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Sony W380

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 front
 
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-120mm (F2.4-5.9) lens
  • 117g - 91 x 52 x 20mm
  • Announced January 2010
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
25
Overall
32

Sony W380 overview

Sony W380 is Sony's Ultracompact digital camera first released on January of 2010. The camera has got a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The W380 places at #77 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras and all-around #1054 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to use our Smart camera search to see camera listings based on your personal factors.

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The following is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony W380 history

The Sony W380 comes with a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can take a look at all previous and brand new models along with important features.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX220 front thumbnailSony WX220
W380 vs WX220
25-250mm
F3.3-5.9
18MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W830 front thumbnailSony W830
W380 vs W830
25-200mm
F3.3-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2014
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W810 front thumbnailSony W810
W380 vs W810
27-162mm
F3.5-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W550 front thumbnailSony W550
W380 vs W550
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W560 front thumbnailSony W560
W380 vs W560
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W570 front thumbnailSony W570
W380 vs W570
25-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX9 front thumbnailSony WX9
W380 vs WX9
25-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W530 front thumbnailSony W530
W380 vs W530
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W510 front thumbnailSony W510
W380 vs W510
26-104mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W330 front thumbnailSony W330
W380 vs W330
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W350 front thumbnailSony W350
W380 vs W350
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W310 front thumbnailSony W310
W380 vs W310
28-112mm
F3.0-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W320 front thumbnailSony W320
W380 vs W320
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W380 front thumbnailSony W38024-120mm
F2.4-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010

Sony W380 Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of advantages and disadvantages of the Sony W380 based on factors that are usually viewed as necessary in a digital camera.

above average min ISO (80)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
image stabilization (Optical)
in built lens has zoom (24-120mm 5.0 x zoom)
includes HDMI socket
really wide (24mm)
cannot use external flash
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
focusing manually not possible
lack of external mic socket
lack of headphone socket
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW format
lack of Time Lapse function
low frames per second (2.0 frames/s)
low resolution screen (230 thousand dots)
manual mode not possible
max zoom aperture not good (f5.9)
no aperture priority mode
no shutter priority mode
screen is fixed
screen is not selfie friendly
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
sluggish max aperture (f2.4)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
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Sony W380 Sensor details

The Sony W380 is powered by the Bionz chip. The specification of the sensor on the Sony W380 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 14 megapixels and provides a standard ISO range of 80 to 3200. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported therefore you have less margin for error.

The picture below displays the W380's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The W380 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 sensor size TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony W380 dimensions

Sony W380 weighs in at 0.26 lbs (117g / 4.13 ounces) and features external dimensions of 91mm x 52mm x 20mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.8"). The weight of normal Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Sony W380 is on par as compared with other rivals.

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The following is a visual of the Sony W380 alongside a soda so you're able to have a feel for its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 dimensions scale

The top view below will illustrate the button layout on the W380.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 topview buttons dials

Sony W380 Lens specs

The W380 is equipped with a built in lens featuring a focal range of 24-120mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which might not be amazing however it will surely be invaluable in a few cases.

At the widest 24mm, it will have an aperture of f2.4 which is kind of slow and not ideal in low light conditions and you will probably find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You will probably also have to up the ISO setting giving you noisy images. Towards the tele end, 120mm comes with f5.9 making it pretty sluggish and you will need to go with slower shutter speeds.

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Sony W380 Connectivity

The W380 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that come with NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You will be able to transfer files and sometimes change settings without connecting directly to the camera.

Some applications even stream a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external display. The majority of cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

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Sony W380 Video specs

The maximum video quality on the Sony W380 is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in Motion JPEG file format. 720p is terrible by today's requirements. You should try to get a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The camera doesn't feature a mic and / or headphone jack which means that you have got little control over your sound. It is probably best to get an alternative camera if you need decent sound in your videos.

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Sony W380 Weather Sealing

There is no weather proofing for the Sony W380 so you need to be cautious in rainy and dusty conditions.

Sony W380 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony W380 has got a 2.7 inch fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 screen and viewfinder C500 Mark II gets new Cinema RAW Light modes from Canon

The ViewFinder details regarding Sony W380 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor conditions which make the camera screens washed out and hard to view, viewfinders can be quite valuable.

Sony W380 Shutter specs

Sony W380 continuous shooting speed is 2.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1600 seconds.

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Sony W380 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Sony W380 boasts only inbuilt flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony W380 Autofocusing specs

Sony W380 boasts just Contrast Based Auto Focus and doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more faster & precise when compared to Contrast Based autofocusing.

The AF system has got 9 focus points to choose from. Sony W380 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing ability can be useful for low light scenarios or you need more accurate control on depth of field.

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Sony W380 Battery life

The general Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has got the highest possible (320) battery life for this class of cameras.

Listed below is a listing of Ultracompact cameras having the best battery life:

Sony W380 for various styles of photography

The following chart provides a overview of the Sony W380 for various styles of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Sony W380 Portrait photography features

The Sony W380 gets a points total of 28 which is awful, and means the camera is not very good for portrait images. Shooting portrait images favors greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW files in addition to the option to utilize external flash.

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decent megapixels (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
no manual mode
no external flash support
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support

Sony W380 as a Street photography camera

Having a decent points tally of 57, the Sony W380 is fairly acceptable for street photography. A decent street photography camera comes with a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support

Sony W380 Sports photography info

A awful sports photography points total of 35 suggests the Sony W380 is not very good for photographing sports. A camera needs great focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
painfully slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Sony W380

Portability is pretty crucial when buying a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony W380 gets a nice 65 as a travel camera which is a fine fit to buy for your vacations.

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resolution is good (14MP)
flash built-in
fairly wide (24mm)
missing Time Lapse mode
doesn't have selfie friendly display
sluggish max aperture (f2.4)

Landscape photography with Sony W380

When you are looking to choose a camera for landscape photographs, the most vital aspect will be image quality. The Sony W380 at it's awful rating of 38 as a landscape camera is not very good amongst it's competition.

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relatively wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.4)
screen is somewhat small (2.7")
no manual control
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
doesn't have Timelapse recording

Sony W380 Vlogging advice

A camera for vlogging preferably should come with a articulating screen, mic port and preferably IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Sony W380 is not very good for vlogging as it comes to a awful score of 29.

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fairly wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow max aperture (f2.4)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
no microphone jack

Sony W380 Alternatives

If you are shopping for alternatives to the W380, here is a collection of the highest rated cameras which fall under the family of Ultracompact.

The chart down below shows you a bird's eye view of the W380 compared to it's highest scored competitors listed earlier.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might look at as alternatives. To check out a detailed comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380
Class
Ultracompact
Announced
2010-01-07
Physical type
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Chip
Bionz
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution
4320 x 3240
RAW photos
Max native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
24-120mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/2.4-5.9
Macro focusing range
5cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Type of screen
Fixed Type
Screen sizing
2.7 inches
Screen resolution
230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
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
Slowest shutter speed
2s
Maximum shutter speed
1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate
2.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
4.80 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Slow syncro
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution
1280x720
Video format
Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
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
117g (0.26 pounds)
Physical dimensions
91 x 52 x 20mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.8")
Other
Battery ID
NP-BN1
Self timer
Yes (2 sec or 10 sec, portrait1/portrait2)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo / Pro HG-Duo, Internal
Card slots
1
Pricing at launch
$44