I have tried Sony W290, Canon SD 790 and SD 1200, this is the best camera of all. Beautiful and vivid pictures, time to start up is very fast. in burst mode, you can take several pictures, and I mean it's take very fast, I love this. compare with W290, W230 is better and it's cheaper. I have both, but I have returned the W290 to Dell.

For performance, I give it 4 stars, but the price is better than W290 so I give it 5 Stars!

Excellent device for the price.
I highly recommend it.

I bought this camera based on past reviews of Sony Cybershots. It is very easy to figure out without reading too much into the instructions. I took several test pictures and was a bit disapointed. The first few looked like they were taken from my old 5 MP camera. After testing all the settings and taking a few more shots the camera held up to expectations. Pictures came out good and clear. I would recommend this camera for those on a budget looking for something midrange. If you want better quality then go with one of the megazoom cameras.

I bought this camera after having experience with my friend's touch screen model from Sony from a year or so ago. The touch screen aspect wasn't crucial to me, and I thought Sony would be the way to go to replace my old 6.1 megapixels Kodak.

I've been looking around for a while, and after seeing that this model has an ISO up to 3200, I thought it would be ideal for taking photos in low light. Sadly, that is quite the contrary. While the DSC-W230 can take images without flash inside, the quality is poor. There is noise in nearly every shot, despite the camera being on the ISO setting. I've tried many other settings, including twilight and fiddling around with the manual programming mode, and yet the camera just doesn't deliver.

Even when taking photos outside, as soon as I zoom in just one, the image becomes fuzzy. The screen is great and the quality looks wonderful at first, but upon the first zoom in, it is apparent that the images just aren't as crisp as they should be. Sadly, it is comparable to my old Kodak.

The quality when uploaded to my computer shows its true colors. Images that seem lovely on screen are just not up to par.

One other small annoyance is the fact that you cannot delete an image immediately after taking it. You have to go to review.

Some aspects of this are really nice since there are many modes to play with and slideshow mode is fun, but if you are looking for crisp, clean pictures, save your money.

I am sadly going to return this model.

For the price and the 12Mpx, it's a pretty good camera. I bought it for my Grand Canyon trip, an obvious picture-taking mecca. The camera can be fairly easy to use, if you choose the most automatic options. If you want to experiment and go more manual, there're a myriad of options for that, too. However, as a former camera geek, I would have liked an option to go completely manual and be able to choose my own iso settings for further experimentation (hence, the three stars). You are able to adjust aperture settings (or at least it can mimic that). But even with the options I did have, I was able to play around with it and take some very acceptable pictures. Not pro-level, but enough to impress family and friends. And at 12Mpx,, there's a lot of latitude for cropping, blowing-up, etc.

We most recently purchased this camera after wanting to upgrade our pixels from our old Sony. Takes very nice photos, good video clips if needed but less then stellar when it comes to zoom clarity. At a graduation ceremony from the second row I tried to zoom halfway to get a better shot and found the end result both on the display and in the actual print out to be very blurry and that wasn't even in full zoom. There are going to be times when you simply cannot get closer and must use the zoom and unfortunately, I cannot count on this camera to give me a clear shot. Other than that, using the easy mode, the pictures came out clear and colorful. Also took some action shots of my child rolling down a small hill at the park with her friends and was pleasantly surprised at the clarity. The other issue I have with this camera is the lagtime between the view of the picture and being ready to take another. Very slow and you can miss a perfect shot. For day to day, vacation shots and special occasions, I think this camera is a good choice especially for the money! PC Richards charged $174

I needed a second still image camera for business since we share a single one in the office, which often results in delays. I was so happy with the Sony Cybershot DSCW80 that I bought about two or three years ago, that it was a no-brainer to upgrade to this newer, higher megapixel version. This is my fourth Sony digital camera, and I'm loving it.

I can't stress enough how wonderful the anti-blur technology on the camera is. While these newer, lightweight cameras are much more portable than their predecessors, it's also hard to hold them steady without a little of that extra weight. I don't have Parkinson's, but I don't have a steady surgical hand either, and this camera totally makes up for it. I don't like using the zoom feature without a tripod, but the more you zoom in on any camera, the shakier you get if you don't have it on a steady surface. It just goes with the territory.

I am an amateur photographer--I use this for just regular photographs of everyday things. I need something simple to point and shoot. It has the same basic controls that my other Sonys have had, with the bonus of a slightly larger screen on the back. Most users will probably have little trouble using the dials and menu on the back to try different settings and to view the pictures you've already taken. I doubt if you'll have to consult the manual if you've had any experience with digital cameras before.

I have video cameras and image editing software, so I didn't use the video function and did not install or use Sony's software on my computer, so I can't comment on either of those functions. The battery charges more quickly than previous models, and seems to have longer life for my still image shooting. The images are just fantastic--I could wave it around while taking a shot and still get a crisp, clean picture.

Some people don't like the fact that the lens extends out when you turn it on, but I think it's a small price to pay for such quality images. My only other gripe about this camera, as with all Sony cameras, is the fact that it does not take a standard SD card and you must use Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duo. This isn't necessary, it is slightly irritating, and if it took a standard SD card I would have given it 5 stars.

If you can get past the fact that you'll need to purchase a special memory card for this camera (and it's such a great camera that it's not hard to make that leap), you'll be very happy with this for years to come. I highly recommend this camera for anyone, advanced users and beginners alike. It's a fantastic value that will preserve your memories and take great pictures for your business for years to come.

well its a good quality camara. since the screen its 3 inches it eats up the battery faster so it is a good idea to have a back up battery. the battery can last u from an hour to 3 hours it depends if ur taking video or just pictures. the quality of the pictures is awesome I take 8mp pictures because the 12mp pictures are too big. but if u want to make like a poster the 12mp is perfect for that. the smile shutter its a cool feature and the quality of the pictures is great. n u should consider buying a screen protector cause everyone wants to touch the screen when ur showing them the pictures so at the end of the day the screen is full of finger prints.

Purchased this camera as an alternative to the DSC-H5 because it is smaller and can fit in your pocket. It works great for that. Excellent picture quality and long battery life. I mostly take outdoor pictures and though I'll still use the H5 for sporting events and distance shots due to the better zoom, this is a great camera to have with you at all times.

When I went to Lollapalooza this year I wanted a camera that would not only take pictures and have video but also have 12 MP. This was the camera for me! Amazon and Costco both have similar deal on this camera. At Costco you get the camera, case and a 2 GB memory stick for around 215. Problem is they only sell the camera in blue and I am a guy so that was a little weird. So then I came here to Amazon and got the camera in black and got a 4 GB memory stick for around 220. So this was the best value for me here at Amazon. Then about the camera. IT IS AN AMAZING CAMERA. It does not have the closest zoom of all time but it is pretty good. I used to to shoot alot of video and the video are actually VERY good. For a camera is looks like an actual video camera is recording it all! it is a must buy if you want quality. You just have to figure out if you want to spend less money and get less zoom. Or spend more and get more.

Comments by Wife of John

I love this camera for a person who likes good pictures with ease of operation this is for you. Not one blurry picture when using the Auto mode.

You just need to remember to press the shutter button half way and wait for the beep.

My husband did run through the battery in about one hour, but he doesn't like reading instruction and learns by trying first hand.

He must have gone through every option and zoom combinations on a 100 shots. All without shutting the camera off once. After one hour he announced he was now an expert on the camera, and needed to charge the battery...lol

I know him well and bought an extra battery....lol

If you are a camera nut that likes to brag about spending $1000 or more on your cameras this is not for you. But if you want great pictures for a reasonable camera price this will make your day. IMHO