Sony Cybershot DSCW200 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Reviews

• Another Amazing Sony Camera

  
  By A12OHQB47TCGBN on 2007-05-29
  First off, I bought this camera directly from Sony Style, not Amazon. I've only been using this camera for the week so I can't rate its longevity, but so far it has impressed me. The size and weight are great, although a thinner camera would still be better. I have never seen photos so crisp! Although I won't normally use it at 12MP (which is about 3-4MB per photo), I've been testing it at that size and the photos really are amazing.
  
  One of the coolest features is the ability to always take 12MP pictures, but set it at 3MP or 5MP file size and it will allow you to effectively zoom in further on the 12MP picture and then crop it without loosing quality. All of this is done seamlessly without the user having to do any adjustments -- just keep zooming in further and it will tell when you've crossed the optical zoom threshold and are zooming in on the larger image. Zoom purists are able to turn the feature off if they don't like it.
  
  As ever, the menus and the display have improved greatly between the three Sony digital cameras I've owned. The menus are bright, intuitive, and incredibly descriptive since there's more screen space on the camera. The camera offers a number of easy to get to modes -- just rotate the dial on the exterior of the camera and you can have it in auto or fully manually modes, set it to do nighttime landscapes or nighttime portraits, as well as several other options.
  
  The videos it takes are great, although I was disappointed that it lacks the ability to zoom in while filming and the fact that the resolution size isn't that big. The microphone on the camera is fantastic, though. My biggest disappointment, however, is the speed of the Memory Stick duo. Even with 5MP pictures, there is a 1.5-2 second write time lag). Even worse, is that the camera doesn't support high-speed transfer rates with the Memory Stick Pro Duo High-Speed cards (I tested it in the store). It takes about 3 seconds to write a 12MP file. However, writing to the internal memory (31MB) is almost instantaneous.
  
  As I said, I've only been using the camera for the week, so I haven't run the battery out yet, but it seems like it will go a while. In fact, all the Sony cameras I've owned have had phenomenal battery life. The camera comes with a small battery charger that plugs straight into an outlet. The prongs on the charger fold into the charger so they are protected while traveling. I bought a small leather case for the camera that attaches to a belt. Because of its small size, I barely notice I'm carrying the camera with me. The case magnetically seals, which is great for quick and easy access, while still protecting the camera. I also bought a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card with the camera, which holds about 816 12MP photos, 1225 8MP photos, 1559 5MP photos, and 2501 3MP photos. At the highest quality video (640 Fine), the card can hold about 50 minutes of video and three hours at 640 Standard. Dropping it to the lowest quality (320) yeilds 12 hours of video time.
  
  I've been very happy with this purchase and after all the years of waiting on the technology to catch up, I finally have a relatively inexpensive pocket-size camera that I can always take with me, that has a decent zoom (if you're using the precision crop-style zoom), and can take really high-quality photos. Sony has already started releasing 5x optical zooms on their pocket-size cameras now, so I expect the next incarnation of the W line of Sony cameras will be quite perfect.
  
  

• Great Features, Size, and Speed - Poor Still Picture Quality

  
  By A1JPFXOYT1HI2E on 2007-06-04
  This camera is well built, has a decent menu structure, is pretty small and the response time is also pretty good.
  
  The video at 640x480 30fps is extremely good and comes close to camcorder quality. I bought the standard 4gb Sandisk Memory Stick Duo Pro not the Ultra or Extreme and that memory card had no issues with recording the video flawlessly. At 4gb you get 50 minutes of video.
  
  The biggest let down is the still picture quality. When you zoom in, it looks like if you were to apply the Diffuse filter in Photoshop to the picture (looks like the pixels run together). For indoor shots, there are a lot of over compression artifacts some of which look like hundreds of darker spots in the image. The picture auto focus and image stabilization seem to improve that capability only slightly as I took pictures of my daughter on a swing and they were a little blurry. The picture will also ALWAYS be be blurry on the right side of the image. The purple fringing around high contrast differences in the image is very noticeable.
  
