Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought the Cybershot DSC-W220 for my mom's birthday. She is by no means an enthusiast. It's purpose is going to be primarily for family photos. We had a HP camera before and decided it was time to upgrade. She has sight problems and had trouble seeing pictures on the tiny Hp screen, but this 2.7" LCD screen on the W220 helps her a lot.

The controls are easy enough that anyone in my family can use it, from a preteen to a grandfather. Most of the time, you can just leave it on the Auto setting and the camera will adjust settings automatically. There are separate buttons for Playback/Review, Menu, and Home next to the LCD screen. The On/Off button on the top of the camera is a bit hard to press (sometimes you have to use your nail), but it's understandable because otherwise it'd be easy to accidentally turn the camera on/off. There is a light that comes on from the front so the subjects know when the picture is about to be taken. The Smile Detection automatically takes up to 6 photos, and has a smile meter showing scale of smile(s). Scene Detection detects scenes such as snow, beach, etc automatically and adjusts settings accordingly.

I was debating on whether to get this, the W230, or the Nikon Coolpix. The Nikon seems great but in-store testing demonstrated the quality of the pictures-they were too soft. The touchscreen feature was nice, but not nice enough for a sacrifice in quality. I was short on time, so I grabbed the W220 from BestBuy because the W230 was almost $100 more. After doing some research, and talking to a Sony rep, the only noticeable difference between the W220 and the W230 is the larger screen (2.7" vs 3.0", respectively). I wish now I had more time so that I could've gotten the W230 from the Sony website-it's only $20 more!

There are a TON of features in this camera such as Smile Detection, Facial Recognition, and technology to reduce blur caused by shaky hands. This is by far the most bang for the buck for me.

Pros:
Sharp, clear pictures
The HD Video it records in 1080 is excellent
4x optical zoom
scene recognition pics the adjustments for the scene
smile detection automatically takes up to 6 shots when subject(s) are smiling
countless others

Cons:
The only two things I could find so far were that the Smile Detection feature doesn't work with small smiles, and in some cases, one of the subjects had to smile very wide to activate it.

Also, the camera uses the Memory Stick system (like most of Sony's products), not SD Cards like most other cameras, so if you're thinking about purchasing this, be sure to get the Memory Stick (they're cheap on amazon, but expensive on Sony's website. Don't even think about ebay-some are cheap chinese knockoffs that quit working within a few months and all your data is erased-I bought one for my PSP and this is what happened!)

I've only owned for a day, so I'll update this in a few weeks. Oh, and be sure to read the manual for some great tips or charging, photo quality, etc. Most manuals are a drag to read but this has got to be one of the few manuals that is well written. If there are questions anyone has before purchasing, don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll get back ASAP.

I bought this last month to replace my older cybershot, and am impressed with the upgrades Sony has made to this line.

What I love:
* The automatic "Easy" mode is quite good, great for those times when you need a quick shot of something you weren't expecting, or for beginners who don't like playing with settings.

* Wide angle zoom

* indoor shots look great, even under incandescent bulbs

* Closeups give good detail. Flowers and insects make good models.

* Connects to my HDTV to show off photos

* Ultra compact, easy to carry

* Great battery life


What I hated:

* No SD card support, this is a Sony product so it will only use Sony's proprietary media, which is more expensive.

* While the battery is great, I'd still prefer AA rechargables, since buying an AA battery is easier than finding an outlet while traveling.

* Lens has some color issues in the wide angle end, as well as soft corners

* Zoom moves in large steps, what if I want in-between?

* Menu system is confusing

* No optical viewfinder, meaning I always have to use LCD. Would be nice to save on batteries sometimes.

This little camera suits me well, and I've been using it over my canon elph. I have nicer cameras, but I never seem to have them when the most interesting things in my life happen. Compatcs, like this guy, are with me all the time. And with 12P to work with, I can still make large prints like I would with my better cameras.

