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Sony WX9

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 front
 
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-125mm (F2.6-6.3) lens
  • n/ag - 95 x 56 x 20mm
  • Released January 2011
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
99
Imaging
39
Features
37
Overall
38

Sony WX9 overview

Sony WX9 is Sony's Ultracompact digital camera originally released on January of 2011. It comes with a 16 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456.

The WX9 ranks at #27 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & all round #798 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to check our Smart camera finder to see camera listings based on your custom factors.

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The following is a graph of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony WX9 history

The Sony WX9 is part of a family of cameras. You can read the complete range below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX220 front thumbnailSony WX220
WX9 vs WX220
25-250mm
F3.3-5.9
18MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W830 front thumbnailSony W830
WX9 vs W830
25-200mm
F3.3-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2014
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W810 front thumbnailSony W810
WX9 vs W810
27-162mm
F3.5-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W550 front thumbnailSony W550
WX9 vs W550
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W560 front thumbnailSony W560
WX9 vs W560
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W570 front thumbnailSony W570
WX9 vs W570
25-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-WX9 front thumbnailSony WX925-125mm
F2.6-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W530 front thumbnailSony W530
WX9 vs W530
26-104mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W510 front thumbnailSony W510
WX9 vs W510
26-104mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W330 front thumbnailSony W330
WX9 vs W330
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W350 front thumbnailSony W350
WX9 vs W350
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W310 front thumbnailSony W310
WX9 vs W310
28-112mm
F3.0-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W320 front thumbnailSony W320
WX9 vs W320
26-105mm
F2.7-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-W380 front thumbnailSony W380
WX9 vs W380
24-120mm
F2.4-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010

Sony WX9 Pros and Cons

Below is a checklist of advantages and disadvantages of the Sony WX9 based on features that are oftentimes viewed as useful in a digital camera.

decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
good zoom range (25-125mm 5.0 x zoom)
great min ISO (100)
has built in flash
has HDMI out
image stabilization (Optical)
nice clear screen (921 k dots)
rather wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
doesn't have headphone support
doesn't have microphone support
doesn't have Timelapse mode
external flash not possible
focusing manually not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of manual mode
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW support
max zoom aperture not good (f6.3)
no shutter priority
screen does not articulate
screen is not selfie friendly
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
slow maximum aperture (f2.6)
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Sony WX9 Sensor info

The Sony WX9 is powered by the BIONZ chip. The sensor dimension on the Sony WX9 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 16 megapixels and gives a standard ISO range of 100 to 3200. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved which means that you have less margin for error.

The image below displays the WX9's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The WX9 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is outlined in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 sensor size Photography Glossary

To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony WX9 dimensions

Sony WX9 has a weight of 0.00 pounds (g or 0.00 ounces) & the over all size of the camera is 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8"). The weight of normal Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Sony WX9 is lighter compared with other rivals.

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The following is a photo of the Sony WX9 besides a softdrink so you can get a feel for its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 dimensions scale

The top view here will provide the button layout on the WX9.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 topview buttons dials

Sony WX9 Lens info

The WX9 provides a built-in lens and a focal range of 25-125mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which is definitely not very good but it might be handy in some cases.

At the widest 25mm, it features an aperture of f2.6 making it pretty slow and not the best for low light occasions and you will probably find it hard to get good bokeh. You will also have to up the ISO setting which causes noisy shots. With the tele end, 125mm comes with f6.3 making it fairly sluggish and you might need to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Sony WX9 Connectivity

The WX9 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC or Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly through smartphones. You will be able to send images and oftentimes change settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.

Many applications even enable a Liveview and click the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external monitor. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

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Sony WX9 Video info

The maximum video resolution on the Sony WX9 is 1920 x 1080 and you can capture in MPEG-4 and AVCHD file format. 1080p resolution gives a great balance in video quality and file sizes but FULL HD won't give you any room to downsample. The camera doesn't feature a microphone or headphone socket which means you get no control over the sound. It is probably best to consider a different camera in case you require good sound for your videos.

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Sony WX9 Weather Sealing

Sony WX9 doesn't include weather proofing so wet conditions might damage the camera.

Sony WX9 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony WX9 comes with a 3" fixed display boasting a resolution of 921k dots.

Please note that the display screen has no touch support.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9 screen and viewfinder Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

The View Finder specifications for Sony WX9 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be rather beneficial in bright outdoor situations which might make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.

Sony WX9 Shutter info

Sony WX9 continuous shooting speed is 10.0 frames/s. The highest shutter speed is 1/1600 seconds.

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Sony WX9 Flash and Hot shoe info

Sony WX9 features only built-in flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony WX9 Autofocus info

Sony WX9 features just Contrast Based Auto Focus & lacks Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier and precise compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The Sensor comes with 9 focus points to choose from. Sony WX9 has not got manual focusing. Manual focusing ability can be useful in low light or you need to have more accurate control on focusing.

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Sony WX9 Battery life

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

Listed below is a number of Ultracompact cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

Sony WX9 for different types of photography

The following diagram provides a overview of the Sony WX9 for different types of photography. To read more, check out the specific section below.

Sony WX9 Portrait photography factors

The Sony WX9 has a points tally of 30 which is dreadful, meaning that it is just not acceptable to use for portrait images. Shooting portrait images favors heavily to sensor size, support for RAW files along with the option to work with off-camera flash.

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decent megapixels (16MP)
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not available
no external flash support
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support

Sony WX9 as a Street photography camera

Having a reasonable score of 59, the Sony WX9 is fairly acceptable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of image quality plus portability.

Photography Glossary
has image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support

Sports photography with Sony WX9

A dreadful sports photography score of 39 suggests the Sony WX9 is just not acceptable for taking photos of sports. A camera needs to have excellent focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF

Sony WX9 Travel photography factors

Weight is really critical in selecting a camera for travel. On the whole, the Sony WX9 gets a very good 67 for a travelling camera which makes it a very decent pick for your trips.

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decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
pretty wide (25mm)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.6)

Sony WX9 as a Landscape photography camera

When you are planning to buy a camera for landscape photography, the biggest aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony WX9 with it's dreadful score of 43 for a landscape camera is just not acceptable among its rivals.

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quite wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16MP)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.6)
manual exposure not possible
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
lack of Time Lapse function

Vlogging with Sony WX9

A vlogging camera really should offer a articulating display, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Sony WX9 is just not acceptable for vlogging as it gets a dreadful score of 33.

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relatively wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
slow maximum aperture (f2.6)
display is not selfie friendly
no microphone socket

Sony WX9 Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the WX9, below is a selection of the highest ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Ultracompact.

The line chart followed below shows you a bird's eye view of the WX9 compared to it's top ranked rivals mentioned previously.

These are various other cameras you may regard as alternate options. To look at a comprehensive comparison, visit the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9
Class
Ultracompact
Released
2011-01-06
Physical type
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Processor
BIONZ
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW data
Maximum native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
25-125mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/2.6-6.3
Macro focusing range
5cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen size
3 inches
Resolution of screen
921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech
XtraFine LCD
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
2 seconds
Maximum shutter speed
1/1600 seconds
Continuous shooting rate
10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
5.30 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
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
Dimensions
95 x 56 x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8")
Other
Battery ID
NP-BN1
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Card slots
One
Price at launch
$188