Last update 29 July’09 – Review @ DPExpert
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 announced on February 17, 2009 is a 12.1 megapixel image stabilized compact digital camera that features double anti-blur, Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® 4x optical zoom lens, 30mm wide angle lens, 3 inch LCD, intelligent scene recognition, face detection, dynamic range optimizer, ISO range from 100 to 3200, dimensions (approx.) : W x H x D: 3 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ x 7/8″ (95.2mm x 56.5mm x 21.8mm) and it weighs (Approx.) : 5.5oz (156g)
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Review Index – (updated 29 July’09)
DPExpert
“Compact cameras, unlike DSLRs, are unforgiving. If all the conditions are not perfect – light, focus, exposure, contrast – then the pictures will be barely acceptable. But when the conditions are right the little Sony does a good job. We let a small child try it. It fitted her hands well and she proved to be an imaginative photographer. We can say that the Sony W230 is so simple a child can use it – if that’s what you’re looking for.”
CNET Asia
“The W230 struggled to take clear photos at night or in dimly lit rooms without a flash. Twilight shots were next to impossible to take without a tripod (Sony recommends you use one). Twilight scene mode not only produced blurry images (even with SteadyShot turned on), but also displayed a fair bit of noise.”
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InfoSync
“We were actually impressed with the Cyber-shot DSC-W230 when it came time to review all of our samples. Detail, color and sharpness were A1, and the camera actually staved off about half of the fringing we’d expect from a compact in its class. Low light was not bad either, as long as we kept the Cyber-shot DSC-W230 steadied.”
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PCMag
“The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 has a lot going for it—a great user interface with lots of shooting and editing features, fast shooting speeds, and a decent price—but it loses ground where it counts the most: image quality.”
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MacWorld
“All in all, the Cyber-shot DSC-W230 offers a great bundle of features for the price, as well as a great LCD and a wide-angle lens. Its image quality was acceptable, but we’ve seen like-priced cameras that produce better results.”
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PCWorld Australia
“So far, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 has managed to excel in most areas, but we’ve left the most important test until last. Does the DSC-W230 compact camera cut it in the imaging stakes? In short, yes — but it won’t blow your socks off. While it’s capable of taking colourful, distortion-free shots, the Cyber-shot DSC-W230 is let down by an underpowered flash that suffers from uneven illumination. Images were also a little soft, although this didn’t drastically affect the level of detail.”
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GoodGearGuide
“So far, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 has managed to excel in most areas, but we’ve left the most important test until last. Does the DSC-W230 compact camera cut it in the imaging stakes? In short, yes — but it won’t blow your socks off. While it’s capable of taking colourful, distortion-free shots, the Cyber-shot DSC-W230 is let down by an underpowered flash that suffers from uneven illumination. Images were also a little soft, although this didn’t drastically affect the level of detail.”
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Steve’s Digicams
“The W230 is a decent 12-megapixel ultra-compact model. While it offers many appealing features like speedy performance and a durable and stylish shell, the image quality results lower our recommendation of this model. With a street price of about US$199 or less, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W230 offer an Ok value for the features and performance you are receiving.”
PCWorld
“All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 offers a great bundle of features for the price, as well as a great LCD and a wide-angle lens. It’s one of the best point-and-shoots at the $200 level we’ve seen so far in 2009, even if it offers a bit less than perfect image quality.”
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Press Release
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17, 2009 – Sony today announced five new Cyber-shot® cameras (models DSC-T900, DSC-T90, DSC-W290, DSC-W230 and DSC-H20) that make it easier to take the best pictures without changing settings.
The intelligent auto mode, available on the T900, T90, W290 and H20 models helps “think” for you and detect scene conditions then adjust settings, especially in difficult lighting scenarios.
“This camera provides a seamless experience,” said Karim Noblecilla, senior product marketing manager in Sony Electronics’ Digital Imaging Division. “You can go from a walk in the park to taking pictures of a flower and then back to beautiful landscapes or indoor birthday parties, and the camera will know what to do to get the best shot.”
Additionally, intelligent auto mode enhances pictures of faces to capture natural skin tones, identifies when your subject has closed eyes, and helps reduce blur without damaging image quality.
Sony has combined three key technologies to make these cameras smarter.
Intelligent scene recognition (iSCN) detects up to eight scenes, recognizing objects, faces and lighting conditions (e.g. low light and backlight). Then, in one-thirtieth of a second, it changes the setting to get the best shot.
Face detection registers up to eight faces; adjusts focus, exposure, white balance and flash; and detects motion. This intelligent camera combines face detection with iSCN, featuring blink detection. It takes two pictures and saves the one in which the subject’s eyes are the least shut.
The W290 and H20 cameras also have selected-face memory, allowing you to zero in on the main subject’s face. The next time the camera detects the priority face in the frame, it will automatically focus on that person.
The W230 model has iSCN that detects up to five scene conditions, face detection with child and adult priority, and the Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization feature. You can turn on these features in auto mode to make the W230 camera intelligent.
All of the new cameras have the Optical SteadyShot feature and Smile Shutter™ technology. The Optical SteadyShot image stabilization feature helps prevent blur due to camera shake without impacting image quality. Equipped with Sony’s Smile Shutter technology, these cameras automatically capture a smile the moment it happens.
Another advanced feature that sets these cameras apart from most digital still cameras is iSCN advanced. Noblecilla said the iAuto feature increases the chances of getting a great shot. You can also set up iSCN advanced as a permanent feature. When the scene has difficult lighting such as backlight or low light, the camera will take two shots within a fraction of a second using two alternative settings, so you can select which picture you prefer.
