The Cyber-shot DSC-W50 was a 2006 entry in Sony's mainstream W-series, sitting alongside the near-identical W30 and W40 as the version with a higher-resolution 2.5-inch screen. It dropped the manual exposure mode of the W100 above it, aiming squarely at simple point-and-shoot use.
It paired a 6-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD, driven by Sony's Real Imaging Processor, with a 3x zoom lens covering 38-114mm equivalent. The 2.5-inch LCD carried 115,000 dots, sensitivity ran ISO 80-1000, and video recorded at 640x480 30fps. It held 32MB internally with a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot for expansion, and the NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery was rated at roughly 390 shots per charge in a 127g metal-accented body.
It is a no-frills six-megapixel compact whose appeal today is the classic mid-2000s CCD rendering in a cheap, robust package with excellent battery life. There is no image stabilisation and the 38mm wide end is tight indoors, so it rewards daylight snapshot use rather than ambitious low-light work.
The shared NP-BG1 battery keeps running costs low and replacements plentiful. Storage is Memory Stick PRO Duo, so check a card and the often-missing charger are included. Inspect for the sticky lens covers and tired flashes common on heavily pocketed examples, and confirm the LCD is free of pressure marks.