Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: DSC-W55
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- It's not the fanciest camera, but quick performance and solid images make this sub-$200 shooter a worthwhile pick.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (silver) price range: $349.95
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Reviewed on: 03/27/2007
- Released on: 01/24/2007
The good: Solid image quality and performance; brushed-aluminum faceplate is a pretty touch for a budget model.
The bad: Plastic body; review button is not easy to press.
The bottom line: It's not the fanciest camera, but quick performance and solid images make this sub-$200 shooter a worthwhile pick.
Against slimmer, more stylish cameras such as the significantly more expensive Cyber-shot DSC-T50, the W55 won't win any beauty contests. Behind the pretty face hides a blocky, half-plastic compact camera that's built more for ease of use than for fashion. Its 5.1-ounce body, at less than an inch thick, fits easily into almost any pocket. With the exception of its irritatingly recessed power and review buttons, the W55's controls feel large, responsive, and easy to manipulate. A small optical viewfinder sits just above the camera's 2.5-inch screen, a useful feature that adds to the camera's function-over-form design.
The DSC-W55 performed quite well in our lab tests, starting up in only 1.3 seconds and firing off shots every 1.4 seconds thereafter. With the flash enabled, that interval increased to 1.7 seconds, still an impressively short wait. In bright light, the shutter responded quickly for its class, lagging only 0.5 second. With our low-contrast target, however, that time tripled to 1.5 seconds. Burst mode also lagged, snapping four full-resolution photos in 2.9 seconds for a disappointing frame rate of 1.3 shots per second.
Overall, we found the DSC-W55's photos clear and pleasing. Despite the slight softening of some finer details, photos looked crisp. Colors generally reproduced well, though users should remember to switch to the tungsten white-balance setting when shooting indoors--the W55's automatic white balance fared poorly in our difficult tungsten-lit test shots, rendering harsh and yellow.
Sony tames noise impressively throughout the DSC-W55's sensitivity range. At ISO 100 we saw no significant noise, even when scrutinized on a monitor. Extremely small speckles became visible on a display for ISO 200 and ISO 400 shots, but not in prints. At ISO 800, noise became apparent in prints and was very noticeable on monitors. Surprisingly though, even at ISO 1,000, the W55 produces usable, if grainy, prints with vivid and accurate colors. However, we'd suggest staying below ISO 1,000 or ISO 800 when possible for best results. The W55 improves greatly over the DSC-W30 in this respect, with its noisy and dull high-ISO photos.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 doesn't have any notable or unique features, but its quick performance and solid picture quality make it a fine choice budget choice, plus it offers a larger screen and a nicer finish for just $20 more than the W35. Not a bad upgrade for a single picture of Andrew Jackson.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Time to first shot | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
User reviews
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VERY COMPACT, but falls short of image quality
by tuxedocox on February 19, 2007
Pros: Size and video quality
Cons: Image quality when zoomed in
Summary: I bought this camera the day it came out with high expectations, but I was a little disappointed with the image quality when the camera is zoomed in. The camera ...
Summary: I bought this camera the day it came out with high expectations, but I was a little disappointed with the image quality when the camera is zoomed in. The camera picks up too much 'fuzziness' when it is zoomed in, but when not, the pictures come out very clear.
For the price, the camera is definitely worth it, but if you are looking for crystal clear pictures when zoomed in, you might want to look for a more expensive alternative. Not having an image stabilization is a little tough.
I do however recommend this camera because the size and quick start up allows one to take a picture in an instant...just pull it from your pocket and shoot.10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Point n' Shoot
by socerguy243 on April 1, 2007
Pros: Price, easy of use, versatility, battery life
Cons: USB port location, included software, online support
Summary: I bought this camera the month it came out since Spring Break was just around the corner. I'm glad I waited for this camera! It did a magnificent job ...
