Sony is continually extending its range of digital cameras to fill every single segment of the market, and there are no fewer than seven different options between the W180 and the W290.  The W270, which we're testing today, is towards the high end of the range, with a 12 Megapixel sensor and a 5x wide-angle zoom.  It can film in 720p HD, a feature that's relatively rare, even for compact digital cameras at this end of the market.

Handling
As is becoming traditional in this range, the finish on the W270 doesn't have any particularly awe-inspiring features.   The material of choice is plastic, and the design of the covers for the battery and memory card is questionable.  The inputs and outputs, though, aren't protected at all, and could easily attract dust or sand.

The screen is another disappointing element, as its glossy surface makes it hard to see in bright sunlight.  Its major failing, though, is the its very narrow viewing angles, which make it entirely impossible to try and grab a photo over the top of a crowd.


There isn't anything in particular to say about using the camera.  Our biggest concern is the zoom control: it's under your thumb, rather than round the outside of the shutter release--and also lacking in sensitivity.  It's difficult to make it extend just a little and all too often we found it went too far with just a gentle push. 

The inclusion of a dedicated button just to activate the smile detection feature is also rather questionable.  The menus that contain the various settings are clear and easy to use, but getting to the camera's main menus is a little tricky as they're hidden at the end of the image options. 

The W270 is very much in the middle of the range when it comes to speed.  It's noy the fastest camera to switch on, but it's still under the two-second barrier.  Focusing is pretty snappy, and the time you have to wait between two photos is also entirely reasonable.

Image Quality
In theory, we already know waht the sensor on the W270 is capable of, for better or for worse.  However, it seems that Sony has done what few manufacturers can manage, and tackle its colour-handling problems.  Colours are now even, and, like on the T900, you really need to look out for the purple zones that stood out so much on earlier 12 Megapixel models from Sony.

Its sensitivity hasn't improved, though, and there is blurriness even at 200 ISO.  At 800 ISO, you'll need to make do with smaller printers, as a 'veil' effect becomes clear at anything larger than a 4 x 6''.


Optical precision is not one of the W270's strong points.  Things might be sharp in the centre of the frame, but it's a lot more blurry round the otuside, especially when using wide-angle mode.  There is some noticeable chromatic aberration.


Video quality is rather good, as you might expect from 720p HD.  The sound quality is far from extraordinary, and the zoom remains fixed during recording.  As ever, we would advise you to wait a little while and choose a dedicated device if video is really important to you.