Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200
Latest Update - Review and Sample Test Photos at PhotographyBlog (added 28 January ‘08)
Sony DSC-W200 features:
- 12 megapixels
- 3x stabilized zoom lens
- HDTV output, ISO 3200
- 2.5 inch LCD
- In camera red-eye correction
- Eye-level viewfinder
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Read More Reviews - (updated 28 January ‘08)
| PhotographyBlog |  |
| Imaging-Resource |  |
| ePhotozine | |
| Megapixel | |
| CameraLabs | |
| Steve’s Digicams | |
| Cameras.co.uk | |
| Trusted Reviews | |
| Digital Trends | |
| CNET |  |
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PhotographyBlog - 28 January’08 - reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and warns the image quality on this compact is not good. Here’s a summary of their review -
“What looks good on paper can in real life be a let down, which is the case for the W200. Packed with 12 megapixels but plagued with digital noise even at low ISO’s like 200! these days face detection is a pretty standard feature , some good and some not so good, and in the case of the W200, not good. Another item that failed to empress the reviewer was the low resolution LCD. Come on Sony, a higher quality LCD should have been on this camera.”
Imaging-Resource - 09 November’07 - reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and comments the camera produces pictures with good color but tends to push bright reds. Here’s an excerpt from their review conclusion -
“The Sony Cyber-shot W200 is definitely worth a closer look if you want a capable digital camera that’s also small and pocket-friendly. With a 12.1-megapixel CCD, the Sony W200 captures great detail and resolution, with very good detail definition in most cases. The Sony W200 offers full auto and full manual exposure modes, plus a range of preset scene modes that are actually quite useful. More experienced users will appreciate the range of adjustable image attributes such as white balance, ISO, contrast, sharpness, and color modes, while novices will benefit from the Sony W200’s point-and-shoot style auto modes.”
ePhotozine - 04 October’07 - reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and indicated they did not like the LCD screen and less than capable focusing. They offer the following verdict;
“There are good features like SteadyShot optical image stabilization and face detection that automatically kicks in when portrait mode is used. But again, there are far too few scene modes for a compact, and aside from the whopping 12Mp resolution, the lens functionality is modest at best with no wide angle setting and just a slow aperture, 3x zoom. Noise control is very good, with a usable ISO1600 mode, and things only getting silly at ISO3200, but design and control layout are bland and cramped.”
Megapixel reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and writes;
“The DSC-W200 is an elegant, well-crafted camera that responds quickly to its controls. It does, however, have some shutter lag as its auto focus is not extremely fast. Still, the W200 is a great travel companion this one spent three weeks traveling throughout France and its 12 megapixel resolution, combined with a very effective stabilization system make it well-suited to many subjects and admittedly, lighter and easier to carry than an SLR.”
CameraLabs reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and writes;
“Probably the biggest insult though is the 115k pixel screen which simply looks very coarse compared to the more common 230k pixel screens found elsewhere. Sure, 115k is understandable on entry-level compacts, but surely a 12.1 Megapixel model deserves something better. So while the optical viewfinder is a nice addition, it doesn’t make up for the screen.
So what you have a compact with good looks, great build quality, and a sensor which performs much better than expected, but one that’s let down by a budget screen, often confusing controls and a pedestrian lens range. And it has to be said, the W200 ain’t exactly cheap.”
Steve’s Digicams reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and thinks the camera offers great image quality is fast operationally and has a huge list of useful shooting modes. One area they were really impressed with was the indoor flash capability which produced better than average skin tones and flash exposures. Due to the Carl Zeiss 3x zoom lens most images were sharp and displayed very little edge softness.
Bottom line: According to Steve’s Digicams this is one tough ultra compact high resolution point-an-shoot to beat.
Cameras.co.uk reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and feels the camera delivers photos that could be a little sharper. Lots of megapixels don’t always translate into higher quality pictures. Shutter lag was normal however in burst mode the camera was able to take five images in 18.17 seconds which is faster than average. Low light performance was good in that the camera could produce well balanced pictures with good detail.
Bottom line: Here’s a point-an-shoot with lots of megapixels. Easy to use but the reviewer would have like to have seen better image quality.
Trusted Reviews tests the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and feels the camera delivers very high quality photos. Also the camera’s performance is first rate with solid build quality with optional manual controls. Image quality was tack sharp edge to edge with good shadow detail. Even with a reduced photocell size the camera’s dynamic range was very good.
Bottom line: The 12 megapixel sensor may have a slight disadvantage on image quality at upper level ISO settings.
Digital Trends - 7/23/2007 - reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and notes the camera’s hefty 12 megapixels is great if you’re after poster sized prints but be prepared to shoot everything in quality light situations. They feel that Sony blew it when they took away the users control of the compression options because the camera exhibits lots of digital noise in less than optimal shooting conditions (like low light). However, in its favor the DSC-W200 has good burst mode and even offers manual controls for the more aggressive photographer.
Bottom line: If buying a 12 megapixel point-and-shoot is what you’re after and you are aware of the limitations of the camera, then you’ll probably be happy.
CNET - 5/29/2007 - has reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 and writes, “In a camera with a really good low-dispersion lens, limited image compression, and really great noise suppression algorithms, the 12-megapixel sensor could possibly yield some excellent photos. The W200 is not that camera. If you derive emotional sustenance from knowing you’ve got the highest-resolution camera on the block, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 might help fill that gaping void in your soul. But if you’re looking for a compact snapshot camera that will provide great photos at a reasonable price, any model on our list of top ultracompact cameras will deliver better photos for the money.”
Sample Test Photos
[Sample Test Photos at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Test Photos at Imaging-Resource]
[Sample Photos at CameraLabs]
[Sample Photos at Steve's Digicams]
[Sample Photos at Cameras.co.uk]
[Sample Photos at Pbase]
[Sample Photos at flickr]
Videos
Specifications
[Official Sony Specifications]
Owners Manual
Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 27, 2007 Designed to make photo viewing entertaining and fun, Sony announced today its new Cyber-shot® W-series digital cameras featuring high-definition component output. These new cameras offer simple and direct connection to an HDTV set so you can easily integrate full 1080 HD photo viewing into your home theater.
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