Sony DSC-W350 14.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Zoom with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch LCD (Black)

I wanted a camera that I could slip into my front pocket and not feel as though it was there - the Sony 350 does this. I wanted clear quality pics capturing all the quality of colors - the Sony 350 does this.I have three large Canon digital cameras which cost in the thousands dollars. They work great - but they cannot fit in my pocket - and I was seeking a small but high quality camera. I spent a year talking with others who had large digital cameras asking them if they owned a smaller pocket one - the overall answer was a Cybershot. Didn't really matter which model they owned, they were all very satisfied with the Cybershot. The Cybershot's lenses is made by a German engineering firm. No other pocket size camera has such quality.So the question for me was which model, and that took four months of debate. I am satisfied with the Sony DSC-W350; I would purchase it again. It actually has more features (shot, video, etc) than I was seeking, and I may never use the video feature since I am primarily a still photo shooter.I will chat about the camera below, but just want to say three quick things if you decide to purchase this camera. It initially needs 8 hours for a full charge on the battery. The internal memory is very small - spend the money for a larger size memory. I purchased 8 GB - which I had purchased 16 GB since on a trip there isn't always the ability to download the pics to a laptop or computer. If you are good with figuring out electronics (or owned a digital camera before - the six page book and your ability are sufficient to launch right off into a trip). If you need more info - you will have to load the disc for the full manual. I left on a trip two days after the camera arrived and was able to operate it fine without the full manual, but when I returned I dug into the manual for answers to all my many questions.I was going to purchase the Cybershot via Costco (yes, between Costco and Amazon it constitutes 96% of our household purchases - we have even purchased lawn mowers via Amazon). But, with not having to pay the sales tax on Amazon I was able to take these monies and use them toward an 8 GB memory.This isn't a major negative, yet I want to mention it. The standard digital (larger quality cameras) can take a pic directly into the sun. There are times when you have no choice to move around - such as on a ship, or other confined areas. The sun washes out any view you have in the viewfinder with the Sony 350. None of the Cybershots can do this. And, from my research I did not learn of any pocket cameras that could. Again, one cannot have everything in a pocket size camera. It isn't a major issue, but if one is use to taking pics into the sun (if you own a larger quality camera) don't be disappointed when you cannot with the Cybershot.With my larger Canon cameras I very rarely use a flash in dim lighting and due to the camera's ability the pics are great. The Sony 350 does not have the ability to take pictures in the no flash setting and capture quality pics with dim light. One cannot have everything though with a camera that can slip into your pocket. (The Sony 350 has an fast button for clicking flash on and off.)When I go on trip (though age 63) I still make the trip an adventure as though I was in college. I also run full and half marathons. I wanted a camera that I could take with me when on occasions a larger camera wouldn't work. The Sony arrived one day before I left for the NYC Half Marathon. I purchased the Sony 350 to carry with me on the this run. Yes, it is that small, it can fit in your fist. It was covered with sweat but still took great pics and had no problem later with the sweat being on the camera, and the camera working fine. The camera was passed around to others running in my group so we all part took in enjoying pics of each other. I couldn't have done that with one of my larger cameras.I took the Cybershot (along with a Canon) with me on a camping trip to Alaska in the early Spring - still below freezing with snow everywhere. I gave the Sony 350 to the other person, and they had a blast taking pictures on their own. The other person has never owned a camera yet still took great pics - that's the quality of this camera. We camped at the base camp of Mt. Mc Kinley (or Denali) and the Sony was in the snow often - never bothered the camera's ability to continue to operate.I now leave the Sony 350 in my car so it is readily accessible. It is so small it can easily be kept in many locations not visible to a person looking in the car. There have been many times over the many years I wish I had a camera with me to take pics when I had not planned on doing so. Oh, I have a camera on my cell, but the quality (as we all know) is limited. The Sony 350 is small and captures the pics I want.I will always take the Sony 350 with me on trips, along with my larger Canon cameras. I can keep the Sony 350 in my pocket at all times, and capture many candid pics that I couldn't have done with the Canon since everyone would know I was in the picture taking mood with a larger camera. The Sony is also very easy to use, and folks will now say - let me take a pic of you. They won't do that with my larger cameras - they were too intimidated by the larger camera (full of buttons and switches on the Canons).I would purchase the Cybershot again. My only regret is I should have purchased it a year earlier to have part take in the fun of having a pocket size camera.

I was surprised by how affordable this camera was. I bought it to take on trips abroad, and I was particularly looking for a camera that was portable, would take good pictures without a tripod, and worked well in low-light conditions with no flash. I've had issues on past trips where lots of my pictures came out blurry because I couldn't use flash in a church or around art, so that was a top priority for me. This camera got good reviews at CNET, so I took a chance.First of all, the size is perfect. It fits in my pocket with no problems, and I am not someone who wears baggy pants. The only issue I had was that there is a sliding selector for shooting mode (camera, panorama, or video) that I kept hitting when I pulled it out of my pocket. Not a huge deal, but occasionally annoying. Second, the pictures really did come out great. I had a few that were blurry, but only about 1-2% of the total. Some of it was me, some of it was the camera. I was impressed with the picture quality. I was also impressed by how quickly I could snap a shot and turn away. The camera took a few seconds to process, but there was very little shutter lag, so I could take the picture and move on (a big plus in crowded, touristy areas). Third, the camera worked AWESOME in low light with no flash. I took pictures in rooms that were almost dark and they looked fabulous--not blurry or dark at all. I held the camera as still as I could, but the image stabilization really did it's job.Finally, I liked how easy it was to take a panorama. You just slide a selector on the back of the camera down one click and hold the shutter down while you sweep the camera in the direction of the arrow on the screen. It couldn't be easier. Zoom is not available in panorama mode though, and it is very picky about making sure you move in the right direction. If you try to move the camera off of the line it wants you to follow, it will give you an error message (straight lines only, no veering off). The video worked well enough, but you need to move slowly at first to make sure the camera knows what to focus on (or you'll get a blurry video) and it's a little awkward to stop the video, so you should plan on a little editing later.Additionally, I would recommend getting some large SD cards (I went with 8GB, which will give you about 1,500 pictures) and setting the camera down to 10MB for most photos. I got a second battery (a cheap one from an Amazon merchant), which was very necessary. I was averaging 200+ pictures a day on my most recent trip, and I just about ran down 2 batteries each day. I never use flash, but I used lots of zoom, took panoramas, and spent plenty of time moving in and out of various lighting conditions. This is the first camera I've had that's been able to keep up with me. I felt like the pictures I got at the end of the trip matched the memories I had, which more than I can say for many of the other cameras I've tried.

This is my first time to write a review of any product. I researched point-and-shoot cameras for two months before purchasing this camera. The photo quality was terrible - bottom line. The features were hard to use and disappointing. Right out of the box the lens cover did not work- did not open or close all of the way. The Sony support person was friendly, but the call took forever and did not fix the problem. The USB connection cable was missing. The camera was just terrible on all fronts. I am thankful to Amazon for an easy refund. I read a million reviews while shopping for a new camera and I hope this makes someone take another look at their options. Canon, Nikon and definitely Samsung are better options. Trust me.