My readers know well that I love old cameras, both digital and film. I make solid, sometimes award-winning images with cameras that some professional might shun, cameras they consider obsolete.

Last week I was handed another tote full of old cameras, all of which had been used up and quit working.

One of these cameras was the Sony DCS-F717 that was first introduced in 2002. This camera was part of Sony’s L-shaped all-in-one series of cameras. It had a five megapixel sensor, a relatively small (1.8 inches) monitor on the back, and a low-resolution digital viewfinder.

I think we all liked the shape and handling of the camera, which was quite innovative at the time. Since the lens was the biggest part of the camera, the body of the camera was on a hinge that allowed the whole thing to swivel, allowing low and high angle shooting.

The F717 that I found in this bin wasn’t working, but even if it was, it’s doubtful I would try to put it into service, for a couple of reasons. First, the sensor is very small, so noise at even modest ISO settings is very noticeable. Second, at a resolution of just 320×240, the video it made is terrible, outmatched by even the flip phones of the day. And thirdly, it requires a Sony Memory Stick, which is proprietary, and no longer made.

The Sony DCS-F717 made some decent pictures in the right photographer’s hands, but it definitely didn’t age well.

You could throw it away, or you could just keep it around as a conversation piece. In recent years, I have gotten a big kick out of taking cameras like this apart to see how they were made.