Rating

We bought this camera for our recent trip to Disney World. My wife primarily wanted a compact camera to fit in our pockets, and I wanted a waterproof/rugged camera that took excellent quality indoor and outdoor pictures and HD video (with the ability to zoom during video). The large touchscreen and simple touchscreen controls were both an added bonus with the TX5! It was fantastic to be able to use our excellent quality camera on water rides and at the pool where many other cameras couldn’t go! The underwater picture mode takes incredible high quality color pictures, and the video mode works very well underwater even at night! My only minor complaints are that the flash is a small weak (understandable given the compact size) and that the end gets marred with finger prints very easily (but it also wipes clean easily). I will most likely buy a 2nd battery to make sure it lasts through an entire day of pictures and videos. I would certainly recommend this camera to busy families who don’t want to worry about destroying their camera in nearly any condition or having enough room to always have it with them for those unexpected photo opportunities!

Rating

This camera does everything it says it does and does it well. The touch screen is simple to use, unfortunately nearly impossible to see in daylight. The go to remove view finders on these small cameras makes them very hard to use outside. The best you can do it point and pray. Movies suck up the battery very quick but given what it’s doing and the quality I’m ok with that.

This was a replacement for a 10 year ancient Kodak digital and the Sony has more features, I don’t reckon the quality is that much better.

There is a lot of white light on faces on close shots with back light no matter how many different setting I try but am just learning so may find a pleased setting to fix this.

It’s OK. Really need to find a solution to the LDC screen in daylight – extremely annoying.

Rating

It is a very enjoyable camera with some limitations — but, what else would you expect as no camera of this type is perfect. I am generally a very picky shooter, I have had to lower my expectations with this camera but I feel it is a certainly capable camera if you aren’t expecting it to be perfect. Sounds like a back-handed compliment but it really isn’t, this really is the only camera of its kind when you consider the size, features, and capabilities.

PROS

- excellent photo quality, in most situations

- very quick and responsive from the shutterlag to the touchscreen

- fantastic features from the very excellent video mode(with zoom and excellent audio) to the panorama and hand-held twilight mode

- stylish, I wouldn’t buy the camera because of this but when you compare it to any other waterproof camera it makes them look toyish

- memory stick pro duo AND SDHC support!

- and of course its waterproof and durable, the largest selling point.

CONS

- battery life is small, about average for todays small cameras but I’d recommend a spare battery for most anyone just in case. The battery does charge quick though.

- limited control, I’d like for it to have some control over saturation, contrast, and sharpness. Aperature/Shutterspeed control would be fantastic as well…

- very saturated and ‘poppy’ image quality, to me it is just fine but it is not subtle and you cant really control it in camera.

- awkward media cable port. I generally do not use these and mainly just use a card reader but if I were to use the cable I wouldn’t like it.

Overall, if you are getting this camera for the purpose of being waterproof(and more durable than normal) then you will be pleased with everything else it offers. There are as excellent or better cameras out there for specific functions but if you are looking for a camera that takes excellent photos, is snappy, has a bunch of fun and usable features, and is waterproof then this should be very high if not at the top of your list!