Digital Cameras & Digital Photography

Roland Jefferson asked:


Sony has been making quality photography equipment, as well as other home electronics, for many years. In some cases buying a used Sony digital camera may be a better buy than a new one from another manufacturer.

There as a few things, however to look for when buying a used Sony digital camera, or most other digital cameras to make sure your investment is sound and you are getting a camera that still works like it was designed to work.

First, look for signs of water damage. This is the number one killer of electronic equipment and usually the one type of damage that voids a warranty faster than smashing it with a hammer. Look for signs of rust on a used Sony digital camera in or around the memory card slot, the battery compartment and the tripod attachment slot.

Also check the memory card for availability. One of the biggest complaints of buyers of a used Sony digital camera is the unavailability of memory cards with larger storage capacity. Even if there are not any available several companies make adapter cards so that one type can be adapted to fit another. If larger cards or adapter cards are not available for the used Sony digital camera you are looking, consider if it will be a problem for you in the future.

Completely Test Before Buying

If you are buying a used Sony digital camera from a private source, and even if from a dealer, make sure you can test it properly and make sure it works as claimed. If you are told the battery died and it can be tested, either walk or run away, or offer to pick up a battery so you can try it out. If the person hedges at the offer, it could be a sign the camera does, or does not do, something it is supposed to do.

Depending on your intended use for the camera, does it include the accessories you would like to have and, if not, are they available in the market? If the used Sony digital camera is an older model it is possible the accessories were never made for this model and a different choice may be in order.

With Sony’s reputation for quality, buying a working, used Sony digital camera is usually a safe deal, but being cautious is definitely advised since you probably will not have the added benefit of a factory warranty.

Dam Smith asked:


Vodafone Spain and Research In Motion launched the BlackBerry Bold smartphone which includes unique features, a premium design and offers an optimum 3G experience. The smartphone suits business and professional Vodafone Spain clients desirous to benefit from the high speed of 3G. The Bold is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks which includes integrated GPS and Wi-Fi besides multimedia capabilities. The phone comes in a lustrous black color with chrome finished frame and a leatherette backplate for its display. The user interface is very well designed with full-QWERTY keyboard.

Vodafone Spain clients can download an integrated GPS navigation system working along with Vodafone GPS NavigatorTM which is based on the Telmap Navigator solution. It helps the user follow the best route possible to the desired location offering voice instructions and high-quality maps. The navigator uses the Vodafone network for accessing maps besides enabling location of points of interest like hotels, convenience stores etc.

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone includes a 624 MHz mobile processor which makes downloading email attachments, streaming video and rendering web pages easy. For broader high-speed network coverage, the BlackBerry Bold supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards most suitable for enterprise or campus wireless LAN deployments, over Wi-Fi hotspots and on wireless home networks. Users can connect to protected wireless networks by using a “Push Button Setup” which is faster.

The display is very sharp owing to the half-VGA (480×320 resolution at 217 ppi) color LCD which is fused to the undersurface of the lens increasing the definition and clarity of images. The smartphone comes with a 128 MB Flash memory and a 1GB on-board storage memory besides a microSD/SDHC memory card slot which is accessible from a side door.

The simultaneous voice and data support enables users to talk on the phone while sending and receiving mail or browsing the web. Users can download Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and edit them on the phone making use of preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go® suite.

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone has a 2 mega pixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and digital zoom. The media player is capable of displaying pictures and slideshows, playing movies in full screen mode and also storing entire music collections. The dual speakers offer rich stereo sound and the media player offers an equalizer with 11 preset filters which boost or soften audio ranges for optimizing the audio experience.

The BlackBerry Desktop Manager software includes Roxio ® Media Manager for BlackBerry and Roxio Photosuite® 9 LE which help enhance pictures and create photo albums on the computer.

The BlackBerry smartphone features a new acoustic design enhancing sound quality and also includes Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), Bluetooth® 2.0 with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, and car kits besides others.

The smartphone offers mobile messaging solution. It works with BlackBerry Enterprise Server which allows advanced security and IT administration within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments. It also works with BlackBerry® Professional Software for small businesses. It provides users with access to up to 10 work and personal email accounts with the help of BlackBerry Internet Service.