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!

How to destroy your phone in one easy step

Crap! I had a bottle of nail polish remover in my purse so I wouldn't forget to take off my nail polish later, but I found out what a brillant idea that was about one hour later. The lid came undone ever so slightly and sloshed sticky smelly liquid all over my purse. Then when it dried it made everything stick to the side of my purse. It's not like I carry around anything too important, but my phone was in there and now it looks like it went through the Battle of Gettysburg. The entire face was eaten away by the acetone in the nail polish remover and it is not a pretty sight. Fortunately, it can still make phone calls. I just can't see who I'm calling. My apologies in advance--stranger I call mother.

BTW it looks like I'm in the market for a new camera (lens damage due to sand??) AND phone. If you have any recommendations for either, please let me know.

Ooo, I made it

Not into stardom, or onto American Idol or anything like that (which coincidentally aired it's first episode last night), but rather, I made a camera case.

I wanted to make a matching laptop, cord, and camera case, but my mom cleared out some of the old clothes in my closest and gave them to Good Will. Therefore, I had no ugly old flannel shirts to cut up and turn into pretty new things. Awww, poor me (and people who received the flannel).


Alas, I still made the case from some scrap material around the house. The sad part is that I sewed it all wrong first and to redo the whole thing. Yes. I am that bad at sewing. But in the end, I suppose the final product isn't that bad.

Camera Woes Begone

When I went to the shore this Thanksgiving, I took my camera along to snap some photographs of the ocean waves cascading over the pier rocks. On the first walk we took down the boardwalk, I put said camera inside my knit hat for easier carrying. Unfortunately, the camera fell out of my hat and onto the ground. Bleh. It never turned back on again. It had been acting up earlier, but I'm fairly certain I pulled its last straw by throwing it on the ground. It had been well loved and well traveled. I will miss you good friend.

In brighter news, however, I spent my Christmas money on a new camera, so now I can resume my usual photographing happiness. A month without my own camera was a miserable existence.

I decided to stick with Canon since I was very pleased with my last camera, and can I just say, I LOVE my new Canon A1000? I opted for the brushed bronze color since the plum isn't exactly the prettiest shade of purple. It has a ridiculous 10 megapixels that could potentially make prints the size of poster murals. Craziness. Plus there's a 4X optical zoom and its macro option is way better than my last one. See my Christmas nails? The red glitter appears quite close.


Sorry, I will stop reveling in my new camera joy. My attention must now be turned to crafting a carrying case, so I don't end up throwing this one on the ground too.