The blogging business requires three important elements: a laptop, wifi and a good camera. It should also feature good writing... but let's just focus on the cameras today, shall we?
I never leave the house without a camera. Though I have a nice (7 year-old) DSLR and a mid-sized "transitional" model, it is easier to simply pop a pocket-sized digital camera in my purse for every day shots.
For several years, I have been favoring the Sony Cybershot (DSC-WX300). At 6-ounces, this beauty is my first choice. But the pocket camera lacked one teeny little thing - something most people would not care about, but one thing I could no longer do without - an eye piece. I'm sure y'all are tired of hearing about my poor vision, but it has come to the point that I just can no longer use the LCD display screen on the back of a camera to take a shot. I need to peer through a view finder.
Again, Sony to the rescue.




Besides the pop-up view finder, the most important feature is the 30x optical zoom, turning a pocket-sized camera used for convenience into a pocket-sized camera used because it is a REAL camera.
The Cybershots (like most cameras these days) have the ability to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, so you can take a great shot on the camera, send it over to your phone to post immediately on Instagram or Facebook - or email it to your pals. And even though it comes in a small package and has automatic settings for nearly any scenario, it is still possible to manually adjust any setting.
But how are the photos?
I will show you! We had a visitor in the forest behind our house - a Great Horned Owl. Honestly, she isn't a visitor. She lives here.


The differences are subtle, but dramatic. The detail on the feathers, tree bark and fir needles is sharper - and it was certainly easier for me to find the dang bird using the eye piece, over squinting and trying to hide the glare from the old white camera's display screen.




Until my next update, I remain, your wise old correspondent.