The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 ($199) is an updated version of last year's popular DSC-W50 digital camera. That means that the W55 is an ultra-compact, point-and-shoot camera with a 3X zoom lens, 2.5" LCD display (there's an optical viewfinder too), VGA movie mode, and more.
So what's new on the DSC-W55 compared to its predecessor? As is often the case with new camera models, the resolution has gone up -- this time from 6.0 to 7.2 Megapixels. The camera has nearly twice as much built-in memory as before, going from 32MB to 56MB. Battery life took a tiny hit, but most people won't even notice. And finally, the camera comes in four colors instead of two, so if you've been wanting a baby blue camera... well, now's your chance.
The ultra-compact camera market is filled with tough competitors. I liked the W50 when I reviewed it last year. Will the W55 do just as well? Find out now!
What's in the Box?
The DSC-W55 has an average bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:
- The 7.2 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-W55 camera
- NP-BG1 rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Battery charger
- Wrist strap
- USB + A/V cable
- CD-ROM featuring Picture Motion Browser and drivers
- 33 page basic manual (printed) plus full manual (on CD-ROM)
One of the trends that started last year was having memory built right into a camera, instead of bundling a memory card. The DSC-W50 did this, and the new W55 continues the tradition. Actually, it improves upon it. While the W50 had 32MB of memory, the W55 has 56MB, which is way more than you'll find on the competition. Still, at some point you'll want to pick up a memory card. The W55 uses Memory Stick Duo cards, and I'd suggest a 1GB card as a good place to start. Do note that MS Duo cards won't fit in normal Memory Stick slots, but Sony includes an adapter that'll do the trick.
The DSC-W55 uses the same NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery (priced from $35) as its predecessor. This is the only Sony digital camera battery that I know of that isn't an "InfoLithium", which means that it won't tell you how many minutes you have left before the battery dies. The NP-BG1 has 3.6 Wh of energy, and here's how that translates into battery life:
Camera |
Battery life, LCD on
(CIPA standard) |
Canon PowerShot SD600 |
160 shots |
Casio Exilim EX-Z75 |
230 shots |
Fuji FinePix Z5fd |
200 shots |
HP Photosmart R827 |
240 shots |
Kodak EasyShare V603 |
150 shots |
Nikon Coolpix S50 |
130 shots |
Olympus FE-230 |
210 shots |
Olympus Stylus 760 |
N/A |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX12 |
350 shots |
Pentax Optio M30 |
230 shots |
Samsung Digimax NV3 |
200 shots * |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N2 |
300 shots |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 |
250 shots |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 |
390 shots |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 |
380 shots |
* Not calculated using the CIPA standard
Battery life numbers are provided by the camera manufacturers |
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In recent years Sony has put a lot of effort into battery life, and it's paid off. The DSC-W55's battery life numbers are well above average for this class.
I do have to mention my usual complaints about proprietary batteries, though. They're more expensive than rechargeable AAs, and you can't use "regular batteries" to get you through the day in an emergency.

When it's time to charge the W55's battery, just pop it into the include external charger. This is my favorite type of charger -- you just plug it right into the wall. The typical charging time is 270 minutes, which is very slow.

Like with all ultra-compact cameras, the W55 has a built-in lens cover. As you can see, it's a really small camera, reminiscent of Canon's PowerShot SD600.
Just like its predecessor, the DSC-W55 has a ton of accessories considering its size. They include:
Accessory |
Model # |
Price * |
Why you want it |
Wide-angle lens |
VCL-DH0730 |
From $61 |
Reduces the focal length by 0.7X, bringing the wide end of the lens down to 26.6 mm; conversion lens adapter required |
Telephoto lens |
VCL-DH1730 |
From $67 |
Boosts the tele end of the lens by a factor of 1.7, to 193.8 mm; requires conversion lens adapter |
Super telephoto lens |
VCL-DH2630 |
From $84 |
Boosts the tele end by 2.6X, to a whopping 296.4 mm; requires conversion lens adapter |
Conversion lens adapter |
VAD-WB |
From $24 |
Required for conversion lenses and 30 mm filters |
External slave flash |
HVL-FSL1B |
From $68 |
Boost flash range while reducing redeye; attaches via the tripod mount and fires when the onboard flash does |
Macro ring light |
HVL-RLS |
$95 |
For close-up photography |
AC adapter |
AC-LS5K |
From $31 |
Power the camera without wasting your batteries |
Carrying cases |
LCS-WF
LCS-CSG |
From $24
From $16 |
Protect your camera with cloth and leather cases |
* Prices were accurate when review was posted |
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That's not too bad, eh? Since the conversion lens adapter has 30 mm threads, you can also use Sony's various filters on the W55, just as you could on the W50 before it.

