Canon S230 or Sony Cybershot U?

[geckojohn]

We're purchasing one for an employee to use out on the field. It doesn't have to take perfect pictures. Probably something durable, yet small with a decent flash. What would you recommend?

 

[BCYL]

Canon

 

[kami333]

The S230.

I've had both a S200 and U30 and now have a U40. If there were no other considerations, then I would go with the S200 (or in your case the S230). While the U series are nice, they are also severely limited by their size, ie the lens is tiny, compression high, and noise is fairly high too. However, since their biggest selling point is their size, I love my U40, it's great for taking out to parties and clubs and quick snapshots I might otherwise not have had since the S200/S230 are fairly bulky. The S230 has a pretty decent lens, a lot more adjustable options like ISO settings, optical zoom, and is very durable.