I have had this camera for more than a month, if you want a basic digital camera that is not confusing and takes great pictures this is an ideal camera. If you want good movie capture than stay away, this is for taking photos not video although the video can be good if indoors and good lighting. I like the ability to choose between HD and SD easily and has the ability to take HD photos in 16:9 format for viewing on wide screen HD tv's I have done that a bit and found the pictures to be crystal clear, I have a 55" sony HDTV and if you are concerned about your pictures looking grainy when blown up, Don't.
I feel very happy with this purchase and would recommend to anyone looking for digital camera for under $200. I have no regrets. I wanted a camera to take great HD photos, quality optics, 4x optical zoom and compatible with my other media. I would rate this camera above average in photo quality and speed of use. I did not give this a five star rating because the burst mode is not very fast and I would have liked a few more features like more complex settings for iso and focus adjustments but then again I was not expecting a full feature set for a non SLR under $200. Very strong Value for the dollar you will enjoy, PS, I am using sandisk pro duo memory sticks and works just fine, Sandisk is so much less expensive than the actual sony pro duo's

We have 14 of these camera's in use in our surgery center, I choose and purchase all our cameras. Last year we went through an exhaustive search to see if Nikon, Canon, Kodack, and several other brands would work as well as our Sony's that we've used for the last 4 years. After purchasing several cameras to try them out, we decided to stay with Sony, due to ease of use and reliability. After reading the reviews we choose the DSC-W220, and replaced all our surgery and skin graphing camera's with these. We are thrilled, they are extremely easy to use and yet give us incredibly detailed photos. Each camera takes about 1000 photos a month, and these have been real champs so far. We have had no problems, and even our newest most camera-shy nurses have taken to them very easily.

If your looking for a powerful, lots of functions, easy to use camera at a good price, I'd definitely recommend this one.

This replaced my older 8MP Cybershot. It's tiny and sports all the features of the other but one drawback for me is the fact I have to use the rechargable battery and can't just throw AA's in when the thing runs down. It's a fun camera that takes a fantastic picture, but the power issue makes you hesitant about really using all the features it has because the more you use the features the faster the battery dies.
Very good quality/value for the dollar though.

I was looking for a pocket size point-and-shoot camera with image stabilization and good picture quality for less than $200. The Sony delivered exactly that for around $150.
I find myself taking lots of spontaneous photos because it is so convenient to carry and use.
When you adjust the mode wheel the setting are projected onto the LCD screen - easy to see and the icons are clearly labeled.
Good image quality allows considerable cropping of pictures without losing too much detail.

Is it perfect? No, but the compromises are ones I can live with:
No optical viewfinder
Somewhat limited zoom (4x)
On-off switch and shutter are a little small for me
Battery life is OK but not great (definitely recommend buying a spare)
Lacks manual control of aperature and shutter speed

All in all, this is a camera that begs to be taken along with you and used frequently. Have fun with it - I am!

I love the size, the lens and the on-screen and menu options. The photo display does not give the final photos justice, so you have to learn to adjust your expectations. For example, many of my distant mountain shots lacked definition and depth when I looked at the camera, but when I downloaded them into iPhoto, they were sharp, with great depth and detail. So I got a 4 GB card and I don't delete anything until I see it on the computer screen later. You'll love this camera.

I don't know what you can get in a camera that only cost 180 dollars. But Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 is seriously a awesome camera composed of 12.1 megapixel, face detection and a lot more. Shipping from Amazon was fast and easy. This camera make taking pictures fun, enjoyable and a snap. So if you're looking for a good awesome digital camera, i would recommend this one.

Pro: Great image quality, outstanding 3200 iso. 4x opt lens
light 147 gms. 2.7 LCD is good and bright. Not so noise images at 1600 iso.
This camera is better than my Casio exilim or my pentax optio.

Cons: You can't adjust zoom while you are recording video. Not SD compatible

I paid 165 dollars, this camera is really great value for your money!

This is an amazing camera for an amazing price if you have any questions about the camera just comment the only con was that it is only a 4x zoom
PS The online Sony store is selling the camera for 150