Shopping for a Camera

Is it bad that I spent more time shopping for a camera than I did for a car? It dawned on me that I bought my current car in a period of less than 3 weeks and my current camera in a period of over 2 months. Does that make me an irrational consumer? I guess the more pressing the need (ie. transportation) the quicker the decision?

But anyway, Amazon and Best Buy both have a deal going on where if you buy a digital camera right now, they throw in a 4GB SD card for free. I snatched up that deal, (ultimately on Amazon because there was no tax) because they also have the most competitive prices on the market for digital cameras.

I almost made a purchase from Delta Camera online, but googled the place before entering my credit card information and was saved by this blog. Apparently the site is a big scam. I thought the reason their prices were so low was because the camera didn't come with a battery and I could buy that separately elsewhere. Apparently though, the camera doesn't come at all, and the listed address is a Jewish Deli in Brooklyn, so I feel like I dodged a bullet there. That's just a reminder to do your research when buying online. If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. Always go for the reputable site. ReSellerRatings is a good place to begin your search.

I also used the Internet to read up on reviews of all the cameras I was considering buying. I knew I wanted a Canon Point-and-Shoot. I knew I wanted a 4x optical zoom. I knew I wanted 12 megapixels. So I worked from there and narrowed it down to the Cannon PowerShot A3100 IS and the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS. They are very similar cameras but one is 30 bucks more expensive than the other. This specs comparison shows nicely how they are basically the same camera in different shells. So what did I base my final decision on in the end? Yeah, I hate to say it, but color. Red won.

I hope to get my camera in the mail today or tomorrow!