Buying Camera Today -- DSC-W1 or DSC-W5?

[DiSTiLL]

Whats the difference between the two?

Is the DSC-W5 much better? Or about the same?

I'll definately buy one of the two, just need help deciding which one.

[poikkeus]

From my research, the only differences are that the W5 has 32mb of onboard memory (which might improve speed) and, apparently, improved battery management.

I have a W1. I just keep my 512mb Sandisk Pro stick inside, and performance is pretty snappy.

As for batteries, my 2400 mA batteries last a really long time, and I recharge one pair while the other's in the camera. I've had no issues with running out of power.

[dimm0k]

Gotta say that the differences between the 2 are very minor. Battery life in the W5 is supposed to be better, but the W1 as mentioned is already superb. The LCD on the W5 has less pixels, but has the option to change brightness in the setup while the W1 does not. Other minute differences are cosmetics... shinnier LCD on the W5 and different placement of the memory stick. The place where you put memory on the W5 is kinda a hassle if you need to switch while it's mounted on a tripod or the slave flash since it's located inside the battery compartment.

Since I have the W1, the minor differences aren't enough to make me "upgrade". In fact I actually prefer the W1...

[DiSTiLL]

Alright, thanks.

I looked at them both in person today, I definately like the look of the W5 better, it seems more sharp.

Thanks everyone.

[bcam]

I'm also in the same W1 vs. W5 (and possibly the Canon A95) predicatment and was just curious if the new W5 improved the picture quality problems that so many people mention. Has anybody had a chance to test this? From what I've been reading the Canon gets higher recommendations, but isn't quite as compact as the Sony which is a plus for me. But I don't want to sacrifice quality for size.
I'm on the verge of buying a W1 because the prices have dropped, but if the W5 has improved the W1's problems maybe I should go that route (or the A95), any thoughts?

[kimnicho]

Don't forget about the V1 ! You can still find them at your local camera stores/ebay.... it is "supposed" to have better image quality, and is most often compared to the Canon A95 (except it has a HOT SHOE and 4x optical zoom).

[dmz19]

I opted for the Canon A95 over the W5 - and after a week of taking pictures, I found it a bit slow to focus, missed too many opportunities, and was a bit cumbersome to use. I tried the P200 and was very impressed but it is too small for me.

Originally it was between the A95 and the W5 - and I agonized over the decision and read tooooo many reviews. I am going to send the A95 back or sell on EBAY and buy the SONY W5.......