Sony DSCW800/B 20.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)

I am an amateur photographer and own three DSLR cameras with a selection of lenses. However that collection does not eliminate the need for a handy item for just daily needs. I keep this one especially in my car's glove box as a reserve for occasions which require something better than my cell phone camera. For that purpose it meets my expectations and even exceeds it. Yet, this is still a snap shot device with a relatively low price tag and therefore a DSLR level quality (like background blurring, high shutter speed, high level of low light performance etc.)should not be expected.Pros:-Lightweight slim and stylish design: It can fit in small spaces and look and feel like a high quality item.-USB charging ability: That is one of the selling points for me. I keep it in my car and I don't want to run out of power any time or go through the hassle of removing the battery and charging it separately ,which requires carrying the charging adapter all the time and also the ability to plug in that adapter. Instead. all I do is to connect it to my 12V car USB charger and it pretty quickly accumulates good amount of charge level... It comes with a wall adapter (5V 0.5A) which connects to a detachable USB cable (so you can use the cable and attach it to any USB charger). But be careful about the USB cable. The standard USB-micro B cable that charges most mobile devices do not work for this type. If you need a replacement or an extra you need to buy a USB-UC E6 cable.-Easy menu mode: Practicality should be the main focus in a snapshot device and even my grandfather could get through this menu. One of the most user-friendly interfaces I have seen so far.-Panoramic shoot ability: That was a surprise for me. I had not read the product description in detail before buying and that was such a handy function. I used to take panoramic photos by taking tens of photos with my DSLR and stiching them with a software which was both difficult and time consuming. This function does it instantly and produces comparable quality photos.-5X optical zoom: When it comes to zooming, in photographic terms, the less is often more. The best lenses even come with no zoom at all. However for a practical item like this, zoom is essential and 5X is a good range for the optical zoom (it is also critical that you compare the optical zoom capacities of devices and not the digital zoom before making a judgement.)-Image quality: As I said above, it does not match the quality of a DSLR and I don't care about the high pixel size either. For cameras with small sensor sizes like snapshots, it is actually better to get a low MP device for sharper images, but this one not bad at all especially in daylight. HD Video quality is also good but again depends on the light...-Price: the $78 price tag as of august 2014 makes it one of the most affordable snapshot cameras in the market. You can get better deals from time to time but this is quite appealing too.Cons:-Low light performance: Again, I want to stress that I am not expecting professional quality from this device, but I found the low light performance moderate at best. The noise was somewhat irritating even with flash.-Slow shutter speed: It has a continuous shooting mode which is supposed to take multiple frames in a short time as long as the shutter button is depressed. However this device has a long long refractory period between shoots that it is not even worth bothering with that mode. You need to decrease the image quality 3 steps to be able to notice some multiple shooting effect and that is not worth it. So if you wish to take a photo of a flying bird or a running person or a passing by car, you don't have much choice to take multiple photos and decide later.-Zoom buttons: I like the zoom to be a ring style beneath the shutter button but this is like a plus and minus at the back which is not very convenient.-No optical viewfinder: This is not a problem for this model only. Most recent cameras sacrifice from an optical viewfinder and all you get is a digital image on the screen to help you adjust your photo before taking it. First of all it does not give the sense of taking a photo but more importantly digital screen viewfinder drains battery and also performs bad in bright light.-Video focusing sound: While recording video of a closely located object (where there is a constant need to re-adjust autofocusing) and if the surrounding is silent, you can hear the sound of focus adjustments in your recording. But as I said that is only obvious in full silence and for short distance recordings.Overall you like it or not depends on your expectations. For me it is a handy and adequately performing device with quite useful features. I am happy with this purchase

I got tired of taking photos with my phone , i wanted a real camera , that had a real zoom . I have a number of very expensive SLR's but they are heavy to carry around all the time . This is the perfect mix of convenient and efficient . To look at copies of your photos , all you have to do is simply take the card out of the camera and put it into your computer , and you have them ready to transfer to your hard drive . plus if you want you can use a cable like you would do with a phone . it is a cheap camera , but it takes expensive photos . it doesn't do the same as my $3000.oo NIKON's , and the reviews here seem to think it should . but to take great snap shot photos it is as good as any cell phone camera , and it very small easy to carry thus you are going to take more photos that you would not do other wise , even with a cell phone camera . For what it is designed for , it gets 5 gold stars

I bought this camera mainly for work purposes. I have a Cannon Rebel XS DSLR, and this camera in no way compares to the quality of it. Of course I wasn't expecting it to. For this review I will focus on indoor shots of about 25 feet or under. I will start by saying low light, and even no light, performance is excellent. I tested it in my completely dark bedroom and the picture turned out as if it were brightly lit. I will say now that the colors do trend on the warm side. Subject tracking is a nice feature, great for moving objects, such as pets, and for people who have had to much coffee. It has an "Easy Mode" which is great for good casual shots, but I think that it's a little TO simple. It simplifies the menu choices to one: large images or small images. I personally think they should had left all of the sizes selectable in this mode. Video is limited to 1280x720, but this is more than enough for close up movies. The rated battery life is fairly short at 100 minutes, but this is most likely due to the viewscreen. Additional batteries are, as of this review, under $13 for the Sony battery NP-BN1, and half that for generics, which is very inexpensive for a camera battery. It charges via a special USB cable, which I hate, instead of a standard USB Type B which all small electrical devices seem to charge from, so be careful that you don't damage it. The included AC Adapter connects through the USB cable as well, and outputs 0.5A, so it is no faster than charging it from any other USB source.All in all I would say this is a great camera for taking pictures up close, under 20 feet ideally. It's compact size, portability, features, and low cost make it a great camera for close up shots. It's not close to a DSLR quality, and I wouldn't think about using it to record once in a lifetime memories, but it's also less than 10% of the cost of a DSLR, and a great item to have around.

I am not a professional, but take a lot of pictures for personnel use, both at home and traveling. I like the smaller point and shoot cameras which can be carried in my pocket or a small case on my blet. My previous two cameras were high dollar point and shoot, but too complicated to operate quickly even on iA. The screens were touch screens which is not conducive to carrying in the pocket. Also my previous two cameras had the fan type shutter which began sticking after only a few months use until they both finally stuck at half open.Although I have had the DSCW800 Sony for less than two months, it has met all my expectations. It is light weight, easy to operate, takes excellent outdoor pictures, and thin enough to carry in my shirt pocket. There is a two or three second delay between pictures. I have had no issues with the battery. My one recommendation is to install the wrist strap and use it. Maintaining a safe grip on this small camera could be a problem, especially if damp with moisture.