NOTE: IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING THIS PRODUCT, SEE WARNING BELOW!

My wife and I are planning a long vacation trip and needed a compact, but versatile, alternative to a full blown DSLR. I've owned this little camera for just 20 hours, but can offer some first impressions. We bought a Canon SX110IS at Christmas for our daughter. Compared to the jewel-like Sony, the Canon's build quality seems substantially less. However, it has a 10X optical zoom compared to Sony's 5x, but 9 mega pixel resolution compared to 12.1 on the Sony. I doubt that the image quality difference will be notable, but I will update this when I can make a valid comparison.

One of the main reasons I picked the Sony over the Canon is that it is truly compact. While the Canon is small, the Sony is flat - less than 1" thick - and hardly shows in a pocket (although I have ordered a case). Comparatively speaking, its LCD screen is huge and bright (but does not swivel like some Canons). BTW, neither camera has a viewfinder, so I am not confident that either will be easy to see in bright sunlight.

This model does NOT employ a touch screen (which I did not value), but the controls (though small) are simple and generally intuitive once you learn Sony's ops language (different from Canon's). I will admit, if you happen to be a bit ham-fisted, you may not be willing to struggle with such tiny controls which are suited more to a child's hand than an adults. Also, because they are so small, the two adjustable dials are hard to read - not so handy when your eyes start to fail as are mine.

The special features (many on this camera) all seem like they may be useful, but the "smile" feature seems a bit useless to me. The facial recognition works great - even when I pointed it at a TV image. It takes longer than I am used to to auto focus (I normally shoot with a Canon full frame 5D that uses focus motors in the lenses - hardly a fair comparison).

Also, if you plan to use this camera to record full 12.1 mega pixel images, you will have to buy plenty of Memory Stick storage, although it will shoot at much lower resolutions, it has limited internal memory. I bought two 16GB Sony brand Pro Duo sticks on eBay for $21 each to be able to do so. BTW, that is much cheaper than Amazon, say. Also, since this camera shoots HD (720P) video in MPEG4 format - one of the features I plan to exploit - you'll want plenty of extra storage anyhow.

I'll have to reserve my opinions on picture quality until I can do a real world test, but the images I shot indoors with the built-in flash were crisp and noiseless at 12.1 mega pixels, less so, of course as I tried lower resolutions.

And did I mention that the Sony's "anodized" blue finish trimmed in "black chrome" is elegant and stunning?

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Shortly after writing this review, I decided to double-check my "cheap" memory purchase. What I found was disturbing. It is very likely that the Pro Duo memory sticks I bought on eBay are FAKES! I'm telling you this so you won't make the same mistake I probably did (my Memory Sticks have not yet been delivered). If you will check out this eBay link BEFORE you buy memory for your new camera (or other Sony device), you may be able to save yourself a lot of trouble (and $$$).

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-Sony-Memory-Stick-Pro-Duo-MagicGate-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001236041

Like they say, "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is". I know better, and now, so do you. I will confirm the results after I have had a chance to try them out. Incidentally, just shot some outside images of our flowering crabapple blossoms. Pictures look great and I could see the LCD in "cloudy bright" afternoon sunlight.

4-28-09

As promised, an update. The Memory Sticks from Hong Kong did indeed turn out to be bogus. They look exactly like Sony products, including the very detailed packaging, but they simply didn't work. The Sandisk Ultra 4GB version I bought at Staples works great, even when recording "HD fine" video. Playback looks beautiful (considering the source) on the computer, but not nearly as sharp on an HDTV when using the composite cable that came with the camera. I now have no qualms about substituting this for my miniDV camcorder on the next trip, however.

The "smile" function actually works, but I could live without it. The camera makes it really difficult to mess up exposure. I've even tried fooling it with extremely harsh back lighting and it still exposed faces properly. 12.1GB images are not as sharp as I'd like when I carefully examine the detail, and there is some noise present. Keep in mind, however, that I typically shoot with a Canon full frame DSLR. I will, however, compare it to a Nikon Coolpix I used a couple of years ago. The Nikon was substantially sharper in similar situations. If the ultimate picture quality is high on your priority list, look at the comparably priced Nikons and Canons. For the features I wanted, this Sony remains the best choice for me. Finally, Sony make two affordable underwater housings for this camera. One for snorkeling and one for diving.