Summary: I bought this camera the month it came out since Spring Break was just around the corner. I'm glad I waited for this camera! It did a magnificent job on the cruise I went to. The multiple photos (especially beach and twilight) worked very very well. While the photo modes don't allow a tremedous amount of user inputs, the options that are there are easy to understand and easy to change. I essentially filled my 1 Gb stick and the image quality is outstanding; as long as you stay in the optical 3x range since you'll always lose image quality when using digital zoom. Camera starts up quick to allow you to start shooting and there is little shutter lag or delay between pictures. My battery stayed charged over the 7 day cruise.
The only gripe I have is the placement of the USB port on the bottom of the camera. You have to lay it down on its face or on the LCD on the back once its plugged it.
The software that comes with it isn't amazing either. Sadly (for those that like it) the date stamp can only be superimposed using the software and only one by one. This can be a real pain when you have 150+ pictures from vactaion. Additionally you can't change the folder the pictures are imported to; although you can just navigate to the Stick using windows.
Additinally online support is minimal but I suspect this is only because the product is so new.
Overall, a great investment! Its quick, compact, easy to use yet verstile camera and you'll get great shots!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very compact point and shoot
by boltcc on March 31, 2007
Pros: easy to use, very quick startup and ready time
Cons: no sleep mode
Summary: I am very happy with it, starts right up and its ready to go.you can take pics right after each other with out alot of wait,wich I like ...
Summary: I am very happy with it, starts right up and its ready to go.you can take pics right after each other with out alot of wait,wich I like alot.Very simple to use.the colors come out very bright and true, and focuses well in dark conditions with the assist.I Think its a great little camera for middle of the road use.Very small and compact to take anywhere and the batter life is good.I took it to disney and took about 100 pics one day and still had about 50% charge or so.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Camera not made to last, Sony service is disgraceful
by pickychooser on January 5, 2009
Pros: Easy to use
Decent colour recognition
Fun modesCons: Photos are often blurry
Mode chooser breaks down with time
High noise on photos over time
Horrible customer serviceSummary: Loved this camera at first. Six months later, it's a very different story. I started noticing lots of noise ( little dots visible throughout the images) - even when using ...
Summary: Loved this camera at first. Six months later, it's a very different story. I started noticing lots of noise ( little dots visible throughout the images) - even when using a flash or taking photos in great lighting. Next, the mode selector messed up, changing modes on me without me touching the dial. I sent it in for service. Now guess what - they messed up an internal setting so my 7 megapixel camera is taking photos at 640 x 480 pixels - an unprintable and tiny size!! It should be taking photos at about 3,000x 2,300 pixels. As far as I can see, there is only one place to change this: Menu - P. Quality - fine or standard. But my camera is set to "fine" and it's still not producing the right size.
So, the service centre says to call Sony (1-877-sony) for technical support and the automated system puts me on hold for over an hour with no response EVER. And the service centre itself is so far away from the city that it's a 40 minute drive for me and I've already had their service centre screw it up once. Now, I've just passed the date of sale and my warranty is up. waiting for Sony to e-mail me about this problem, but not expecting much. This will be the last sony product I EVER buy.
Oh - did I mention that both times I was at the service centre someone else came in with a problem with the exact same model of camera? Do not buy this camera. In 6 months or a year you will regret it!!!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Within 18 months the lens will fail.
by cbmtrx on April 16, 2008
Pros: Decent pictures, viewfinder
Cons: Faulty engineering on ALL Cyber-shot models
Summary: I bought the DSC-W50 (the predecessor to the W55) for my wife just over a year ago. We travel every year and so she wanted a reliable compact camera that ...
Summary: I bought the DSC-W50 (the predecessor to the W55) for my wife just over a year ago. We travel every year and so she wanted a reliable compact camera that would last.
We figured that Sony was a good bet. We were wrong. During a trip to Mexico the camera stopped working; one day it turned off (with the lens still extended) and never turned back on. It will cost over $100 to have it repaired.
You must be joking.
