Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W50 Digital Camera
- Digital Zoom: 2x
- Camera Type: Compact
- Weight: 0.29 lb.
- LCD Screen Size: 2.5 in.
- Resolution: 6 Megapixel
- Optical Zoom: 3x
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Fast with Great Pics and Low Price
Pros
Fast! Great pics! Low Price! Lots of Features!
Cons
Multi-Use Terminal.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
High Bang for the buck! A great buy at a great price.
Update: Dec 16, 2006
I've had this camera for quite some time now and I still really love it. I was concerned about battery life and chargers before but let me tell you, even with the focus set to Continuous, the battery seems to last forever! I decided that instead of buying a desktop charger I'd go for the second battery but I think I may have wasted my money. It only takes a few hours to charge and it really does last a very long time. Sony has obviously made some great changes. I've since printed many pics on Shutterfly and they came out simply amazing! Pics taken indoors in dim rooms aren't all that great, but few cameras can accomplish that task with ease and quality.
I have found that some times, on really sunny days, the pics come out a little hot or washed out so I'll turn the EV down to -1 and it makes all the difference. I'm still not keen on the Multi-Use terminal, but I guess if you want small, then something has to give.
After all is said and done, after 8 months, I'd buy this camera all over again. A camera buff at my work asked to buy it off me at one point! Hope this helps.
Lots of bang for the buck with this little gem. 6.0 Mega Pixels in a small chassis that's selling for $249 in stores? What more can you ask for? I know in two years we'll have a hard time believing we could only get 6.0 for $249, but that's how the tech world works.
This is my second Sony digital camera, replacing my DSC-P8 3.2 MP. I can see where Sony must have had complaints from a lot of people, like power-up time. This camera is ready in 1.3 seconds and you can take the next shot almost right away. I was very impressed by this camera's ability to focus, shot, refocus at a very different distance and shoot again.
I found this out by mistake, but instead of hitting the power button to turn it on, if you just want to see the pictures you've already taken, just hit the play button and it will turn the camera on without opening the lens mechanism.
Cons:
The Multi-use Terminal may be a move in the right direction, but I'm not sure if I'm into it yet. I like how the older versions (and even the cheaper models like the DSC-W30) have separate USB and A/V cables. For one, I used to be able to leave the A/V cable connected to my TV when I wanted to upload pics from the cam to my computer. I know I had to carry 2 cables before, but now it's what I'm used to. SO, with the Multi-Use Terminal I either have to unplug the cable from the back of my LCD TV (Stupid TV doesn't have front A/V inputs), or buy a separate card reader and leave that connected to my computer which is what I'll probably do. Some may think this is trivial, but it's something that bothers me, but I don't like where the cable plugs in to the camera. If you're going to plug a cable in to the view your pictures on a TV or transfer them to your computer, then the camera has to sit either on its face or the LCD display. Why? Because they put the "Multi-Use Terminal" on the bottom instead of the side (like the DSC-W100 8.2 which is $100 more).
Another thing I'm not sure about yet is the battery charger in lieu of power cables that allow you to charge the batteries in the camera. So here' another decision, do I buy the charger that will charge the battery in the camera as well as power the camera if my battery dies? Or do I buy a second battery and try to always have the second one fully charged. I went for the second battery because these batteries are so efficient and long lasting that with two, I should be good for 3-4 days when traveling and taking a lot of shots.
The other Sony options:
For an extra $50 you can upgrade to the DSC-W70 which gives you a metal frame and 7.1 MP, or you can pay an extra $100 and get the DSC-W100 which is 8.2 MP, is full metal, has the Mufti-Use Terminal on the side, BUT it's a little bigger and heavier (marginally). It really depends on how big your prints are going to be.
Conclusion:
If you buy this camera, you're going to be happy with it. It's a great deal for a lot of camera in a small, light chassis and it's really fast, even with the flash.
I've had this camera for quite some time now and I still really love it. I was concerned about battery life and chargers before but let me tell you, even with the focus set to Continuous, the battery seems to last forever! I decided that instead of buying a desktop charger I'd go for the second battery but I think I may have wasted my money. It only takes a few hours to charge and it really does last a very long time. Sony has obviously made some great changes. I've since printed many pics on Shutterfly and they came out simply amazing! Pics taken indoors in dim rooms aren't all that great, but few cameras can accomplish that task with ease and quality.
I have found that some times, on really sunny days, the pics come out a little hot or washed out so I'll turn the EV down to -1 and it makes all the difference. I'm still not keen on the Multi-Use terminal, but I guess if you want small, then something has to give.
After all is said and done, after 8 months, I'd buy this camera all over again. A camera buff at my work asked to buy it off me at one point! Hope this helps.
Lots of bang for the buck with this little gem. 6.0 Mega Pixels in a small chassis that's selling for $249 in stores? What more can you ask for? I know in two years we'll have a hard time believing we could only get 6.0 for $249, but that's how the tech world works.
This is my second Sony digital camera, replacing my DSC-P8 3.2 MP. I can see where Sony must have had complaints from a lot of people, like power-up time. This camera is ready in 1.3 seconds and you can take the next shot almost right away. I was very impressed by this camera's ability to focus, shot, refocus at a very different distance and shoot again.
I found this out by mistake, but instead of hitting the power button to turn it on, if you just want to see the pictures you've already taken, just hit the play button and it will turn the camera on without opening the lens mechanism.
Cons:
The Multi-use Terminal may be a move in the right direction, but I'm not sure if I'm into it yet. I like how the older versions (and even the cheaper models like the DSC-W30) have separate USB and A/V cables. For one, I used to be able to leave the A/V cable connected to my TV when I wanted to upload pics from the cam to my computer. I know I had to carry 2 cables before, but now it's what I'm used to. SO, with the Multi-Use Terminal I either have to unplug the cable from the back of my LCD TV (Stupid TV doesn't have front A/V inputs), or buy a separate card reader and leave that connected to my computer which is what I'll probably do. Some may think this is trivial, but it's something that bothers me, but I don't like where the cable plugs in to the camera. If you're going to plug a cable in to the view your pictures on a TV or transfer them to your computer, then the camera has to sit either on its face or the LCD display. Why? Because they put the "Multi-Use Terminal" on the bottom instead of the side (like the DSC-W100 8.2 which is $100 more).
Another thing I'm not sure about yet is the battery charger in lieu of power cables that allow you to charge the batteries in the camera. So here' another decision, do I buy the charger that will charge the battery in the camera as well as power the camera if my battery dies? Or do I buy a second battery and try to always have the second one fully charged. I went for the second battery because these batteries are so efficient and long lasting that with two, I should be good for 3-4 days when traveling and taking a lot of shots.
The other Sony options:
For an extra $50 you can upgrade to the DSC-W70 which gives you a metal frame and 7.1 MP, or you can pay an extra $100 and get the DSC-W100 which is 8.2 MP, is full metal, has the Mufti-Use Terminal on the side, BUT it's a little bigger and heavier (marginally). It really depends on how big your prints are going to be.
Conclusion:
If you buy this camera, you're going to be happy with it. It's a great deal for a lot of camera in a small, light chassis and it's really fast, even with the flash.
