Wednesday, September 8, 2010

indecisive.

I have had the same camera for over 5 years now. It's a good ol' point & shoot, 7 megapixel Sony CyberShot. It served me well for a couple years, but lately it just doesn't give me the shots I desire, nor does it ever flash in time to capture anything cute my kids do! So the money I received for my birthday last month was definitely going towards a new camera. But what to get? I've always loved the beautiful photographs that DSLR cameras take, but at the same time, I love the simplicity of a point & shoot. Maybe there's a middle ground?

My Facebook friends helped me a few weeks ago when I polled them: for a starter DSLR, the Canon Rebel is where it's at, they said. I figured I could get the 8 or 10 megapixel camera to start, take a photography class or read a book (or soak up some knowledge from my DSLR-using friends, if they'd let me.)

Canon Rebel EOS DSLR




But then I got cold feet. Josh reminded me that I have a lot going on (2 kids, school, plus I can barely get time in to craft, or to sew - a hobby I started after getting my sewing machine last Christmas.) Do I want to spend a chunk of change on a camera that I potentially won't have the time to learn how to use, at least initially? Also, it's so large - I like a camera I can just keep in my purse.

So I explored the most high-quality point-and-shoot options and found the Canon Powershot S90.

Canon Powershot S90



Right in my price range and it's supposed to be fabulous - a sort of DSLR/point & shoot hybrid, combining the best of both. The only downside in all the reviews I read is that it doesn't have HD video recording capabilities. I do record short videos frequently and if I'm going to get a new camera, I'd like to get something that will have the newest technology since I'll be using it for quite awhile. I decided to buy it anyways, and was all set to order it, until I found out that Canon just released the Canon Powershot S95 - with 720p HD video capabilities!

Canon Powershot S95



From Canon's website: "The ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent S95 is loaded with all a serious photographer's must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 Wide-Angle Lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon's HS SYSTEM is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light. And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon's Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You'll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography's your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95."



So now I'm back at square one and I can't make up my mind! If I do the Canon PowerShot S95 then I have a little more saving to do, but I could get a DSLR for about just as much. I need to figure out what the heck I want. If you haven't weighed in already, dear blog reader, let me know what you think! What do you use and why? What do you think I should get and why? Am I just putting way too much thought into this?


2 comments:

  1. That is a hard decision. I LOVE our Cannon point and shoot camera and bring it everywhere and use it all the time. Love that fits in my purse or even my pocket. But I have a strong desire to buy a DSLR and learn how to really use it. It is kind of like you need both? Ugh. I wasn't much help. Sorry!

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  2. Get the Canon and pick up an HD Flip for movies later. We got our flip on woot.com very reasonably priced. Also, Christmas is coming up and relatives are suckers for video and would be easily convinced to get you one.

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