Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Ok, I just took a few quick sample photos with my new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 digital camera. The first one I am going to show you was taken on one of the lowest settings. Basically, you can take poster-sized (print quality) photos with this camera. I set it to the 3MB setting, which is one of the smallest print quality settings.
Take a look…
Photo of a hydrangea with a section that will be enlarged in the next photo.
The cut-out section of the hydrangea photo.
Next, I tried out the “Burst shooting mode” on Michael the cat. There are two sequences here. The first one is where he is pretty much laying there and the second one is where he is biting me.
Photo sequence of a cat biting a hand.
I would say that both the quality and the “Burst shooting mode” are very good.
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Saturday, July 19th, 2008
A few days ago, I noticed something strange happening to my Sony Cyber-shot 4.1 mega pixel camera. It was kind of the same thing that happens to all my Sony digital cameras after a few years…I had to start smacking the side of it to make the display correct itself. Before I smacked it, I noticed horozontal lines across the display, and strangely enough, in the photographs themsleves.
Now, if you have been following this blog for any amount of time, you certainly know how fond I am of taking pictures. With this in mind, I walked over to the wall and saw the writing on it. A few moments later, I was on CircuitCity.com ordering a new camera.
It really doesn’t take me very long to do these types of things. I basically visited the camera section and narrowed it down to show just Sony cameras. I like Sony cameras because they plug in easily with a USB cord. I looked at the 12+ mega pixel cameras and saw that only point and shoot one on the page. It’s the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 13.6-Megapixel Digital Camera. I read a few reviews and bought it.
I recived the package today and opened it. One of the first things I noticed is that, while it does use a USB cord to connect to the computer, the connection that fits the camera is not a traditional USB connection. This was a little disappointing because I really like to have things that use USB cords. I don’t want to have to worry about forgetting this special cord when I am traveling. Oh well.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 13.6-Megapixel Digital Camera - front view.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 13.6-Megapixel Digital Camera - side view.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 13.6-Megapixel Digital Camera - rear view.
I installed the battery and turned the camera on. Then, I took about three pictures. I tried to take a forth picture, but was notified that there was no more memory on the camera. Good thing there was a deal at Circuit City where they gave away a 2GB Sandisk memory stick with the purchase of this camera. Also, the problem was that the camera was set to the highest quality. You can imagine how large the file sizes of the photos on a 13.6 mega pixel camera can be. If you can’t, they are about 4MB each.
I installed the 2GB memory stick and took a few more photos. I then plugged the camera in to the USB cord and opened the folder on the computer. Oddly, I could only see the photos on the memory stick (mass storage). I deleted them. Then, I took the memory stick out of the camera. I re-plugged the camera in and saw the first photos I took (internal storage). I tried to delete those photos from the folder in the computer and it wouldn’t let me. I learned that if you are using internal storage on a digitial camera, you can only delete the photos by using the camera’s delete function. If you are using mass storage, you can delete them from the computer.
There are many features on this camera, such as:
- 13.6 megapixels
- 3x optical zoom (which people don’t think is all too great for the price)
- 2.7†LCD display
- Dual image stabilizers (which I need because I have a bad habit of taking blurry photos)
- Face detection (detects up to 8 faces and focuses on each one of them)
- 9-point auto focus
- Smile Shutter mode (the reviews say this really works)
- Dual aspect ratios (normal or widescreen)
- HD slide show with music
- Image optimization
- Easy shooting mode
- In-camera image enhancements
- Scene modes (this camera actually has a description on the screen when you change modes – this is good because I really never knew what any of them meant)
- Burst shooting mode (up to 100 shots consecutively at almost two shots per second)
- Shoot movies
- 15MB of internal memory
If all these features work as described, you will start noticing higher quality photos in my blog posts.
Peace out.
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
Ok, my Circuit City gift cards are all used up. That’s until I get my next batch from my credit card points.
