Appearance of the W310 does not have many features. The body is small and slim so it can easily put into the pockets when traveling. Front grille in a metal grinding pattern to help prevent scratches and prevent fingerprints are relatively effective. The shooting button is quite small and sank on the top of the machine. Sony does not design zoom rims as some travel cameras of Canon or Nikon that convert this function to two small keys located on the back. As a cheap machine, the control system of the W310 is quite simple. The shift switch located on the right side allows only the switch between shooting and video recording. The option of wearing the scene must be selected in the on-screen display menu by the navigation keys. The machine provides USB and AV data connection via a single combined port. The point is that the Sony Cyber-shot W310 is compatible with both SD / SDHC memory cards and Memory Stick media for cost savings.
The LCD of the W310 is 2.7 inches wide, 230,400 pixels high. The large size of the display plus the compactness of the body forced Sony to drop the optical viewfinder. Although using Clear Photo technology, this screen is slightly glittery and dark when viewed in the sun. The viewing angle of the LCD is very narrow, which makes taking pictures in positions such as high above the head or close to the ground becomes relatively difficult. The flash has a coverage of 3 meters at the widest angle or 1.5 meters at maximum zoom. However, Sony has “forget” not equipped for Sony Cyber-shot W310 focus-assist lamp. Therefore, the rotary mechanism is not good in low light conditions. The red-eye reduction feature is achieved by flashing a very short amount of time before shooting to reduce reflections on the retina. In addition, the built-in filter automatically corrects red-eye right after shooting. The NP-BN1 Lithium battery allows about 220 images to be taken, slightly less if you use it for meetings or long trip.
The Cyber-shot W310 has a 4x optical zoom lens, listed as 28-112mm equivalent. SteadyShot helps a lot with hand shake. You can still take clear photos at 1/20 sec even when the zoom is set all the way in, which is notable for a small camera.
Inside, there is a 12MP sensor on a 1/2.3-inch chip. The ISO range runs from 100 up to 3200. Most JPEG files end up near 4MB. This compression seems to hold onto fine detail and keep colors true, without making the files too large.
Sony DSC-W310 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Zoom with Digital Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch LCD (Black) (OLD MODEL): Buy it now
Sony DSC-W310 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Zoom with Digital Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch LCD (Pink): Buy it now
SONDSCW310 – Sony W310 Cyber-shot Digital Camera: Buy it now
Testing in daylight conditions shows that the machine is fairly accurate. White balance slightly cold but not significant. Clean, neutral colors are not as brilliant as some Canon travel cameras. However, due to poor lens quality, the image is relatively dim at the edges. The focus in the center is not equal to the two opponents of the Nikon S3000 and Canon IXUS 105 IS.
Similar to the compact camera, the W310 produces poor picture quality in low light conditions.
Once the scene reaches ISO 400, the image starts to feel jagged. Small details lose their clear edges.
At ISO 1,600, and again at ISO 3,200, the colors start to slide out of place. You can see it right away.
The pictures end up flat, and the forms look a bit blocky. Small prints suit them better than big ones.
For sharper results, set ISO from 100 to 400. Only use the flash if you have no other choice.
A couple of images show a bad white balance guess. The colors then look off, and the mood feels too tense.
If you want better picture quality but do not want to pay much, look for the older models like Sony W330, Sony W350, or Canon IXUS 105 IS.
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.