THE NEW CAMERA

The new camera and all the paraphernalia that came with it - Yikes!

I recently purchased a new camera, after reviewing Consumer Reports articles.  It’s a Sony DSC HX300.

My current camera is a Kodak which is several years old but still takes great photos.  However, following a trip to the (very humid) mountains of North Carolina a few years ago it began “acting up”.  Did you know that an area of North Carolina around Brevard is a rain forest!  Well, neither did I until it became so humid that moisture invaded my camera which then refused to work for a few weeks and the SD card was ruined.  A subsequent trip in the winter to the local conservatory (30 degrees outside, and 90 inside) and stepping from a frigid air conditioned basement into 95 degree humidity, both of which also caused condensation, certainly didn’t help the condition of the camera.

Even though the camera dried out each time, it gets a bit wacky periodically and I can see the handwriting on the wall!  I wanted to get another camera and learn how to use it so that when the Kodak dies I won’t be (a) completely without a camera or (b) have to frantically search for something and learn how to use it quickly.

Because when it comes to me and electronic devices, there is no such thing as “quickly”!

I knew I wanted a viewfinder and a lot of zoom, but not have to mess around with separate lenses – been there, done that many years ago with a state of the art Olympus.  Seemed like every time I had on a zoom, there was something 2 feet away I wanted to shoot, and vice versa.  And, of course, by the time I changed lenses the object of my photo would be long gone!

So lately, every time I would be in a store with cameras, I would look them over and decide if any would be right for me.  But most have no viewfinder any more, and that was totally unacceptable.  I had finally decided that I would buy a cheapie small camera to throw in my purse and a larger, expensive camera for real “photo shoots”.  Then, it dawned on me that if, sometime in the future, I purchase a SmartPhone, it will have a camera and then I won’t need another camera.  So, at this point, the plan is to have my new camera for real photography days and my old Kodak which I can take with me on a daily basis.

The reviews were very complimentary for this camera.  It is much larger and bulky – but it came with tons of “stuff”!  I wish I could get a photo of the two cameras side by side - maybe when someone wanders in with their SmartPhone they can take that photo for me!  (Or I could buy a 3^rd camera LOL).

My Kodak has 5 pixels and 10X zoom – the new one a whopping 20.4 pixels and 50X zoom!  (I’m sure that extra .4 pixel will make a huge difference!)  I am looking forward to taking some good photos, although the Kodak still takes great photos, and people always ask me what kind of fancy camera I have!

The LCD screen on the Sony pulls out and turns in several directions, which I’m sure will be good when I’m outside in bright light trying to see the screen – that’s why I wanted a viewfinder versus the LCD screen.  That and the fact that with a viewfinder I’m not one of those people holding their camera or phone up in the air in front of someone else trying to take the same photo and blocking their view! 

Which makes me think of all the people with their iPads and tablets taking photos.  It was bad enough when they held a phone or small camera up in front of me.  Now there is a sea of very large objects that go up like the signs in football stadium bleachers that block my view!!!  Remember when everything was getting smaller and smaller – now it’s all getting bigger and bigger!  I’ve decided that I’m so far out of style that if I wait long enough I’ll be back in style!  

So once I get the hang of this new camera, and can actually take a photo and upload it, I’ll have to put up some side-by-side photos and we can all compare the old versus the new.  Betcha can't wait!