Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W80 (black)

May 13, 2007 07:33
Mediocre
1.0/5
I'm not sure how this camera possibly recieved the score it did. I've had it for a solid week, and I've tried Indoor, Outdoor, Low-Light, Bright Light, Auto-Flash, No Flash, Manual Exposure, and just plain Auto on this camera and every time the picture quality is low enough to bring tears. The images always have a blur to them, even at the lowest ISO they have a fair amount of noise, the colors never seem to be right, and if you take a picture in Low-Light or Twilight, don't waste your time transferring it. Earlier today I took it to our local photo store, and let the owner play around with it, hoping maybe I had overlooked a setting, but even after he tinkered with it for a few hours he recieved the same result. I brought this camera because I wanted a "slim" camera to carry around in my laptop case, but if it is this big of a trade off between size vs quality I'm just fine carrying around a bag with my Kodak Z612.

As a side note, this is the 4th Cybershot Camera I've owned, and while I've had little complaints with each, most with their construction, this one is the first one I've had image quality issues with.

- rbowen87

November 12, 2007 10:12

5.0/5
I have owned 2 older cybershot cameras and they were CRAP.. they didn't last more than a year each. I went for this one after reading the review on CNET and I am completely in agreement with their review. I know there are much better cameras but not for the price on this swift camera. I love it and I am very happy with my purchase.

- hogtrashhd

July 31, 2007 11:13

4.5/5
my search for a compact digital point-and-shoot came down to the DSC-80 and the Canon PowerShot SD750. Both are excellent cameras, but with the Sony you also get the image stabilization for the same price, and it's a feature that really helps you avoid having to use your flash and take better pictures in dim light. The camera took great pictures and had extra battery life. Some manual settings would be nice, but most cameras in this class don't have them anyway. As for the memory, Sony's memory stick pro system is overpriced, but San Disk makes compatible cards that are less expensive; buy theirs instead.

- xeb329

April 28, 2007 06:37

4.5/5
I LOVE THIS CAMERA! I'm a 'maximizer' and I spent some time researching what compact point and shoot camera would give me the best quality pics in a slim, sleek, fun design. This camera is IT for me! It gives me consistently clear pictures under various conditions and modes. The color saturation is top notch. And it has optical image stabilization! I am not sure I will ever use the ISO 3200 because of the grain it inevitably produces but who knows.
Other cameras I had originally considered where the Casio Exilim EX-Z1050, the Canon Powershot SD800 IS and the Panasonic Lumix FX50. The Casio was fun to use but the quality was bad (see separate post); the other two were recommended in stores but I read mixed reviews on the picture quality, specifically on the Panasonic. I decided to try the CyberShot DSC-W80 because of the excellent rating it had on CNET. I have not been disappointed. I find the picture quality quite impressive, especially for such a small camera. And it is also quite fun to use. There are a couple of different ways to access the menu which is very convenient. I really like the dial on the side to pick the shooting mode. There are enough manual options to make me feel creative, although I have found that the automatic mode does a great job on a consistent basis! The only reason I am not giving it 10 is that it does have small buttons which can be a little bit more awkward, although not really a problem for me. And I also had to buy a memory stick (I was not aware that Sony does not use SD cards before my purchase). But in the end, I am very pleased with my choice. This camera is a keeper and I highly recommend it to anyone.

- annesg

June 1, 2007 09:19

4.0/5
For me, this camera defines Point & Shoot. Easy to use, easy to carry, fast start-up and acceptable shutter lag. The buttons are a touch small, but I'm a big guy, and I've had no trouble using them. Sony is big on complicating their components and I'd rather that the multi use cable was two pieces, one for connection to a T.V., and one for connection to a USB port, but it works well enough. Images are terrific, but watch out for bright sun situations as you can get a lot of wash-out. Indoor and shade pictures are fantastic, as are night and flash assisted night scenes. I would recommend the purchase of a second rechargeable battery just to have one hot and ready. I also recommend the purchase of a case to protect the delicate shutter cover area when not in use.

- johnkeil

July 14, 2007 11:46

4.0/5
I love this camera. It's lite weight with fancy design. More over, I love the simplicity in settings and feature. Quick click and it's done in second. It doesn't need professional to set up the camera.
It's not perfect, some features need more adjustments, such as, low light/high ISO doesn't support the quality. The face detection doesn't work in low light and needs a lot of time to adjust the focus. Overall, good and reliable for traveling, but don't expect too much.

- toshikuat

July 2, 2007 11:39

4.5/5
Great choice if you want all the quality without spending alot of money. Great overall value is great and if you dont buy this because it uses Memory stick I hate to say this but your dumb... The memory sticks are 3X faster (@15mb/sec) than an SD card (5mb/sec read, 4mb/sec write) or even a high speed SD (10mb/sec Read, 9mb/sec Write). Which is a great thing becasue the overall shooting speed is faster! But thats not the best part sony offers high speed cards too (@100mb/sec sustained!) sony is the best choice for the money bar none!

- Job Taker

August 20, 2007 05:26

4.5/5
I did alot of research before buying this (my first) camera because i didnt want to blow my money on something below par (who does?), and for the price, it really was an excellent choice. Great quality pics for someone like me who isn't a photo/camera enthusiast but still wants some good quality shots to print. And the real drawcard for me was that these relatively good specs came in such a good looking camera. I bought the black and it's very sleek without looking tacky - and lets face it, if you spend money on a camera you want the specs AND the good looks! The buttons are small but are fine unless you have huge hands (mine are medium/large and i dont have too bad a time navigating the thing).

- mrsimms