So, what do you think?

Will smart phones put point and shoot digital cameras in the dustbin of history?  That's the scuttlebutt lately.  It seems the iPhone 4S has a 8 MP camera that takes decent pictures (hoping to get an iPhone later next year when my contract is up for renewal - who knows, but then ,we may be up to the iPhone 5!).

I can say this - I have three Sony digital cameras:  a point & shoot (12.2 MP); a "medium level" camera, as I like to call them (DSC-H20 - 10.1 MP) and a Sony Alpha (10.2 MP).  In my previous reviews, I believe I indicated that, although it has more megapixels, the quality of the pictures taken by the point & shoot just does not compare favorably with the H20 or the Alpha - they latter are still my "go to" cameras (that's why hubby has been "gifted" the point & shoot!).  The point & shoot is mainly for banging around (when we are hiking or going to sporting events and we don't care what happens to the camera); the others are for more sedate/important times - travel, sightseeing, parties, etc.  But, once you have 8MP and up cameras in cell phones, do you need a point & shoot, or is a point & shoot something you would just rather not carry around anymore?

What do you think?

Sony a-nex cameras

I mentioned these cameras in the past - I had wanted to get my hands on them to give them a try because I was curious as to how a camera the size of a digital still camera could balance with extra lenses.  Now, you could buy lenses that would fit the a-nex, or you can use a converter lense so that you could mount the Minolta and Sony A lenses to the camera: the α-NEX Camera Mount Adapter, which retails at the Sony site for $199.  Well, that adds weight to the front end of the camera, as would an A-mount lens.  I did get the chance to hold the a-NEX-3 camera, and the weighting of it just did not feel balanced to me.  I'd be interested in checking out the a-NEX-5 series which shoots 1080p movies, but, I thing the only way you might get around the balance problem would be to invest in new E-mount lenses, and even then, I am not sure that would resolve the problem (although you wouldn't have to deal with the expensive mount adapter, and I assume the E-Mount lenses are lighter than the A-mount).  I don't plan myself on switching anytime soon.  My Sony alpha DSLR, my Sony DSC-H20 are great for me, and my Sony DSC-W220 is serviceable for my husband.  I have too much money invested in the Minolta/Sony A-mount lenses.

Wedding photos

Remember I told you that a while back I won a Sony DSC-W22012.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization in silver?  Well, after playing around with it, we took it to a family wedding a few weeks ago. As promised, though, I gave it to my hubby to use.  I gave him a short, 10 minute primer on how to use it just before the wedding and he took some really nice shots.  

Instead of bringing my Sony alpha (DSLR) with me as it was going to be very hot and I am still recovering from back surgery, I brought my Sony DSC-H20 with me, and, in addition to taking pictures, I video-ed the entire 14 minute wedding ceremony.  Now, I managed to do this from the front row seat and without a tripod.  The Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization worked great - without a tripod, the image was nice and steady, and even when I panned around to get the dog walking down the aisle (unexpectedly, of course) and then sitting on my feet, everything was super steady.


Don't get me wrong - I still LOVE my Sony alpha.  It's just that after surgery, these two cameras were the perfect cameras to have with us to take pictures given the conditions of our backs (did I happen to mention hubby's back went out the day before the wedding?  No surgery required, but poor guy couldn't move that day!  So the nice, light DSC-W220 really came in handy, and was his first real use of a digital camera - yes, hubby rarely used digital and was still in the *gasp* film age!  Not that there is anything wrong with that, as I still sometimes use my Minolta SLR.).

I'm back!

Actually, I never went away - it's just been an incredibly busy and exhausting few weeks.

I continue to play with my Sony DSC-H20 and I am still pleased as punch with it. In fact, I will be bringing it with me as my only camera (*gasp*!) to my niece's graduation in a few weeks.

I did still need another accessory, though. Although I found a camera bag that would accommodate the camera, the charger, extra lenses, should I choose to buy them, etc., I was looking for a smaller bag that I could use to just grab the H20 and throw in my purse.

I went to the Sony website to see what they recommended and it was LCS-CSD Soft Cyber-shot® Carrying Case for $19.99. http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10555&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11040579&tab=Compatibility
At 3 6/11" x 5 5/7" x 3 11/15", I suspected it would be too big for my purposes. I went to Best Buy and checked it out (BTW, at Best Buy the price was $21.99!), and I confirmed my suspicions. Not only was it big and bulky (it seemed to bulge out in the front, like it was expecting a baby camera case), in my eyes it was ugly.

Since I didn't like the other cases offered at Best Buy (or their prices), I headed off to Target. At Target, I got a denali small digital camera case DPCI 056-04-0729 which fits the camera perfectly and will hold an extra memory card, and fits into my purse nicely without providing the extra bulk the Sony case did. Best part: the price. It was only $9.99! It has both a Velcro close and (sorry, I don't know the term for the plastic clip) a clip close that you see on back packs and waist packs. Your camera won't fall out with those two closures! It also has an adjustable shoulder strap (removable) and a belt loop. One thing does puzzle me, however; the packaging says it has a "Battery slot" but I am just not seeing it (I don't need it anyway, so I won't miss it).

All in all, it serves my needs perfectly and it was an acceptable price as well!

Guess what I found yesterday?!

I found and bought my Sony DSC-H20! The battery is charging and I expect to fire it up later today or early tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it works!