Sony DSC-WX350: One of the Smallest Point-and-Shoot Cameras Available

Sony has a decent range of compact point-and-shoot cameras, particularly the DSC, or Cyber-shot, range. You can find a myriad of different DSC models, all of which feature solid image quality, a portable design, and a good set of features for beginners.

The Sony DSC-WX350 is one such model. This is one of the smallest point-and-shoot cameras to offer decent image quality and HD video recording. It weighs virtually nothing and its overall dimensions are incredibly small.

It can easily fit in the palm of your hand and is an ideal camera for travel or for someone who goes on regular outings. In this guide, we look at the Sony DSC-WX350 and what it has to offer in terms of features, usability, and design.

Main Features

The Sony DSC-WX350 is a compact point-and-shoot camera that still has a good set of features. It is not as powerful as many Sony mirrorless and DSLR cameras, but it is a great product. It is also relatively affordable for the features it has. You can see the basic specifications of this camera below:

• Size: 96.0 x 54.9 x 25.7mm
• Weight: 137g
• Sensor: 18.2MP CMOS
• Image Processor: BIONZ X
• Max Video Resolution: 1080p HD at 50p
• Connectivity: WiFi, NFC
• Touchscreen: No
• Image Stabilization: No

A few features are noteworthy such as the BIONZ X image processor. This is one of the latest versions of the Sony image processor for cameras and thus will provide great image quality. Also, at 18.2MP, the resolution is not the highest, but it is still respectable for a point-and-shoot camera. Some similar cameras like the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, for example, have a 20MP sensor.

The lens of the Sony WX350 has a 20x optical zoom. This gives it an equivalent focal range of 4.3-86mm. Also, it has an acceptable aperture range across the focal distance of f/3.5-6.5. The minimum focusing distance is also decent at just 5cm which means it can easily be used as a macro camera too.

The zoom of this Cyber-shot camera lens can be enhanced further using the digital zoom feature. This boosts the zoom to 80x although as it is a digital and not optical zoom, the quality will suffer somewhat. For power, it uses a Li-ion rechargeable battery and the standard package comes with the NP-BX1 battery pack.

Design

The design of the Sony DSC-WX350 is one of its strong points. As mentioned above, it is incredibly compact and lightweight. It is hard to believe that Sony has managed to fit the features and technical aspects into such a small frame.

Aside from the small size, it also has a decent button layout. On the top panel, there is a simple program dial allowing you to change to different shooting modes, the shutter release, and the power switch. Surrounding the shutter release you can also find the optical zoom control.

The rear panel features a large fixed-position LCD screen and a small button panel. New camera users will certainly not be overwhelmed by the buttons and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX350 has an incredibly minimalistic design. Even with the zoom lens extended, it still has a small footprint.

We would advise using a strap when using this camera – a wrist strap preferably. If you don’t have a strap to secure it to your arm, you could easily lose it due to its small size. There is a loophole for a strap on the right-hand side of the camera.

Usability

As mentioned, the Sony DSC-WX350 is highly usable due to its minimalistic design and simple control panel. The buttons are clearly labeled, and you can easily find the features you want. For example, the record button is labeled as “Movie”.

This camera also has a simple menu, and you can quickly change settings like the overall image quality and the focusing mode. It also has a host of automatic shooting modes to help beginners. Using these modes, the camera will automatically select the best settings so you can quickly take quality shots.

The autofocusing of this camera is OK but it cannot compare to many mirrorless and DSLR cameras. You will be able to focus easily, but it can struggle in low-contrast and low-light situations. You do, however, have some flexibility in your low-light shots as it has a maximum ISO of 12,800.

Overall, the Sony DSC-WX3050 is quite usable, especially for those with minimal point-and-shoot camera experience.

Sony DSC-WX350 vs. Canon PowerShot SX730 HS

Canon is one of the main competitors for Cyber-shot point-and-shoot cameras with its PowerShot range. The Canon PowerShot SX730 HS makes a decent comparison to the Sony DSC-WX350. We have created a basic comparison table below:

The PowerShot offers superior RAW image quality, although at 18.2MP you won’t notice much difference from the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX350. Also, the PowerShot offers slightly higher quality video recording, but again the difference is minimal.

The Sony DSC-WX350 really excels in portability. It is overall half the weight of the SX730 HS and considerably smaller. Also, it has much greater flexibility for low-light photography due to its greater maximum ISO of 12,800. The SX740 HS only has a max ISO of 3200 and therefore struggles with low-light photography quality.

For RAW photography, the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS could be the better option. However, the Sony DSC-WX350 is obviously the better choice for portability and compactness.

The Sony DSC-WX350 Is an Excellent Point-and-Shoot Travel Camera

If you travel frequently and want a small camera that still produces high-quality images, the Sony DSC-WX350 is a solid choice. It may offer slightly lower quality than other point-and-shoot cameras, but the difference is marginal.

Also, you still receive a quality camera that allows you to take brilliant photos with minimal effort. This is definitely one of the best Sony Cyber-shot point-and-shoot cameras currently available.