After researching the problem, I found that not only were there dozens of complaints about the W5 (and W55) but that this issue extended to many, many other Sony models that use the same technology. There are hundreds of irate customers out there with Sony cameras that have stopped working, and most typically just months after the 1-year warranty period has expired.
Inform yourself:
http://www.fixya.com/support/p472665-sony_cyber_shot_dsc_w50_digital_camera/solutions
http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result?p=sony+cyber-shot+turn+on
http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/sony-cybershot-dscw5_product-reviews.html
All the complaints are the same: Won't turn on; Lens doesn't open/close; Won't take pictures.
We now have a $240 Sony brick.
Trust me, buy a Canon.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I love this camera, exactly what I wanted
by dshritz97 on December 29, 2007
Pros: small, compact, easy to use
Cons: none yet.........
Summary: This is a great camera for a mom who likes to carry it with her to snap pics anytime and share them with family and not have to use the ...
Summary: This is a great camera for a mom who likes to carry it with her to snap pics anytime and share them with family and not have to use the camera-phone!!!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very worthy one! Great pix quality!
by Celcelia on July 28, 2007
Pros: Great pix quality! User-friendly!
Cons: Not compact enough
Summary: I like this camera very much! Actually I bought it with my friend's recommendation. It took solid and very sharp pix! The flash is bright enough! Even when you ...
Summary: I like this camera very much! Actually I bought it with my friend's recommendation. It took solid and very sharp pix! The flash is bright enough! Even when you try to zoom in the pix in the camera, the edges are still very sharp that no "dots dots dots" appear!
I totally disagree the one up there who said Canon is good. Canon is really bad one, when you print it out, you will know the difference! And the Canon's flash is v bad. When you shoot in backlight, Sony did an excellent job! However you can only see your dark face with the Canon camera.
Sony is a brand that you can always trust on it!
The price is very decent! What can you say for a DC of $200?
SONY DSC-W55 is already the best of the best in this price range!
I want to say one more thing that the movie mode is very user-friendly and the movie quality is pretty high. It's of MPEG format. Very good! Much better quality than AVI.
No doubt that SONY has a very high reputation, so you don't need to consider any other brands based on this price range. It's the best one.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good All Around Camera for a Great Price!
by Bruce28 on April 5, 2007
Pros: Good picture quality, plenty of features, Carl Zeiss lens
Cons: Small and sometimes hard to hold steady for those of us lacking fine motor skills!
Summary: All in all I think this is a great camera for the money. Spent plenty of time researching cameras. I always tend to lean toward Sony because they always seam ...
Summary: All in all I think this is a great camera for the money. Spent plenty of time researching cameras. I always tend to lean toward Sony because they always seam to outlast any other brand and are just made well. You can't go wrong with a Carl Zeiss lens either. The brushed aluminum cover is a nice feature for a sub $200 camera. Takes great photos. I am a Chef and needed a camera I could keep in the kitchen to take pictures of dishes that I created. Picked up great detail in the well lit kitchen and dimly lit dining room.
Only problem that I have is that there is no image stabilizer. Sometimes hard to hold such a small camera steady at all times but my fine motor skills are below par. Although you can catch some really cool "trailed light effects"! Also pics taken at full zoom tend to be a little blurry and have a blueish halo.
Great all around camera for those not looking to spend a fortune!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not Bad, but CNET has the wrong images posted
by droolski on April 5, 2007
Pros: Size and price.
Cons: No RAW support.
Summary: I've already written a review (See the "pink" version), but I just noticed that the images CNET has posted for this camera are different than the one I have. ...
Summary: I've already written a review (See the "pink" version), but I just noticed that the images CNET has posted for this camera are different than the one I have. What's up with that?? The one in the pictures seems to be more plastic (sides) and has a different layout of control/function buttons. The zoom is not a pair of recessed buttons on the back, but in a tab/lever that surrounds the shutter release. And there is no "Home" button on it either. It is much more like the images they have posted for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great in low light , fast action settings
by nvjusme on April 3, 2007
Pros: great for indoor events with low lighting
Cons: not many to choose from
Summary: My friend has this camera and we took it to a WWE Wrestling event and we had 3rd row and his camera was awesome while my Sony Dscp100 camera came ...
