If you buy the camera in a UK airport and take it home with you – in my case to Switzerland and then have a problem – the consumer support experience is dreadfull making a mockery of the SONY European Guarantee.
Before I could use the devîce on first use I obvioulsy had to open the battrey cover and insert the battery for it’s first charge. Be very carefull when you do this – on first use the battery cover gets stuck and is prone to breaking. SONY will then ask you for £176 – yes thats right – £176 on a £550 device !! for the fault to be fixed.

I am then told to return the device to the retailer -SO DO NOT BUY ANY SONY DEVICES AT AIRPORTS.
The device itself when it works is actually very good – picture quality is fine, sound could be better – but you pay a huge premium for the robustness of this product. DO NOT BUY- get a much cheaper equal quality Sanyo or Samsung.

SONY pitch themselves as a quality company – unforntualtely their postsales customer service is not what you would expect.