Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350

Experts are impressed that the tiny Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 packs plenty of features, including a 14.1-megapixel sensor, 26 mm wide-angle lens that takes solid close-up shots (4x optical zoom), 2.7-inch LCD and HD video (720p). Weighing just 4.1 ounces and measuring less than 0.7 of an inch thick, it "almost fits inside an Altoid candy tin," says David Elrich at Imaging-Resource.com. Despite its small stature, it has a larger LCD than the spritely Canon PowerShot SD780 IS and includes many of the same shooting features found on the pricier Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370 (Discontinued), which has a 7x zoom lens and a 3-inch LCD. In addition to 10 scene modes, Sony's Sweep Panorama feature lets you take a 268-degree vertical or horizontal shot by holding the shutter button down and panning the camera. However, CNET's Joshua Goldman says panoramic photo results aren't as good as pricier Sony Cyber-shot cameras provide, and critics warn that the DSC-W350 isn't for anyone who likes to tinker with manual settings.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 isn't a particularly fast camera, say editors at Which? magazine. Elrich says shot-to-shot times are a "test of patience," and users at Amazon.com complain about difficult menu navigation. Image quality is good for its class, but not without shortcomings -- noise and softness among them -- says Goldman, and editors at Which? magazine deem video quality "unexceptional." Still, the zoom works in video mode, and the camera uses Sony Memory Sticks plus SD/SDHC cards, though you'll have to fork out extra cash for a proprietary cable if you want to play videos on an HDTV (as is the case with most Sony cameras). Nevertheless, the Cyber-shot DSC-W350 comes up as the critics' choice over the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370 because of the more sophisticated Carl Zeiss lens and superior Sony BIONZ engine, along with better image quality and performance.

Imaging-Resource.com and CNET both compare the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370. The coverage at Which? magazine isn't nearly as detailed, but there's a handy ratings chart, and user reviews at Amazon.com reveal issues that show up with heavy use.