Sony has a variety of lifestyle-type compacts, such as the T-series. But the W-series cameras offer a little more control.

Features
With a 7.2MP sensor, the W70’s main selling point to those in the know is it’s maximum ISO 1000 top sensitivity setting. It has a limited number of manual controls but, like most compacts, relies more heavily on auto and scene functions.

Design
It’s a good looking model, with a large 2.5in screen and an optical viewfinder, a rarity among the compact lifestyle cameras. The menu system has a groovy animated main menu which models the position of the mode dial, and is impressively slick and user-friendly.

Performance
Quick start up, with a pleasant jingle, the Sony W70 has fast autofocus and little shutter lag. It pretty much takes pictures instantaneously, which is always good from a compact.

Image Quality
For general photography, the W70 does a good job, and the extended ISO range shows how quickly camera specs move on. It may not match Fujifilm’s output, but it ain’t half bad mum!

Value For Money
The sleek metal body combined with a better-than-average feature set, makes the W70 a surprisingly good value option, especially if you consider the good ISO range.