes successful so we do not advocate it.
Low-light efficiency is strictly common although. Even with multi-frame taking pictures, there is no escaping a little bit of noise within the shadows and particulars aren’t as sharp as we might have preferred it to be. Sony makes use of this related approach on its higher-end RX100 collection too however there, the digicam shoots at the next burst price, which leads to cleaner and sharper photos, in comparison with the Cybershot DSC-WX800, which solely appears to shoot about 3-4fps.
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 digicam pattern (resized for internet): ISO 3,200, f/3.5, 1/5s, 24mm (35mm equal) Faucet to see full-sized picture
Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 digicam pattern (resized for internet): ISO 3,200, f/4, 1/5s, 40mm (35mm equal) Faucet to see full-sized picture
4K movies are restricted to five minutes per clip however we discovered the standard to be above common in good mild. This is because of the truth that the Cybershot DSC-WX800 makes use of a full sensor read-out, with none pixel binning which implies it shoots on the full 18.2-megapixel decision after which oversamples it to 4K. Picture high quality will get a little bit noisy in low mild and we did observe a bit extra focus searching, in comparison with when taking pictures in daylight. At full zoom, the digicam’s autofocus is a bit sluggish at locking focus, and in case your topic strikes rather a lot, it isn’t very fast at shifting focus.
The digicam is rated to ship round 370 photographs per cost, or round 460 photographs when you set the display to trip after 2 seconds. We have been simply in a position to match these claims, and at occasions, we managed to get round 450 to 500 photographs earlier than the battery degree dipped to a single bar. We had the digicam in Airplane mode throughout most of our area testing, which might be one of many causes for the above-average battery life. The battery may be charged by way of a powerbank, which is handy and it’s also possible to use the powerbank to provide energy so you possibly can proceed utilizing the digicam.
Verdict
The Sony Cybershot DSC-WX800 affords good options and an excellent zoom vary, and is priced nicely at Rs. 34,990. If picture high quality is what you are after, then entry-level DSLRs such because the Nikon D3400 or the Canon EOS 1500D would serve you higher at round this worth, however they’re additionally rather a lot bulkier. Panasonic has a direct competitor to the Cybershot DSC-WX800, referred to as the Lumix DMC-ZS60S, which prices roughly the identical however affords an EVF together with a touchscreen, 30x zoom vary, and 4K video recording.
The Cybershot DSC-WX800 would have been higher if it had a greater handgrip, faster autofocus at greater zoom ranges, and an EVF. Low-light efficiency is kind of common, however that is par for the course on this phase so it isn’t an enormous criticism. Nevertheless, this little digicam it does have many issues going for it together with its massive, flippable contact show, good zoom vary, 4K video assist, first rate battery life, and good options. All in all, which means it’s price contemplating at this worth.
Value (MRP): Rs. 34,990
Professionals
- Pocketable
- Good zoom vary
- Shoots first rate JPEGs in good mild
- Flippable touchscreen
- Good battery life
- Respectable 4K video
Cons
- Common low-light efficiency
- Sluggish autofocus at excessive zoom ranges
- No EVF
Scores (out of 5)
- Construct/ design: 4
- Picture high quality: 3.5
- Video high quality: 3.5
- Efficiency: 3.5
- Worth for cash: 4
- Total: 3.5
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