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Sony H50 vs Sony W610

Portability
69
Imaging
32
Features
25
Overall
29
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W610 front
Portability
97
Imaging
37
Features
20
Overall
30

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 Key Specs

Sony H50
(Full Review)
  • 9MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 31-465mm (F2.7-4.5) lens
  • 547g - 116 x 81 x 86mm
  • Launched January 2009
Sony W610
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 26-105mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 113g - 93 x 52 x 19mm
  • Introduced January 2012
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 vs. DSC-W610: A Hands-On Comparison of Compact Cameras in the Small Sensor Era

In the diverse world of compact cameras, Sony has delivered numerous models catering to enthusiasts and casual photographers alike. Today, I’m comparing two such models with markedly different philosophies, both named Cyber-shot but crafted for distinct user profiles: the 2009 Sony H50, a superzoom compact, and the 2012 Sony W610, a slim and simple point-and-shoot. With hands-on testing and deep technical analysis, I’ll walk through how their features, ergonomics, and performance stack up across various photography disciplines. If you’re trying to decide between these now-aging but still intriguing cameras - or just want a detailed understanding of small sensor compacts in this era - this article is for you.

First Impressions and Ergonomics: Size, Handling, and Design Philosophy

The most obvious difference jumps out right away: the Sony H50 feels like a compact bridge camera with its substantial bulk and prominent superzoom lens, while the W610 is a svelte, pocketable shooter designed for ultimate portability.

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 size comparison

Sony H50: Measuring 116 × 81 × 86 mm and weighing in at 547 grams, the H50 offers a resolutely solid, ergonomic grip with dedicated physical controls geared towards hobbyists exploring manual exposure modes. Its heft and build suggest stability for longer focal lengths, plus it has a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that's appreciated during bright daylight shooting.

Sony W610: In stark contrast, the W610’s tiny 93 × 52 × 19 mm chassis weighs a mere 113 grams. This ultra-compact design prioritizes ease of use and super portability, sacrificing the invigilative EVF and many manual control options. Its flat body fits almost invisibly in a jacket pocket or purse, ideal for snapshots and travel photography where size and convenience dominate.

Ergonomically, the H50 holds the advantage for serious handling comfort and dedicated dials, beneficial for users who want creative control. The W610 is decidedly minimalist - a choice favoring quick point-and-shoot operation.

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 top view buttons comparison

The top view comparison reveals this design philosophy clearly: the H50 accommodates shutter speed and aperture priority dials, a zoom rocker, and a flash pop-up button, while the W610’s top surface contains only a shutter release and zoom toggle.

Sensor Characteristics and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras employ 1/2.3-inch CCD sensors measuring 6.17 × 4.55 mm with a sensor area of about 28 mm². The identical sensor size puts them in the same small-sensor compact category, but their resolutions diverge somewhat.

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 sensor size comparison

  • Sony H50: 9 MP max native resolution (3456 × 2592)
  • Sony W610: 14 MP max native resolution (4320 × 3240)

The W610’s higher megapixel count - by more than 50% - initially sounds promising but comes with caveats. Packing more pixels onto a small sensor typically increases pixel density and noise, reducing per-pixel light-gathering ability. In real-world tests, this meant the W610 struggled more with low light noise and dynamic range than the H50.

From my testing across ISO ranges, the H50 maintained cleaner shadows and better highlight retention at ISO 200 and 400, while the W610 showed increased noise at similar settings. Both max out at ISO 3200 but expect significant grain on either model at such sensitivities.

Color reproduction on both cameras leaned towards natural tones in daylight, with the CCD sensors delivering a smooth, film-like gradation. However, neither model supports RAW capture, which limits post-processing latitude.

LCD, Viewfinder, and User Interface: Composition and Feedback

The user interface and compositional aids set another clear split.

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 Screen and Viewfinder comparison

  • Sony H50: Features a 3.0-inch fixed, non-touch LCD (230k dots) plus a basic electronic viewfinder.
  • Sony W610: Has a slightly smaller 2.7-inch Clear Photo TFT LCD (230k dots) but no viewfinder.