I had just purchased the new Canon 880is, ive always owned Canon cameras,
and was not that impressed. My Canon 710 was much better. Anyways, thought I would try this new Sony 290. I am pretty impressed. The few photos I have taken, indoor and outdoor, have been really good. The colors and clarity are nice. Low light were consistently still (not blurred). The 880is blurred in the low light occasionally. The face and smile recognition works very well.
I never write reviews but after all the slamming Sony gets, as far as point and shoot cameras, I felt that this camera is as good or better than the Canon 880is and Im the first to defend Canon.

I bought a a DSC-W290 several weeks ago here in Europe. While European prices are consistently about 25% higher than in the US I went ahead and bought the unit. I have had three prior versions of the Cyber-shot and have found them to be sturdy, reliable and easy to use. The DSC 290 with its 12.1 MP clarity really is first rate. I have now started leaving my Cannon SLR and my Cannon Video Cam at home. I get all the still picture quality one needs plus the movie resolution is considerably higher than most competitors at any price. I was starting to look for a HD Movie cam but decided that the near HD quality of the movies produced by the DSC 290 are more than I could have imagined and instead spent a fraction of the cost of a new camera on 16G Memory Sticks to hand my movies. I like the camera so much I ordered two more on Amazon today to be shipped in the US for graduation gifts.

I purchased this camera back in March. I had originally wanted a pocket hd video camera like the Flip Mino HD or the Creative Vado HD. After comparing prices between the different cameras I decided my best route would be to purchase a point and shoot camera which could also handle 720p video. Then Canon and Sony released two point and shoots which did just that.

I compared the Canon Powershot SD780IS to the Sony W290. The canon was more compact than the Sony. Both recorded 720p video. Both are 12.1 megapixel cameras. The Canon has a 3x optical zoom while the Sony offers 5x. The Sony has the 3 inch lcd while the Canon only has a 2.5 inch. And finally the Canon retailed for about $30 more than the Sony. I picked the Sony since it was a little less expensive and I liked the fact that it had the larger lcd and zoom.

My wife and I took it on vacation with us to the beach in April and I was able to use this camera to take many pictures and a few hd videos. I was very happy with the quality of the stills. Not being a pro photographer, the images looked very sharp and detailed to me. The HD video was excellent as well. I wanted the video ability so that I could record video that would be uploaded to sharing sites like youtube and facebook. So watching it on a hi def television wasn't that important. It looks great on a computer monitor.

The one drawback is that you have to buy sony memory. The camera doesn't use SD cards like most other point and shoots. But I was able to buy a 4gb memory stick card for about $15 so it wasn't too big a deal. A 4gb card can hold many hundreds of photos and several hd video clips.

After 3 months of owning this camera I can say I've been very happy with the purchase.

...there were so many things I didn't like about it, I finally exchanged it for the Cybershot DSC-H20, which for me is, soooo much better! Back to the W290. On the positive side, I liked it's looks (???) and the burst feature is great. The features are also easy to use. But for me it just didn't take GOOD PICTURES! I shoot mostly candid shots of ppl and this camera was a real letdown. First off, the shutter button is flush with the top of the camera so it's difficult to press down, half way to focus and fully to shoot. Secondly, the focus (or lack therof) is terrible. The camera took forever to find a focal point, then the pix still wouldn't be sharp. And the pixel noise was over the top. I never felt like i was in control of this camera...it seemed to have a mind of its own! Thirdly, the 12MP is too much for this camera to handle, it didn't seem to know what to do with all those pixels. The file size made for slow loading onto the computer. BTW, the software is not compatible with Mac, although my Kodak Easy Share software recognised the memory stick and had no trouble connecting the device. So after a 2 wk commitment, I had to let it go. I've had the DSC-H20 for less than a day and there's a huge improvement in image quality, features and ease of use. It's not as sexy, but it'll treat you better. Get this one instead.

I bought this camera about 3 weeks ago to take on a biking/hiking/kayaking trip though Utah. During the trip I took about 512 pictures and a ton of HD video and was pretty impressed with how much of an improvement it was from my Sony DSC-W50 (6 MP camera).

