~Technical Info~

12 Megapixels
4x Optical Zoom
2.7 inch LCD Screen
SteadyShot
USB Cable

~Review~

I decided to buy a small reasonably priced camera because I wanted one that was better than my camera phone. Also I tend to just leave pictures on my phone or transfer them to my computer and never actually do anything with them. When they are on a camera I am more likely to print them off or make an album out of them. For the price there were a lot of options to choose from and I have to admit I was drawn to this one mainly because I like the look and feel of it rather and any technical reasons.

The W510 has several good features such as face and smile detection. It also has more technical features like exposure compensation and focus modes. It features Sony's Sweep Panorama mode which combined with its superb wide angle performance means it is excellent when taking landscape pictures.

The camera is only 2cm wide and weighs 120g so will easily fit in your pocket without annoying you by digging in or feeling bulky. The shutter button is a bit on the small side and sits flush on top of the camera making it a little bit fiddly to control but it is something you will get used to. The main selection of buttons are located to the right of the screen. They are well spread out making it not feel too cramped but again without the buttons being too small.

The camera comes with a flash that is supposed to have a maximum range of 4.8m. The flash recharges quite quickly but sometimes can take up to 4 seconds. This can be a bit frustrating because if you try to take another picture straight away you will get the shot but no flash. There is also a red-eye reduction option that works with the flash.

The battery is supposed to last for 220 pictures which from reading is slightly down on some of its competitors. I am not a click happy camera user so this is not a problem for me and will usually last even the longest of family days out. The screen is a good quality and the menu is easy to scroll through once you have worked out what all the options mean.

There is probably a million other things to talk about with this camera but for me most of them are insignificant. When paying this amount for a camera I am more interested in the size, how easy it is to use and the quality of the pictures. On all these fronts the Sony W510 comes out with good marks. I would say it is a good family camera, easy to transport and always at hand to capture those special moments.