• Good build and handling
• Good features
• Impressive image quality

Photo: Sony

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 is a stylish compact digital camera which not only looks the part, but delivers some stunning images too. Sony has fitted the WX1 with a 10-megapixel image sensor which promises the best in not only image quality, but video quality, too.

Good build and handling

The DSC-WX1 comes in light and slimmer than the TX1, and the camera is designed with a minimalist theme and is well composed. Though a slim compact digital camera, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 is large enough to handle. It’s not the most comfortable to control, as the WX1 doesn’t have a handgrip, which can make getting a firm grip on the device’s metal body rather tricky at times. The camera’s top plate is pretty clean, only featuring a power button and shutter release. This is due to the control dial being moved to the back of the camera, just above the navigation pad. Given the compact size of the camera, no optical viewfinder is included and images are framed using the 2.7-inch LCD lens.

The user interface on the WX1 is rather accessible, with lots of options being presented to users when pressing the drive mode button. All the controls on the WX1 are also responsive and provide the added comfort and feel of control.

Good features

When it comes to features, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 is fitted with a 10.2 megapixel “Exmor R” back-illuminated CMOS image sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens with a focal range of 24-120mm. The camera’s high quality lens has also been dubbed the Sony G lens. In making the digital camera faster and helping it capture better images, the WX1 comes with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilisation, face and smile detection, Sweep Panorama mode, and Intelligent Scene Recognition. High-speed continuous shooting is provided at 10fps. The Sony compact digital camera is also capable of capturing video in HD at 720p and comes with an HDMI output.

Impressive image quality

Photo: Sony

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 manages to keep noise at bay until ISO 800. High contrast situations are handled well with no visible colour distortions. The WX1 also produces slightly soft images, though these can be further sharpened with photo-editing software. The Macro mode performance is good, allowing users to focus as close as 5cm away. However, with a maximum shutter speed of 2 seconds, the digital camera struggles at night and other low-light environments. Overall, the DSC-WX1 takes some high quality images which will definitely impress.

Going for about £160, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 provides some good value and takes some impressive images which can be accredited to the device’s Exmor R camera sensor. The features are good and the camera is well designed, making the DSC-WX1 coming highly recommended for anyone looking for a quality digital camera.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 Price

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 (DSCWX1)

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Video Review

Description: The latest Sony Cyber-shot and Handycam models feature the game-changing Exmor-R CMOS Sensor. Developed by Sony, this capture sensor offers far greater sensitivity and speed for performance never before seen on a compact camera

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