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78 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great so far, May 6, 2009
This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) (Electronics)
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.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shoots like it's 3x its size, July 21, 2009
This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) (Electronics)
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.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Value for the money, August 16, 2009
This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-W220 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) (Electronics)
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
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