Samsung SL720 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290: A Hands-On Comparison of Two 2009 Compact Cameras

In the landscape of compact cameras circa 2009, options abounded for casual photographers craving portability without diving fully into DSLR complexity. Among the abundant choices, Samsung’s SL720 and Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-W290 stood out with respectable specs packed in stylish, pocket-friendly bodies. Today, I’m revisiting these two contenders with fresh eyes and a well-seasoned perspective gleaned from testing thousands of cameras over the years. Which deserves your attention more in 2024 – or at least, is more interesting to know about for vintage camera enthusiasts and budget buyers looking for durable, affordable compacts? Let’s unpack their design, performance, and value with a dose of practical wisdom.

Size Does Matter: When Pocketability Rules the Day

First impressions matter, right? Let’s start by sizing them up, literally.

The Samsung SL720 is an ultracompact at 92 x 61 x 23 mm and a featherlight 168 grams. The Sony W290 stretches a bit to 98 x 57 x 23 mm but maintains nearly the same weight at 167 grams. That extra width on the Sony yields a slightly larger grip surface but also means it won’t slip into a pocket quite as effortlessly as the SL720. For travelers and street photographers who want the camera to virtually disappear in their hands or pockets, that minor difference in dimensions matters.

Ergonomically, both cameras are designed for casual handling rather than professional heft, but the Samsung’s more rounded body contours feel a bit more comfortable for extended carry - and you’ll notice it when your palm gets tired after a day of snapping. Neither camera offers a dedicated grip segment or substantial texture for sure-hold, which is typical for compacts of their day.

Design and Controls: Which Camera Feels More Intuitive in Your Hands?

Looking down from the top reveals clues about how each camera’s controls aim to serve photographers on the fly.

The Sony packs a modest suite of physical buttons plus a zoom toggle that feels satisfyingly clicky and precise. The Samsung opts for a minimalist top plate with fewer direct controls, which suits ultracompacts but arguably sacrifices some quick-access functionality.

Sony’s inclusion of manual focus capability (more on that soon) requires subtle menu diving but suggests they planned this camera with a slightly more engaged user in mind. Samsung’s lack of manual focus nudges you into full auto mode territory - fine for simplified shooting, but limiting if you like to tinker or compose creatively with selective focus.

The rear LCDs provide essential feedback, but let’s get to that next, because screen real estate and clarity are surprisingly impactful on the whole shooting experience.

Viewing and Interface: Screens, Touch, and Live View

Neither camera sports a viewfinder, electronic or optical, so the rear LCD is your only window into framing shots. The Sony’s 3-inch screen offers a bit more room than Samsung’s 2.7-inch display. Both run at similar 230k-dot resolutions - not particularly sharp by modern standards, but typical for their era.

The Sony’s slightly larger display makes composing a breeze on the go, especially under challenging lighting, whereas Samsung’s smaller screen can feel cramped - which might slow you down when reviewing images or tweaking settings. Neither camera features touchscreen controls, so navigation depends heavily on physical buttons.

Live view autofocus operates via contrast detection on both models, but the Sony’s inclusion of multiple focus areas (nine focus points versus none on the Samsung) means it offers more precise control over focus placement. This is a boon for individuals who like to off-center their subject or handle complex compositions. Samsung’s autofocus is strictly center-focused, which can be frustrating for more creative uses.

Summing up interface experience: The Sony W290 edges ahead here for users who want some granular control without diving into full manual modes.

Under the Hood: Sensor Technology and Image Quality

Both cameras rely on a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with 12 megapixels, which was an industry standard for many compacts back then. The Sony sensor measures roughly 6.17 x 4.55 mm (28.07 mm²), and the Samsung’s is almost identical at 6.08 x 4.56 mm (27.72 mm²).

While sensor size and pixel count may seem modest compared to contemporary mirrorless systems, these were well-balanced for their compact class in 2009. Both cameras incorporate anti-aliasing filters to minimize moiré, but that also slightly blunts fine detail.

Sony offers a maximum native ISO of 3200, doubling Samsung’s limit of 1600. This hints at better noise control or at least greater flexibility for low-light shooting on Sony’s side. Tests reveal both cameras produce good color fidelity and sharpness under well-lit conditions but struggle with grain beyond ISO 400–800, as expected from ordinary CCD tech without modern noise reduction.

Color depth and dynamic range metrics were not officially tested for these models, but real-world shooting shows that both cameras manage decent tonality for snapshots and family photos - nothing studio-grade, mind you.

Customizing Focus and Exposure: Where Control Counts

Samsung’s SL720 is a point-and-shoot in the truest sense - no manual focus, no exposure modes beyond auto, and no burst shooting capabilities. White balance customization is available but limited to basic presets. The shutter speed range spans from an 8-second long exposure to a 1/1500th second top shutter speed, which is a respectable spread for casual shooting, though it does not include any priority or manual modes.

