Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W610 vs. DSC-W810: A Detailed Hands-on Comparison for Budget-Minded Photographers

When shopping for an affordable compact camera, the Sony Cyber-shot series makes a compelling choice - they’re simple, lightweight, and often deliver surprisingly decent photos for their price point. Today, we’re putting two Sony pocket throwbacks side-by-side: the Sony W610, announced in 2012, and its more recent sibling, the Sony W810 from 2014. Both cameras sport modest specs and carry the banner for cheapskates or casual shooters who want instant snaps without fuss.

I’ve spent hours testing these models across various photography styles, from portraits in the park to landscape strolls and casual family events. While these cameras are firmly in the "point-and-shoot" compact category, unraveling their differences can still help you figure out which deserves a spot in your bag.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive deep - no jargon-heavy gobbledygook here, just real-world insights from someone who has handled countless cameras and knows these two inside and out.

Sizing Up: Portability and Ergonomics

Right off the bat, both the W610 and W810 are tiny little machines, perfectly pocketable for travel or street snapping. The W610 measures 93 x 52 x 19 mm and weighs 113 grams, while the W810 is fractionally larger at 97 x 56 x 21 mm and lighter by a tiny margin at 111 grams.

The W610’s slightly slimmer design makes it more comfortable to hold for longer sessions, especially if your hands aren’t dainty. The W810’s chunkier grip accommodates a better thumb rest, which can reduce hand fatigue - though, neither camera houses any clubs for thumbs or fancy grips as we see on higher-end compacts.

Neither camera includes an electronic viewfinder, so you’ll be relying on the LCD screens for composing and reviewing shots (more on that later). This makes them less suited to bright outdoor shooting but perfect for casual use.

Interface Face-Off: Top Controls and Handling

Looking at the top control layouts, both cameras keep things minimal: power button, shutter release, and a zoom toggle ring are all you get. The W810’s toggle zoom covers a longer range (27-162mm equivalent) compared to the W610’s more modest 26-105mm reach. For zoom nuts who want more reach in their pocketcam, this is a clear point in the W810’s favor.

Neither offers manual focusing or aperture priority (so, no clubs for serious control here), and the absence of manual exposure modes means you’re wholly dependent on the cameras’ pre-programmed settings to make the right calls.

Sensor and Image Quality: Peeling Back the Glass

Both cameras use the same 1/2.3" CCD sensor size (sensor area approx. 28 mm²), but note the resolution bump in the W810: 20 megapixels versus the W610’s 14 MP. This 43% increase in pixel count theoretically means sharper images, but the reality is a bit more complicated.

CCD sensors were once the gold standard in image quality but have since been overshadowed by CMOS sensors, especially in terms of noise performance and video capabilities. Both cams shooting with CCDs means image quality will be modest, particularly in low light.

Despite the megapixel boost of the W810, the sensor size is unchanged, so we’re effectively cramming more pixels into the same small sensor area. This tends to increase noise and lower dynamic range at base ISO levels. In my tests, the W810 produced sharper images in bright light but struggled more in shaded or indoor scenes with noise creeping in.

The W610’s lower resolution gives it slightly cleaner images at base ISO, with smoother gradations in skin tones and less digital grain. Neither camera supports RAW shooting, so your ability to recover shadows or highlights in post is limited.

Looking Over the Shoulder: LCD Screens and Viewfinders

Both cameras have fixed 2.7-inch LCDs with a resolution of 230k dots. The W610’s “Clear Photo TFT LCD” and the W810’s “Clear Photo LCD” are nearly identical in viewing angles and brightness. However, I found the W810’s screen marginally better at handling glare and maintaining color accuracy under varied lighting conditions.

Neither camera has a viewfinder (optical or electronic), which detracts from precision framing on sunny days or fast action situations. But that’s a tradeoff you accept for the ultra-compact body.

Live view autofocus is available on the W810 with face detection and tracking - features absent on the W610. This translates to a more reliable and quicker lock in on subjects, especially useful for portraits or street photography.

Lens Capabilities: Zoom, Aperture, and Macro

• Sony W610: 26-105mm equivalent zoom (4x optical), aperture f/2.8–5.9, macro focus down to 4cm.
• Sony W810: 27-162mm equivalent zoom (6x optical), aperture f/3.5–6.5, macro focus unspecified.

The W810 offers longer zoom reach, which is a real asset for casual wildlife or event shots where creeping closer isn’t an option. On the flip side, the narrower widest aperture (f/3.5 vs. f/2.8 in W610) means slightly less light hitting the sensor, putting it at a disadvantage in dim scenes.

