The DSC-W90 looks more conventional than the T20, but it's far from plain-looking. The 115,000-pixel resolution of its screen is disappointing, but it isn't a major drawback, and an optical viewfinder window is included.
Many of the strengths and weaknesses of the T20 apply here: fantastic performance, fast and accurate face
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recognition, an 8-megapixel sensor and 3x zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, which kept three quarters of our test shots sharp. A mode wheel provides quick access to various scene presets, including Hi ISO for shooting in low light without the flash. The lack of a manual white balance option is disappointing, but we had no call for it during testing.
The W90's images weren't the most detailed, but were a little better than the T20's. Colours were excellent with few exceptions, and flash photography was flattering to skin tones. The maximum ISO speed of 3200 makes a bold statement about the camera's noise performance. Although pictures at this setting were pretty hopeless, ISO 1600 shots were among the cleanest here and good enough for casual snaps.
Pentax's A30 takes superior images and costs less, but the W90's better battery life, stabilisation and face detection still make it a good choice.
