Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 review

The W220's photo quality is good, particularly at ISO 200 and below. Viewed at full size, there's off-colour noise visible at all ISOs, but it's least noticeable at lower ISOs. Photos are still good at ISO 400, but soften slightly from noise reduction. Sharpness and detail decrease rapidly above ISO 400, but colour remains fairly consistent. ISO 800 is usable for small prints, but everything above that is noisy and smeary. If you're planning to make prints that large, use plenty of light and keep the ISO as low as possible.

Centre sharpness and detail is very good, but it drops off to the sides, making the edges and corners of photos look very soft. A certain amount of purple fringing is to be expected, but the W220 shows more than usual, to the point where it's clearly visible in prints above 4 by 6 inches. Finally, colours, although not quite accurate, are good and look natural.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Time to first shot

Typical shot-to-shot time (flash)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

1.4 

3.2 

2.1 

0.7 

0.5 

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220

1.6 

2.7 

1.7 

0.7 

0.5 

Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS

2.8 

1.4 

1.2 

1 

0.5 

Nikon Coolpix S230

3.5 

3.3 

3 

1 

0.5 

Pentax Optio P70

2.5 

4 

3.9 

1 

0.5 

Conclusion
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 offers a satisfying shooting experience, given its price. The Cyber-shot DSC-W290 is still the better deal, but, if you don't mind a somewhat shorter, narrower lens, slightly smaller LCD and only VGA-quality movie capture, the W220 will save you about £70.

Additional editing by Charles Kloet