Highlights:
* Great picture quality - especially for outdoor shots.
* HD Video is really great when staying still- HOWEVER it gets really shaky if you try and move too quickly. (This is not a full blown HD camcorder replacement.) I took about 30 seconds of video atop Angels Landing in Zion Park and just slowly rotated 360 to capture the view. At home, my friends were stunned by the beauty of the park and the details the video captured.
* HD video was easy to edit in both Movie Maker (I have a Vista Ultimate PC) and new Mac Book Pro. You will need a pretty speedy processor to edit large chunks of video as it really makes the computer work.
* Picture modes are great - IF you are a point and shoot person. (Like me) A friend on the trip was a bit frustrated by the lack of fine tune options - he kept turning down my EV setting to make the sky look dark blue VS whitish blue.

Lowlights:
* I wish there was a mode to shoot fast action shots. (Maybe I haven't found it yet?) I had a few shots of bikers zipping by that just looked like blurs.
* The huge display on the back seems to drain the battery. I would need to charge the camera every other day (and sometimes every night) with a lot of use.

All in all, I think this is a great little camera (you can fit it in your pocket)with lots of features and HD video.

I've had the camera for less than 2 weeks but absolutely love it. I received it two days before I left on a cruise, so I got to test it out on my vacation.

The shooting modes are plentiful. I always had one that would best suite the shooting conditions, even one for food! I loved being able to take pictures in settings that would normally require a flash but the W290 didn't need the additional light. I was taking pictures of the stage performances and not breaking the "no flash pictures" rule. The ability to "stabilize" photos is great. It even works well in pictures without flash. I am notorious for ruining photos taken indoors due to shaky hands, but this camera overcomes that.

The video recording is clear and looks great when played back. I was able to put together a great movie of my trip and didn't need to bring a digital camera AND a camcorder. The software used to download your shots and video from the camera to a PC works well.

The battery lasted quite awhile. I got 4 days of taking pictures and video before I needed to recharge. I did purchase an extra battery after my trip so I can always have one fully charged. The new battery I bought off the Sony Style web site also has the ability to show you how much use time is left on it. I haven't used that one yet but will post when I do with the amount of time it says it will last.

There are only three things I found that are minuses on this camera:

* You can't zoom in or out when using video - the shot is fixed until you stop recording. If a newer model comes out with this ability I would seriously consider upgrading.
* The button for snapping photos and starting/stopping video recording could have been raised a little more to make it easier to find by touch. A few times I find myself pressing what I think is the photo button but nothing is happening because my finger is not on the button.
* On a few of the videos there's a section of black "corruption" that pops up in the corner of a video. Out of the approx 30 videos I took, this happened on 3 of them. It's only there for a few frames but is noticeable. I haven't seen mention of this in any other reviews yet so it may be an issue with my camera.

I might have dropped my review to 4 stars because of the video glitch that happens except that it may not be inherent with the model. I am also upgrading from an old Nikon CoolPix 990 (the one with the swivel body) that is cranky and doesn't like to focus when you try and take a picture - The difference in shooting pictures is night and day between them. Throw in the ease of use, compact size, video recording, and 12+ megapixel picture quality and I gladly give the Cyber-Shot W290 5 stars.

Bottom line: exceptional value and without the image-quality issues I've read so much about

I didn't rate this product 5 stars because of the shutter release button being tough to depress, which will cause problems for me perhaps forever but at least for a while. The LED screen smudges very easily, and the selection buttons on the back are very small but manageable. I think 4 stars is a very good rating and I probably would not find another similar product worthy of more than that. I like the fact that there is a video feature, but that is not important to me, so I don't care that there is no zoom feature while recording. Would be nice, but....I am writing about the still-photo features.

Since my teal blue Sony Cybershot W290 arrived only 2 days ago, I am giving a review of my short-term experience with my first point-and-shoot digital camera. I do have decades of amateur experience with photography using several SLR models, so I appreciate the sophistication of the many advanced features which are simplified for the user in this model. Effects that used to take lots of study, practice and skill are now manageable right out of the box. I am far more impressed than I had ever expected to be. I think that this product is an exceptional value for the money. I did a lot of research~~before and since making my selection~~and in that process I've made some observations that might be worth sharing with those folks who are trying to decide on a purchase.