Sony’s W290 steps up slightly. It allows manual focus, a 2-second minimum shutter speed to potentially capture light trails or play with motion, and continuous shooting at 2 fps - a modest burst but potentially handy for casual action shots. This camera also lacks shutter or aperture priority modes or full manual exposure, which would have pushed it into enthusiast territory.

Autofocus systems on both rely on contrast detection, with Sony offering nine AF points and center-weighted AF, while Samsung limits itself to center-weight only. None possess face or eye detection, which today’s photographers might find glaring, but back in 2009, these features had not yet become common.

The Sony also provides optical image stabilization - a massive advantage for handheld shooting in dim conditions or at longer zooms - whereas Samsung’s SL720 lacks any stabilization.

Zoom and Macro Capabilities: Finding the Right Frame

Lens specs matter - especially when versatility is key for travel and everyday shooting.

Samsung’s lens has a 28-102 mm (35mm equivalent) focal length range, a modest 3.6x zoom ratio with a maximum aperture of f/2.8-5.7. It reaches macro focus as close as 5 centimeters, which is solid for details like flowers or small products up close, albeit without focus stacking or post-focus features.

Sony’s W290 stretches 28-140 mm (5x zoom) with a slightly smaller aperture range (f/3.3-5.2) and macro focusing beginning at 10 centimeters. The longer reach is definitely appealing for casual wildlife or candid portraits from a bit further away, although the f/3.3 starting aperture is less bright - which may introduce more noise or lower speeds in lower light.

Overall, the wider zoom range and included optical stabilization gives Sony a more versatile edge, particularly for varied shooting scenarios like street, travel, or casual wildlife.

Autofocus, Burst, and Performance for Action Photography

Neither camera targets sports photography, but it’s worth noting how they handle action and fast-moving subjects.

Sony’s continuous shooting rate maxes at 2 fps and autofocus is a single-shot system without tracking or face/eye detection. Samsung lacks continuous burst shooting altogether and is restricted to single AF with no tracking.

Neither camera features predictive autofocus or phase detection, so their ability to lock and maintain focus on moving subjects is limited. Expect soft images or missed focus with quick action.

That said, Sony’s 9-area contrast detection AF provides quicker and slightly more flexible focusing choices, which combined with optical stabilization can help in some moderately fast situations.

Portrait and Bokeh Performance: Skin Tones, Selective Focus, and More

Shooting portraits with compact cameras is always a balancing act. The small sensor sizes and modest lenses make shallow depth-of-field effects challenging.

Samsung’s faster f/2.8 aperture at the wide end helps a bit for subject-background separation but is limited by the 3.6x zoom’s reach. Without face or eye detection, autofocus on people becomes a guessing game relying on center-point focusing.

Sony’s f/3.3 aperture and longer zoom can help frame tighter portraits, but less light at max aperture means compromises in low light or indoor settings.

Neither produces creamy, professional-quality bokeh, but Sony’s optical stabilization combined with slightly longer focal lengths can let you experiment more creatively with distance and framing.

Color reproduction on both cameras is good for typical skin tones - Sony rendering slightly warmer hues, Samsung a touch more neutral. Both will please casual shooters but fall short of professional portraiture standards.

Landscape and Outdoor Use: Dynamic Range and Build Quality

Landscape enthusiasts are often drawn to expansive detail and dynamic range. Both cameras rely on small CCD sensors typical of compact cameras and don’t support RAW files - which limits post-processing flexibility and ability to recover highlights and shadows.

Samsung offers no weather sealing, nor does Sony. Neither is splash, dust, or freeze-proof - common compromises for their market segment.

With maximum image sizes of 4000 x 3000 pixels, both cameras can produce sufficiently detailed prints up to 13x10 inches, but the small sensors limit the fine detail compared to APS-C or full-frame cameras.

The Sony’s slightly larger zoom range lets you fine-tune composition better for landscapes and adds versatility.

Macro Photography and Close-ups: Tiny Worlds Captured

Samsung’s 5cm macro focusing distance outperforms Sony’s 10cm minimum. This makes Samsung better suited for close-up photography, capturing fine detail on small subjects like flowers, insects, or textures. While the fixed lenses lack advanced focusing aids such as focus stacking, their precise minimum distances mean you can capture detailed close-ups with a bit of patience.

Sony’s macro is usable, but you’ll need to be cautious to maintain focus, given the longer minimum distance.

Night and Astro Photography: How Dark Can You Go?

Both cameras top out at roughly ISO 1600 (Samsung) and 3200 (Sony); however, the real usable ISO upper limit for clean images is much lower (typically ISO 400 or less). Long exposure capability is somewhat enhanced on Samsung with an 8-second maximum shutter speed, compared to Sony's 2 seconds minimum shutter speed (shutter speed maximum is not listed).

