Product Review Monday

This week’s book review is entitled “The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon” by David Grann.

There is a movie based on the book, but I’m not a movie buff so I read the book instead. It’s an astounding tale of investigative sleuthing and adventure. The Amazon summary says it better than I can:

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed writer David Grann set out to determine what happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z. For centuries Europeans believed the Amazon, the world’s largest rain forest, concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. Then he vanished. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.”
 
In this masterpiece, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle.

One thing is certain: After I finished reading this book I have far less interest in ever visiting the Amazon jungle. But it’s a riveting tale, nonetheless. “The Lost City of Z” will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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This week’s product review is something everyone keeps asking about: My camera. Specifically, my pocket-sized Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS50. I first purchased this model about 20 years ago, and I’m on my third identical camera because, let’s face it, I beat the poor things to death.

It’s not that this particular model is the best, or has the slimmest profile, or any other outstanding feature. But it was available at the time, and Panasonic is a reputable brand. It turned out to be a very good, solid, dependable piece of equipment with very nice zoom and macro features. I love mine to pieces.

Pocket cameras are disappearing from the market now that the ubiquitous smart phone has taken over the industry (and, to be fair, often do a better job), but I am absolutely devoted to the genre, especially since I have no interest in getting a smart phone.

In fact, in the interests of this post, we checked the model’s availability on Amazon. There is one new model left in stock, and a few reburbished ones, so its availability is limited.

However Don recently purchased a very inexpensive pocket camera of his own. Unlike me, he has no aspirations of amateur photography; however he’s often working on projects that require documentation for purposes of magazine illustrations. If I’m not around with my own camera, he needed something he could use for photos. To that end, he purchased this little pocket camera that works very well.

He notes there is a delay of about one second between pushing the shutter button and the actual photo capture, so it’s not suitable for “action” shots. (He also admits he doesn’t know much about the camera’s features, so this might be an issue he’s overlooking.) Nonetheless, it works fine for his needs and is certainly a more frugal alternative to my pricier model.

(Obligatory disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, if you purchase through those links, we earn a small commission.)

(Don’t forget: A complete list of all our book and product recommendations are linked here and at the upper-right column of the blog.)

Source: http://www.rural-revolution.com/2025/09/product-review-monday_28.html