First, I noticed after repeated visits to this site that there seem to be more reviews and a higher dissatisfaction rate here depending upon the color of the Sony W290 camera body. I don't know what that might suggest, but it is of interest to me. I point it out because initially I did not realize that the reviews are organized by the specific details listed in the product description. I have read all the reviews on all available colors of the Sony W290. Very few of the reviews are duplicated, so there are actually many more total reviews~~and what appears to be a much higher satisfaction rate overall~~if you add all Sony W290 reviews together and take a percentage of that total for each of the criteria evaluated.

Second, it seems unreasonable to me that such wide variation in satisfaction with picture sharpness and indoor lighting can be a result of production quality control. If that were the case, Sony would have been driven out of business long ago. I've read many comments on "soft edges" and clarity "only in the central focus" which are normal characteristics of a short "depth of field." If all long distance photos have "soft" or blurry edges, that may indicate a faulty lens. Otherwise, that softness is more likely related to the mode/setup the user selected. And I took hundreds of indoor shots with no difficulty at all.

Third, I've seen no difference between the LED image and my high-resolution computer screen after directly uploading with the USB cable. I use a Mac with OS 10.4, which can't use the PMB image software on the CD. It seems to me that the PMB program could account for image discrepancies many have described. I had a few pics printed at Costco today to check for consistency, with no problems to report. BTW, the handbook for my state on the CD was strictly in Japanese. It is available in English for download at the Sony website, which I bookmarked.

Fourth, while I have lots of experience at steadying shots on my SLRs, I noticed immediately that the shutter release button requires more pressure than I prefer, probably to avoid inadvertent picture taking in your pocket, given the portability, as others have mentioned. At least the "steady shot" and the 2-second self-timer (using tripod or other support, like roof of car, etc.) features can improve some of those situations, unless there is motion in the subject. But I anticipate that this will be an adjustment. Personally, I am willing to work at that until I have the technique down~~as a tradeoff for all the fabulous features in the total package.

Fifth, the charger that came with the camera charged the battery in 90 minutes rather than the 5 1/2 hours stated in the manual; but I followed the suggestion in the manual to leave it charging for an additional 60 minutes to get a "full" charge. I have taken hundreds of shots using the flash and in various higher resolutions, deleted lots of pics and uploaded about 50 shots to my computer, and the battery seems to have about 1/4 of the life left.

Sixth, I bought some accessories that are probably a very good idea (suggestions I took from others in earlier reviews): an NP-FG1 extra battery, two 4GB Sony Mark II Pro Duo memory sticks (not eBay knockoffs), an LED anti-glare protection film, and a slim case. I also bought some that are probably not at all necessary: a travel charger pack which is supposed to charge much faster than the one that came with the camera but which actually charged in the same 90 min., and a media memory stick reader/writer because I didn't realize that the camera kit came with the USB cable to upload. Since this item can write to the memory stick, it will probably come in handy down the road.

Happy hunting and may you be at peace in your decision....
Rennie

I am very particular about cameras...this one is by far the best camera i have ever used. the lighting is awesome..plus the night mode actually works in comparison to my old casio camera. it has great auto detection features. plus the price of this camera is inexpensive compared to others. i highly recommend this camera to everyone!!

I've used the camera extensively for 3 weeks (hundreds of shots, dozens of videos)

Positives:
* Flexible Lens (wide angle - 5x zoom).
* bright 3" LCD.
* HD (720p) video (superb video quality for this price range, though the audio isn't great).
* Good image stabilization. Maybe not the best out there, but I took telephoto shots at dusk with no blur(!)
* Great color fidelity. The Sony-ish colors we know and love.
* Excellent user interface and ergonomics (be advised that buttons are small).
* Intelligent auto mode - determines the situation (backlit, macro, indoor/outdoor, etc.) and adjusts automatically
* Flexible focus and exposure options, plus face detection (though this is more-or-less standard these days)
* Smile shutter was a lot of fun -- but probably not something I'm going to use often.
* Blink-detected warning (Tells you if someone blinked in the photo you just took.) Quite useful.
* Easily pocketable.
* Great-looking.

Negatives:
* Won't zoom while shooting videos

For the price (it was on sale at 20% off), nothing comes close.