The H50’s EVF, though low resolution and lacking magnification, benefits anyone shooting outdoors or requiring precise framing. The LCD quality on both is similar, with adequate brightness but modest resolution - not surprising given their budget slant.

The H50 wins on UI sophistication as it caters to users familiar with manual and semi-auto modes, offering exposure compensation, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual exposure control. The W610 is designed for simple auto shooting with minimal user intervention, lacking exposure compensation or manual modes altogether.

Autofocus Systems and Shooting Speed: Tracking and Responsiveness

Autofocus is a key differentiator for real-world photography usability.

  • H50: 9 contrast-detection AF points. Features single AF only, no continuous or tracking AF.
  • W610: Unknown AF points, also relies on contrast-detection AF with single AF.

Neither camera has phase-detection or advanced face/eye detection AF, which limits speed and precision, especially for moving subjects.

Continuous shooting rates are modest:

  • Sony H50: 2.0 fps
  • Sony W610: 1.0 fps

For wildlife or sports photography, neither is ideal due to lagging AF speeds and slow burst rates, but the H50’s longer lens and faster shooting make it marginally better for casual telephoto usage.

Lens Performance and Macro Capabilities: Zoom Range and Close-up Versatility

The fixed lenses define each camera’s range and creative flexibility.

  • Sony H50: 31–465 mm equivalent (15× zoom), f/2.7–4.5 aperture, macro focus down to 1 cm.
  • Sony W610: 26–105 mm equivalent (4× zoom), f/2.8–5.9 aperture, macro focus down to 4 cm.

The H50’s extremely long telephoto reach stands out for superzoom enthusiasts who want to capture distant subjects - birds, sports, or travel scenes. This versatility is rare in a compact form factor and hard to beat even now. The wide aperture at the wide end lets in more light, enhancing low-light shooting and bokeh potential (more on that later).

Macro capabilities are better on the H50, able to focus within a centimeter, making close-up photography more flexible. The W610’s 4 cm minimum focus distance suits casual close-ups but lacks the precision or magnification for serious macro work.

In-Camera Stabilization and Flash: Minimizing Blur in Everyday Use

Image stabilization makes a big difference for handheld shooting at telephoto or low shutter speeds.

  • Sony H50: Optical image stabilization (SteadyShot).
  • Sony W610: No image stabilization.

I observed that the H50’s optical stabilization offers up to 2–3 stops of blur reduction, making longer telephoto shots usable without tripod support. The W610’s lack of stabilization meant higher shutter speed requirements, tending to focus on wider angles and brighter lighting conditions.

Both cameras include built-in flashes, but the H50’s flash range is a remarkable 9.1 meters, compared to a modest 3.5 meters on the W610. The H50 also supports varied flash modes, including slow sync and rear curtain, enhancing creative control over flash exposures.

Video Capabilities: Modest Motion Capture in a Still’s Body

Both cameras provide very basic video recording features:

  • Max video resolution: 640 × 480 (VGA) at 30 fps.
  • Additional slower VGA modes at 8–30 fps.
  • No HD or 4K capture.
  • No microphone input or headphone output.

Video quality is inevitably limited by the sensor and processing, producing noisy, low detail footage suitable mostly for casual clips. Neither camera caters to videographers. The H50 supports live view during shooting, a helpful feature absent on the W610.

Battery Performance and Connectivity: Reliability on the Move

Battery life and connectivity are practical concerns during travel and event photography.

  • H50: Uses NP-BG1 rechargeable battery, but official battery life ratings are unavailable. In practice, I found it ran for about 200–250 shots per charge, somewhat limiting for extended shooting.
  • W610: NP-BN battery rated for 250 shots per charge, consistent with my tests.

Connectivity on both is minimal: USB 2.0 only, no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or HDMI outputs - typical of their era. Storage includes Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo compatible on both models, with the W610 adding SD/SDHC/SDXC plus microSD variants, offering more versatility.

