Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 Digital Camera
If you are looking for entertainment extras-camera editing tools in a point-and-shoot digital camera, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is a great option. A wide-angle lens, a sharp 3-inch LCD screen, and 720p HD video mode also add to its general appeal, but we’ve seen better image quality from cameras the same price in 2009.
The 12-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-W290 ($ 250 as of 7/10/2009) has a 5X optical zoom Carl Zeiss lens, starting at 28 mm at the wide end to 140mm at ‘telephoto end. It’sa bit thicker than many competitors point and shoot, but still pocket about 4 inches wide, 2.5 inches high and an inch deep.
Overall image quality was considered good, according to PC World Reviews Center board test. The W290 performed well in terms of exposure overall in our tests, but the image sharpness and distortion of the gaps. The same price Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25, for example, that Sony has dominated in most categories of imagery.
In the hands informal tests, I found that the W290 has good high-ISO shots in low light, even if the noise is visible at ISO 3200 and ISO 1600 - not enough to ruin the shots, however, . The W290 also takes about one second or longer to save pictures in high ISO settings in low light. During practical tests, it also became clear that the Cyber-shot W290 optical image stabilization is effective with a low level of shaking, but hard to take a sharp image when the camera was shaken vigorously.
The W290 has ten scene modes, a low number compared to competitors in this price range, but it also means that it is weathering Free: You get all the essential and frequently used modes such as ISO high, Landscape, Snow, Fireworks, and Soft Focus.
As usual with Sony cameras, the camera settings are easily accessible via a mode dial on the back, and the user interface is supported by the on-screen menu excellent and intuitive. Moreover, this model has a dedicated “Smile Shutter” button on the top of the camera (next to the shutter), which lets you quickly turn on the smile of the camera shutter feature. Smile Shutter automatically takes a photo when the subject smiles, and you can even adjust the sensitivity of the trigger smile into the camera.
The smile triggered by the shutter is fairly common among point-and-shoots these days, but some features in the W290 apart from other handheld cameras. First and foremost the range of creative image editing features that you get this camera. Instead of applying the “effects” live photos, many of these features can be applied after you take your shots you can add the fish-eye effects, radial blur, or red-eye correction; isolate a color your photos while turning the rest of the image in black and white, and apply a “retro” that simulates a pinhole camera.
But by far the weirdest - and funniest - in camera feature is the “Happy Faces” mode, which allows you to add a fake smile for photo subjects underwhelmed. You can see for yourself how “Happy Faces” Fashion can put a smile on the face of the Mona Lisa and a serious air Barack Obama.
The advantage of adding these effects after your shots are taken is that you keep the original image, such as cameras Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 and Canon PowerShot SD780 IS have simulators pinhole, or color the isolation modes, respectively, but both devices apply those effects to the source image as it is being shot.
Battery life is a huge plus: the Cyber-shot DSC-W290 fired off 342 shots on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery, good enough for a PC World Test Center rating of Very Good. Unfortunately you must remove the battery from the device to reload, the camera comes with a plug-in battery charger.
The layout is simple to follow: At the top of the camera are the power button, the shutter button and the Smile Shutter button. On the back, beside the large, clear 3 inch LCD is the zoom toggle, the mode selector, the playback button and a four-way directional pad for navigation menu (serving as a direct access flash settings, macro mode, timer, and display settings), and a menu button and a delete button. A lack: the camera has no optical viewfinder.
On the back of the camera is the A / V-out port to transfer photos and movies on your PC, but unfortunately, it’s a proprietary connector on the camera side of things, if you can not swap in a mini-USB or micro - USB cable for this task. Another drawback is the battery door on the plastic base of the camera - it feels as if she could break a little too easily. In addition to the battery itself, this compartment holds another piece of property: a Memory Stick slot for storage. (You do not have a Memory Stick with the camera.)
In addition to scene modes, four top-shooting modes are accessible level from the mode dial. Easy Auto Mode automatically optimizes the camera settings for a scene and hides all the more complicated settings from the shooter. Intelligent Auto Mode combines the automatic optimization of scenes, optical stabilization and face detection. Program Mode lets you adjust white balance, exposure compensation, the parameters of the dynamic range, levels of ISO, and metering options, but you get nothing in the way of the shutter and Opening the controls, but this is common in a device of this price and size. Finally, the movie mode lets you shoot clips in high definition 720p or 640-480-standard definition clips as MPEG-4 at 30 frames per second. You can not use the zoom in video mode, which is common in point-and-shoots.
The Cyber-shot W290 may not have the highest image quality in its price range, but casual photographers looking for great exposure, ease of use and good battery life will probably be happy with him. Those who want to have fun in office the cameras and editing tools will be delighted.
Pros
Fun in-camera editing tools
Wide-angle and wide-screen LCD
Cons
Image stabilization might be better
Proprietary A / V Connector
Bottom Line
A wide-angle LCD screen and a large complement the Cyber-shot DSC-W290 fun and unique functions of the camera.
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