Small, easy to use, plenty of features digital camera - perfect for travelers.
Review of Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 DIGITAL CAMERA
Rated as /5 on May 02 2007 by Brendan Lawlor
I've had to make some technology decisions for the upcoming trip. One of the important decisions is what digital camera to bring. I was looking for something small and robust with a decent battery life and a good sized memory. This camera from Sony ticks all those boxes.
I'm not a photographer so I'm looking for mostly point-and-click functionality to take clear pictures, keep memories, and show the folks back home what we're up to. While it is that easy to use, the camera also offers a lot of other features and levels of control for those who know their ISOs from their elbows.
I also want to leave the digital camcorder at home (ease of movement and peace of mind being the issues there) and the DSC W50 has the capacity to take small movies too.
It's one of the cheapest models that uses Lithium ion batteries, so you can go a fair amount of time between recharges. I bought it with a 2G Memory Stick DUO Pro so I always run out of charge before space, despite recording a lot of movies.
Occasionally I need to re-insert the memory stick, which I could do without. But overall I can really recommend this camera to tourists and tourers alike.
1 comment:
Another issue to consider is getting the shots off the camera and home. The Gb add up fast and something like a VoSonic Xs Drive or other solution can be very useful. Posting CD's / DVD's home also useful. Systematic filing, naming, processing being the key thing here.
After a few days travelling the shots in memory are worth more to you than the camera itself.
Given the overall cost and investment cameras are insigificant. I'd recommend having a backup camera and storage (or two or three) for the others to use. The last thing you want is for the trip to become a photo-op session. "Pose here, pose there" and it's easier if each person can just snap away autonomously.
Shoot first, sort later.
On the video camera thing I'm a fan of the JVC hard drive cameras and mine worked well. Useless at photos but captures video nicely though far from broadcast quality. The biggest risk with pricey kit is leaving it at home to depreciate and thereby getting zero usage of it. If you're not a photo nut then video might be the thing.
My own preference is for cameras that take AA batteries as they can be bought anywhere and lithium rechargeable also fit. Nikon L4 etc are a good example.
Not being a photo nut you're right not to go with a DSLR like the Nikon D40/D50/D70/D80 but if you were then ....
A waterproof bag (like canoeists) use is good for storing electronics in a rucksack when you're afraid the rain on top of the bus or the slopping waves might kill it.
And it seemed like such a simple decision....
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