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Sony W320

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 front
 
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 26-105mm (F2.7-5.7) lens
  • 117g - 93 x 52 x 17mm
  • Released January 2010
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
97
Imaging
37
Features
21
Overall
30

Sony W320 overview

Sony W320 is Sony's Ultracompact digital camera first revealed on January of 2010. It houses a 14 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The W320 is scored #98 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & all round #1115 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try out our Advanced camera finder to get camera results based on your customized criteria.

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Here is a graph of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony W320 history

The Sony W320 has a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can check out all older and latest models alongside main specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX220 front thumbnailSony WX220
W320 vs WX220
25-250mm
F3.3-5.9
18MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W830 front thumbnailSony W830
W320 vs W830
25-200mm
F3.3-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony Japan Introduces 5G Transmitter for Alpha Cameras
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W810 front thumbnailSony W810
W320 vs W810
27-162mm
F3.5-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W550 front thumbnailSony W550
W320 vs W550
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W560 front thumbnailSony W560
W320 vs W560
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W570 front thumbnailSony W570
W320 vs W570
25-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX9 front thumbnailSony WX9
W320 vs WX9
25-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W530 front thumbnailSony W530
W320 vs W530
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W510 front thumbnailSony W510
W320 vs W510
26-104mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W330 front thumbnailSony W330
W320 vs W330
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W350 front thumbnailSony W350
W320 vs W350
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Leica to Release Innovative Hybrid Medium Format Camera in 2 Years
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W310 front thumbnailSony W310
W320 vs W310
28-112mm
F3.0-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W320 front thumbnailSony W32026-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W380 front thumbnailSony W380
W320 vs W380
24-120mm
F2.4-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010

Sony W320 Pros and Cons

Below is a collection of good and bad points of the Sony W320 based on factors that are usually seen as crucial in a digital camera.

built in lens has zoom (26-105mm 4.0 x zoom)
decent MP (14 megapixels)
does have HDMI out
great min ISO (80)
has built in flash
really wide (26mm)
cannot use external flash
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames per second)
does not have external microphone support
does not have headphone support
does not have Timelapse mode
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
has no phase detect auto focus
has no RAW support
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of image stabilization
lack of manual exposure
manual focus not available
max zoom aperture not good (f5.7)
no shutter priority
screen does not articulate
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dots)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.7)
small screen (2.7 inches)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus

Sony W320 Sensor specifications

The dimension of the sensor on the Sony W320 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.

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The CCD sensor has 14 megapixels and delivers a standard ISO range of 80 to 3200. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported so the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The picture below displays the W320's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The W320 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is shown in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 sensor size TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony W320 dimensions

Sony W320 has a weight of 0.26 lbs (117 grams / 4.13 ounces) & the sizing of the camera is 93mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.7"). The weight of general Ultracompact camera is 121 grams and the Sony W320 is very similar in comparison with various rivals.

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Listed below is a visual of the Sony W320 besides a soft drink so you can get a sense of its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show the button layout on the W320.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 topview buttons dials

Sony W320 Lens specifications

The W320 is equipped with a built-in lens providing a focal range of 26-105mm giving it a 4.0 x zoom which might not be amazing however it may be invaluable in some conditions.

At the widest 26mm, it has an aperture of f2.7 making it rather slow and not good for low light situations and you will probably find it difficult to get good bokeh. You will also have to boost the ISO setting giving you noisy photos. On the tele end, 105mm comes to f5.7 which is fairly slow and you would need to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Sony W320 Connectivity

The W320 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can transfer files and at times alter settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

A few applications even enable a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it can be connected to an external monitor. Almost all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

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Sony W320 Video specifications

The highest video resolution on the Sony W320 is 640 x 480 and you can capture in Motion JPEG file format. 480p is terrible for today's standards. You should really try to get a minimum FUll HD resolution for video. The camera doesn't include a microphone and headphone jack so you have got no control over the sound. It is perhaps best to purchase an alternative camera in case you require good sound for your videos.

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Sony W320 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing for the Sony W320 so you need to be cautious in rainy and dusty situations.

Sony W320 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony W320 is equipped with a 2.7 inch fixed screen boasting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320 screen and viewfinder AI-made Images of Food Appear More Delicious Than Real Photos

The View Finder specs for Sony W320 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and tricky to see, viewfinders can be particularly valuable.

Sony W320 Shutter specifications

Sony W320 is able to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1600 seconds.

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Sony W320 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Sony W320 has only integrated flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony W320 Autofocusing specifications

Sony W320 has just Contrast Based Autofocus & lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more quicker & accurate when compared with Contrast Based focusing.

The AF system supports 9 focus points to choose from. Sony W320 has not got manual focusing. Manual focusing can be useful during low light situations or you want more precise control on focusing.

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Sony W320 Battery life

The typical Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the highest (320) battery life within this range of cameras.

Here is a number of Ultracompact cameras that have the highest battery life:

Sony W320 for various types of photography

The following chart provides a overview of the Sony W320 for various types of photography. To check out more, go to the specific paragraph below.

Sony W320 Portrait photography info

The Sony W320 gets a rating of 28 which is low, and means the camera is simply not good to use for portraits. Taking portraits favors greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW files together with the flexibility to work with external lighting.

OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus
megapixel count decent (14MP)
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

Sony W320 Street photography details

Getting a moderate score of 49, the Sony W320 is somewhat adequate to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera comes with a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

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no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format

Sony W320 as a Sports photography camera

A low sports photography score of 26 indicates the Sony W320 is simply not good for taking photos of sports. A camera must have fantastic focusing plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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good MP (14MP)
max fps very slow (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF

Sony W320 Travel photography information

Weight is super critical in choosing a travel camera. Overall, the Sony W320 gets a nice 66 for a travel camera which makes it a good pick to purchase for your journeys.

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decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
rather wide (26mm)
does not have Time Lapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f2.7)

Landscape photography with Sony W320

If you are planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the most critical factor will be image quality. The Sony W320 at it's low grade of 33 for a landscape camera is simply not good among it's competitors.

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reasonably wide (26mm)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.7)
tiny screen (2.7")
no manual control
no image stabilization
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
no Timelapse function

Sony W320 as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving screen, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Sony W320 is simply not good for vlogging as it delivers a low rating of 26.

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rather wide (26mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.7)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
video resolution low (640 x 480 resolution)
lack of microphone support

Sony W320 Alternatives

If you are shopping for alternatives to the W320, below is a selection of the highest ranked cameras that fall within the category of Ultracompact.

The chart below gives you a bird's eye view of the W320 compared to it's highest rated rivals listed earlier.

Following are additional cameras you may have a look at as alternate options. To read through a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Sony
Model type
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320
Category
Ultracompact
Released
2010-01-07
Physical type
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
4320 x 3240
RAW data
Maximum native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
26-105mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture
f/2.7-5.7
Macro focusing distance
4cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Type of screen
Fixed Type
Screen size
2.7 inches
Screen resolution
230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
1s
Highest shutter speed
1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate
1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
4.80 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Slow syncro
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
640x480
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
117 gr (0.26 lbs)
Dimensions
93 x 52 x 17mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.7")
Other
Battery ID
NP-BN1
Self timer
Yes (2 sec or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type
SD/SDHC, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo / Pro HG-Duo, Internal
Card slots
1
Pricing at launch
$269