  Overall, this is still a decent camera that you can easily bring with you anywhere. With the 4gb memory, you can capture 846 images at 12 megapixels and 50 minutes of video at 640x480 30fps. This makes it a powerful tool that is always ready to get those unexpected shots or video if you carry it on you regularly and since it is a pretty small camera this is easy to do.
  
  I am still considering returning the camera due to the picture quality.
  
  

• Seems to be good for Under Water use

  
  By A21DO5CERZ4RZL on 2007-06-13
  I've had this camera about 3 weeks and I've taken a number of photos with it. Initially I was disappointed in that the on line liturature (including from Sony) all says Macro down to 2 CM, when its actually down to 5 CM (2 inches) and that (5 CM) is stated in the book that comes with it. I use macro a lot in underwater photography and some on land. My previous Sony camera (and yes I flooded it, hence the new one) did go down to 2 CM but the fact is I seldom got that close because (a) it tends to scare the daylights out of any creatures that can move and (b) the depth of field becomes almost 2 deminsional - that's just optics and photography. So I usually get further away to increase the depth of field and crop to what I want. So while that was a disappointment the fact is it's of little actual consequence.
  
  I've taken quite a few photos with it primarily getting the feel of it and learning to use this particular one. My previous camera was a Sony F707 so the small size of this one is a pleasant change. The menus are intuitive and easy to use. Key functions like macro and flash are not menu driven but button driven so changes can be made quickly. It takes good photos. The colors are good and the detail is good. The more I use it the more I like it. The battery life is very good as was my old F707. I like the ability to delete one, selected photos or everything on the memory stick (or internal memory). For macro (and other modes) the focus mode can easily be changed, via menu, to a spot focus (it has to be in the P setting though to get to that option) and that is a good feature. Other features such as photo size and exposure mode are similarly easily set. The screen is large and can be turned off to save battery life. The optical view finder is small and would suffer from offset if used close up. The difference in battery life when using the screen isn't that much. The view finder is most useful when bright light makes the screen hard to see - pretty much true for all of them.
  
  Lag time, while not that of digital SLR's is OK, not outstanding but good. Start up time is very good and it has about a 3 minute time out period so it's not off everytime you get ready to take a photo (very important U/W) and if it is off it comes on very quickly.
  
  The camera comes with a summary booklet which covers the basics. The full booklet is a .pdf file. The book is OK to good, not great. The info is there just not alwasy that easy to find.
  
  I also bought the marine pack underwater housing to go with it. It's good down to 40 meters and is very compact. Every feature on the camera can be accessed while it's in the housing. I'm a scuba instructor and this past weekend I took it to an old quarry that we use as a training facility for diving. The visibility ws OK, not great by any means, somewhat green - the usual freshwater stuff. I got there early and got in with the camera and housing before the students had a chance to kick it up worse and took some underwater photos - not expecting much considering the visibility and light balance. I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the photos. Other shops pros commented on the photo quality considering where they were taken. The shop owner asked for copies to put on the shop web gallery. I'll be taking it down to Cayman Brac the first of next month so I'm certainly looking forward to using it there. Incidently the housing is very useful for photography when it's raining or any chance to get wet such as boats, rafting and the like. They're even used in industrial environments because the housing removes any small possibility of the camera being an ignition sourse.
  
  And as was previously mentioned, even the battery charger is compact. The battery is charged outside the camera, good so you have a battery charging back in the room while you're using the other one. It is a propritary battery so a spare is a good idea.
  
  I'm happy with the camera. The more I use it the more I like it. It's very small, it's very easy to use and takes very good photos.
  
  1/3/08 I've used this camera in the underwater housing for dive trips to Cayman Brac and Panama City Beach, FL. I have not got the color balance underwater to be quite as good as I would like. In all fairness I have not gotten a good strobe for this camera so my experience is using available light or the on board flash. There are times I would like a bit more sharpness for macro shots. I think I was spoiled to the huge lens on the old Sony 707 this replaced. It did great on the above water shots.
  
