Sony launches flagship compact, Cyber-shot DSC-W300

[David Rasnake]

Sony made its new top-of-the-line W model public today, with the launch of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300. The W300 features a fairly conventional 3x zoom, but boasts an impressive 13.6 megapixels of effective resolution.

The W300 features a 2.7-inch LCD as well as the W-series standard optical viewfinder. Double anti-blur technology utilizes both Sony's Super SteadyShot image stabilization and high-ISO shooting to 3200.

Stylistically, the W300 extends the basic look of the new W series into its top model, with a slim, rectangular, slightly round profile. The camera's exterior is wrapped in an ultra-hard titanium coating that promises a high-end appearance and feel and resistance to smudges and scratches.

As a flagship model, the W300 packs in most of the new soft tech we saw in Sony's PMA releases, including an improved D-Range Optimizer, Intelligent Scene Recognition, a "Real" color mode with limited saturation, Face Detection with child/adult priority, Improved Smile Shutter, and Face Search. In-camera retouching options include an Unsharp Mask sharpening algorithm and Happy Face Retouch, which adds smiles to faces in post-process.

The W300 should ship in May, for a suggested retail price of $349.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 Specifications:

Sensor	13.6 megapixel, 1/1.7" Super HAD CCD
Lens/Zoom	3x (35-105mm) Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar, f/2.8-5.5
LCD/Viewfinder	2.7", 230K-pixel Clear Photo TFT LCD; optical viewfinder
Sensitivity	ISO 80-3200
Shutter Speed	30-1/2000 seconds
Shooting Modes	Auto, Easy Auto, Program, Manual, Movie, Scene, Smile Shutter, High Sensitivity, Extra High Sensitivity, High-Speed Burst
Scene Presets	Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Underwater
White Balance Settings	Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, Incandescent, Flash, Manual
Metering Modes	Multi, Center, Spot
Focus Modes	Multi AF, Center AF, Spot AF, Semi-Manual, Macro
Drive Modes	Normal, Burst, High-Speed Burst
Flash Modes	Auto, Forced On, Slow Synchro, Forced Off
Self Timer Settings	10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off
Memory Formats	Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
Internal Memory	15 MB
File Formats	JPEG, MPEG
Max. Image Size	4224x3168
Max. Video Size	640x480, 30 fps
Zoom During Video	No
Battery	Rechargeable InfoLITHIUM 960 mAh lithium-ion
Connections	USB 2.0, AV output, DC input
Additional Features	Face Detection, Super SteadyShot, Smile Shutter, Happy Face Retouch, HD component output, D-Range Optimizer