Sony is renowned for producing highly styled consumer electronics, but the W5 bucks the trend in that, however you look at it, it’s not particularly attractive. The Sony Cybershot W5 provides 5.1 effective Megapixel resolution as well as a very high level of Stamina battery life, easy-to-use functions, 32MB internal memory and large 2.5-inch LCD display. The appeal of this camera is strengthened by a robust aluminium metal body, which features a superb Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 3X optical zoom. As well as its several fully automatic modes for quick snapping and ease of use there are also manual exposure settings suitable for the more creative photographer.

Sony Cybershot W5

Steve’s Digicams has a review up of the W5 and he says-

“The Sony Cyber-shot W5 is 2005 upgrade of the very popular W1 from last year. It offers many of the features found on its predecessor, like a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens, 5-megapixel imager and 2.5-inch LCD display. This compact and durable model can be easily used by anyone, simply rotate the Mode dial to either the Auto or Program AE exposure mode for point-n-snap simplicity. When you want to be a little more creative, it offers 7 scene-specific exposure modes that help you capture great images in a variety of snapping situations. And for anyone who wants to take control over the entire process, the full Manual mode gives you access to more advanced settings like Aperture and Shutter Speed values. With the ability to choose from five different image sizes, the camera offers a great deal of versatility for all types of applications. There’s a 3:2 aspect ratio mode that is perfect for capturing images without having to worry about cropping before creating 4×6-inch prints. Its 1MP mode is great for sending pictures via e-mail or posting listings at online auctions, where file sizes need to be as small as possible.
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Bottom line - the Sony Cyber-shot W5 is a durable and stylish digicam that offers great image quality and robust performance. With 5-megapixels of resolution, you can create photo-quality 11×14-inch or larger prints; just make sure you spend a few seconds correcting the redeye in your flash portraits. With a great deal of versatility and price tag of only $350, we feel it offers an excellent value, and should make a great choice for the family, tourist or business user. If you need more resolution and still want all of the features found on this model, be sure to check out our review of its 7-megapixel “big brother” the W7.”

Feature set:
* 5.1-megapixel CCD.
* 3x zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera).
* Variable digital Smart Zoom (at 3mp res and lower), plus 6x Precision Digital zoom.
* Real-image optical viewfinder.
* 2.5-inch color LCD monitor.
* Mostly automatic exposure control, but Manual mode is available.
* Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment.
* 32MB internal memory.
* Sony Memory Stick slot (no card included), compatible with original Memory Stick as well as the Memory Stick Pro format.
* USB 2.0 computer connection.
* 2 AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and charger included.
* Software for Mac and PC.

Additional Features
* Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Candle, Snow, Beach, Landscape, and Soft Snap modes.
* Movie recording mode (with sound).
* Multi-Burst slow motion mode and Burst continuous snapping mode.
* Email (VGA) modes.
* Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 1/8 sec in auto mode; 1/1000 to two seconds in twilight mode; and 1/1000 to 30 seconds in manual mode (with automatic Noise Reduction below 1/6 second).
* Aperture range from f/2.8 to f/10.
* Creative Picture Effects menu (black and white and sepia).
* Image Sharpness, Saturation, and Contrast adjustments.
* Self-timer for delayed shutter release.
* Macro (close-up) lens adjustment.
* Spot, Center-Weighted, and Multi-Metering modes.
* Adjustable AF area and three AF modes.
* Auto ISO setting or 100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents.
* White balance (color) adjustment with six options.
* DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge printing compatibility.

Click to read Sony Cybershot W5 review here.