  

• Best Camera I ever Owned

  
  By AGZYLCL8PK33X on 2007-05-28
  Best camera, I have every owned. I had unlimited funds to buy camera and I choose this one. Met all of my expectations. I needed a quality camera that was compact enough to do the following:
  - Snap quality pictures of white board during meeting
  - Take Quick snap shots and movies during kid activities and vacations
  - Take decent pictures during twilight hours
  - Take quick snap shots without waiting for picture to write to memory.
  Quality of pictures is excellent
  Speed from shot to shot (At least with high speed Sony card which I bought)
  User Interface is easy to use and well thought out
  Battery life is very good. I have had a number of long events with family and I have not used up my battery after hundreds of shots and movies. Great delete feature that allows me to delete multiple pictures quickly. I bought this camera directly from Sony and was able to get a 4 year warranty that covers normal failure and accidents for $99 which I thought was pretty good.
  Sony Cybershot DSC-W200 12.1 MP Digital Camera + 1 GB Accessory Kit
  
  

• Sony DSCW200 vs T-100

  
  By A1VS13SEIQOQL2 on 2007-06-07
  Both the Sony W200 and Sony T100 cost about the same money.
  
  From Cnet.com (on the Sony W200) ...
  
  >>> Requires far more light for low ISO shots than most competitors; exceptionally long flash-recycle time and disappointing shot-to-shot performance; image-processing artifacts; LCD has poor off-angle viewing; proprietary USB cable. <<<
  
  Cnet.com professional rating for Sony W200: 6.4
  Cnet.com Professional rating for Sony T100: EDITOR'S CHOICE 2007 !!!!!!!
  
  
  
• Sony DSC-W200
  By A7QMQBGJ2TCQG on 2007-12-21
  I guess I've probably owned fifteen or more digital cameras over the years. Several from Olympus, several Nikons including a couple of Nikon SLRs, many Sonys, and even a Kodak way back in the beginning of time. This Sony DSC-W200 is absolutely the finest.
  
  12.1 megapixels means that you can crop quite a bit and still have a great high resolution photo. When you connect it to your TV you can even get 1080 high definition output.
  
  It is small enough to constantly carry with you in your pocket. Resolution is great both with still photography and videos. Battery life is excellent.
  
  This is the first camera I have had that automatically knows when you hold it sideways to make a landscape photo, and it instantly adjusts. So you don't later have to rotate the saved picture.
  
  ASA 6400 is hard to believe. Not something you will use a lot, but it is indicative of just how sensitive the CCD is in this camera.
  
  I recommend this little camera with no reservations!!
  
  
  
• This one is awesome, must buy
  By A33TUBC8ZUEZ1P on 2007-08-23
  The reason I bought this camera, because it has extra high sensitivity (ISO 3200 and up to 6400)which is a very nice feature. You can take a picture in a low light condition and without flash light. I know the flash light is ganna hurt my baby's eyes and I don't want to pay a big bucks for SLR. It has done very good job so far. I like everything about this camera. I think this one will fit you whoever is going to have a baby.
  
  
• Mr.
  By A25KFHB9A0CU89 on 2008-02-02
  Nice camera, my only complain is the LCD, is not scratching proof, actually keeps getting scrath even with normal use, is bad quality, for instance with the same treatment mi IPOD screen is flawless, if you buy it make sure to have an screen protection film or something otherwise you will regret it.
  
  
• Good enough for 90% of shots
  By A2Z2Z3463Y2620 on 2007-08-06
  The best things about this camera is the form factor, good screen, and improved automated focus. This camera provides excellent resolution and capability. As an upgrade from a 3.1 Mp Cybershot it represents a smooth transition and upgrade that is satisfactory and expected. The low light capabilities are good but not great... some graininess comes thru circumstantially.
  
