There are few publications for which Crave can muster more venomous contempt than Heat magazine. But even we must admit that its latest sales ploy of mocking anorexic celebrities is marginally less repulsive than its previous tactic of recommending the illness to its young readers. In this spirit, we've been reappraising our relationship with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7, a 7.2-megapixel camera that positively revels in its love handles, exuding curvy feminine warmth and exposing faddish credit-card thin digicams like its sister, the T7, as the awkward, angular waifs they are.
The W7 does not get lost in your pocket. It does not get stuck between floorboards. It will not snap in two, be eaten by a dog or let you open a locked patio door, Beverley Hills Cop-style. It could be used as a bludgeoning weapon, though, if it wasn't too busy being a very fine camera. Its considerable heft is reassuring, letting even the clumsiest of snappers feel like they're taking a proper picture. The quick, accurate autofocus and 64mm (2.5-inch) LCD amplify this.
In spite of its portly 37mm girth, the W7 is still a joy to hold -- you can easily snap away one-handed, your middle finger gaining extra purchase on an ergonomic shelf on the front. The 3x optical zoom has a smooth counter-rotating mechanism once it gets past 2x, so that the lenses move seamlessly back into the camera, ensuring the centre of gravity remains in the body. It also offers a great deal more than the average snapshot digicam, with a wealth of features and a multitude of manual adjustments.
If this fine, fat digicam takes your fancy, expect to pay around £230. -NH
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