Isn't it great when someone gives you their older camera when they upgrade to something fancier? I wonder if I would have rated this product as highly had I spent a lot for it. As a gift-- it is more than excellent.

Had I spent a lot for this camera-- I probably would be more fearful using it-- and fretted about its performance more. As a gift it is perfect!

My suggestion to people new to digital photography is to get an older camera like this one that is feature rich and durable-- especially if you are on a budget. If you are old to digital photography-- give away your camera when you upgrade-- you will make someone really really happy!

The Sony DSC-S50 is an older camera now and can probably be obtained inexpensively as a used camera.

At 2.1 megapixels it is quite adequate for most purposes. I use mine to post pictures on the web. The quality of the pictures are very good. It also can make short videos with sound-- surprisingly good for an older camera.

My linux distro recognizes the USB cable automatically and the pictures upload easily to my computer. It is all simple-- no need for special software.

The camera has many features of interest to control picture taking. It is quite adequate and gives excellent results.

The camera has a battery that is recharged easily, and records on a "memory stick" that lasts long enough for a day's outing.

The camera is very durable and seems to hold up well even with rough handling.

It is an especially good camera for someone who likes a quality feature-packed product-- but may not be able to afford some of the latest feature-packed cameras.

2.1 megapixels may not seem stunning when cameras today routinely offer 4 megapixels or more. More does not necessarily mean better however-- especially if the photos are to be viewed on a computer screen instead of being printed.

Americans always want more-- like more speeds on a bicycle, more decibels in speakers, more threadcounts in their linen-- you name it. It's a bit silly. ;)