Digital Camera Resource Page Review

Digital Photography Review

This is the camera I’m considering getting to replace my much-loved but bulky Sony Cybershot DSC-S75. I’ve been researching a lot of different digicams with the intent of finding one with the same set of features my current camera has but in a smaller body. This is no easy task as with the size reduction on cameras comes the sacrifice of features. I have been unable to find one that has everything I want on it.

The following things are important to me in a digicam: full manual control, ability to transfer photos to a computer using a single cable rather than a dock, excellent battery life, and solid construction. I really would like a camera that can charge its battery simply by plugging a cord into the camera itself, but I’ve realized that’s not as vital as I’ve thought. It is handy, though. This particular one has rechargeable NiMH AA batteries which charge externally, but that leaves open the option of using regular AA if I’m in a pinch. I’ve always considered that a down point, but I guess it really does offer more flexibility than a proprietary battery type.

This camera has a few additional things that are really desirable to me: large LCD screen, MPEG movie mode limited only by size of memory card, ability to use Sony Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or Memory Stick Duo, input for external flash, threaded lens housing allowing for additional lenses or filters, old-style viewfinder, built-in lenscap, quick startup time, small but not *too* small size. It appears to have a very solidly built body made mostly of aluminum, making it light but durable. Plus, it’s a Sony, and I have great brand loyalty towards them because I have been delighted by every Sony product I’ve ever bought. (Plus, I have a Sony credit card that gives me points for buying Sony products that I can later use towards free Sony merchandise.) I absolutely adore the camera I have now and it has suited my needs very well for as long as I’ve had it. The only real issue I have with it is size. As always, I carry my camera everywhere I go, so having one that’s a little bit more transportable has become a very attractive idea to me.

The major flaw this camera has is that its manual settings are very limited, as there are only two aperture sizes you can choose from, and there are no aperture-priority or shutter-speed-priority modes. For point-and-shoot photography, this is no big deal (and granted, this is what I do most of the time) but there are times where I’ve needed to have very precise control over what I was photographing and the manual settings have come in handy. I plan to one day buy a really nice, professional digicam so perhaps this is worth the sacrifice for now. Also, the camera is a bit bulkier than a lot of the new thin cameras (like Will’s Casio Exilim), but I don’t have an issue with that. I want it to feel sturdy in my hand.

Obviously there is no way I can come close to affording this right now (it appears to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $325 in most places) but I’ve talked about possibly selling my old camera so I can put that money towards the new one. I guess I’ll have to see how it goes.