The DSC-WX1's consistent colour performance across sensitivities up to ISO 1,600 keeps its pictures usable for prints of 8 by 10 inches and smaller. Photos at ISO 3,200 look washed-out, but can be printed at 4 by 6 inches and smaller, if you're not terribly picky. Some colour noise and artefacts are present at all ISOs, including the lowest setting of ISO 160. If you're going to make poster-size prints and stare at them from a foot away, you're probably going to be disappointed with what you see.
The DSC-WX1's lens offers impressive sharpness in the centre, although photos soften up towards the sides. All in all, though, the lens on this camera is good. There's surprisingly little barrel distortion, considering how wide it is. There's no pincushioning at the lens' longest position, and we didn't see much in the way of chromatic aberration. Colours, white balance and exposure are all natural and vibrant.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Conclusion
What it really comes down to with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is expectations. Just because Sony has used a sensor found in its high-end camcorders and a lens based on those from its Alpha dSLRs, should you expect excellent photo quality? It certainly sounds reasonable. But, in the end, the fun-to-use DSC-WX1 is still a point-and-shoot camera, capable of above-average photos under challenging conditions where most other snappers in its class fail.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
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