Picture Motion Browser for Windows
Sony includes version 2.0 of their Picture Motion Browser software with the DSC-W55. This software is Windows only, so Mac users will want to use iPhoto or Image Capture to get photos off of the camera.

The software offers the usual thumbnail view of your photos (shown earlier), plus the calendar view you can see above. From either screen you can select photos for printing, e-mailing, and slideshows. You can also burn them to a CD or DVD.

Double-clicking on any thumbnail brings you to the edit screen. This adds some basic photo editing tools such as redeye reduction, brightness/contrast/saturation adjustment, and trimming. You can also put the date on your photo -- something which the camera itself does not do.
While I can't say this with absolute certainty (since my camera did not come in a retail box), it looks like Sony has split the W55's documentation into two parts. You get a printed manual covering the basics, but for more advanced operations you'll have to open up the "Cyber-shot Handbook" on the included CD-ROM (let's hope this isn't the start of a bad trend). The quality of the manuals themselves is good, and much improved over previous years.
Look and Feel
The DSC-W55 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, the DSC-W50. That means that it's an ultra-compact camera made mostly of metal. Build quality is very good for the most part, with the exception being the very flimsy plastic door over the memory card / battery compartment.
It's easy to hold and operate (even with one hand), without a lot of buttons to confuse you. The mode dial is a little crowded, though.

Image courtesy of Sony Electronics
Being 2007, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the W55 comes in multiple colors. You can choose from silver, black, light blue, and pink.
Now let's see how the W55 compares in terms of size, volume, and weight with the competition:
Camera |
Dimensions
(W x H x D, excluding protrusions) |
Volume
(bulk) |
Mass
(empty) |
Canon PowerShot SD600 |
3.4 x 2.1 x 0.9 in. |
6.4 cu in. |
140 g |
Casio Exilim EX-Z75 |
3.8 x 2.4 x 0.8 in. |
7.3 cu in. |
122 g |
Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd |
3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 in. |
6.3 cu in. |
148 g |
HP Photosmart R827 |
3.7 x 2.4 x 0.9 in. |
8 cu in. |
140 g |
Kodak EasyShare V603 |
3.6 x 2.0 x 0.9 in. |
6.5 cu in. |
120 g |
Nikon Coolpix S50 |
3.6 x 2.3 x 0.8 in. |
6.6 cu in. |
125 g |
Olympus FE-230 |
3.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 in. |
5.5 cu in. |
105 g |
Olympus Stylus 760 |
3.9 x 2.1 x 1.0 in. |
8.2 cu in. |
120 g |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX12 |
3.7 x 2.0 x 1.0 in. |
7.4 cu in. |
125 g |
Pentax Optio M30 |
3.8 x 2.2 x 0.8 in. |
6.7 cu in. |
119 g |
Samsung NV3 |
3.7 x 2.2 x 0.7 in. |
5.7 cu in. |
142 g |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N2 |
3.8 x 2.4 x 0.9 in. |
8.2 cu in. |
151 g |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 |
3.6 x 2.2 x 0.8 in. |
6.3 cu in. |
140 g |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 |
3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. |
7.2 cu in. |
127 g |
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 |
3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 in. |
7.2 cu in. |
116 g |
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