Manage updates with the Download AppSony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 (Black)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: DSC-W290/B
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is an excellent, well-balanced compact camera.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory4Less.com | Not yet rated | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/22/2013 Refurbished |
 |  | In stock | as of 05/21/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 (Black) price range: $275.00 - $317.50
- Reviewed by: Joshua Goldman
- Reviewed on: 05/19/2009
- Released on: 04/01/2009
The good: Terrific design, interface, and controls; wide-angle, 5x zoom lens; excellent price-to-feature ratio.
The bad: No optical zoom while recording video; soft photos.
The bottom line: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is an excellent, well-balanced compact camera.
User reviews
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This is a AMAZING camera! I recommend 100%!
by AustinTierney on May 30, 2009
Pros: Well to begin with, this camera has the new and improved scroll wheel to select what to do, (Movie, Easy, Auto, Programmable, and Scenes), The camera can record in HD video which is great for most people who like to make videos! It overall amazing!
Cons: Finding a case for this that is not the easiest thing to do if you want a small case, either they are for tiny tiny cameras or they are to big an bulky making it unattractive. The accessories from Sony are overpriced but possibly worth it.
Summary: The camera is a amazing camera if you want to get one that can catch amazing images, Although it is not Sony's proclaimed top of the line one (W300) ...
Summary: The camera is a amazing camera if you want to get one that can catch amazing images, Although it is not Sony's proclaimed top of the line one (W300) It has better zoom, records high def video, has all of the same scene features, it just lacks that titanium coating that protects it from scratches, although honestly I have never ever gotten a scratch on any one of my Sony Cybershot cameras, I had a older W80 camera and it broke after I hit on the wall and floor when I fell on vacation, even when I did that it doesn't have a single scratch it just broke the LCD which is why I bought this new camera. So really this IS better that the W300, the only thing it lacks is the coating that does nothing, and those 2 more megapixels which chances are aren't even noticeable difference. The one thing I hate about this camera is that if you break the LCD screen, I don't think that you would wish to pay $100 to replace it, so buying a warranty is highly advised if your a active photographer. The accessories are cool but are over priced for just going out and buying them so they would be more for a special accasion because they range from $50-$200+! But overall if you are in need of upgrading a camera or buying a new one, the Sony W290 is right for your wallet and it will blow you away in quality and features!
Also I forgot to talk about the battery, the charger works around the world, although it has a United States 120V plug with the two long prongs coming out, somehow it automatically detects that it is in a 220V outlet or other voltage and changes it and allows you to charge your battery like normal, all you would be needing is a converter so no transformer is necessary! So this makes this an added feature that makes it great for travelers also!
Updated on May 30, 20094 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice camera but with some limitations
by caesar148 on March 18, 2012
Pros: Easy to use. Nice pictures. 5X zoom. Comes in a variety of colors.
Cons: Uses Memory Stock Pro Duo memory card. No zoom capability during video recording
Summary: Overall I am quite satisfied with this camera. The picture quality of okay. Not the best but acceptable for my everyday use. The 5x zoom provides great ability to bring ...
Summary: Overall I am quite satisfied with this camera. The picture quality of okay. Not the best but acceptable for my everyday use. The 5x zoom provides great ability to bring the image up close, but you need a steady hand to get good pictures at max zoom.
My gripe with this camera is that it uses the memory stock pro duo memory card. More expensive than SD for the same capacity. I have tons of SD cards but I was forced to go buy another card. :-(
Another issue I have with this camera is the inability to zoom during video recording. A big minus to me. -
A bad buy, do not recommend. Photo quality terrible
by scotinfrance on January 2, 2012
Pros: None, cannot think of any
Cons: VERY disappointed with this camera. Fuzzy poor quality photos unless outside & even when outside, still not great. Remember my fantastic Cannon camera fondly, it was in same price range, but after 6 years decided to replace it with a lighter model
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BLURRY, Poor Quality Pictures Unless PERFECT Conditions
by nelly1st on March 28, 2010
Pros: I like the idea of what this camera is SUPPOSED to do!
Cons: Intelligent Auto is "unintelligent," picture quality is awful unless photos are taken outside with perfect lighting
Summary: Under perfect conditions this camera took beautiful pictures at first. After one month, however, the top lense cover no longer opens when I turn it on, so I have to "...
