Sony's 2012 budget compact — 14.1MP CCD, 28-140mm 5x zoom, 720p video, SD and Memory Stick
The Cyber-shot DSC-W620 was announced in January 2012 as part of Sony's final generations of budget CCD compacts, by which point smartphones were already eroding the category. It sold in silver, black and red, sitting near the bottom of the W-series above the W610.
It paired a 14.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch Super HAD CCD with a 5x zoom covering 28-140mm equivalent at f/3.2-6.5, and could record 720p HD video with use of the optical zoom while filming. The 2.7-inch 230,000-dot Clear Photo LCD handled framing, and features included iAuto mode, face priority and 360-degree Sweep Panorama. It weighed about 100g, took the NP-BN1 battery, and accepted both Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC cards.
Dual-format card support and light weight make it one of the more practical cheap Cyber-shots to live with, and Sweep Panorama remains a fun extra. There is no optical stabilisation and the slow f/6.5 long end limits telephoto use in anything but bright light, so treat it as a daylight snapshot and travel-notes camera.
Because it accepts SD cards, media is a non-issue — a rarity among used Cyber-shots. The NP-BN1 is a small cell with modest life, so check it holds charge and whether a charger or USB charging lead is included. These sold in huge numbers, so pay for clean examples: test zoom, flash, panorama sweep and video before buying anything described only as untested.