  
• Fantastic
  By A3SVW2BTKDU95E on 2007-10-28
  This camera was one of the best purchases that I have ever made. I love to take pictures but I don't like to carry all sorts of crap with me, this camera is small and takes the most incredible pictures. If you have kids or animals and want to capture moments for ever, this is for you. The only thing is that you have to purchase a memory stick or card, because the camera can only hold five pictures in its temporary memory. Most companies don't sell the cards with the camera.The battery, fully charged will last for about three days of full action. The 12.1 resolution gives you breathtaking pictures. You don't have to be a good photographer, you just point and square the subject in the frame and shoot. It has a mode for shooting far away or close up. A really good camera.
  
  
• WOW!!!
  By A1YDFJVQ8GUHTP on 2007-12-16
  This camera has the resolution of a digital SLR!! We married it with a Sony Pro Duo 8-gig memory stick. Best price on the net, too!! We use it when all we want to do is capture some candid shots without dragging out our serious equipment. Pocket size...great resolution...plenty of storage space...
  
  Ready...Set...Shoot!!
  
  Happy Hoildays,
  Smacka
  
  
• My favorite camera
  By A3P4WOECOANW1M on 2008-03-21
  This has been the best camera I have ever owned. I love it's small and portable size (I pretty much take it everywhere) and the pictures are crisp and beautiful. I rarely have to do much post processing because they really turn out wonderful straight out of the camera.
  
  I would be lost without my little cybershot buddy!
  
  
• Nice equipment
  By A1XOJNSTPLZHHI on 2007-09-14
  Sony 12.1 MP is an excellent equipment. It takes very clear pictures and videos. Problem is that it has sensitive lens and the camera should not fall or turn over once the lens are extended (not retracted) or you will need to go the the Sony repair shop to have it running well again. Would prefer a Canon which appears to be more durable but Canon does not have a 12.1MP camera.
  
  
• Great, flexible small digital camera with accessory lenses
  By APX39WMGD03JB on 2008-03-31
  After having been involved in high resolution 35 mm and high 8 video photography, using multiple lenses while traveling the world, my wife rebelled and insisted that I not take up so much space with my photo equipment.
  
  The Sony Cybershot DSCW200 12.1MP Digital Camera with
  Sony VAD-WD Lens and Filter Adaptor allowing use of both wide angle and tele-conversion lenses has proven a good compromise.
  
  I especially enjoy the Extra High Sensitivity (ISO6400) for low light photography without using a flash. It has been very useful for candid photography.
  
  I have captured close-ups of many birds and wide angle shots of Mexico's famed Copper Canyon.
  
  The camera offers many great compromises. It is not as flexible as some 35 mm cameras, as there is some shutter lag after having taken a photo. This can be some what frustrating at a sports event.
  
  On the other hand it is really a blessing to be able to suddenly switch over to capture VGA quality video at 30 frames / second to record video of an event, such as natives dancing to the music played on their handcrafted musical instruments.
  
  I would have preferred that the polaroid lens attached on the outside of the converter lenses, rather than inbetween the lens adapter and the converter lens, as the rotation of this lens makes it very easy to loose the attached converter lens. My fingers are a little too large to comfortably manage the adjustment of the polarizing lens and the wide angle converter lens.
  
  In summary, because of its small size, 12.1 mega pixel resolution,
  VGA video capability, face detection, Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization and the numerous other features enabling great photo flexibility in a very small package, I can only say, BRAVO SONY!
  
  Yes, there are larger camera systems that can beat this camera in certain situations, but I know of no other that can do all this one can in such a tiny package. You can get memory cards that can hold up to 8 mega pixels of digital images!
  
  I did not have to worry about frequently down loading the hundreds of images taken in Mexico's Copper Canyon and of the indigenous colorful tribal people there, as others using digital cameras were forced to do.
  
  This camera system has been on several safaris with me and is ready to go again.
  
  Having purchased an extra battery has enabled me to always have a charged one on hand.
  
  The price of the camera is now less than $260!
  
  
• Excellent pics
  By AT7SUAML0102G on 2007-09-13
  What a great all around camera...Very compact and easy to carry. The pictures are clear and the video feature is awesome...
  