Summary: Under perfect conditions this camera took beautiful pictures at first. After one month, however, the top lense cover no longer opens when I turn it on, so I have to "manually lift" the lense cover of my $200+ camera. I have tried every setting on the camera and unless you are taking a simple, posed photograph outside with perfect lighting you WILL have a blurry picture! I am sorry I did not take more time to read reviews, but I was in a hurry to buy a new camera before my honeymoon. I figured with a Sony and a Carl Zeiss lense how could I go wrong. Well trust me, I did. Although I have SOME nice pictures from this camera, overall the bad FAR outweigh the good! DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BUYING THIS CAMERA!!
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Dont' buy ... soft pictures mean blurry pictures!
by pauchu61 on March 21, 2010
Pros: Great automatic shooting, nice big screen
Cons: Soft focus mean unclear and blurry pictures. They are not worth the paper they are printed. I did not buy a camera to take pictures that are unclear and unfocused. This means the pictures are not sharp, you don't want that!
Summary: Don't buy ... soft pictures mean unclear and unsharp pictures, like a picture taken by a kid. For a camera that cost up to $200, has 12 MP, Carl Zeiss ...
Summary: Don't buy ... soft pictures mean unclear and unsharp pictures, like a picture taken by a kid. For a camera that cost up to $200, has 12 MP, Carl Zeiss lens and made by Sony, this is not acceptable. Soft focus means disgusting focus. Even in the brightest sunshine, none of my pictures came out clear, and I took hundreds of pictures to try it out. I am going to return it and get another camera that is not "soft".
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Thanks for nothing, CNet!!!
by alissaln on February 4, 2010
Pros: Portable. Lightweight.
Cons: Picture Quality is Abysmal.
Summary: I bought this product because it was recommended by CNet. Two months later I'm throwing it in the garbage. Not a single frame of indoor photos were clear. CNet ...
Summary: I bought this product because it was recommended by CNet. Two months later I'm throwing it in the garbage. Not a single frame of indoor photos were clear. CNet briefly mentions that photos are "soft" - this is a EUPHAMISM for GRAINY and BLURRY. I can't even see my NOSE in some of these! So CNet, are YOU going to give me my $250 back?!
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Great Camera for pricepoint
by KRothschild on January 6, 2010
Pros: Easy to use, good pictures, relatively snappy.
Cons: Considering it isn't a DSLR, none come to mind.
Summary: Don't expect to buy this camera and have it compete with a DSLR, and also, be sure to experiment with different modes before complaining about soft pictures... if you ...
Summary: Don't expect to buy this camera and have it compete with a DSLR, and also, be sure to experiment with different modes before complaining about soft pictures... if you always leave it on the same setting, chances are, some of your pictures will be soft.
For what the camera is supposed to be, it is great... and as an owner of the DSC-W100, it is nice that it works with all of the same accessories. -
Great Camera ... Fast Boot!
by AZroadking on December 21, 2009
Pros: SMILE DETECTOR is funny .. and a real hoot for taking photos as it really adds entertainment in the photo shooting. Camera takes nice photos and is ready for action in a very short time.
Cons: CONS: 1) Shutter Button too small for people with big fingers. Hard to find and place your finger in a hurry. 2) Needs touch swipe photo playback scrolling 3)Sony proprietary camera card.
Summary: I really liked using the camera for the most part, except for looking for the shutter button in a hurry, and trying to get back to my playback to make ...
Summary: I really liked using the camera for the most part, except for looking for the shutter button in a hurry, and trying to get back to my playback to make sure I had my show. I can get over the finger prints all over the camera as I have a lens cloth in the case to wipe it down. KEEP THE LANYARD ON .. this camera is super easy and slippery to drop! One good drop and this camera is a gonner.
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Poor picture quality
by kirk1work on December 3, 2009
Pros: Great screen, easy to read settings
Cons: Inconsistant picture quality
Summary: The camera takes 12 Mega pixal pictures, so I expect sharp images. I often get washed out, fuzzy pictures. Day time shots come out best, but if it is a ...
Summary: The camera takes 12 Mega pixal pictures, so I expect sharp images. I often get washed out, fuzzy pictures. Day time shots come out best, but if it is a little dark, I can not count on taking a good picture. I am not not happy with the camera.
