Sun, Sand and Cameras

This isn’t so much an issue of learning something new but rather a situation of learning that you need to pay attention to what you already know. Because yes, if it’s something bad that can happen, it can happen to you. For example, you really can get sand in your camera at the beach rendering the camera inoperable.

I loved my Pentax camera. It isn’t a brand that a lot of people buy, I know. Kodak, HP, Sony, even Canon are far more popular. But my Pentax took great photos and had a 2.5″ LCD panel. My aging eyes loved it!

Did you notice the past tense there? Yes? That’s because my Pentax is no longer a working camera. At first, the lens aperture wouldn’t open. Then when it did finally open (thanks to Brit and her camera mojo), the pictures were barely visible beneath a huge white glowy spot in the center. And so I mourned the demise of my beloved Pentax camera.

We ran to the local Foodland and picked up a few disposal cameras. But you know, when you’re really used to instant gratification, waiting for your photos to be developed is torture. We’ve got two cameras full but haven’t taken them to be developed yet. We’ll probably wait till we get home.

So yesterday we went to Wal-Mart in Lihue and looked at the cameras there. I knew they wouldn’t have Pentax; I ordered mine online. I was surprised they had so few HPs. There were some nice Kodaks but I wasn’t impressed with the feel of the cameras.

And that’s when I saw it. My first digital was a fujifilm camera. My daughter, Maggie, still uses it and loves it. I think it’s a 3mp but the photo quality is fine for her MySpace photos. The only thing I don’t like about Fuji cameras is the xD Picture card. The 1G card is much higher priced than SD card so I’d shied away from another Fuji.

Until…. I saw the Fujifilm FinePix E900.

Yep, it’s a 9MP camera. It’s got an Auto, Point and Shoot mode but also allows loads of manual settings. It records video (and I swear I’m going to learn how to use that!) with sound. It comes with a 16MB xD card which meant that I had to buy a bigger one. But still. The LCD panel is 2″ so it was close to my Pentax, plus it has a viewfinder which makes it great for outdoor pictures. And it even comes with rechargeable batteries and a recharger. Nice!

This camera isn’t as lightweight as my Pentax and it’s a little bigger, too. But that’s okay. I don’t carry a tiny purse anyway. I like the slightly bigger styling, too, because it gives the camera a little more stability in my hands. Needless to say, the pictures are great with 9Mega Pixels, too!

So it looks like I’m going home with a new camera. I’d hoped to start looking for a new computer when I get back home, probably a refurb. Now I think I’ll have to wait. Oh, well. Another month or so and I’ll build my little mad money pot back up enough to start shopping for that new machine. Until then, I’ll just take lots of pictures!

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