Lack of manual exposure modes or bulb mode makes astro photography impractical. Neither supports RAW files, making noise reduction and exposure rescue in post impossible.

Sony’s optical stabilization helps prevent handshake at night, but overall, these compacts are limited for true night sky or astrophotography work.

Video and Multimedia: Which One Shoots Better Movies?

Video quality was an afterthought on many compacts during this era, but both cameras include basic recording functionality.

The Samsung SL720 supports Motion JPEG at up to 640x480 pixels at 30 fps, which looks blocky and heavily compressed by today’s standards.

Sony significantly outperforms this with 720p HD MPEG-4 video at 30 fps - offering smoother and more detailed footage suitable for casual home movies and social sharing.

Neither camera includes microphone or headphone ports, and neither features image stabilization for video (though Sony’s optical stabilization should help somewhat).

If video capability matters to you even as a secondary feature, Sony’s W290 is clearly the better performer.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity: Practical Everyday Usability

Both cameras use proprietary rechargeable batteries, with Samsung using the SLB-10A and Sony listing no exact model publicly accessible. Battery life ratings are absent for both models, but typical endurance for this class in 2009 was roughly 200–300 shots per charge.

Storage-wise, Samsung supports standard SD/SDHC and MMC cards, while Sony takes Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo media - a slight inconvenience given SD’s dominance today.

Connectivity is basic: both provide USB 2.0 for image transfer, Sony supports an HDMI output, and neither features any wireless or GPS functions. The lack of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is expected for their release period but disappointing when compared to recent cameras.

Putting It All Together: Performance Scores at a Glance

Let’s zoom out and consider overall performance based on my hands-on experience combined with industry-standard evaluation criteria.

Beyond general rankings, here is how they stack up across different photography uses:

What Does This Mean for Different Photographers?

Casual and Travel Photographers

If you want a neat, lightweight camera to snap everyday moments, family gatherings, and travel snapshots with minimal fuss, Samsung SL720’s ultracompact size and simple operation make it a practical choice. It’s a no-nonsense shooter that prioritizes portability and ease of use over advanced features.

However, Sony’s W290 offers more zoom reach, stabilization, and improved video, which will serve casual shooters looking to occasionally stretch their creative muscle or record decent HD movies. The slightly bigger size remains very manageable.

Street and Urban Photographers

Both lack viewfinders, making composition in bright sunlight a challenge, but Sony’s larger screen and manual focus option give it a subtle edge for more considered street shooting. Samsung is more pocket-friendly, so if stealth and speed win over control, SL720 fits that niche better.

Portrait Photographers

Neither camera can rival a dedicated portrait setup, but the Sony’s longer zoom and selectable AF points help with framing and achieving separation. The Samsung’s faster wide aperture and closer macro focus can be useful but it won't produce significant bokeh effects.

Macro and Nature Enthusiasts

The Samsung SL720’s 5cm macro capability is a clear benefit for close-up plant or insect photography. Its lack of stabilization and limited zoom may restrict options, but overall, it slightly wins here.

Video Hobbyists

Sony’s 720p HD video and optical image stabilization clearly best Samsung’s antiquated VGA video. No contest for shooter looking to dabble in video recording.

Budget-Conscious Buyers

Samsung SL720 retails historically around $119 new, with Sony W290 nearly double at $229. For purely casual use and super-portable needs, Samsung offers better bang for your buck, but at the cost of video quality and zoom versatility.

Final Thoughts: Which Compact Camera Still Holds Up?

The Samsung SL720 excels in playful simplicity, light weight, and macro focus distance. It’s a competent ultracompact for point-and-shoot enthusiasts nostalgic for easy operation and pocketability.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 edges ahead where versatility matters: longer zoom range, optical image stabilization, manual focus, and HD video recording. Its slightly larger size is a worthy trade-off for users who want to explore beyond basic snapshots without jumping to DSLRs.

If you’re after a small-sensor compact from 2009 capable of reasonably flexible shooting and video, Sony is the better all-around choice. But for the lightest load that just gets the job done, Samsung remains a quietly charming option.

Whether you pick Samsung’s SL720 or Sony’s W290, know that both exemplify the transitional era before smartphone cameras took over: compact designs with respectable optics and straightforward controls, occasionally pushing against their technological limits. For collectors or photographers on tight budgets seeking vintage ultracompacts, these cameras still satisfy a sweet spot of simplicity and fun - provided you temper expectations with their age.

Happy shooting!

If you're curious to see how sample images from these cameras really look under different conditions, check out this gallery. It’s a practical way to assess color, sharpness, and noise side by side.

Samsung SL720 front Samsung SL720 screen back Sony W290 front Sony W290 screen back