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Jewel of a little camera
by pefisher on October 3, 2009
Pros: Compactness. Focus is fast. It focuses on the right things automatically. The camera feels usable; its features don't get in the way. The screen is big and bright. Good picture management software is included. Starts fast.
Cons: It doesn't have a viewfinder. Shutter/exposure lag times aren't insignificant. Lag time varies according to conditions. Zoom granularity typical of point-and-shoot.
Summary: Love it because it's the first "fun" digital camera I have had the pleasure to own.
Summary: Love it because it's the first "fun" digital camera I have had the pleasure to own.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: DSC-W290/B
- Description: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 digital camera. Featuring Intelligent Auto mode, the W290 with a 28mm wide angle lens, automatically detects 8 scene conditions and selects the appropriate camera settings. Face Detection captures faces more naturally and helps prevent blur8. Also, now record high definition videos in 720p HD and enjoy your memories on your HDTV.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Enclosure Color Black
- Resolution 12.1 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type Super HAD CCD
- Effective Sensor Resolution 12,100,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/2.3"
- Optical Zoom 5 x
- Digital Zoom 2 x
- Image Stabilizer Optical (Steady Shot)
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 9
- Face Detection Blink Detection technology
- Image Recording Format JPEG
- AV Interfaces Composite video/audio
Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 3200,
ISO 400,
ISO 1600,
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO auto,
ISO 80 - Exposure Metering Multi-segment
- Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic - Shooting Programs Soft snap,
Snow,
Gourmet,
Beach,
Twilight portrait,
Hi-speed shutter,
Underwater,
Twilight mode,
Fireworks,
High sensitivity,
Landscape - Special Effects Fisheye,
Soft Focus,
Black & White,
Sepia,
Unsharp masking,
Cross filter,
Radial blur,
Partial color,
Retro,
Happy face,
Vivid - White Balance Automatic,
Presets - White Balance Presets Underwater,
Incandescent,
Cloudy,
Fluorescent light (daylight),
Daylight,
Fluorescent light (warm white),
Fluorescent light (cool white),
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 1 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV steps
Lens System
- Type Carl Zeiss 5 x x Zoom lens - 5 mm - 25 mm - F/3.3-5.2
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 28 - 140 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 7 groups / 9 elements
- Features Aspherical lens,
Built-in lens shield Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- Flash Modes Slow synchro,
Fill-in mode,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features AF illuminator
- Effective Flash Range 7.9 in - 20 ft
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 1.8 frames per second
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Additional Features 720p HD movie recording,
In-camera red-eye fix,
Built-in speaker,
Resizing an image,
Auto power save,
Cropping an image,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Dynamic Range Optimizer,
PictBridge support,
Smile Detection technology,
Built-in help guide,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
16:9 widescreen mode,
Direct print Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Resolution 230,000 pixels
- Display Features Built-in
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Connections
- Connector Type 1,
1 x USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x HD component output
Software
- Software Drivers & Utilities,
Sony Picture Motion Browser System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support Apple Mac OS X 10.1 - 10.5,
MS Windows XP,
MS Windows 2000,
Apple Mac OS 9.1,
Apple Mac OS 9.2 - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
Wrist strap,
USB cable,
Audio / video cable Battery
- Supported Battery Sony NP-BG1
- Supported Battery 1 x Sony NP-BG1 Li-ion rechargeable battery - 960 mAh ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- RAM Installed 11 MB
- Memory Card Slot Memory Stick PRO Duo card
- Supported Memory Cards Memory Stick Duo,
Memory Stick PRO Duo - Included Memory Card 11 MB Integrated
- Video Capture 1280 x 720,
640 x 480 Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 3.9 in
- Depth 0.9 in
- Height 2.2 in
- Weight 6.1 oz
Main Features
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom. This camera utilizes built-in Super SteadyShot stabilization to assist in taking sharper pictures.
Product series
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 (Blue)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact,
12.1 megapixels,
5 x,
1/2.3",
Super HAD CCD,
Optical (Steady Shot) -
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 (Bronze)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact,
12.1 megapixels,
5 x,
1/2.3",
Super HAD CCD,
Optical (Super Steady Shot) -
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 (Black)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Ultracompact,
12.1 megapixels,
5 x,
1/2.3",
Super HAD CCD,
Optical (Steady Shot)
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Sony
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
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