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Sony CDXT 6NV 6 Disc Autochanger
Sony (
21 November, 2003 )
Electronics |
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145.66 |
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subject to change. |
usually dispatched within 1 to 2 weeks. |
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The S50 - a superb camera  |
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Take a look at the listed technical data - dont worry about it, the camera will work as a point and shoot if you want. The S45 is a similar spec camera but 4Mp instead of 5Mp. If the technical data put you off, look at the IXUS 400. The Canon supplied software is superb with 5 different programs - all useful. One of these is remote capture, you can take images using the PC to control the camera and see the results on screen immediately. Canon are currently the only camera maker with this software. The Zoombrowser software lets you see PC stored images in a folder and all its subfolders. Photostitch software enables you to join a number of images together to make a panorama or a matrix. Photorecord software will take a number of images and produce an album layout with a selectable number of images per page, the page layout is individually customisable. All in all a very good camera package.
As with all digital cameras, it is advisable to carry a spare rechargeable battery ( a charger is supplied) and a spare larger memory card. On the S50 a 128Mb card will store about 30 images at the highest resolution, and 110 at a medium resolution
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Stop ! |
Ok so youre looking - well I can honestly say stop now do the sensible thing and buy an S50. Having looked for a number of months not just at the Canon range but also the Nikons, Minoltas and Fujis I finally plumped for the S50. Overall I am very impressed with the quality of the pictures, they are exceptionally crisp and detailed with very life like colour reproduction. Build quality is superb and feels like it could probably withstand a fair old hammering day in day out.It is simple enough to be a point and shoot camera when set to fully automatic, just like an Ixus or any of the other lifestyle compacts. But it can also be manually controlled with aperature and shutter priority or fully manual modes, and also can be used in one of 6 pre-set programmes the same the EOS SLRs unlike the Ixus et al allowing you to take as much control as you like. The controls and menus are sensibly, and dare I say it, intuitively laid out all, with all selections made via a five way rocker switch which is nice and easy to use. Other dedicated buttons switch the menus, displays exposure metering etc. If you use the camera at full resolution or store images in RAW format the supplied CF card will store between 10 and 20 pictures (whats the point of 5m pixels if you dont use them?) so I would really recommend a bigger CF card a 256mb card seems to be a good size. Battery life can also be a little limited so get a spare. In saying that these are two immaterial issues when you consider what the camera produces Dont buy an IBM Microdrive for storage - the battery life will be shot to ruins and I think there are still some reliability issues (so I have been informed by several outlets) Software installation went without a hitch and is well thought out. The bundled ArcSoft PhotoStudio 5 and Canon Zoom Browser are sensible pieces of software rather than the mickey mouse things you get with some other packages, and do allow you to improve on your picture (not the photographic quality but the cock-ups you wish youd spotted). Having done a lot of looking, shopping and e-mailing for the best deal I have found Amazon to be the cheapest, especially when you take the free delivery option, and buy one of the Viking Memory cards. The free delivery service only took a couple of working days so I would not hesitate from buying from here again. If you skipped the main part of this review dont bother going back to read the rest - the S50 is a cracking piece of kit buy it you will not regret it one bit.
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Wow |
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This is my first digital camera and it has taken me 2 months to decide which one to go for. I was torn between the Canon S45 and the Fuji Finepix 602 for a long time before discovering that Canon were about to launch this 5 megapixel version of the highly acclaimed S45.
First thing to note about the S50 is that it is built like a tank and not as SLR-like as the other 5MP cameras in this price bracket, but the photos that it takes are quite simply stunning. It is perfect as a point and shoot camera, as it took no time at all to start producing good quality images on the perfectly sized screen, but as I have got used to it, the potential in the 13 different shooting modes is fantastic fun.
The software with the pack is basic but quick, and very simple to use, but the battery doesnt last very long (although I had the camera on constantly for 2 hours while I was messing around with all the functions).
I thought the camera would be good, as I read many reviews of the S45, but never this good....wow!
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