Yesterday, on our way to Costco up in Enfield, we stopped at Circuit City to pick up a Sony SA-W2500 Performance Line Subwoofer for downstairs. We already have four speakers hooked up and thought some nice bass would add to our experience.
Now, I am not an electronics guy. I really don’t know what 99.9% of the features mean on my Pioneer Receiver. I kind of plug it in and go.
When I was hooking up the subwoofer, I thought I had it. I heard bass and was happy. It wasn’t until later that I realized the rear surround speakers weren’t on. I fiddled with the receiver settings and realized that I had it set on the “7.1″ channel setting. I changed it to the “5.1″ channel setting and they all worked. I am not sure what all those channel settings mean. I tried to read the manual and gave up. Really, I think they can do a better job at writing. It was almost as bad as trying to read how to set your VCR.
From what I can gather (or assume), the 5.1 channel setting is for five speakers and a center speaker. As it stands right now, I can’t even tell the difference if the rear speakers are on at all…who in the world needs a center speaker?
Oh well. The system is done now and sounds good. We are most likely going to watch Star Wars tonight, so the bass will be put to good use.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Boy, that title is pretty long.
Yesterday, Laura and I went shopping. We first went up to Home Depot in Enfield, CT. I got a bunch of stuff, most of which I can hardly remember right now. I am sure I’ll write about it when I start using it.
Then, we went to Circuit City and got some stuff. After that, we went to Costco for food shopping. Just to let you know, Costco in Enfield has a gas station for members. Gas around here is $4.39 per gallon. I paid $4.05 yesterday at the Costco gas station. It averages about 30 cents less per gallon than regular gas stations.
Back to Circuit City. While there, I picked up some Sony bookshelf speakers that I am going to use for the new downstairs. I also picked up some new computer speakers. The computer speakers I was using up until yesterday were Altec Lansing and getting pretty old. I gave them to Laura as a hand-me-down. I got a hand-me-up to the new Bose Companion® 2 Series II Multimedia Computer Speakers.
When I was looking at them in the store, I kept asking the guy (kid) if they had an amp in them. I was worried that they might be like those cheap Dell speakers you get with a new computer. You should probably have someone standing next to you hitting two pans together than using those Dell speakers. Man, if I had a nickle for every pair of them I threw away.
He never gave me an answer. He just kept saying that these Bose speakers were the best brand they had in the store. Since I never quite got an answer out of him, I just bought them and decided that I would return them if they were horrible.
I got home and hooked them up. Right after that, I hooked up the Altec Lansings to Laura’s computer, which made her very happy. Now she can pump the bass. Back to my speakers. I turned on Media Player and was quite impressed. All that stuff Bose says about themselves is pretty true. The speakers are very clear and I can now hear sounds I never heard out of my old speakers. It’s pretty amazing what they can do with half the size and weight of something.
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Saturday, January 5th, 2008
I went out today to give my new Sony Handycam Camcorder a try. I have mad skillz and I know how to use them. I decided that a look at the engine of the new car would be cool as well as a drive down the road. I had to go drop off some clothes at the clothing drop anyway, so it was a good excuse to use the camera.
As you know, I have been putting some videos on YouTube. My Honda Accord videos have been getting quite a few views. I guess people out there are interested in the new body style. Get this – some little 19 year old posted a comment on one of my videos stating that the car I posted a video on wasn’t really an “EX” or a “V6.” Ok, then…just for him, I took some video of the engine…
…and this is me trying out the camera while driving down the road…
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Saturday, January 5th, 2008
I was doing some work this morning when I noticed the FedEx truck backing into the driveway. I said to myself, “Ooh, my Sony Handycam Camcorder is here.” I got up and met the guy at the door.
So yes, as I mentioned before, I ordered a Sony Handycam Camcorder from Circuit City because Laura gave me a gift card for Christmas. I was happy about that. I can now stop taking 30 second clips with my camera and take nice, clear, long videos with this new toy.
I tried it out already and it’s pretty easy to use.