The W610’s macro mode shoots down to 4cm, letting you capture close-ups of flowers or small objects with decent detail. Unfortunately, Sony’s specs don’t confirm macro distance on the W810, and in practice, its close focusing isn’t quite as tight as the W610.

Autofocus and Focus Features

Both cameras use contrast-detection autofocus only; no phase detection or hybrid AF systems here. The W610 lacks face detection, live view autofocus, and continuous AF modes. You get single AF mode with center-weighted focus.

The W810 steps things up slightly with face detection, live view AF, and basic AF tracking. While these won't rival modern mirrorless systems, they significantly improve the chance that portraits and moving subjects come out sharply focused - especially for novices who benefit from the camera handling AF for them.

Neither camera offers manual focus or focus stacking/bracketing features, which confines you to the cameras’ autofocus accuracy.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Speeds: Catching That Instant

Continuous shooting on both units caps at a lazy 1 frame per second, which is laughably slow if you’re thinking sports or wildlife photography.

Shutter speeds range from:

• W610: 1s to 1/1600s
• W810: 2s to 1/1500s

Neither has electronic shutter capability or silent shutter modes, so expect standard mechanical shutter sounds.

Bottom line: if your emphasis is fast-moving subject capture, these cameras aren’t going to be your best buds.

Image Stabilization and Low Light Handling

This is one of the W810’s clearer advantages: it sports optical image stabilization (OIS), while the W610 offers none.

In handheld shooting, the W810’s OIS helps reduce blur due to camera shake, especially at longer focal lengths or in dim light. Particularly for casual indoor or low-light use, this difference is noticeable - the W610 demands more steady hands or a tripod.

Neither handle low light well due to their small sensors and CCD designs, but the W810 with OIS pulls slightly ahead in real-world scenarios, delivering more usable shots at max ISO 3200.

Flash and Exposure Modes

Both cameras include built-in flashes with multiple modes:

• W610: Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync.
• W810: Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, Flash Off, plus an “Advanced Flash” mode.

Flash range is similar, around 3.2-3.5 meters. The W810’s “Advanced Flash” mode gives more flexibility, such as fill-flash for backlit scenes, a nice touch for portrait enthusiasts working in tricky light.

Neither camera support exposure compensation, aperture/shutter priority, or manual modes, so your exposure control is limited to what the camera’s firmware decides. This keeps things simple but reduces creative flexibility.

Video Capabilities: Not a Vlogger’s Best Friend

• W610: Max video resolution 640x480 at 30 fps, stored as Motion JPEG.
• W810: Offers HD video up to 1280x720 at 30 fps, encoded in H.264.

The W810 clearly offers a better video experience, with HD quality and more efficient compression making files easier to manage. Both cameras lack external microphone or headphone ports, limiting audio quality control.

Neither are strong video tools; no 4K or slow-motion modes exist - they’re basic point-and-shoot cams meant primarily for stills.

Battery Life and Storage

• W610: 250 shots per charge.
• W810: 200 shots per charge.

Surprisingly, the older W610 offers longer battery life by about 25%, probably due to its simpler sensor and smaller LCD.

Both cameras use the same Sony proprietary battery model (NP-BN), widely available and inexpensive. Storage wise, each supports SD, microSD variants, and Memory Stick formats, giving you versatile card options.

Connectivity and Build Quality

No wireless connectivity on either camera - zero Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC, so no instant sharing or remote control. USB 2.0 is your only data transfer option.

Build-wise, both cameras are budget plastics with zero weather sealing or robustness claims. Treat them gently around dust and moisture.

Real-World Shooting Across Photography Genres

Let’s examine how both cameras fare in various photography disciplines - because specs alone never tell the full story.

Portrait Photography

The W810’s face detection and AF tracking proved useful for quick portraits and casual family photos. The ability to lock focus on the eyes and track subjects reduces the dreaded “blurry eyeballs” common with simple point-and-shoot AF.

Skin tones are rendered acceptably, with the W610 showing slightly smoother gradations due to lower megapixels and slightly better noise control.

Its wider maximum aperture (f/2.8 at wide end) gives the W610 a slight edge in shallow depth of field and low light portraits.

Neither camera produces much bokeh - the small sensor and lens formulas restrict background blur - but for snapping grandma’s smile, they’re perfectly adequate.

Landscape Photography

With both cameras’ limited dynamic range and fixed zoom lenses, landscape photographers will find sharper, more pleasing images on the W810 thanks to its higher resolution, albeit with noisier shadows.

