Sony Announces the Cyber-shot DSC-W5. Sony Europe have now officially announced the Cyber-shot DSC-W5 that was leaked on the SonyStyle website last week.

Sony Europe Press Release

Sony Cyber-shot W5 compact digital camera combines ease of use with high quality and traditional design

Sony’s new Cyber-shot W5 is a 5.1 effective Megapixel model featuring a large 2.5-inch LCD display, durable aluminium casing in a traditional design, considerable STAMINA, Carl Zeiss zoom lens and a focus on ease of use.

Berlin, 1 February 2005

Top quality photography
Sony has launched the brand new Cyber-shot W5, a camera that 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. The Cyber-shot W5 is designed along classic lines, appealing to the traditionalist as well as those looking for a stylish digital camera. However there’s nothing old-fashioned about its functions. As well as its several fully automatic modes for quick shooting and ease of use there are also manual exposure settings suitable for the more creative photographer.

W stands for Worry-Free
Sony’s energy-efficient STAMINA system dramatically improves the amount of shooting time available to the new Cyber-shot W5 camera. The supplied rechargeable batteries are capable of up to 420 shots** on one charge, so you can be sure you’ll have enough power for any situation. The durable metal body is not only tough enough to be safe from occasional knocks, but is also styled in a more traditional manner, to give a more familiar feel to your photography. There’s also no need to worry about fiddling with camera settings to get the right picture - it features straightforward menus and seven different Scene Selection modes, which cover the majority of shooting situations. When at the beach, in the snow, taking landscapes or in several other circumstances, you can be sure that that Cyber-shot W5 will rise to the occasion with perfectly exposed pictures every time.

Image conscious
The quality of this camera is matched by the images it is capable of. Able to support up to 5.1 effective Megapixel resolution, the pictures you take with the Cyber-shot W5 will be pin-sharp with no loss in quality. Sony’s Real Imaging Processor improves image quality further, making your colours more realistic as well as speeding up camera operation. Another key factor is the sizeable LCD display, capable of displaying your high-resolution images off to their best advantage and allowing easy framing and menu selection. The display has also been improved, with higher contrast for a more realistic and vivid display of your images. This combined with a new non-glare finish and low reflection coating; the viewing angle is greatly improved by an impressive 25% - great for reviewing and sharing your images. You can use Sony Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO for fast and efficient image storage, but there’s also the 32MB of internal memory to fall back on when your Memory stick is full or when you forget to bring one with you.

Extended functionality
With USB 2.0 high speed connectivity, the transfer of images to a compatible PC for further editing is extremely fast, and the camera can also connect directly to a PictBridge* printer without the need of a PC. The Cyber-shot W5 can also handle video. Sony’s MPEG Movie VX Fine allows high quality video recording at up to 30 frames a second, ideal for playing back full screen on TV. A range of optional accessories further extends the power of the new Cyber-shot W5, including a new marine pack for underwater shooting and a selection of lenses and filters for more creative shots.