Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10

16.20 Megapixels	7.00x zoom	2.8 inch LCD

Basic SpecificationsResolution:16.20 MegapixelsLens:7.00x zoom
(24-168mm eq.)Viewfinder:LCDLCD Size:2.8 inchISO:125-3200Shutter:30-1/1600Max Aperture:2.4Mem Type:MS Duo / MS PRO Duo / SD / SDHC / SDXCBattery:Custom LiIonDimensions:3.7 x 2.1 x 0.9 in.
(95 x 54 x 23 mm)Weight:5.7 oz (161 g)
includes batteriesMSRP:$280Availability:03/2011

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 Overview

Posted: 01/05/2011
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 digital camera is based around a 1/2.3"-type, 16.2 effective megapixel, backside-illuminated, Sony Exmor R CMOS image sensor with RGB color filter array, coupled to a Sony G-branded 7x optical zoom lens. For 4:3 aspect ratio still images, the Sony WX10's lens offers a 35mm-equivalent range from a useful 24mm wide angle to a generous 168mm telephoto. When shooting 16:9 aspect stills and movies, there's a greater sensor crop, yielding a 26 - 182mm equivalent range. 4:3 aspect movies have an even greater crop, for a 32 - 224mm range. The two-step aperture with an ND filter offers a choice of F2.4 or F7.1 at wide angle; at telephoto the maximum aperture is F5.9, and the minimum aperture isn't stated. Autofocusing is possible to just five centimeters at wide angle, or 100 centimeters at telephoto. The camera can capture 4:3 aspect ratio images at up to 4,608 x 3,456 pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio images at up to 4,608 x 2,592 pixels, or 60 fields-per-second video at 1080i (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) resolution or below with Dolby Digital stereo audio, using AVC HD compression.
On the rear panel of the Sony Cyber-shot WX10 is a 2.8-inch, ClearPhoto Plus LCD panel with a resolution of 460,800 dots. This display serves as the only method of framing and reviewing images, given that the Sony WX10 doesn't feature an optical viewfinder. The Sony DSC-WX10 has a 9-point autofocus system, and includes a face detection system, capable of detecting up to eight faces in a scene and differentiating between children and adults. The face detection function is used to provide a Smile Shutter function that automatically triggers the shutter when your subject is smiling, as well as a blink detection feature. Manual focus is also available, if desired.
The WX10 offers three methods for determining exposures - multi-pattern, center-weighted or spot metering. Shutter speeds from 2 to 1/1,600 second are possible under automatic control, and with manual control, the shutter can be held open for as long as 30 seconds. sensitivities ranging from ISO 100 to 3,200 equivalents are on offer. 2.0EV of exposure compensation is available, in 1/3 EV steps. The DSC-WX10 also offers Sony's Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, useful for combatting blur caused by camera shake. This includes Sony's Active Mode, available only when shooting video, which allows a greater range of movement for the corrective lens element so as to better correct motion from walking, etc. Nine white balance settings are available, including auto and seven presets, plus a manual white balance setting. There's also a white balance shift function that allows for tweaking of the selected white balance mode. As well as Intelligent Auto, Program, and Manual modes (but no Aperture or Shutter priority modes), the WX10 offers a selection of 14 scene modes -- High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Gourmet, Pet, Soft Skin, Handheld Twilight, Anti Motion Blur, and Backlight Correction HDR -- which together offer a modicum of control over the look of images.
The WX10's Intelligent Sweep Panorama function works similarly to the older Sweep Panorama, in that a series of photographs are captured and stitched automatically by sweeping the lens across the scene, but analyzes frame content when capturing and stitching images, avoiding chopping up larger moving subjects. The function allows automatic creation of 227-, 171-, 156-, or 119-degree panoramas in-camera. In addition, the WX10 also includes Sony's latest 3D Sweep Panorama function, which uses some clever mathematics to recreate a 3D image from a single lens, saving the result as a multi-picture object file that contains two separate JPEG images, one for each eye. The result can be viewed on the latest 3D-capable Sony Bravia displays. 3D Sweep panoramas can cover the same field of view as Intelligent Sweep panoramas, as well as an additional 61-degree option. The Sweep Multi Angle function is only available at 16:9 size, and allows viewing the image with a 3D effect on the camera's 2D LCD display, by changing the display perspective as the camera is rocked from side to side. (The same clever user interface trick is used to cycle backwards or forwards through a group of high-speed burst images).
The Backlight Correction HDR mode is something we've seen in certain of Sony's previous Alpha digital SLRs and Cyber-shot compacts. The camera captures several images with varying exposure, and then automatically combines them into a single image with increased dynamic range. There's also a Background Defocus function, which works by shooting two images with varied focus, the second shot being intentionally somewhat defocused. The two images are compared, and a depth map created by considering areas of significantly differing sharpness in the two frames to be the main subject. This map is then used to blur the background areas, to create an image with a shallow depth-of-field effect reminiscent of those from DSLRs.
The Sony WX10 includes a four-mode flash strobe with red-eye reduction capability. Flash range is stated as 0.35 to 7.1 meters at wide angle, or 1.0 to 2.9 meters at telephoto, when using automatic ISO sensitivity. A two- or ten-second self timer allows the photographer to get in the picture themselves, or to avoid camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button when shooting on a tripod. Images and movies can be recorded on Secure Digital, SDHC, and the latest SDXC card types. The WX10 is also compatible with Sony's own proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The Sony WX10 includes composite standard definition and HDMI high definition video output connectivity, as well as USB data connectivity. Power comes courtesy of a proprietary NP-BN1 Infolithium battery pack. Information on battery life and internal memory, if any, wasn't available at press time.
The Sony WX10 digital camera ships in the US market from March 2011, priced at around US$280. The only available body color will be black.