Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W290 Digital Camera with 12.1 Megapixel, 5x Optical Zoom, 3.0" LCD Display, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens, Black

2010-06-26T20:00:00

I'm a scuba diver and was looking for a camera to use for underwater video and taking pictures. I own several Sony cameras and have been very happy with them, but I wanted something that I could dive with. So this week, I bought the W290 and the optional Marine Pack for it. Yesterday I recorded video around the house and later placed it in the Marine Pack to test out in shallow water (in about 3 feet). When I played my recordings back on my computer and television, I noticed there is a continuous noise throughout the audio which sounds like a winged insect flying around. This noise was from all my videos, in the house with just the camera and also underwater in the Marine Pack. I did a internet search and found similar complaints. Turns out, the noise is caused by the camera's auto focus setting in the video setup. If you select the infinite focus setting instead of auto focus, the noise goes away. But when diving or in a room, you don't want to use infinite focus - may as well use the macro setting to photograph the grand canyon too. For normal terrestrial recording, if there is continuous sound in the environment you're in, such as a crowded room or the wind is blowing, it's not quite as noticeable, but the noise can still be heard. There are a few other inconveniences, like not being able to use the zoom function while the video is recording, but I can adapt to that, it's the noise which is a big disappointment. If it were just my camera that was defective, I wouldn't openly complain and would just exchange it for another, but there are too many complaints about this same issue. If you use it for just a camera, it does a great job. If using it to record video, not so great. If this noise issue was resolved, I would gladly reflect 5-stars in all areas for this camera. And the only reason I'm not giving this a 1-star rating is because of my positive experiences with all my other Sony products. Thus, a 2-star review for the time being.

Vaughn

Originally posted at

2010-01-10T19:00:00

I was most interested in this camera for the video, and it has definitely become my favorite feature. The quality is outstanding compared to cameras I've owned before. The picture quality is upstanding for the compact camera and the easy functions make everyday shooting a breeze. I am most using this camera for in-crowd concert shooting, and the cameras allow me to take decent photos with the poor lighting and quick movement.

Ashley

2009-07-13T20:00:00

This is my 1st "high end" digital camera and I'm very impressed. I was looking at a Canon, but, the salesperson w/ the blue polo and yellow logo on it, told me that the Sony camera pictures are better than Canon

Maine

Originally posted at

2009-04-28T20:00:00

I just bought this camera a few days ago and it was awesome. I was amaze of how the full 1080p HD it comes with, and the auto scene selector is also great.You'll never have to worry about selecting a scene to take the picture in. Best part is that it took some of the best picture and video under water ever! Sony really knows how to improve their product and turn them into smart devices.

Sang

Originally posted at