So, every once in a while I like to sit back and give a State of the Union-esque sort of update to you so you know where I am with everything. Specifically, I’d like to update you on business, ask for your opinion on something, and then send you somewhere where your voice can be heard! (Figuratively!)
First of all, as you know, I’ve been doing reviews for BlogHer. I know this burns a few goats out there, so let me be totally up front on something. I will NEVER place a review on this main page. They will always be placed on a different page and listed over on the right-hand side under the Pages—Reviews header. There is absolutely no pressure to read the reviews. None. So, why do I do the reviews? To me, they’re fun. As you know, I get free stuff when I agree to do a review. Sometimes I get all generous and give that stuff to you guys. Also, I get paid. And that leads me to my next topic!
When my grandma died four years ago (there I go with the dead grandma thing again!), Jeff and I bought a Sony DSC-H1 digital camera. And the camera really has nothing to do with the grandma, but Timelines, People! It’s how my head works! Anyway, the camera has been a good friend, but she has also been failing lately, and I believe it’s time to replace her. For the past several months I’ve been saving my review checks and my yarn store checks with the intention of eventually purchasing a new digital camera. Many people have been singing the praises of the Canon Digital Rebel to me. A few say that Nikon is the way to go. Please know that I am NOT a professional photographer, nor do I aspire to be one. However, I would love to be able to take photos without having to dink around with them afterward. Having the option of video would be nice, but not completely necessary. Do you have any recommendations for me? Is your digital camera love a strong one? Sway me, Internet! Bend me and mold me and poke me around for a bit. Convince me. (Help me.)
Finally, do you remember last April when I posted some of the Dave letters? Well, I received a quick note from Dave a few days back telling me that he has a t-shirt design up at Threadless, and if his design receives enough votes, it will become an actual t-shirt. If you have a Threadless account, would you consider voting for his design? (You vote by clicking on one of the numbers at the right hand side. Preferably, the 5.) I told him that if I can get 100 people to vote from my site and if his t-shirt goes into production, I might just give one of the t-shirts away. I’ll keep you updated on our progress.
And now, because I enjoy feeling like I can embed things, I shall embed the badge for the We All Scream design. You can click on it! You know, because I understand the whole embedding thing!
Excellent. This concludes my Taking Care of The Business. Tomorrow (or soon thereafter)? Jeff makes an important decision regarding the possibility of me running away from home with one of my long-time crushes. (Hint: This has absolutely nothing to do with Zach Braff.)
EDITED TO ADD: If we get the shirt vote up to 415 votes and the shirt goes to production, I’ll give one away! And you NEED this shirt, because it’s orange and summery and ’tis the season and all of that.
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We have a Fuji something or other that we got several years ago, but I hate it. It hasn’t worked right since we went to the beach a few years ago (electronics don’t like blowing saltwater, who knew?).
I have a friend who has a Canon and a couple of friends who have Nikons. Their cameras cost more than our mortgage.
So the Canon Rebel is from all accounts a pretty kick-ass camera, but if you’re not into the whole “a lens for every occasion, let’s use a different f-stop for this one, wow this camera is bigger than my head” thing, you might want to consider the Canon SD1000. It’s a svelte little point and shoot that still allows a decent amount of manual adjustments (if you’re so inclined). Takes nice photos and video and fits in your pocket. I love mine.
(Not really trying to talk you out of an SLR if that’s what your heart desires, but if you haven’t had a new digital point & shoot for a while, you might not have noticed that they are getting really nice now, and I find that I get better shots with mine than with the bigger camera, just because I can have it with me all the time.)
Sorry to double-post, but I get a little excited about cameras.
If you’re interested in going with a little camera, you might want to look at this page ( http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/4321-6501_7-6567910.html?tag=mncol;txt ) discussing the different choices in the Canon ELPH line-up (to which the aforementioned SD1000 belongs).
oh what do I know about cameras. Mr Coffee seems to get better pictures on his iPhone than I do with anything I ever get in my hand.
For me, the question is portability. Is that a word?
I cannot, though I’d love to, stick an SLR in my bag. Also, I am fairly dumb when it comes to cameras and so I have an expensive but excellent Leica. Now, the *real* camera people in my house? Have Nikons.
Oooh, I’ll have to check back again to see what other wonderful recommendations folks leave you. I’d love a real camera, too. (And good for you for setting your sites on one!)
We have a Pentax istD, and we absolutely love it. We had a Pentax SLR before we went digital, and we stuck with the Pentax so that our lenses could upgrade with us. I purchased a smaller Fuji digital camera last year so that I had a smaller camera that I could stick in my purse, but then I was always upset that my pictures aren’t as great as they are on the Pentax.
I have SLR envy much of the time, but the fact is that I really like the ability to take a short video with my camera! So, Husband bought me a Lumix DMC-FZ50 and I LOVE it!
You can see a review here … http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/FZ50/FZ50A.HTM
I can take both artistic shots and snaps without too much of a hassle.
Hope you find one that’s right for you!
I LURVE my camera. I mean, I really really love it. Passionately.
I have a Nikon D60. I have zero complaints about it.
BUT, if you’re mainly interested in taking family photos, I’d go with the Canon. It’s also a great camera, and here’s the main difference: the attachments (additional lenses primarily, but also filters, and other accessories) are WAY CHEAPER. Nikon is a smaller company. They make superb stuff, but it’s a lot more expensive if you really get into your camera.
Canon makes a great camera too. Their sub-pro models have less bells and whistles (in my opinion), but make great, high quality SLRs for home use.
I love my Canon Powershot A720 IS (8mp, 6x zoom). There is one a model down that has 4x zoom; I see it advertised frequently. I’d really suggest a trip to Creve Coeur Camera, and they price match, as far as I know (or they used to, at least). This is our second Powershot, the first only had 2mp, but I don’t really need 8mp to take mostly family/vacation/etc.-type shots.
I totally LOVE my Nikon D60, which is fairly compact and the available “kit” lenses are quite sharp.
I have tons of photos on my website (click the photo of the day link on the left), but that doesn’t really matter. You can get great photos with almost anything, really.
To me, I switched from manual focus Minolta SLRs to the Nikon because it FELT right. Also, I have yet to open the manual…by my way of thinking (with film SLR experience…thought manual), the Nikon is intuitive. VERY.
I’d recommend picking each camera up and trying to use it a bit. How it feels makes a huge difference, and what I like you may not!
I voted b/c it’s awesome!
In regards to cameras, I have a Canon Powershot G7. I love love love it w/ a passion that borders on the inappropriate. I think it takes really great zoomed photos and I love that it has several modes so you can get the camera to set itself for the situationt hat you’re trying to take pictures of (aquariums, fireworks, kids and pets, foliage, etc). It’s 10 megapixels and also has face recognition (but I think they all do now), super intense focusing ability, a function that helps reduce any hand wobbles you have, a really big viewscreen, video capabilities (I think, but I’ve never used that function), and a lovely thing called “stitch assist” for panorama shots. Let me know if you’d like more info on it. I have some pics on my blog, and I’m on Flickr, but I don’t know how helpful any of that will be for you since I am personally a pretty sucky photographer, but a lot of my stuff comes out really great despite me!
I just voted and it’s up to 505 votes!
I will assume that we haven’t heard from you in a few days because you are busily working away on that lovely dress you were going to make your child? How goes it?
What? You’re done already? Then show us some pictures! (Note the final link to the photography issue, weak though it may be…)