Neither camera boasts weather sealing or durability for harsh outdoor shoots, so bring them along only on dry, fair-weather days.

The stronger zoom range of the W810 allows shooting distant landscape details but at narrower apertures. The W610’s faster lens and occasionally cleaner output might better satisfy daylight landscapes.

Wildlife Photography

Neither camera is designed for fast action, but the W810’s longer 6x optical zoom (27–162mm) and face-tracking AF made it marginally better for quick wildlife snaps.

With slow burst shooting and focus hunting under low contrast, expect mixed results. Serious wildlife shooters will want faster autofocus and longer reach.

Sports Photography

At 1 fps burst and slow shutter max speeds, neither camera is suitable for sports photography beyond casual snapshots. The W810’s better AF tracking is a slight nod but overall, invest elsewhere if speed is critical.

Street Photography

The compact sizes, discrete designs, and respectable reach make both cameras reasonable street companions.

The W610’s slimmer body and faster lens make it quick to grab and shoot in low light or tight spaces. The W810’s face detection and image stabilization aid capturing candid moments with less worry about camera shake.

Neither camera offers silent shutter modes, so expect a noticeable “click” that might alert street subjects.

Macro Photography

Here the W610 shines with its documented 4cm macro focus distance, allowing you to capture detailed close-ups of flowers or small objects.

The W810 does not specify macro capability, and in practice its minimum focus distance is longer, limiting tight close-ups.

Neither camera has advanced focus stacking, so depth-of-field is confined to optical limits.

Night and Astro Photography

The small sensors and maximum ISO 3200 limit low-light capabilities on both cameras.

With no bulb mode or long exposure options, dark skies and star trails are off limits.

The W810’s stabilization and video modes allow slightly better handheld nighttime shooting, but expect noise and limited dynamic range in shadow areas.

Video Shooting

The W810’s HD video mode and H.264 encoding make it the clear choice for casual video content creators on a budget.

The W610’s limited VGA-resolution video feels decidedly outdated and choppier.

Neither supports external mic input or advanced video features, so don’t expect cinematic results.

Travel Photography

Given their compact forms, the W610 and W810 suit travelers eager to pack light.

The W810’s longer zoom and image stabilization expand versatility at the expense of some bulk and battery life.

The W610’s faster lens and longer battery are helpful when roaming without chargers, while its slimmer shell fits more comfortably in a pocket.

Verdict Ratings Visualized

Here’s a quick reference for overall and genre-specific performance to wrap things up.

Pros and Cons Summary

Who Should Choose Which?

• Go for the Sony W610 if:

  • You want a very compact, lightweight camera with a bright lens.
  • You prefer cleaner images in good lighting and longer battery life.
  • You frequently shoot macros or portraits and can live without image stabilization.
  • Budget is tight, but you want straightforward point-and-shoot simplicity.

• Opt for the Sony W810 if:

  • You desire longer optical zoom for greater framing flexibility.
  • You want basic face detection and autofocus tracking to help nail portraits.
  • Video shooting at HD is important for casual clips.
  • You need optical image stabilization for handheld low-light shooting.
  • You’re okay with a slightly chunkier camera and shorter battery life.

Final Thoughts

The Sony W610 and W810 both represent affordable, entry-level compact cameras targeted at casual shooters and budget-minded enthusiasts. Having lived with them both, my takeaway is this:

The W810 is the more versatile everyday shooter of the two, offering better zoom reach, stabilization, and video; it’s a camera that tries to assist beginners with face detection and steady images. On the other hand, the W610 boasts a brighter lens, cleaner daylight images, and longer battery life, making it a leaner option if you prefer simplicity and occasionally dabble in close-ups.

Neither camera is a jack-of-all-trades suitable for advanced creative work. As a “clubs for thumbs” enthusiast and someone who appreciates value, I’d recommend the W810 for casual family memories and travel snapshots, while the W610 best serves the cheapskate who values portability and simpler shooting in well-lit conditions.

Whichever you choose, try not to expect miracles – these little CCD-powered jewels are all about convenience, simple operation, and a taste of digital photography nostalgia.

Sample Images: Seeing Is Believing

To help you get a feel for image quality, here's a gallery comparing shots from both cameras across several photography genres.

Sony W610 front Sony W610 screen back Sony W810 front Sony W810 screen back

Hopefully, this detailed comparison helps you pick wisely and spend thoughtfully. Shoot sharp, friends!