Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230

Opinion: to me this is one of the best point and shoots for 12 megapixels out there . Nothing fantastic but everything very good. The colors are very nice, The cameras ability to sometimes take shots close to a dslr amazes.

Opinion: As of December 2009 this camera is a discontinued line so it's lifespan from launch to discontinuation has been less than a year. In Sydney (Australia) stores are selling them out at clearance prices.

I bought a Canon Ixus 95IS about a month ago but returned it because I was not at all happy with the picture quality, in particular when the subject of the photo was moving (eg. a running child).

I exchanged it for this Sony. Camera is solidly built but not as compact or stylish as the Canon or other models.

The camera has an "Easy" mode as well as an auto mode.

I am a hamfisted photographer and I get good results with this camera. It's definitely a keeper.

I wish it was water and shockproof, but it takes much better pictures than my 10 megapixel Olympus which has those features.

For the price ($249 AUD including 4 gig memory stick and bag) I haven't found another camera that will touch it.

Opinion: I got the Sony W230 to replace my aging Canon SD-10. I bought the Sony W170 a year ago but quickly returned it after very disappointing pictures due to heavy noise reduction and possible defective sensor. I thought I will not buy a Sony again but never say never I guess. The value of the W230 is so enticing that I can't help but take another chance. So far, so good. I have been using it for a few days and the photos are coming out well. I do not see any NR artifacts introduced even on dark environment. I have a feeling Sony got so much flak for the NR feature on previous W-models that they just took it out on the new ones :) As with a lot of Sony cameras, it is very easy to use. The Auto and Easy modes are what they say they are - even my 6 year old kid can use it with great results. I prefer to use the P-mode as I can adjust the color setting to Vivid (my favorite setting even on my Canon). I don't care too much for DRO but use it on certain stuations where need more detail on the shadowy areas. The exposure on all the modes are accurate enough but as with any digital picture, it's always best to Post process, at least the favorite ones you shot. The 3.0" LCD screen is superb and one of the pluses that pushed me to buy the W230. It's huge and very clear. Outdoors, the LCD will have a purple tint which leads me to assume that Sony had some coating done to make it outdoor viewable. Some people don't like, but I do.

Initially, my battery life was not that great. I lost a couple of bars on the battery indicator just by playing with the settings. I am sure I charged the battery overnight before my initial use. I charged it again and used it to take photos of my kid's b'day party. Battery was almost gone after 120 shots, mostly without flash. I returned the unit to the store and the new one I received holds up charge even after 200+ pictures. It was a bad battery pack after all.

As with any Digital P/S, low-light performance is so-so but better than my old Canon SD-10.

If you are looking for a competitively priced digital P/S with a lot of features, the DSC-W230 is definitely recommended.