I purchased this camera so I would always have a camera with me. This is smaller than my cell phone (a Kyocera 2255), and fits beautifully in a pocket or around the neck with the provided strap. The camera also uses standard AAA batteries (2 rechargable batteries and a charger come with the camera), which is great in a pinch. The use of standard batteries is why I chose this over the Casio Exlim S2 model, which is similar in actual size and features (though the sony feels smaller because it isn't as tall).
I've used numerous other digicams (some I've owned, some I've borrowed from friends for short trips): Canon A10, Fuji 2800Z, Minolta S404, Kyocera S2, Canon S110, Canon S230, Canon S200, Sony DSC-U53, Canon S30, Sony DSC-U20, Nikon 885, Nikon 4500, Nikon 775... and this Sony U30 ranks somewhere in the middle as far as image quality. It (like most Sony digicams) leans towards oversaturating images, particularly outdoor shots, and the jpeg compression is more extreme than it should be (image sizes are around 500k for 2.0mp images in best quality) which robs the camera of detail, but it is fine for 4x6 prints, which is all you are likely to be using a camera like this for. I do have hope that Sony will offer a higher-quality jpeg option someday with a firmware upgrade (are you reading this, Sony?).
The camera focuses fairly quickly by digicam standards (about 1/2 2/3 seconds), and the shot to shot time seems excellent. Movie mode is poor at 160x120 resolution, but its better than nothing. You're not getting a camera like this for movies, so it's something I look at as more of an unexpected perk than a drawback.
The biggest drawbacks, of course, are the lack of zoom and a somewhat weak flash (though the flash isn't useless, it's not as robust as a full digicam)... these are acceptable tradeoffs, considering the image quality is quite good and the ease-of-use is exemplary.
The differences between this and the previous generation Cybershot (the U20) are minor, but are nice to have. The U30 seems to have slightly faster electronics (focusing, shot-to-shot, saving, etc...), the U30 supports Memory Stick Pro (memory sticks above 128mb), and the U30 has a small mirror on the front that makes it easy to frame up self-portraits. Like I said, none of these are features worth upgrading for if you already have a U20, but if you don't have either camera, they are nice perks, since the two cameras are both selling at the same price right now.
I plan to get a second, prosumer grade digicam (probably a Fuji S5000 or S7000) when the next generation arrives on the market this fall, but this camera will probably still get the lion's share of my time because it will ALWAYS be with me. No camera--no matter how expensive or how many bells and whistles it has--does you any good if it's on the shelf at home when you are out in the world and come across a good photo op. With this sony, I never have to worry about missing a shot I want.
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