If you are a photo-purist, you will not like this camera. It does not take RAW images; there are no manual exposure controls (other than the ISO setting); and it lacks both a manual focus ring and the ability to switch-out $1,500 lenses. Add to this the fact that the camera applies a degree of in-camera processing to every shot taken and you pixel-peeping people will be outraged at the result when your images are blown-up to the football-field proportions that 18.2 megapixels affords. Maybe a D3 is the camera you need after all? Similarly, you geeky folks that wax lyrical of bells and whistles will be disappointed to learn that this camera does not do wi-fi, does not contain a GPS and, so far, I have not discovered any way to use it for sending text messages.
If, on the other hand, like me, you accept up-front that the WX150 purports to be nothing more than a darn good 'point and shoot' camera, you will not be disappointed. The stats are there for all to see and, in the two weeks I have owned and used this camera, I have been more than happy with the performance. What is not there to see so obviously on amazon.com is that this camera feels sturdy and well-built, yet is small enough to fit into a cigarette packet. Battery life is excellent (250+ photos per charge, even with the $5.00 look-alike batteries); there is no (yes zero!) noticeable shutter-lag when not using the flash; and it is blazingly fast (getting from switch-on to 'ready' probably takes less than 2 seconds and when zooming/focusing it is almost instantaneous, rivaling DSLR's).
Having switched off the battery-saving 'eco' option (which, in the default mode, annoyingly shuts-down the camera after one minute if no settings are changed) I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the WX150 at this stage. I will be back to update this review if I am subsequently disappointed by some as-yet-undiscovered weakness.
July 25, 2012 Update
Looking at all the other reviews here, it seems I was wise to wait (as I did) several months for this camera to become available in the USA. I have now been using the WX150 for a further eight weeks and its performance as a truly 'pocket-sized' point and shoot continues to be hugely impressive. It could never compete with a mid/high-end DSLR, but I defy any DSLR user to find a better 'pocket alternative' at present.
In addition to the 'core' camera features, I have recently been enjoying some new perspectives using the (pretty much 1-click) artistic settings. Initially, I thought I would have no use for these 'novelty' features, but the Watercolor and Line Drawing in-camera processing effects are producing some interesting and worthwhile shots. Neither did I anticipate using the video recording option, but I discovered that, (even at the lo-res MP4 setting), this camera takes high quality video indoors in ambient lighting conditions. The hi-res video consumes a lot of memory (of course), but the quality of both picture and audio are absolutely remarkable for a camera of this size ... now you'll have to buy a 55 inch TV from Amazon.com, just to see what I mean ;-)
I would advise buyers to also get an external battery charger and an additional battery. The USB charging connection can be very convenient, but so too is being able to swap-out a battery and carry on shooting while the original recharges. The Wasabi batteries are working just fine for me. Wasabi Power Battery and Charger Kit for Sony NP-BN1 and Cyber-shot DSC-T99, DSC-T110, DSC-TX5, DSC-TX7, DSC-TX9, DSC-TX10, DSC-TX20, DSC-TX55, DSC-TX66, DSC-TX100V, DSC-TX200V, DSC-W310, DSC-W320, DSC-W330, DSC-W350, DSC-W360, DSC-W380, DSC-W390, DSC-W...I would also strongly recommend installing a 16GB/32GB Class 10 SDHC, or better, memory card (to get the high-end performance from this camera, you cannot shackle it with a low-end memory card).
We can expect broken battery/utility doors, damaged connectors and the occasional 'lemon' failure on miniature cameras such as this only time will tell us whether these and other reliability features are any better or worse for this camera than they are for its peers. So far, so good, it seems.
A photographer friend asked me the other day, "What would be the one thing you would like to improve on the WX150". He forced me to answer. After a few moments thought I replied that the one thing that I would personally like would be for the camera to provide a menu option to capture a RAW image in addition to the processed image. Don't get me wrong ... the image processor in this camera is astonishingly intelligent, but on the odd shot (less than one percent of the total) I would like to try my luck with some manual post-processing. This, despite what I said above I guess there's still some geek in me after all :-)
Mostly though, I am just loving the convenience of my WX150. You can pull this little camera out and be clicking away confidently in a couple of seconds. It is a joy to use and the resulting photographs can be posted, printed (to at least 8x10), or displayed anywhere SOOC (straight out of the camera).
November 20, 2012 Update
A couple of quick notes to add my latest experiences ... Some may find this useful.
On the negative side despite keeping my WX150 protected at all times when not in use, a fleck of dust somehow became apparent on one of my lens elements, causing a slight shadow in the corner of photos taken at the mid-zoom range. On the positive side (and quite different to my lens problem experiences with Canon and Olympus in recent years) Sony respected the warranty. The repair center cleaned and returned my camera within two weeks without charge. We all hope we do not have to return stuff under warranty, but when we do we expect to be treated like a valued customer, so this was a BIG plus for me.
Also, I've changed my mind about what I would wish for (If I could have Sony improve one thing on this camera). I would ask for a more scratch-resistant display screen. Because it stands slightly proud of the casing, protective adhesive covers are pretty much useless (they quickly peel at the corners), consequently the surface of my display is now covered with small scratches (from general use and from carrying a spare battery around). Although still fine in use, this degrades the appearance of the camera. I fail to understand why it should be so delicate the 3 year-old screen on my Blackberry has received severe abuse (it's even been kicked, spinning across a concrete station platform), but it has barely a mark on it. Alright, the phone sucks, but the screen is robust. Come on Sony you can do better this weakness is causing me to question whether I might invest in a more expensive camera from Sony.
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