Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Dark Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I originally bought a Sony DSC-S950, for around half the price of this camera, but I returned it the same day due to a faulty flash bulb. I decided to upgrade to the W290, because I wasn't very happy with the S950 - it felt cheap, and lacked features.
I've put together this list of pros and cons of this camera. Don't let the seemingly long list of cons scare you though, as they are all quite minor and not even important enough for me to rate this camera anything less than 5 stars. I just felt it was necessary to list everything I could think of. Sorry, I couldn't properly review the HD Video capability, because I don't have the HD cables (see below), and my computer seems to be too slow to properly play back HD video.
Pros:
-BRILLIANT colors! I am very very impressed with the colors in my shots, especially when shooting outdoor scenery shots (which is primarily what I purchased this camera for).
-Night-time shots using a tripod turn out very well also, giving as much detail as one could see with their naked eye.
-Smile shutter, as mentioned in previous reviews, works flawlessly. One thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere, is that when it's in Smile Shutter mode, it will continue to snap photos automatically as long as it keeps detecting smiles, which is very cool. So if you are taking a group picture, and you're one of those people that likes taking 3 shots of the same thing "just in case", just keep on smiling and the camera will take care of that for you.
-there's a 3-shot burst mode, where it automatically takes 3 pictures when you click the button: one with your default EV, one at -1EV, and one at +1EV (or different intervals even, if you choose). That once-in-a-lifetime shot you take will have 3 different versions automatically, and you can choose the one you like the most and delete the rest later.
-The Intelligent Auto mode works fantastically, it takes a lot of the stress out of taken urgent pictures. The only time I ever don't use it is when I have plenty of time to plan for a shot.
-Startup time is great! I've seen other complaints from people that say this camera takes too long to startup and be ready to use, but those people must be the most impatient people ever, because this thing is faster than any other camera I've owned, digital or otherwise. When you click the power button, the lens fires out lightning fast and the screen immediately displays the picture and is ready for action. Probably takes about 0.5 seconds from pushing the button to being ready to use.Cons:
-Plastic cover on LCD screen protrudes from the camera body, making it more easily scratched. I would recommend getting some screen protectors, as I'm about to do.
-the jack for the all-in-one cable is on the bottom of the camera, which will be great once a dock is available, but in the meantime it's a very inconvenient place to plug in the cable. It forces you to lay to camera on either the lens side, or the LCD side (which, as mentioned above, is designed in such a way that it could be scratched quite easily without a screen protector)
-Doesn't come with HD video cables, only the typical yellow/red/white RCA analogue cables. Seeing as how this camera records HD video, it would be nice to be able to play it back in HD on my tv without burning it to a DVD first. You can buy the HD cables from sony if you really need them, though.
-Comes with an NP-BG1 battery, which disables the camera's ability to show you the remaining minutes. You have to buy the optional NP-FG1 battery to see that. That's the only difference, both batteries have the same capacity. It was obviously designed that way to force us to buy a second battery... but that was fine with me, since I planned on buying one anyways.I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone looking for a great quality point-and-shoot digital camera!

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Features


12.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD image sensor
5x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens; Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
720p high-definition movie capture; BIONZ image processor
3.0-inch (230K pixels) Clear Photo LCD; Face Detection and Smile Shutter technology
11MB built-in memory; capture images to Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo Media (not included)

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Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When they say "this one's got it all," they mean it! This is certainly an upgrade to what I had before; and there's more features to this that I imaged there ever could be. It's built to last quite some while and it doesn't stint on options. Fortunately, however, I was able to learn how to use it rather quickly; and even the manual is well written! Most manuals are no fun to read but this one is written quite well in plain English and that's terrific. It also comes with a CD-ROM that lets you install the necessary computer software to connect the computer to the camera; the software also lets you register the camera with Sony and copy an extra instruction manual onto your hard drive. Moreover, this camera takes clear images every time and of course that built in flash works wonders. The buttons and dials are easy to manipulate and press; although you do have to be careful to press them using the edge of your finger (or your fingernail) because a few of the buttons are small.
The camera comes on "auto" for those of us who don't want to fiddle too much before taking pictures--but of course there's so much more to this camera than just the "auto" mode. Use the mode dial to access modes for taking pictures on the beach so that the blueness of the water looks as blue as can be, taking pictures when it's snowy to make the snow look a bit extra white, take a picture when the camera detects that someone is smiling, and much more! The control button and one or two other buttons help you to get the flash working under more than one setting, view and delete pictures and again, much more. You can easily attach this camera to your computer so that you can upload photos to your hard drive for storage there--or for posting your pictures to a website which can be incredibly useful and fun. In addition, to preserve the life of the battery pack between charges the camera shuts itself off after roughly three minutes of non-usage; this is a very good feature. I'm impressed.
The camera is capable of taking video clips although I don't think that it is designed primarily for that purpose. However, it will let you record video; the camera has a built in speaker, microphone and a "movie mode" to do this well.
In addition, you'll need to charge the battery pack for about four and one-half hours prior to shooting any pictures so don't wait until the moment you need this to open it up and use it. The memory stick will be ready to go, fortunately. I purchased an eight gigabyte memory stick so that I'll have plenty of space for storing my photos and movies. Be sure to get the memory stick and not the memory card; a memory card may not fit in the slot. At roughly twelve megapixels an eight gigabyte memory stick will hold about sixteen hundred photos.
There is also an internal rechargeable battery that may need to be charged if you don't use the camera for over a month. In case this occurs, make sure your battery pack is fully charged and then insert it so that the battery pack charges the internal battery for twenty-four hours or a little bit longer--while the camera is turned off. That should solve the problem. Sony also has ways for you to contact them in case you have further questions about the camera and how to keep this working for a long time to come!
Overall, I really like this camera; and I highly recommend it.

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The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 combines point-and-shoot ease-of-use with advanced features in a sophisticated, compact body. Smile Shutter technology allows you to capture a smile the moment it happens, and the Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens, Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, and 12.1 megapixel resolution deliver crisp, clear images.

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