  
• Horrible battery life and memory
  By AM9A6MUCVBFVU on 2007-10-17
  The battery life for the AA that this camera takes only lasts for about fifteen minutes of use and the memory on the camera alone only holds five pictures before its full.
  
  
• Overall pleased with the camera
  By A1OVNP95CH1DGA on 2008-04-10
  This is a nice camera for what I wanted it for. It was to replace my Sony DSC-P100 Cybershot. (I was having cord issues with it, but didn't want to replace the cord and then find out that something was wrong with the camera. Oh, well.) There's no cord with this DSC-W200 to keep the camera hooked up to in order to keep it charged. To be safe, you need an extra battery. It comes with only one. There is NO MEMORY CARD in it, other than the 31-whatever internal memory. I don't think the specs were clear enough about that. So, separately, I had to order a memory card and another battery, which cost extra s/h. The write-up on Amazon didn't make that "loud and clear" to me.
  
  
• sony cybershot 12.1 meg.
  By A3HZYENA4RQPYS on 2007-12-18
  The first camera i purchased had a problem.
  Amazon not only took it back,they sent me a replacement before i sent the broken one back!
  That is how a company should do buisness!
  The Sony is the best point & shoot camera i ever bought.
  
  
• great camera except for action shots
  By A26YLQGTKMTJJ9 on 2008-01-20
  I love the camera although with any new technology you have to learn to use it because it does so much that you have to stay on top of the settings for every picture you take, like the macro for close ups, display settings and light. One thing I have learned is that you can forget taking action shots.The delay is way slow. In my case I tried to catch my son's hand raised after a wrestling match win and the delay of 1 1/2 seconds is just enough to miss it. Other moving shots are a blur unless I'm doing something wrong. Seems like every pic with the flash has a red eye in it no matter what color the eyes are and the red eye reduction doesn't really do anything. You can edit the red eye out easily but my daughters blue eyes are now gray. You would think they would have a color option. I set the light setting on low light (iso)without the flash and the stills are perfect, so forget the flash and you'll have no red eye issues. Great for just carrying around and the $40. magnetic lid belt attachable case should be free. Obviously you need a digital camera now adays for ebay and e-mailing pics but my old minolta 3xi (sold on e-bay) w the zoom took reliable pics but was to big to be practical now. Of course I probably would have paid for my new camera in film, battery and developing by now. So all in all with the xtra 4mp card, case and tv docking station you'll be in for over $500. Of course now the camera is under $300 2 weeks after I buy it but a 5mp camera used to be $700 so I'm still happy. Sony does sell an optional optical zoom (4" length)that you need an attachment for and will run you another $200. But there goes the whole reason for getting a compact point and shoot. I have a 60" 1080p tv and am dissapointed in the quality of the high def docking station. I am using the hi-def cable but it's just not as good as it can be but it's cheap enough and on a smaller tv it will be a lot better.
  Little movies are cool to e-mail to your friends too.
  
  
• Sony Camera Review
  By A1IN3AKPE1PJCG on 2008-04-06
  The camera takes excellent pictures and is light and easy to use. I would like the screen to be a little larger and for a higher zoom. The dial is a bit of a problem in that it turns and I don't realize what mode I am taking the picture in. I like it!
  
  
• Wonderful gift for our daughter!
  By A31Z6ST821ZBCG on 2007-12-28
  My daughter had admired her friend's Sony Cybershot, 10MP Digital Camera and asked that we give it too her for Christmas and Birthday. Her friend loves her camera and offered to assist in down-loading and any other needs. When we found the 12.1MP for about the same price we expected to pay for the 10MP, we jumped on it. Our daughter has not stopped taking pictures, they all turn out beautifully and her partner takes as many photos as she does. She is thrilled. Now, I'll have to save to get the same camera for our house!
  
  
• Sony Camera review
  By A1NCD0JLYPLUAN on 2008-01-04
  Was purchased as a gift for my wife to use on an upcoming trip. The limited use so far has been very good. Easy to use small with a large screen and the pictures are great.
  
