Sony Cybershot DSCW120 7.2mp w/ Carrying Case & Memory Stick Duo Adapter

Sony Cyber-shot DSCW120MDG/P 7.2 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Pink) with LCS-TWE/PI Carrying Case and MSRW-MD1/P Memory Stick Duo Adaptor

Our Rating: 2 out of 5 

The Sony CyberShot DSCW120 is quite stylish, at least in my opinion, and comes with a complete package including matching carrying case.

The compact camera includes many features that a larger, bulkier camera will have, but it is a bit more stylish in appearance. It takes photos at a 7.2 Mega Pixel resolution, which is decent for a camera of this size and price.

You get all of the image snapping technologies that larger cameras have, such as face detection, smile shutter technology, dynamic range optimization, and a 4x optical zoom.

You’ll also find a revolutionary mode from Sony for taking photos – the 'burst' mode. This mode allows you to take images quickly. This is great if you are looking to snap images of a sporting event or another activity with fast movements. One disadvantage of the burst mode is that it can't take photos with flash. However, if you are taking photos from a distance (such as from the stands at a sporting field), it should be alright.

You can also take videos with the Sony CyberShot DSCW120. It isn't a camcorder by any means, but it takes high quality videos that would be great for capturing quick moments or adding to your blog.

One of the coolest features of this camera is it's smile shutter feature. This technology developed by Sony is great for taking photos of people who don't like to smile. You can set your camera to smile shutter mode, point it at your target(s), and then the camera will automatically take an image when they are smiling. I'm not sure how it works with large groups, but when taking portraits, especially of the kids, it works great. Think about how much better your photo collection would be if all of the people in the photos were smiling.

As with all point and shoot digital cameras of this size, the Sony CyberShot DSCW120 has it's limitations. It doesn't have advanced features that a professional photographer or an aspiring professional photographer would want.

One of the biggest complaints is that the standard sized 2.5” LCD display screen seems slightly prone to scratches. You may want to purchase a screen protector while you are shopping to prevent your screen from getting scratched up.

Another disadvantage of the Sony CyberShot DSCW120 is it's photo storage. It only has 15 Megabytes of internal memory, so you must purchase a compatible card to use with this camera. Most cards aren't very expensive, so it won't add too much to the cost of the camera.

Cyber-shot DSC-W120 Highlights (as listed from Amazon/Sony)

7.2-megapixel Super HAD CCD More megapixels give you more detail and definition when you make big prints or crop in tight on your subject. The advanced Sony Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.

Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens 4x optical zoom brings distant subjects closer to help you capture sharp, detailed long shots and quickly frame images for better composition, great for family sports, outdoor fun, and travel photos.

9-point auto focus Because an off-center subject can make your shot more interesting, a 9-point auto focus measures auto-focus at 9 precision points instead of 5, giving you greater creative freedom to compose your image.

2.5-inch TFT LCD display The large, bright 2.5-inch TFT LCD display makes it easy to compose shots, check results, and read menus in sharp natural color, even in bright sunlight.

15 MB internal memory Even if you forget your flash memory card, you can get the shot because 15 MB internal memory lets you capture a limited number of shots with in-camera convenience, then easily transfer your shots to a PC or optional Memory Stick Duo media.

Memory Stick Duo media convenience A built-in slot accepts optional Memory Stick Duo media or Memory Stick Pro Duo media -- the compact, high-capacity storage media that make it easily to upload photos to your PC and are compatible with millions of devices worldwide.

Burst mode You can fire off three shots automatically at 1-second intervals (VGA standard mode) or 2-second intervals (full resolution mode), a great way to capture a child’s first steps or a pet’s best tricks.

Convenient Photo modes To adjust quickly for specific shooting situations, you can choose from several convenient photo modes, including Auto, Program Auto, and Scene Selections such as Twilight, Landscape, Soft Snap, Snow, High Sensitivity, and Beach environments.

Dynamic Range Optimization Powered by the exclusive Sony Bionz high-speed processing engine, Dynamic Range Optimization preserves image data in bright highlights and reveals more detail in shadows or backlit areas -- for great results even in difficult lighting conditions.

