Sony W800 vs Sony WX500: Which Compact Camera Earns Your Click?

When it comes to compact cameras, Sony’s Cyber-shot line offers a vast spectrum - from simple point-and-shoots to sophisticated superzoom compacts. Today, I’m diving deep into two built-for-different-purposes models that often get compared: the modest Sony W800 and the more ambitious Sony WX500. Released a year apart, these cameras address very different photography needs and budgets, so I’m here to break down their strengths, weaknesses, and real-world potential based on extensive hands-on tests.

Whether you’re a cheapskate just wanting solid snapshots or a discerning enthusiast looking for one-pocket versatility, this thorough comparison will help you decide if either of these fits your photography lifestyle.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Ergonomics

Let’s start with the basics - how do these cameras feel in your hands, and does their ergonomics support long shooting sessions?

Sony W800: This ultra-budget-friendly compact is feather-light at 125 grams and easily pocketable with its slender 97x55x21mm frame. It’s designed for absolute simplicity with few clubs for your thumbs - no touchscreen, no complex dial, just a handful of buttons and a fixed lens. Its small size serves casual shooters well, but don’t expect much in terms of grip support or customizable controls. It’s a camera you grab and go, not fuss over.

Sony WX500: Weighing in at nearly double (236 grams) and with a chunkier body (102x58x36mm), the WX500 stakes its claims as a superzoom compact aimed at enthusiasts who want manual exposure options on a small footprint. The tilt screen tilts a bit more freedom for creative angles, and the more substantive physical controls - shutter speed priority, aperture priority, manual modes - mean this is a camera for those who want control without lugging a DSLR. Its grip is modest but noticeably better than the W800’s.

If you think about shooting for hours, carrying the WX500 weighs a bit more but rewards with a more ergonomic grip and handheld stability. The W800, meanwhile, fits neatly in your pocket or purse for casual snaps but may feel fiddly if you’re after precise control or need speed.

Design and Control Layout: Simplicity vs. Sophistication

Sometimes, control layouts tell you the story of who the camera really is. Let’s take a peek from the top.

The W800 keeps things barebones: a tiny mode dial, a shutter button, zoom rocker, and a few menu buttons. Its fixed 2.7-inch screen with just 230k dots isn’t much to write home about, but it’s functional - no touchscreen, no fancy tilting, just point and shoot.

In contrast, the WX500 offers a more feature-rich experience. You’ll find physical dials and buttons for frequently accessed controls like exposure compensation and mode selection, plus a fully tiltable 3-inch LCD with a much sharper 921k dots resolution. The tilt allows for selfies or low-angle shooting - an increasingly important feature for vloggers or self-portraits.

Later in the article, I’ll expand on screens, but I can tell you based on testing that the WX500’s higher-res tilting display really helps composition and review in bright conditions, whereas the W800’s screen can feel underwhelming and hard to see outdoors.

Sensors and Image Quality: CCD vs. BSI-CMOS – Is Bigger Always Better?

Both cameras share the same sensor size category - a 1/2.3" sensor with roughly 28 mm² of surface area - but their sensor technologies differ significantly, which impacts image quality and versatility.

• Sony W800 sports a 20MP CCD sensor. CCDs tend to excel in capturing color accuracy but generally lag behind CMOS sensors in noise performance and dynamic range. This sensor produces decent resolution images, but due to older technology, its high ISO performance is limited, and it suffers in low light.

• Sony WX500 features an 18MP BSI-CMOS sensor and Sony’s Bionz X processor - the company’s prominent engine for better noise reduction and dynamic range handling. The WX500 shines with a wider ISO range (80 to 12800 native), which offers more flexibility in various lighting conditions. While it’s slightly lower megapixels than the W800, the sensor design and processing punch out markedly better images in real-world shooting, especially above ISO 400.

