A Tale of Two Nikons
Back in 2002, Ed bestowed me with a digital camera for Christmas. He did tons of research, as he tends to do with any gadget purchase and he went with that year's top pick from Leo Laporte, the Nikon CoolPix 2500. It is a 2.1 megapixel camera and it set him back a nice piece of change.
I love the camera. It's easy to use and turns out a decent picture. Even an SLR snob like me learned to leave the bulky camera bag behind when we go out, because it's done a darn good job in a variety of settings.
A few years later, Ed suggested getting me a better camera, and he'd take mine. Fate intervened, though. We happened to acquire another Cool Pix 2500 for $75., all because my habit of carrying the camera everywhere meant I had a card and battery to test one that was being sold in an unclaimed items sale. Having two of the same camera is pretty cool, much like the many Minolta SLRs that we had among me, the ex, my Dad, Giggles and Dave. The same camera meant there was another battery or card at the ready when yours was dead or full.
Eventually, Donna decided she wanted a digital camera and turned to us for input. Bawb happened to be here from California, and he offered some insights as well. Ed and I pointed her towards the newest Nikon Cool Pix at the time, because we felt it would be a good one for a novice, based on our experience with ours.
Alas, we were wrong in our assessment. Donna recently lamented to me that she needed to find a camera for her Europe trip next month. I asked about the camera and that's when she told me that she HATED her camera and didn't use it.
The long and the short of it is that she sent her camera here and I'm sending her mine for the trip. Granted, the resolution on hers is much better, but that doesn't help much when the pictures are blurry.
Blurry? Why are they blurry, you ask? That's because the S9, unlike the 2500, has an abysmally slow shutter speed. Yes, one can learn to compensate for that problem. To a point. When it is clearly a good 1...2...3...4...5...6 and Click, even a statue couldn't keep up. I took some indoor pictures and had this problem. It might be better outdoors.
Donna, I'm sorry. We steered you to a dud camera. Mine is on its way, with cheat sheet and a 1GB card that should cover you for a week.
I love the camera. It's easy to use and turns out a decent picture. Even an SLR snob like me learned to leave the bulky camera bag behind when we go out, because it's done a darn good job in a variety of settings.
A few years later, Ed suggested getting me a better camera, and he'd take mine. Fate intervened, though. We happened to acquire another Cool Pix 2500 for $75., all because my habit of carrying the camera everywhere meant I had a card and battery to test one that was being sold in an unclaimed items sale. Having two of the same camera is pretty cool, much like the many Minolta SLRs that we had among me, the ex, my Dad, Giggles and Dave. The same camera meant there was another battery or card at the ready when yours was dead or full.
Eventually, Donna decided she wanted a digital camera and turned to us for input. Bawb happened to be here from California, and he offered some insights as well. Ed and I pointed her towards the newest Nikon Cool Pix at the time, because we felt it would be a good one for a novice, based on our experience with ours.
Alas, we were wrong in our assessment. Donna recently lamented to me that she needed to find a camera for her Europe trip next month. I asked about the camera and that's when she told me that she HATED her camera and didn't use it.
The long and the short of it is that she sent her camera here and I'm sending her mine for the trip. Granted, the resolution on hers is much better, but that doesn't help much when the pictures are blurry.
Blurry? Why are they blurry, you ask? That's because the S9, unlike the 2500, has an abysmally slow shutter speed. Yes, one can learn to compensate for that problem. To a point. When it is clearly a good 1...2...3...4...5...6 and Click, even a statue couldn't keep up. I took some indoor pictures and had this problem. It might be better outdoors.
Donna, I'm sorry. We steered you to a dud camera. Mine is on its way, with cheat sheet and a 1GB card that should cover you for a week.
Comments
What is up with the battery being exhausted, anyway? It's not like the thing has to run a marathon or run after kids all day!