isong's Full Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S50 Digital Camera
SONY'S DIGITAL CAMERAS
Sony's come a long way from their line of digital cameras. I used to own a Mavica MD-81 that allowed me to take great pictures along with MPEG video all on a 3.5" floppy. Now Sony's come up with the Cybershot cameras that store your images on their MemoryStick media. The Cybershot quickshoot digital cameras come in DSC-S30, DSC-S50, and DSC-S70 models. They all look similar, but you can tell a big difference in their price and features. I decided to purchase the DSC-S50. It retails for $699 and comes loaded with such futures as 2.1 megapixel clarity, 1600X1200 resolution capability, MPEG video capture mode, and 2" LCD screen, just to mention a few. I'm very glad I bought this camera. It makes taking photos a whole lot more enjoyable.
SIZE & APPEARANCE
The size of the S50 Cybershot camera is as small as one of those point-n-shoot 35mm film cameras. It's very sleek and looks oh-so good, in my opinion. The LCD screen has the capability of flipping up and turning so that you can even take pictures of yourself! When the LCD screen is not in use, it turns and flips over with it's plastic back as the protector. Like most cameras out on the market, this one is also made for a right-handed person.
MEMORY, STORAGE, & TRANSFERRING IMAGES
The S50 uses MemoryStick media made by Sony. I was a little worried about this since Sony was the only company supplying the media, they could probably price it however much they want. Not true. The MemoryStick media is comparable and sometimes cheaper than CompactFlash cards or SmartMedia cards. It's easy to transfer your files back and forth from the S50 to your computer. By using the supplied USB connector cable, transferring images is as simple as pie. By going to your 'My Computer' icon (if you're running on Windows 9x) you'll notice that the Cybershot camera shows up as a 'Removable Drive'. Easy as that. The camera also allows you to show your images and movies on TV by use of an A/V cable that's also provided.
You can bet on Sony to come out with adapters of all sorts. They have a 3.5" floppy adapter that allows you to read the MemoryStick media on your floppy drive on your computer or even your Mavica camera!
FEATURES
The S50 Cybershot is a great camera. It takes some of the sharpest pictures for a camera that costs under $700. The menu system is very easy to navigate, and viewing the images after taking them is a snap; literally! There's a feature for capturing MPEG video: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and 15 second files are available. Unlike other digital cameras that don't let you zoom while capturing MPEG video, the Cybershot will. Sound is another feature this digital camera offers. Although it's not recorded in stereo, it delivers good audio with either your photos or MPEG video.
The S50 also comes with a 6X zoom lens (3X optical and 2X digital). The S70 comes with a Carl Zeiss lens that's very nice. But I feel that the Sony lens that the S50 comes with is more than adequate for my needs.
Recharging the battery is simple. It comes with an AC adapter that plugs right into the corner of the S50. You can use the camera as it's running on the power or you can turn the S50 off and the battery will recharge in a few hours. The AC adapter has a very long cord, so you can pretty much take pictures and use the camera while it's plugged in.
Powered by the NP-FM50 battery, it can last up to 2,500 shots on a full charge. Not only that, the battery is able to communicate with the Cybershot camera and is able to tell the user how much longer the battery will last. It's quite accurate to a few minutes.
Since the S50 uses the MemoryStick media, it comes with a 4 MB stick. This is pretty stupid of Sony. The 4 MB MemoryStick doesn't hold anything worth beans. After a few 1600X1200 shots, it's full and you need to transfer your photos to your computer. The only other way around this is to purchase some more Memory Sticks. Luckily, Sony sells these in 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 MB sticks. A 256 MB MemoryStick will be available soon.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The Cybershot, like the Mavicas, will enable you to use special effects such as B/W, Sephia, Solarize, and Negative images. Although you may not use this feature much, it's nice to have in case you want to be a little creative with your photography.
SUGGESTION
If you either have this camera or you're planning on buying one, I'd recommend you purchase the Cybershot starter kit. I purchased mine from eCost.com for about $75 (includes s/h). It comes with a soft case for your Cybershot and accessories, extra FM50 battery, and an 8 MB MemoryStick. A great deal for less than $100. I also purchased an extra 32 MB MemoryStick from Onvia.com for under $52. With these additional accessories, I'm ready to use my Cybershot S50 anywhere, anyplace, and any time.
SUMMARY
The Sony DSC-S50 Cybershot digital camera is a hot item. It's small, full of functions, and it takes great pictures. The price may be a little steep for some, but I can tell you it's worth every penny. Sony is great with making their products very compatible and easy to use. I didn't even have to crack open the users' manual (although, I don't recommend doing this). One of the few negatives I have of this camera is the 4 MB MemoryStick it comes with. Sony should have included at least an 8 MB stick. I also wish the S50 came with a viewfinder. Sometimes, you don't really want to use the LCD screen so you can save battery life. I don't really have a problem with this since the LCD on the S50 is very good. Also, the graphics editing software (MGI) that's included isn't really what I would call, First-rate. All in all, I recommend this camera to anyone who's looking for a well-rounded digital image-capturing device that's packed with features and is top-rate in quality.
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