In practical terms, for snapshots and family photos on sunny days, both cameras deliver respectable image quality. However, if you want more detail retention, deeper shadow recovery, and cleaner high-ISO results for indoor or evening shots, the WX500 is the clear winner.

LCD and User Interface: A Tale of Two Screens

For composition and image review, having a responsive, clear screen can greatly enhance your shooting experience.

The W800’s small, fixed 2.7-inch TFT LCD with 230,000 dots is quite basic and struggles under direct sunlight due to low brightness levels. Without touchscreen or tilting ability, you’re limited to shooting from eye level and can’t interact directly with the display.

The WX500, however, upgrades to a larger, sharper 3-inch LCD with 921,000 dots and 180-degree tilt, making it versatile for creative framing - low to the ground, overhead, and even self-portraits (although it doesn’t have a front-facing selfie screen). This screen is easier to see outdoors and sensitive enough for quick menu navigation (still not touchscreen, but Sony’s menu system is intuitive and quick).

For beginners who frequently use the screen for framing and checking shots, the WX500 will save many headaches. The W800 is minimalist to the point of being frustrating in challenging lighting.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Snail or Cheetah?

For any use case involving moving subjects, focus speed and burst capabilities matter greatly.

• Sony W800: Offers contrast-detection autofocus with face detection, but no continuous AF or tracking. Burst speed maxes out at a glacial 1 frame per second, making it nearly useless for sports, wildlife, or action shooting.

• Sony WX500: Uses contrast detection with intelligent face detection and selective multi-area AF modes, including continuous autofocus and tracking. Burst speed jumps to 10fps, which is respectable for a compact camera.

In real-world testing, the WX500 reliably focused on subjects in both daylight and moderate indoor light, with eye detection helping keep portraits sharp. The W800’s slow focus and lack of tracking mean you’ll miss critical moments if your subject moves quickly.

Lens Range and Versatility: Zoom and Aperture – The Big Picture

Focal length flexibility is a strong point when considering a compact camera’s usefulness.

• Sony W800: Fixed 5x zoom lens at 26-130mm equivalent, F3.2-6.4 aperture range. This is a standard coverage for simple compacts, sufficient for casual shooting but limiting for telephoto or macro needs.

• Sony WX500: A monster 30x zoom with an equivalent range of 24-720mm and similar aperture of F3.5-6.4. This superzoom is one of the highlights, enabling everything from wide landscapes and street shots to distant wildlife or sports from the stands without changing lenses (which you can’t anyway on these fixed-lens models).

The WX500 also has close focusing down to 5cm, which makes macro shooting fun and practical. The W800 provides no useful macro focus specs, limiting close-up photography.

In short, the WX500’s lens versatility alone makes it a more powerful tool for various photography styles - perfect for the traveler or multi-discipline hobbyist - but at the cost of a bigger, pricier camera.

Real-World Performance Across Photography Genres

With the tech basics under our belt, I want to put these cameras through my own real-world criteria across the board:

Sony W800 front Sony W800 screen back Sony WX500 front Sony WX500 screen back

Portrait Photography

• W800: Soft focus and flat color rendering with limited depth-of-field due to a small sensor and modest aperture. Skin tones come out decent in good light, but bokeh is minimal and background separation weak. Face detection is helpful but limited to center AF.

• WX500: Builds on face and eye detection for sharp portraits with better color depth. Shallow depth-of-field is somewhat achievable at 720mm tele focal length, delivering more subject isolation and natural bokeh.

Landscape Photography

• W800: 20MP resolution is good on paper, but limited dynamic range and poor high ISO performance mean shadows and highlights can get crushed in challenging scenes.

• WX500: While both have the same sensor size, WX500’s BSI sensor and Bionz X processing give it better dynamic range and lower noise, especially in complex lighting. The wider zoom’s wide-angle setting at 24mm is better for sweeping vistas.

Weather sealing is lacking entirely on both - ideal for fair-weather shots only.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

• W800: Not a contender here - with limited zoom, a 1fps burst, and slow AF, it can’t keep pace with fast subjects.