Summary: My friend has this camera and we took it to a WWE Wrestling event and we had 3rd row and his camera was awesome while my Sony Dscp100 camera came out with mostly blurry pictures. His camera handled the action great while I was ready to throw my camera into the ring so they can break it. Since then I have moved onto a digital Slr Nikon D40 camera. This Sony camera was great and small and a good price.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: DSC-W55
- Description: The slim, compact DSC-W55 model sports 7.2-megapixel imager and precision Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lenses. It combines traditional, eye-level viewfinder with large LCD screen for easy framing and viewing of photos. The W55 camera makes a splash with a 2.5-inch LCD screen wrapped in a metal body. This model features 3x optical zoom capability, blur-reduction technology (ISO), and substantial internal memory for shooting without a media card. Its storage capacity can be expanded further with an optional Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo flash media card.
General
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Width 3.5 in
- Depth 0.9 in
- Height 2.2 in
- Weight 4.1 oz
- Enclosure Color Sleek silver
- Body Material Metal
Main Features
- Resolution 7.2 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type Super HAD CCD
- Effective Sensor Resolution 7,200,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.5 in
- Light Sensitivity ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1000, ISO auto
- Digital Zoom 6 x
- Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
- Shooting Programs Snow, Beach, Landscape, Soft snap, Twilight mode, High sensitivity, Twilight portrait
- Special Effects Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Black & White
- Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 1 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- White Balance Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Flash, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Incandescent
- Digital Video Format MPEG VX
- Still Image Format JPEG
- TV Tuner None
- Video Capture MPEG - 640 x 480, MPEG - 640 x 480, MPEG - 320 x 240
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory 56 MB Flash - Integrated
- Supported Flash Memory Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo
- Integrated Memory 56 MB
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage Standard, Fine JPEG 3072 x 2304, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 2048 x 1536, JPEG 1632 x 1224, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 3072 x 2048, JPEG 1920 x 1080
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye Reduction Yes
- Effective Flash Range 8 in - 13 ft
- Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 6.3 mm - 18.9 mm - F/2.8-5.2
- Focal Length 6.3 mm - 18.9 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 38 - 114 mm
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 5
- Min Focus Range 19.7 in
- Macro Focus Range 2-30cm
- Lens Aperture F/2.8-5.2
- Optical Zoom 3 x
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 5 group(s) / 6 element(s)
- Lens Manufacturer Carl Zeiss
- Features Aspherical lens, Built-in lens shield
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 10 sec
- Additional Features DPOF support, Direct print, Auto power save, Contrast control, Histogram display, Resizing an image, Sharpness control, PictBridge support, PRINT Image Matching, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital image rotation, Digital noise reduction, Display brightness control
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Real-image zoom
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 115,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x DC power input
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo
Software
- Software Drivers & Utilities, Sony Picture Motion Browser
Miscellaneous
- Carrying Case None
- Included Accessories Wrist strap
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable
Power
- Power Device Battery charger - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Sony NP-BG1
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- Labs information All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our labs information page for information on how digital cameras are tested.
- CNET Labs Flash shot to shot time 1.7
- CNET Labs Shot to shot time typical 1.4
- CNET Labs Shutter lag bright 0.5
- CNET Labs Shutter lag dim 1.5
- CNET Labs Typical burst speed 1.4
- CNET Labs Wake up time 1.3
Product series
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (pink)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact, 7.2 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 56 MB - Integrated
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (black)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact, 7.2 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (aqua blue)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact, 7.2 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 56 MB - Integrated
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 (silver)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact, 7.2 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display, 56 MB - Integrated
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 Value Bundle (pink w/ case and card reader)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact, 7.2 megapixels, 3 x, 2.5 in LCD display
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
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