Sony is not known for making affordable gadgets so when we got our hands on the P9,999 Sony DSC-W310, we at Techie were in disbelief. We were holding a Sony Cyber-shot that's selling for 4 digits! Unbelievable as that may sound, however, we quickly found out why.
First off, we have to commend Sony for not cutting corners in the build quality. The W310 is solid all over and could pass for a P20,000+ shooter given its looks. The buttons are sturdy and the hot-pink brushed aluminum fascia is a certified chick magnet. The 2.7-inch screen, too, is commendable, as it looks no different from the ones in the more expensive models.
Unfortunately, the accolades stop there because the moment you fire up this bad girl, everything starts to go south. Low-light and flash shooting is horrible and is a far cry from the performance of other Cyber-shot cameras we've tried before. The flash takes a while to recharge, and even if you manage to use it, it is only good enough for tiny items or small groups of people.
Compared to other Sony that are cams equipped with the BIONZ processor or the Exmor sensor, the W310 just pales in comparison. Shots are grainy even in high ISO mode, and image processing literally takes a few seconds. In some cases, you'll have to wait for at least 2 seconds to see your pictures on screen. And scrolling through photos is also sluggish, as every photo needs a moment to load properly.
While the selling price of the W310 greatly explains the hardware shortcomings, we find no reason for this entry-level cam to omit the fun stuff. There are no color modes or other in-camera tweaks whatsoever, leaving the Smile Shutter as the only amusing feature of the camera.
Admittedly, we were surprised to see that even a premium brand like Sony was willing to sacrifice a lot of niceties just to bring the price of a product down. Given at how they position 90% of their gadgets, we sort of expected that the W310 will also be a tad better than its entry-level counterparts. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case.
It may be cheap for a Sony, but given how underwhelming the specs and the overall user experience was, it's still kind of expensive. Oh Sony, Sony, Sony...
Click here to see the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W310 in the Buyer's Guide.