Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W810

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W810 is a compact fixed-lens camera from 2014. It measures 97 x 56 x 21 mm and weighs 111 grams, so it slips into a pocket or a small bag without a second thought.

Its 20 megapixel sensor is the small 1/2.3-inch type, and the lens is built in, so there is nothing to attach or swap. That keeps the camera simple to carry and quick to hand to someone else for a picture.

This combination suits anyone who wants a light, straightforward camera for snapshots, travel or as a spare body to carry when a phone camera alone will not do.

The W810 pairs its 20 megapixel resolution with a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. That resolution gives you room to crop a photo, and the small sensor size keeps the whole package compact.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 80 up to ISO 3200. The low base setting suits bright outdoor light, and when conditions dim the built-in flash can help.

Autofocus uses a single point, so place your subject with care. The fastest burst rate is one frame per second, and that figure is a maximum rather than a sustained promise. Together these suit posed portraits, landscapes and static subjects rather than fast action.

In-body stabilisation helps when handheld camera shake would otherwise blur a shot at slower shutter speeds. It counters your own movement, not a moving subject's, so it will not freeze a running child or pet the way a fast shutter would. The shutter tops out at 1/1500 second.

Video recording is available, with a top resolution of Standard HD. The fastest frame rate the camera offers is 30 fps, which is smooth enough for casual clips of family events and holidays. These are separate maximums, so the two figures together do not confirm one recording mode.

Footage records as MPEG4 or AVI files.

There is no built-in intervalometer for timelapse work, so the camera does not automate sequences of frames over time. It covers ordinary video clips, and timelapse projects would need frames triggered some other way.

Framing and playback happen on a 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen with 230,000 dots. That dot count is modest, so the display serves composition better than critical focus checking.

The screen flips, which helps when shooting from waist level or holding the camera overhead in a crowd. There is no touch input, so all settings are adjusted with the physical buttons.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both built in, so the camera offers two wireless connection types. The built-in flash helps in dim interiors, though there is no option for adding an external flash.

The body has no weather sealing, so keep it dry and sheltered in rain or at the beach. GPS is absent too, so the camera itself does not tag photos with location data; any tagging would need another device.

A single card slot accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards as well as Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo. That gives you a choice of card families, and SDXC support means you can use larger-capacity cards.

With only one slot, images are written to a single card, so carry a spare card when shooting something you cannot repeat.

The camera runs on an NP-BN battery rated at 200 shots per charge. The rating's test conditions are not specified, so treat the figure as a guide rather than a promise when planning a full day of sightseeing.

The battery cannot be charged over USB, so you cannot top it up from a laptop or a power bank. Without a second charged NP-BN cell, the camera waits out the refill before shooting again.