PROS: Big screen, great zoom, lightweight, conventional cap, great flash, many features even fancy ones (music and so).
CONS: None.
It is a good camera, something not too pro, but with so many features that you'll feel like a pro. Specially the zoom (10x, wow!). The big screen, despite delicate, helps to detect blurs that cannot be easily appreciated in smaller screens (it gets greasy easily, so use a plastic screen protector). However, I would qualify the zoom, at its full length, with an 8, so far. Sometimes it is blurry (very little, but is), and sometimes not (in similar conditions shots), so I guess that it is not a 100% steady, but is ok considering its competitors (minor zoom and even more sensitive to movement). Just hold it firmly.
The lack of built-cap I cannot be sure if it is one of the "cons" because I had two Canon before this Sony and both suffered damage in its cap at any point (It did not close properly, it bended, did not open, etc.), so an old fashioned cap is ok as long as you fix a thread (are many on the market) to avoid losing it.
I like the flash also. It is strong, long and has different ways to use it: there is one that allows illuminating the whole scene, instead of just the proximity, so it is very useful for indoor pictures. You'll get beautifully illuminated interiors, with or without people. This is different from my previous Canon cameras.
It takes time to become a pro in the use of all its features. It has plenty. If you just want to focus and shot, then buy something less expensive. The features are promisingly great, but I am not so fast using it, I take my time. If you are going to a trip, is better that you become more than familiar with this little thing before so it can do a great job. Otherwise you will find yourself shooting in automatic all the time, and if that is so, why this camera then?
UPDATE, FROM A TRIP (2009):
I have just returned from a three week holiday with my husband and my 3 y.o. boy. I shoot more than 2000 pics... it's crazy, but the camera is so powerful and versatile that you enjoy shooting around.
This wonderful machine survived my boy, an outrageous number of shots, some strikes, bad weather, many bumps, etc. It's like the Jungle Jeep of Digital Cameras. My two previous Canons were not successful in similar conditions (the automatic cap was the first thing to fail and at the end it was necessary for me to open it with my fingers).
The more I used this Sony, the more I was in love with it. While in vacations you need to be very familiar with different settings to get the picture (i.e. in a sightseeing tour, a museum where no flash is allowed) and sometimes everything happens so fast that you really need to change settings right away to get that shot. Well, this camera is like having many cameras with me:
- When it was very sunny outside, I used ISO 100 and I got wonderful blue skies, when it started to rain, I changed ISO to 400, when it was getting darker, to ISO 800. When I was in a museum where no flashes were allowed, I used my high ISO and so on.
- When I wanted to get beautiful landscapes at night, I used M (manual) settings, easy to use, with lovely results.
- When I wanted to do some beautiful B/W pictures or Sepia, or change size to landscape, it was very easy.
- When I wanted to make skylines or just silhouettes, I changed the point feature and pointed to the source of light (taking care of my eyes) and the results were beautiful. I.e. There were lovely colorful skies, so I pointed to them behind a nice sculpture.
- I also had a lot of fun by using the flash (never before I had enjoyed the flash so much) because the "flash keeping landscape clear" really does it. I mean, no more beautifully lighten people in a dark surrounding.
- It was very easy to use a tripod, and knowing the settings of the camera I enjoyed to make self portraits of me with my family. I recommend the "Gorilla pod". I attached it to the stroller everywhere! Having a little boy, I learnt to make sequences of shoots with the auto-shutter.
I have recently purchased the Telephoto and adapter rings to use my old filters with this camera. Once I have tried them enough I would write the proper reviews.
UPDATE, 3 YEARS LATER (2011):
This camera has been a joy. Unfortunately it has started to fail. Early this year I had a problem with the zoom and I got it fixed, happy again. But just returning from another trip the flash has gone. It actually pops out and everything but the light doesn't come out. I will not get this repaired since it is expensive and I am afraid that it may have some other issues inside just about to come into surface. It been a lovely camera: survived many trips and tons of nice pics despite my roughness and adverse weather conditions. I WILL BUY ANOTHER JUST LIKE THIS ONE. I think that this is the best recommendation for any product.