Easy Shooting mode A simplified camera environment especially attractive to beginners or digital camera users who want to keep things simple, Easy Shooting provides easy-to-read, on-screen instructions and limits the number of camera settings to help prevent misuse of the camera while still providing excellent results.

Face Detection technology automatically controls focus, exposure, color, and flash to help reveal faces in shadows, make skin tones look more natural, reduce red-eye, and eliminate harsh facial glare, so your photos bring out every expression on every face in every shot.

Function Guide This beginner-friendly function helps manage various functions and settings by displaying the description of chosen functions or settings on the LCD screen. The Function Guide can also be switched off.

HD slide show with music It’s the high-definition viewing experience that makes photos more entertaining to watch, accompanied by your choice of visual effects and any of four preset musical selections stored in memory or your favorite music downloaded from PC to your camera for use as background music.

HDTV compatibility High-resolution images can be enjoyed in all their beauty simply by connecting the camera directly to a Sony Bravia HDTV or other compatible HDTV. This provides an excellent alternative to viewing photos as prints or on a computer monitor, and is ideal for users who want to share photos in the comfort of their living room. Optional HD solutions include a Cyber-shot cradle/charger with component cable output, or component cable directly to your HDTV.

High Sensitivity (ISO 3200) mode With high sensitivity of ISO 3200, you can shoot effectively in low light without flash to preserve the mood, while the Sony Clear RAW Noise Reduction system helps suppress the color noise that can degrade low-light shots.

MPEG Movie VX Fine mode Capture VGA (640 x 480) audio/video clips at a high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second), with the length of your video limited only by the capacity of your media.

Optical viewfinder In addition to the LCD display, a built-in optical viewfinder lets you compose your photos in traditional rangefinder camera style, and also helps save battery power by turning off your LCD display.

Photomusic Expanding the HD Slide Show with Music feature, Photomusic combines images with music to produce fun and entertaining slide shows. The five standard visual effects (Simple, Basic, Nostalgic, Active and Stylish) have been supplemented for a total of eight effects. Additionally, the number of music tracks stored in the camera memory has been doubled from four to eight, and music playback time has been extended from three to five minutes per track. More personalized slide shows are also possible by transferring music from a PC to the camera.

Photo TV HD PhotoTV HD compatibility allows the camera to be connected to a PhotoTV HD-capable Sony Bravia HDTV via the optional HD output adaptor, for highly detailed, high-definition color images displayed in unprecedented realism and full HD quality.

Picture Motion Browser software Supplied software makes it easier to upload, organize, and search photos on your PC. When shooting photos using your camera and an optional GPS unit, the software even provides a convenient map view function that lets you sort photos by location and display their origin on a world map.

Simple setup controls A quick press of the Home button opens your user-friendly graphical interface, and you can select functions by simply moving a cursor vertically or horizontally to the appropriate icon. Function names and the on-screen Function Guide display make it easier to learn camera setup operations.

Smart Zoom feature The Sony Smart Zoom feature intelligently "crops into" the central portion of interest in your photo, helping avoid the image degradation of other digital zooms.

Smile Shutter mode Smile Shutter mode helps you capture smiles automatically as they happen. Used in conjunction with Face Detection technology, Smile Shutter is able to differentiate between children and adults, and can be set to automatically shoot a picture when your subject laughs, smiles, or even grins -- only when focus is fixed. You select the person to watch and the expression to catch, your Cyber-shot camera does the rest!

Sony Double Anti-Blur Solution The combination of Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization and high ISO sensitivity helps compensate for shaky hands, minimizes blur, and allow flash-free shooting to preserve the mood.

Stamina Battery Power Provides extended battery life and shooting capacity when using a fully charged Lithium Ion battery, enough to cover a long weekend or a whole vacation.

Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization compensates for shaky hands and minimizes blur with optical sensors that detect camera movement and send correcting signals to a stabilization lens -- so there’s no need to crop in on your shot to reduce blur.

Sony Cyber-shot DSCW120MDG/P 7.2 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Pink) with LCS-TWE/PI Carrying Case and MSRW-MD1/P Memory Stick Duo Adaptor