Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony CyberShot W130 Digital Camera - Black (8.1MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 2.5" LCD

What I like about the camera is:
- it's very compact and easy to carry about
- the metallic finish makes it feel solid and durable
- the image quality is not bad, probably what would be expected from any typical 8MP
- the camera menu is fairly easy to use, less confusing than other cameras I have used in the past

The only thing I find that isn't ideal is the LCD screen which is not the brightest around so it is a bit difficult using it in bright (sunny) conditions. This is probably deliberate from Sony to improve the battery life which is satisfactory (so far).

Overall, it's certainly good value considering the price and features that go along with it. Highly recommended.

I bought this camera largely based on reviews from the site. HAving previously had a Sony camera, and then a bad experience with another brand (largely my fault admittedly!) I was keen to return.

This camera has not dissappointed so far - it is very compact and I found the menu's to be largely intuitive. The buttons are not too difficult to use although the zoom could be a little smoother! Another minor gripe is that you can't zoom when filming, but then this is firstly a camera, so I'll not harp on.

The smile function has to be seen to be believed - it is a great fun tool (although I have found the subjects do need to be facing directly toward the camera for maximum effect) and has captured some really great shots.

Used recently at my brothers wedding, the camera performed well in both bright daylight, cloudier conditions, and in the dark function room later on for the all important first dance.

Given the price of around £100, I'd say this camera offers excellent value for money. Having since seen a friends W150 with the extra optical zoom, I'd say that the extra is worth it if you can stretch the budget!

Enjoy!

Not a bad camera. Useful 4 times zoom, face detection, image quality reaosnable but not up to that of my old 2005 sony P200, less sharp, less detail, more noise, although with image stabilisation all of them come out, some P200 ones are blurry. To be fair I've seen pictures from other far more modern cameras that are not as good as my trusty P200 which did receive outstanding reviews.
Flash could do with more power.
Good battery life, compact and easy to use.

The display may be 2.5 inches which is fine, but the resolution is terrible (115,000 pixels). When I first switched it on and set the time I immediately knew it was poor. OK for close ups but in order to tell if more distant shots are in focus need to zoom in after each shot. This is inconvenient. Not very good for showing your photo's to others either. They look blurred on the screen even though when you upload them to PC they're actually pretty good. Its easier to see what I've taken on a 2 inch sony P200! The screen does cope well with sunlight and low light though.


The next model up the W150 has a larger screen with 225,000 pixels. Much more like it.

Overall 3 stars, if you can live with the poor screen its a decent offering. Really doesn't offer anything over cheaper W120 apart from one more megapixel. Unless you print A2 sized photo's unlikely to notice the increase in resolution and extra megapixels mean more noise as the sensors the same. The W120 is probably the one to go for or if you can afford it the W150.

Excellent little camera, some handy features built in. Definitely recommended.

Pros:

Compact
Light
Rechargable battery
Excellent anti blur/shake, sharp images even when being shaked quite vigorously.
Nice big LCD
Viewfinder (haven't used, but may come in handy)
Quick and accurate focus
Facial recognition does work
Good image quality and HD output to TV possible.
In camera editing/slideshow/preview handy for retouching and deleting on the move, easy to navigate menus.

Cons:

Sometimes a bit hard to see the screen when it is very sunny.

Overall, great little camera. Would definitely reccommend.

I bought this camera as my SLR camera can be a bit bulky to carry around at times and this easily fits in my pocket. I did lots of research prior to purchase and concluded that the Sony W130 would be a quality camera, which looks good, and would perform well. Although small and slimline,it is well built and the metal case gives it a stylish and solid look. I was not disappointed, as the camera takes a sharp photo, looks good and the various add ons make it a great buy at the price. The battery tends to drain quicker than expected, but I've just bought a back up battery so this is a minor drawback as far as I am concerned.