Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black) (2012 Model)

I love this camera. When you are purchasing a point and shoot I think you need to be mindful of your expectations. Point and shoots aren't meant to be perfect cameras but a quality one should take nice pictures. This is my second Sony Cybershot with a Carl Zeiss lens. I absolutely recommend any Sony camera with this lens over any other! I have tried Olympus, Fujii, and other brands of cameras and I still go back to the Cybershot with Carl Zeiss.This specific camera is excellent in low light, bright light, action shots, and just about any other condition I have tried out. 95% of the time it autofocuses on the right part of the picture (which is great for the type of camera it is). The images are sharp, clear, and true to color. The intelligent auto setting works great.This camera is perfect for anyone who doesn't want to have to mess with settings. It easily uploads photos to your computer. There is a easy setting on the camera so you can have a very limited menu which I think is perfect for those who aren't tech savvy. And if you are tech savvy, you will be just as happy with this camera because there are many settings you can change if you'd like (though not necessary).Battery life: I have been using my camera just about every day now. I have taken thousands of photos with it. I am surprised by the battery life. I keep the camera on intelligent automatic, auto flash and my battery usually lasts about 2-3 days. If most of my pictures need a flash the battery does run out after about a day and a halfDurability: Unfortunately I dropped my camera about 3 feet and it hit a metal chair then hit the floor. I was so mad at myself and it was only the first week of use! I turned on the camera and there were no issues! Everything works just as always. There isn't even a scratch to be found.I honestly haven't found any negatives about this camera. If my opinion changes over time I will update this review.

PROS: Small size, low light capability, special featuresCONS: Lens wobble during video zooming, image noise above ISO 200I've been searching for a point-and-shoot camera that can rival my six year-old Fuji F30. The F30 set the standard for low noise, low-light photo quality in small-sensor cameras and its performance has been difficult to beat --and I've tried, and purchased, several cameras since the Fuji. The Sony Exmor R sensor appears to be the low-light performer I've been looking for and so I purchased and tested both the Sony WX50 and the Sony WX150 for comparison.The specs for the Sony WX50 and WX150 are virtually identical except for the optical zoom range (5X Carl Zeiss lens vs 10X Sony G lens) and sensor size (16MP vs 18MP). I fully expected the WX50 with its 5X lens and 16MP sensor to have a slight edge in image quality due to simpler optics and fewer megapixels in the Exmor R sensor. What I discovered was exactly the opposite.I took several photos of the same low-light scene using each camera set to ISO 200, 400, 800, and 1600 in the widest angle setting (no zoom). When reviewed at 1:1, the WX50 photos showed considerable noise at ISO 400 and above (800 and 1600 were nearly unacceptable) whereas the WX150 was extremely noise-free even at 800 (with 1600 being quite impressive). The WX150's images were even slightly better than my trusty Fuji F30 --finally! There was no comparison --the WX150 lens/sensor combination provides noticeably clearer, lower-noise images at high ISO than the WX50. The WX150 has better shadow detail and clarity despite its longer zoom range (usually a compromise) and higher MP (higher MP sensors are usually noisier).However, I was most disappointed in the WX50's video results when using the optical zoom. When zooming during video recording, the WX50 lens is very "loose" and wobbles side-to-side during zooming in and out. The result is that the video image jitters left and right when you're watching any video sequence with zooming. The WX150, on the other hand, is rock-stable during zooming (which should be more difficult with the longer 10X zoom) and indicates that the WX150 has a more robust lens mechanism than the smaller 5X zoom in the WX50. Just to be sure I didn't have a sample defect, I purchased and tested a second WX50 camera and it had exactly the same lens wobble. Very disappointing!Overall, the Sony WX50 is a good performer compared to similar cameras from Canon and Panasonic. The Sony Exmor R sensor is an excellent low-light performer as advertised and finally gives me a reason to retire my trusty Fuji F30. Whereas the WX50 takes very good photos and video, I have to rate the WX150 performance as excellent in comparison. If you desire the lowest image noise at high ISO settings along with a stable lens during video zooming, then the big brother Sony WX150 is the way to go. Yes, the WX150 is more expensive but to me the performance difference, including a longer optical zoom, is well worth it since we're still talking about cameras under $200 (edit 1/5/13: at the time of this review, the WX50 was selling for $119 and the WX150 was $169 on Amazon. It looks like the WX150 price has recently gone as high as $228 due to demand).

It takes me forever to buy things like this, trying to decide in a sea of cameras is hard- do I really need those features, will I use them, is it worth the price etc. But I am so incredibly glad I got this one!Out of everything the thing about this that I like the best is how great the camera is in low light situations, at night, at concerts, at dusk. Its amazing! I've never gotten such great concert shots from this type of camera, usually the lights from the stage ruin everything but not with this one.I also like that it knows which advanced mode will best suit the situation you are in, so if you dont want to pick for yourself it will do it for you. Although you still have the option to make your own choices and there are a number of filters that you can apply too, like water color, or black and white which can be fun to play with.It also has a pet feature which I am completely excited about- I have for the first time been able to get pictures of my small furry black dog that looks like she has a face! Usually she looks like a black blob and we just know that she is there, but this got her whole face with great detail.I also enjoy that it keeps track of the date that the photos were taken for me, but not as an imprint on the photo but as a very simple file name on the card- I can be a little OCD when I do photo albums and I like to keep things in order on vacation so this helps me remember.I didnt like that the camera didnt come with a case, but that was easily fixed and it didnt bother me enough to make me dislike the camera itself.