The zoom is huge. I was sitting on the couch and zoomed into the TV. Man, it gets close. One of the issues I hope this camcorder resolves is the lack of focus while I am taking my famous “while driving” videos. We’ll see how that goes. I have to run out today and you can bet that I am going to bring this little bad boy with me. I will post those videos later one today.
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Sunday, December 30th, 2007
Well, I did it. I took the plunge. I ordered my video camera.
Since I am trying to get into doing some video for this blog, Laura decided to give me a very generous Circuit City gift card for Christmas. She didn’t know exactly which camera I wanted, so she let me pick it out. Fortunately, I did know which one I wanted, so I picked it out and ordered it yesterday. I received a shipping notification today, so I should get it soon.
Here are the specs:
Hard disk drive camcorder: Capture powerful sound and sharp images direct to a 30GB hard disk drive with the DCR-SR42 Handycam® camcorder.
1/6″ Advanced HADâ„¢ CCD: This 680k pixel (gross) imaging device provides stunning detail and clarity with exceptional video (up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution) and sharp still images.
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens: Carl Zeiss lenses have an advanced optical multi-layer coating for increased contrast. This results in vivid image brilliance, true-to-life color saturation and perfect renditions of subtle tones.
2.5″ touch-panel SwivelScreenâ„¢: The high-resolution LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles that provide sharp, detailed images for monitoring or playback.
Zoom: The 40x optical zoom brings the action close with minimized distortion, while the digital zoom can be increased up to an amazing 2000x before or after shooting.
Digital still memory mode: Capture still images up to 640 x 480 resolution directly onto the internal 30GB hard disk drive or Memory Stick Duo™ Media for easy transfer to PCs for emailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick® media compatible devices.
Handycam station: Simply place the camcorder on the supplied Handycam Station cradle to provide quick connections to a TV for viewing or a PC for editing and sharing. Placing the camcorder on this station also charges the battery, so your camcorder is always ready to go.
On-screen zoom and record buttons: The DCR-SR42 features zoom and record buttons on the frame of the LCD screen, which offers more flexibility when holding the camcorder in overhead or low-angle shots.
DVDirect compatibility: The DVDirect system allows you to easily transfer to a stand-alone DVD burner via USB 2.0.
Low-light mode: The Super NightShot Infrared System allows you to capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light.
Image stabilization: Super SteadyShot® uses motion sensors to ensure a smooth and steady picture.
Smart Protection: A unique shock absorber protects the hard disk drive from physical damage if the unit is dropped. When the 3G Sensor detects a drop (loss of gravity) the power to the hard disk drive is turned off in order to prevent damage. During this time the DCR-SR42 remains powered on and recording video to the built-in buffer. Once the unit has recovered from the drop the buffer is then recorded to the Hard Disk Drive.
USB 2.0 interface: Connect your Handycam and transfer images to your PC fast, or use it as a convenient storage device for storing and transporting your videos and pictures.
How cool is that? This camera is probably $500 less expensive than the ones just five years ago, but much better. I am going to attempt to take some nice video and edit them to post on YouTube. Then you are going to get some wild tree planting videos come Spring.
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Saturday, November 17th, 2007
I have been going back and forth for some time on this issue…whether or not to go video. I know I take a lot of photos for this blog and that seems to be working out well. I just think that people would enjoy video a whole lot more.
The benefit is that people can see much more through video. They can hear me talk and hear the birds chirp. They can get a real feel for things. Image watching TV as a slide show. Not so much fun. I think video is where it’s at.
I was thinking that I can get a little Sony hard drive video camera and upload the videos to YouTube.com. Depending on the software I get with the camera, I can add my URL in the bottom corner of each video to promote whatever website the video is going to be posted on. Then, I can simply pull the code for the video in from YouTube to my website. Sound good?
Ok, since I really know nothing about video cameras, I am going to have to do a little research. I saw one at Circuit City for decent price. Maybe one of these days I will go grab it. I am sure my family would like to watch these videos, or maybe I am just being a little narcissistic. Nah, I think they will like it.
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