Difference Between Sony Cybershot S Series and W Series

The Sony Cybershot cameras are a very popular choice for most consumers. What most people do not know is that there are different line-ups of Cybershot cameras that are suited for different people. Two of these lines are the S Series and W Series, denoted by the letter before the model number; like S3000 and W300 models. The main difference between the S Series and W Series is the market segment they are meant for. The S Series is the entry level offering, which has the cheapest price but also the barest essentials when it comes to features. On the other hand, the W Series may be a bit pricier, but you also get a lot more features in return.

For starters, W Series cameras tend to have higher resolution sensors than S Series cameras. This is true for models that came out at the same time and may still be true even if the W Series camera is older by months or a year than the S Series camera. Of course, this will probably not hold if you are comparing an S Series camera released this year to a W Series camera from 2005.

Another difference between S Series and W Series cameras is in their optical zoom capability. S Series cameras have typical optical zoom capabilities of 3X or 4X. Although some of the older W Series cameras also have 4X optical zoom, the more recent ones have 5X or higher; some models even have a 10X optical zoom capability.

Then, there is the list of features that you get in the W Series cameras and not in the S Series cameras. Features like Panorama shots, where you can pan your camera and it will automatically take multiple photos and splice them together to create a very wide image. HD video recording is also found only on W Series cameras. S Series cameras can also take videos but only in lower resolutions.

Choosing between S Series and W Series cameras is all down to your budget. The S Series cameras are good, but you should get a W Series camera if you can afford it.

Summary:

The S Series is the entry level line while the W Series is a higher end offering

The W Series cameras tend to have higher resolution sensors than the S Series cameras

The W Series cameras tend to have better zoom than the S Series cameras

The W Series cameras tend to have better features than S Series cameras

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