There are many times that I have been strolling/bush walking
or out for a short drive when I have wanted to take a photo and all I have is
my camera phone which basically sucks in most situations. Maybe you want to go
on holiday and travel very light.
I have had simple point and shoot cameras in the past and
thought it may be time to re-visit one as a pocket camera for times like above.
My partner, Chris isn't one to twiddle with settings to get the best photo and
we are often out where she wants to take a snap. While Chris tends to spend
large sums of the latest mobile phone, some of which have half-decent cameras,
they often come up wanting in anything remotely challenging.
I bit the bullet and was about to buy a Samsung WB350. Not
the greatest of cameras but just right for Chris and acceptable photo quality
for sharing. The WiFi functionality was a big drawing point for Chris. The
price was great as there was a sale on but now living outside a large
metropolis, by the time Chris got to the store, the sale was over and the
camera had gone up in price from around $249 to $299 (everything is more
expensive in Australia). For just a couple of dollars more, it was possible to
do much better. I had seen the Sony DSC-HX50V for sale for $349. While it had
been superseded, the reviews were good and it seemed like much better value.
According to Internet, my local electronics store had the newer version for
sale at $449 but that was getting a bit much (and quite often they need to
order in stuff). What a surprise when I popped in and saw the Sony DSC-HX50V
for $349. A little bit of haggling and it was mine for $329 or just $30 more
than the Samsung.
The camera is small, amazingly small for a camera with a 30x
zoom lens. Frankly, if the body was any smaller, it would be cramped. Build
quality is solid and controls are well placed. It even has an external flash
shoe of a Sony design for their fancy (overpriced) accessories that will take a
standard ISO shoe flash. Tried it out with my Olympus FL14 flash on the "auto"
setting and it works fine after a little experimentation with settings (and
greatly extends the flash range).
About the only comment regarding the build quality would be
the battery door which is a little too easy to open accidentally.
Taking pictures - I trialled the camera on the
"Superior Auto" mode as this is what Chris would most likely be using
and the results are impressive. Best to look at the results. All shots are
hand-held, the camera has chosen all settings and none have been overridden,
some night shots have ISO boosted to 12800 and have come out surprisingly well.
Maybe not for printing wall sized posters but ideal for social media, general
viewing online and printing small prints. Images shot in better light where ISO
is kept to ISO 800 are excellent. A big improvement over a mobile phone and
certainly better than any of the compact cameras I have had in the past.
Credit - the last 3 photos were taken by Chris.