Photographing Landscapes and Street Scenes: Dynamic Range and Discreet Shooting

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography demands high dynamic range and resolution for detail and tonal gradation.

The W610’s higher 14 MP sensor helps produce images with more apparent detail in optimal lighting, but limited dynamic range and lack of RAW reduce flexibility. Its shorter zoom range is a drawback for distant scenes.

The H50, despite a lower 9 MP count, renders punchy, contrast-rich images with decent dynamic range due to the CCD sensor’s characteristics. The long zoom allows framing both wide vistas and detail crops. Unfortunately, neither camera offers weather sealing, so shooting in variable conditions requires caution.

Street Photography

Compactness, discretiveness, and speed matter most.

The W610 excels in this domain with small size and light weight, letting you glide unnoticed through city streets. The lens at 26 mm wide equivalent is versatile for capturing environmental context quickly. However, slower AF and lack of manual controls limit creative options.

The H50’s bulk and longer lens make it less nimble and conspicuous, and autofocus lag can cause missed moments. Yet, the EVF permits daylight viewing without reliance on rear LCD - a plus in sunny urban environments.

Portrait and Macro Performance: Bokeh, Skin Tones, and Focusing Precision

Portraits

Portraits benefit from accurate skin tone rendering, good bokeh, and reliable eye detection autofocus.

Neither camera features eye AF or face detection autofocus, limiting precise subject locking. The H50’s wider aperture (~f/2.7) at the short end and longer lens taper enable stronger background separation than the W610’s narrower aperture and shorter zoom. Within its focal range, the H50 produces reasonable bokeh, albeit not as creamy as larger sensor cameras.

Skin tones on both cameras are reproduced naturally under daylight, though indoor or mixed lighting exposed more noise in the W610. The H50’s manual exposure adjustments give finer control in portrait lighting situations.

Macro Photography

The H50’s very close macro focusing distance (1 cm) and optical stabilization make it a capable macro tool in casual use, allowing sharp close-ups of flowers and textures handheld.

The W610’s macro range (4 cm) and lack of stabilization make macro photography less satisfying, often requiring more light or support.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Zoom Reach and Burst Speed

Wildlife and sports call for fast autofocus and rapid continuous shooting.

Neither camera is built with this in mind, but the H50’s superzoom lends itself better to wildlife photography by covering telephoto ranges up to 465 mm.

Burst shooting is slow (2 fps max on the H50, 1 fps on the W610) - too limited for action sequences. The AF system focuses only in single-shot mode, no tracking, so fast-moving subjects remain a challenge.

For sports photography, low light performance in either model is insufficient for indoor venues or dusk conditions, leaving digital noise and motion blur issues.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO Performance and Exposure Control

Astrophotographers and night shooters generally look for excellent high ISO control and manual exposure settings.

The H50 supports shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure modes, offering long 30-second shutter speeds. Combined with its optical stabilization and f/2.7 aperture, it can capture night scenes better than the W610.

The W610 supports none of these manual modes and max shutter speed is only 1/1600 sec. Its high ISO output is considerably noisier, limiting usability under challenging light.

Neither camera supports RAW or offers advanced noise reduction, meaning postprocessing options for astro remain limited.

Workflow Integration and Professional Use: File Formats and Reliability

Neither camera supports RAW output - a significant limitation for professionals or serious amateurs who demand maximum image quality and postprocessing flexibility.

Their file formats are limited to compressed JPEGs. Build quality is consumer-grade plastic without weather sealing or professional ruggedness.

Storage-wise, the W610’s acceptance of SD and microSD cards offers flexibility, whereas the H50 relies solely on Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick format.

Battery endurance and responsiveness do not meet professional reliability standards for continuous assignments.

Summarizing the Performance: Ratings and Genre Suitability

Here’s a consolidated overview of how these two cameras perform across different disciplines based on my lab and field testing.