• WX500: 30x zoom and 10fps burst let you track and shoot wildlife or sports at a distance. The tracking AF helps maintain focus on moving targets, though it’s no pro-level DSLR AF. Video at Full HD 60p helps capture fast action too.

Street and Travel Photography

• W800: Pocketable, quiet shutter, and simple controls make it good for stealth shooting in urban environments. However, limited zoom means you may need to get closer to subjects, which isn’t always ideal.

• WX500: A bit larger but still compact, the WX500 adds creative zoom flexibility - great for capturing candid moments from afar. The tilting screen aids composition when shooting from awkward angles. Its battery life (around 360 shots) also supports longer days out.

Macro Photography

• W800: No dedicated macro mode or close focus specs, so little fun here.

• WX500: 5cm close focus means you can explore flower and insect photography with sharp detail - nice bonus for enthusiasts.

Night / Astro Photography

Neither camera excels here, but:

• W800: Limited max ISO 3200, CCD sensor can produce noisy images above ISO 400.

• WX500: ISO 12800 and BSI-CMOS sensor handle low light better, but no long exposure controls or astrophotography modes (like bulb), limiting creative options.

Video Capabilities

• W800 records HD (1280 x 720p) video at 30fps in basic AVI/MPEG4 format. No external mic or headphone ports mean minimal audio control. Limited frame rates and no 4K options keep it very basic.

• WX500 steps up significantly with Full HD 1080p recording at multiple frame rates including 60p, 60i, 30p, and 24p in AVCHD and XAVC S codecs. Optical SteadyShot stabilization aids video smoothness. However, it lacks external mic input, which pros will miss for sound control.

If video is a priority for casual use, WX500 offers a marked improvement.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing

Neither camera features weather sealing or rugged build to withstand harsh conditions like dust, water, or cold. Both are consumer compacts built for everyday shooting with reasonable care.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

The WX500 offers roughly 360 shots per charge under CIPA testing standards, which is solid for a compact zoom. The W800’s battery life isn’t explicitly rated but likely lower due to older battery type and no power-saving processor.

Both use SD cards (also Memory Stick formats supported), but only the WX500 features wireless connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for speedy file transfers and remote control via smartphone apps - a neat convenience for the modern photographer.

Price-to-Performance Ratio: What You Get for Your Money

Here’s a glimpse to put things bluntly:

• Sony W800: At about $90 street price, this camera is for absolute budget buyers who want a no-frills, portable snapshot tool without fuss.

• Sony WX500: At ~$350, this delivers far more versatility and image quality, manual controls, extensive zoom range, and improved video capability. It’s a smart choice for enthusiasts or travelers who want one compact camera for multiple shooting scenarios.

As you can see from overall and genre-specific scoring, the WX500 outperforms the W800 across nearly every category, especially for demanding uses like wildlife, sports, low light, and video.

Summing It Up: Who Should Pick Which Camera?

My Final Verdict

Having personally tested these two cameras extensively, the Sony W800 is exactly what it aims to be: a straightforward, cut-the-clutter point-and-shoot with minimal bells and whistles. It works well for users who want an inexpensive, light camera to carry without fuss or clubs for their thumbs.

On the other hand, the Sony WX500 is a versatile compact powerhouse punching well above its price class - with a superzoom lens, manual controls, superior sensor and processor combo, and high frame rate shooting. It caters to discerning enthusiasts who want more creative freedom, better image quality, and video capabilities, yet still crave portability.

So, if your budget is tight and your needs basic, go for the W800 and enjoy simple photography without complexity. But if you want a flexible, quality camera for varied photography genres - from portraits and landscapes to wildlife and video - the WX500 absolutely earns its place in your camera bag.

Whichever you pick, I recommend buying from reputable retailers and testing the camera yourself if possible - because nothing beats holding a camera in your hands to feel if it suits your style and workflow. Happy shooting!