The DSC-W170 came out in April 2008 as Sony's most serious W-series compact — Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar glass, Super SteadyShot optical stabilization, a 28mm wide-angle start, and a flash that hits up to 4.2 metres. That lens is the headline: while most compacts of the era started at 35mm, the W170 opened wider, got more of the room in frame, and did it with Zeiss T* coating on a metal-bodied camera that cost $300 at launch.
NO FILTER: SHOT ON DSC-W170
THE LOOKS
In silver, the W170 is a classic metal compact — 93.7 × 58 × 24mm, with a lens barrel that extends noticeably when powered on, a physical reminder that there's real glass inside. The 2.7-inch LCD fills most of the rear, with a small optical viewfinder sitting above it. The silver finish is clean and straightforward — the version that lets the specs do the talking rather than the color. Also available in black, champagne gold, red, blue, and pink.
THE SPECS
The 10.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD delivers warm, characterful output — the sensor type that defines early-2000s digicam aesthetics. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 5× zoom covers 28–140mm with Super SteadyShot optical IS and f/3.3 at the wide end. The flash hits 4.2 metres — enough to actually light a group indoors. Optical viewfinder plus the 2.7-inch LCD for bright daylight shooting. 370 shots per charge. VGA/30fps video. 15MB internal + Memory Stick Duo. 93.7 × 58 × 24mm, 142g.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
- Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar with Super SteadyShot optical IS: Zeiss glass and real optical stabilization in a budget compact — the W170's core advantage over rivals relying on digital IS.
- 28mm wide-angle start on a metal-bodied compact: wide enough to capture a full room or a group of eight without stepping back, on a camera that felt premium in the hand.
- Optical viewfinder alongside the 2.7-inch LCD: a feature disappearing from compacts by 2008 — useful in bright sunlight and for battery conservation when the screen washes out.
THE VERDICT
The W170 is what a W-series camera looked like when Sony wasn't cutting corners. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar and Super SteadyShot together mean sharp handheld shots where other compacts gave up, the 28mm wide end fits everyone in the frame, and the flash hits hard enough at 4.2 metres to actually light the room. Champagne gold is the version that looks the part — warm, metallic, and from an era when cameras were still designed to be noticed.