Review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55

The Imaging Resource have completed their review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 and report that Sony has made significant improvements in high ISO noise problems-

"This new Sony DSC-W55 offers a few improved specs over its predecessor, the DSC-W50 model. Most notable are the 7.2 megapixel CCD, more internal memory and its faster top shutter speeds. It still retains the 3x optical zoom and large 2.5-inch LCD display of the previous model. The extra megapixels will be appreciated if you need to crop your pictures or make bigger enlargements. More important changes come in areas you can’t see on a spec sheet, particularly high-ISO (high light-sensitivity) image noise. The previous W50 model sported the same top-end ISO 800 and 1,000 settings, but its images were so noisy and blurry at those levels that they were essentially unusable. On-screen, it’s a toss-up between the two cameras’ high-ISO shots, but when printed, images from the W55 look much better (at least to my eye). … Particularly for a camera that you can carry in most any pocket, the Sony DSC-W55 boasts a lot of features, and the controls are laid out well. Offering good sharpness and color, a strong feature set, and available in four colors (black, pink, silver, or blue), all at an attractive price, the Sony DSC-W55 has a lot going for it. If it only did a bit better job under incandescent lighting, it’d be a shoo-in for a Dave’s Pick, but as it stands, it’s a (very) near miss."

7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
2.5-inch LCD display; 3x optical zoom
High-sensitivity shooting mode increases ISO to maximum of 1000
Capture MPEG VX video with audio
Stores images on Memory Stick DUO or MS Pro DUO memory cards (56 MB internal memory included)