  
• Excellent Sony Product!
  By A16C93BXYRIB6K on 2008-01-24
  I was very pleased with this camera. I had owned before, but recently, the W80 and W90 Sony cybershots. And now I have purchased this one, I can tell you it is a great camera. The resolution is impecable. I trully recommend it to those who want the best for non-Pro photographers.
  
  
• Gorgeous!
  By A2CEN3CFIJVERK on 2008-04-28
  I am crazy about this camera! I am NOT a professional photographer, but I've got to say, I take GREAT pictures with this camera. Very easy to use, small, compact, and takes good video.
  
  
• Takes GREAT pictures in Low Lighting!
  By A3A6M8GKIUCWJJ on 2008-07-05
  I bought this camera because Consumer Reports rated it #1 for subcompact digital cameras. It was also only $299 here on Amazon.com (the price listed today is over $400). I have four criteria when it comes to a compact digital camera.
  
  1. It must have a fast response time, both when I turn it on and in between shots. This Sony Cybershot is AWESOME. It is literally on and ready to shoot within milliseconds of hitting the power button. There's also NO delay between shots, which has been the bane of all the digital cameras I've ever owned. The ability to go from shot to shot without worrying about missing a great action photo or having to twiddle my thumbs while it writes to the compact flash or smart disk is a god send.
  
  2. It must take GREAT shots in low lighting. I don't know how many crappy photos I've taken indoors at parties, museums, and more. I know we all have, even with those cameras that have 'indoor' modes but require a tripod to take a clear picture. Well, this baby takes absolutely stunning low light photos using ISO or ISO+ mode. They are clear and not at all blurry. Check out the photos I uploaded from a visit to a local aquarium in the Jelly Fish exhibit (where it's as dark as night in there). Not only did I NOT have to use a tripod to get a clear shot, but the photos came out rich in color and detail, especially considering this is not a DSLR.
  
  3. It must have several scene modes. I am addicted to these modes as they often save me from some very bad shots. I am clueless on how to set anything manually. This camera offers a nice selection of scene modes, my favorite so far being the ISO+ for low light, indoor settings. But the landscape, portrait, and other modes have all proved equally adept at clear, brilliant pictures.
  
  4. It must have a large LCD. My last digital camera had a 1.8" LCD and it was painfully small. I often couldn't tell that shots were out of focus until I imported them to my desktop. The Sony Cybershot has a vividly clear LCD that is large and bright, perfect for spotting bad shots on the spot. No more wondering if I've taken a good photo or not.
  
  Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the Sony Cybershot. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because it only has 3X optical zoom, up to 6X with digital. My last digital camera had 12X with digital zoom, and it was disappointing to find that even though I was buying a higher end subcompact camera, the zoom was a bit on the skimpy side.
  
  Nevertheless, I won't be using my old digital camera even with its 12X zoom because the Sony blows it out of the water in terms of picture quality, compactness, and speed.
  
  
• Hello
  By A2GOLZX0HUG3Y3 on 2007-12-06
  Hello, the Camera digital Sony Cybershot DSCW200 is excellent and with good resolution.Is not Touch panel
  
  
• Great camera
  By A15FADFAVP0AYC on 2008-03-08
  I bought this as a gift to my daughter. She can't stop shooting with it. The photos are great and so are the videos.
  
  
• Quallity
  By AH20CFKK2QCEF on 2007-12-21
  This does all that it says it will but the computer connection is insane, keep the minature USB not this unique port that doen't fit anything else!Great pictures and HD is amazing but that port on the bottom!
  
  
• Sony Cybershot 10.1
  By AXTI2E8OVWQ6T on 2007-12-31
  I love my Sony Cybershot 10.1 It is crisp. Has been dropped many times...and works great....Thanks Sony....Great Camera
  
  
• Conforme
  By A1CK25P3LE2F1O on 2008-01-07
  Estoy conforme con la compra y el tiempo de entrega, me gustaria que estubieran un link en español para que la compra se realice con mas rapidez para los latinos fuera de USA.
  atentamente Cesar A. Gomez
  
  
  

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