However, in picture and video quality it's still better than a smartphone because of things like a bright f2.6 25mm wide-angle lens with optical image stabilization and Sony's Exmor R BSI (backside-illuminated) CMOS sensor and Bionz image processor. It doesn't have all the control you'd get from a higher-end enthusiast compact, but it's overflowing with automatic shooting options.
Shooting performance for a point-and-shoot is excellent, too, so if you want something better than your phone, but still small and light enough to take everywhere, put the SX50 on your short list.
Photo quality
With its f2.6 maximum aperture and BSI CMOS sensor, the WX50's photo
quality is very good indoors and out. What's disappointing is that
photos aren't very sharp, even at its lowest ISO, and they really aren't
usable at full size because subjects just look soft and painterly.
Basically, you won't want to do any enlarging and heavy cropping, but
photos up to ISO 400 look very good and can be printed up to 13x9.
Noise
reduction kicks in more at ISO 800, though, which smears details and
dulls colors some. There's a noticeable increase in noise and noise
reduction at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200, making colors look more washed-out
and subjects appear even more painterly; you'll probably want to reserve
these two highest sensitivities for emergencies when you need to shoot
in low-light conditions or get a faster shutter speed regardless of the
results. Forget about using ISO 6400 and ISO 12800; I'm pretty sure
they're included just for marketing purposes.Snapshots
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| For those who like to shoot close-ups, the WX50 can focus as close as 2 inches from a subject. |
If you're faced with a subject with heavy backlight, Sony's multishot Backlight Correction HDR works very well to bring out details that would have been lost in highlights and shadows, without making things look too processed.
One of the big feature differences between this model and its predecessor, the WX9, are new Picture Effects. There are nine in all; this is Watercolor.
The WX50's lens goes from an ultrawide-angle 25mm to 125mm (35mm equivalent), a 5x zoom. It allows for better framing opportunities without adding bulk.
Sony's Background Defocus mode takes two shots, identifies the background and blurs it while keeping the subject sharp and in focus. Recommended distance from the subject is about a foot (30cm according to what the camera says on screen) and you can set the amount of blur to low, medium, or high; this was taken at medium. It works best when your subject is well in front of the background. It's not perfect, but at small sizes it can be convincing.