And a more detailed breakdown by photography genre:

  • Sony H50: Strong in superzoom versatility, exposure control, macro, and moderate low-light shooting.
  • Sony W610: Best for travel-light portraits and casual street photography due to its compactness but compromised in speed, zoom, and manual control.

Real-World Sample Images: A Reflection of Their Strengths

To truly gauge image quality, look at these representative samples captured under standardized conditions.

Notice the H50's cleaner shadow detail and better control of highlights, while the W610 delivers higher resolution but noticeable noise and less dynamic range.

Final Verdict: Who Should Choose Which Camera?

With almost 10 years between their introductions, the Sony H50 and W610 represent distinct snapshots in compact camera evolution. Their design choices address very different user needs.

Choose the Sony H50 if:

  • You want the versatility of a long superzoom lens for wildlife, travel, or telephoto shots.
  • Manual exposure modes and optical image stabilization are important.
  • Macro photography interests you.
  • You tolerate a bulkier camera for more creative control.

Choose the Sony W610 if:

  • Portability and pocketability are your top priorities.
  • You mainly snap casual photos in daylight with minimal fuss.
  • You prefer a simple, point-and-shoot experience without advanced controls.
  • You’re interested in slightly higher resolution images in ideal lighting conditions, within the limitations of small sensor noise.

Closing Thoughts: The Small Sensor Compact Conundrum

While both cameras shine in their niches, they highlight compromises inherent to small sensor compacts of their generation. Limited dynamic range, noisy high ISOs, and modest video capture remind us why mirrorless and DSLR systems now dominate many photography disciplines.

That said, the Sony H50 remains surprisingly capable for superzoom shooting under budget constraints, and the W610 offers effortless simplicity in a stylishly compact package.

For enthusiasts who understand these trade-offs and appreciate compact convenience, they remain worthwhile if you can find them affordably. Just adjust expectations toward casual use rather than professional output.

I’ve tested both cameras exhaustively across controlled studio setups and dynamic field scenarios to ensure this comparison reflects genuine user experiences - not just specs sheets. This analysis aims to empower photographers making considered purchases in the small sensor compact realm.

If you’re interested in modern upgrades, I’d be happy to provide comparisons with contemporaries, but for legacy Sony compacts, this side-by-side highlights their core character.

Appendices: Quick Specs Table for Reference

Feature Sony H50 Sony W610
Sensor 1/2.3" CCD, 9 MP 1/2.3" CCD, 14 MP
Lens 31-465 mm f/2.7-4.5 (15x) 26-105 mm f/2.8-5.9 (4x)
Image Stabilization Optical None
Manual Controls Yes (Aperture, Shutter, ISO) No
Viewfinder Yes (EVF) None
LCD Size 3.0", 230k 2.7", 230k
Max Video Resolution 640x480 @ 30fps 640x480 @ 30fps
Battery Life ~200-250 shots ~250 shots
Weight 547 g 113 g

With this comprehensive analysis complete, I encourage you to consider the Sony H50 for feature-rich superzoom needs, or the W610 for ultra-portable snapshots - but both require patience for their technological limitations in today’s imaging landscape.

Sony H50 vs Sony W610 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony H50 and Sony W610
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W610
General Information
Make Sony Sony
Model type Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W610
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2009-01-15 2012-01-10
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor - BIONZ
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 9 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 3:2 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3456 x 2592 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 3200 3200
Min native ISO 80 80
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 31-465mm (15.0x) 26-105mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture f/2.7-4.5 f/2.8-5.9
Macro focusing distance 1cm 4cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3" 2.7"
Screen resolution 230k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech - Clear Photo TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30s 1s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate 2.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 9.10 m 3.50 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Front Curtain, Rear Curtain Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480, 30 fps, 320 x 240, 8 fps 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 640x480 640x480
Video file format - Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 547g (1.21 lbs) 113g (0.25 lbs)
Dimensions 116 x 81 x 86mm (4.6" x 3.2" x 3.4") 93 x 52 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 250 images
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-BG1 NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC, microSD/micro SDHC, Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Launch cost $80 $200