Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55

The DSC-W55 came out in early 2007 at a price that didn't suggest Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar glass, an optical viewfinder, or 380 shots on a single charge. Sony included all three anyway. The W-series was always the sensible choice in the Cyber-shot lineup — no gimmicks, no touchscreen experiments, just a well-built compact with the right lens and enough battery to last a weekend without hunting for a charger.

NO FILTER: SHOT ON W55

coming soon

THE LOOKS

The pink W55 is a soft, warm rose — not garish, not timid, exactly the kind of pink that looks considered rather than default. The body is a conventional compact rectangle at 89 × 57 × 23mm, with the 2.5-inch LCD on the rear and a small optical viewfinder sitting above it — a detail that's easy to miss and worth noticing. At 147g it feels properly built. Also available in black, silver, and Caribbean blue.

THE SPECS

7.2-megapixel 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD, ISO 100–1000. Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3× zoom, 38–114mm equivalent, f/2.8–5.2. No optical IS. Real Imaging Processor. 2.5-inch LCD (115k dots) + optical viewfinder. 56MB internal + MS Duo. VGA/16.6fps video. 380 shots/charge. 89 × 57 × 23mm, 147g.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• Optical viewfinder above the 2.5-inch LCD: included at a time when most compacts had already dropped it — a small detail that makes a real difference in bright sunlight.
• 380 shots per charge from the NP-BG1: exceptional endurance for 2007, and still competitive — most modern compacts don't come close to this figure on a single battery.
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar on a sub-$200 compact: the Zeiss coating and optical design produced contrast and sharpness that the W55's spec sheet alone wouldn't have predicted.

THE VERDICT

The W55 is a camera about what it retained rather than what it added. The optical viewfinder was already a rarity in compacts by 2007. The 380-shot battery life still puts most modern cameras to shame. The Zeiss glass produces images with the contrast and sharpness the branding promises. Pink makes it the most visually interesting color in the range. A straightforward camera that got everything it prioritized right.