Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V Pro Reviews

This is a very good go-everywhere camera for its intended audience: people who want a slick point-and-shoot that takes good photos and superior videos. With its limited adjustments, this is not for photo geeks. That said, we really like the touchscreen and user interface. It’s a fine little digicam when given enough light, but please don’t spend anywhere near list (reputable online sites have it for less than $375).

With the Cyber-shot TX200V, Sony has managed an impressive feat of miniaturization: a camera that slips in your pocket, shoots high-res pictures, boasts image stabilization and GPS for geotagging, and can accompany you pretty-much anywhere -- even underwater. Not just that, it manages to do so in a body that's stylish and attractive, with smooth glass panels front and rear. In between is a slim, colored accent whose smooth surface is marred by the bare minimum of physical controls. The Sony TX200V is a fingerprint-magnet, sure, but give it a quick polish and you've got a camera that wouldn't look out of place carried down the runway by the latest model of the moment. Unfortunately, that body is also the Sony TX200V's biggest undoing. It's a case of form before function: uncomfortable in the hand, with the few physical controls poorly sized and positioned, especially the zoom rocker. And that lack of physical controls means a total reliance on the touch-screen, making its clumsily-designed user interface a hard pill to swallow.

I'm not sure there's room in the market for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V. It is a good camera if you need something super powerful that weighs next to nothing and takes up little space. Its sky-high price is tough to swallow and although it's waterproof, the rest of its design is better for looking not touching.

The waterproof Sony Cyber-shot TX200V takes on the legacy of Sony's Cyber-shot cameras, adding a fast autofocus system and an OLED touchscreen, behind a glass faceplate. We don't know exactly when it will be available in the UK, or how much it will cost when it is, but we are looking forward to finding out.