Recently I received a comment as follows: "Hi Patrice, I was wondering if you could do a blog post
about your camera. Your photos are always so fantastic. I've been
thinking about getting a camera and am not sure where to start. I also
know you are thrifty, so any money-saving tips would be helpful."
Back when Don and I had been married for about a year or so (around 1991), we invested in a very good 35-mm film camera. This was, of course, before digital photography. It was a high-quality piece of equipment designed for the layperson, which worked for us since neither of us have photography experience. We just wanted something we could use to take pictures.
The disadvantage of this camera was its size. It was bulky enough that spontaneous photos seldom happened. You had to deliberately plan to use it. But honestly, it never occurred to us to look into alternatives.
Fast forward to, I dunno, maybe 2006 or so. Don was away on a business trip, and he took the camera with him. But we were having a steer butchered in his absence, and I wanted to document the process. So – a neighbor loaned me her pocket camera.
I was stunned. It was small, portable, easy to use, infinitely convenient, and digital. Almost immediately I started lobbying to get a pocket camera of our own.
It was a pricey thing for us, but eventually we bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 with a 30x zoom. The cost was around $350.
It's not that this particular model is the best, or has the slimmest profile, or any other outstanding feature. But it was available at the time, and Panasonic is a reputable brand. It turned out to be a very good, solid, dependable piece of equipment. Since that initial purchase almost 20 years ago, I think I'm on my third identical camera because, let's face it, I beat the poor things to death on a homestead.
I carry it with me almost every time I step foot outside (see this post to understand why). I've learned, however, not to just shove it in my pocket, since I damaged my first camera by doing that. Because the case it comes with is too bulky for my taste, I use an inexpensive nylon zippered bag and keep the camera tucked inside whenever it's in my pocket.
Pocket cameras are disappearing from the market now that the ubiquitous
smart phone has taken over the industry (and, to be fair, often do a
better job), but I am absolutely devoted to the genre, especially since I have no interest in getting a smart phone. I don't even know if they make this particular model anymore – we did a hasty on-line search and found tons of pre-owned units but no new ones. Still, I'm sure there are other pocket cameras out there; I'm just not familiar enough with the market to recommend anything.
In my case, the best thing I enjoy about my camera is its zoom feature. Not everything worth photographing happens close by; often I need to zoom out to capture, say, distant elk in a snowy field.
Other times, the macro features allow me to capture excellent close-up shots.
In short, it's an excellent and versatile tool for my amateur needs.
Over the years I've picked up a little skill in photography, but I'm
still very much an amateur, which is why I like point-and-shoot cameras. Still, once in a while I manage to get lucky
and grab a Very Good Shot, in which case I save that photo into a
separate file. I probably have over 600 such photos archived. One of
these days I may open an Etsy shop and try selling them.
Going back to the original comment: "I also
know you are thrifty, so any money-saving tips would be helpful." I'm not sure I can offer many thrifty tips beyond the recommendation never to shove an unprotected camera in your pocket (as I did at first) or otherwise subject the camera to battering it's not designed to withstand. In other words, take care of your equipment!
There are loads of pre-owned cameras online for far less money than new cameras, but of course purchasing these may be risky. It might be better to visit a specialty store in person and take a look at their pre-owned merchandise and get expert guidance.
I suppose the only other advice I have is, once you have a camera, use it. Practice practice practice. Ninety-nine percent of your shots will be lousy; but then you'll get a dazzler. That's all the motivation you need to keep learning, trying, testing, and experimenting. I know nothing about apertures, aspect ratios, or focal lengths, and frankly I don't care to learn. It's just not my passion. I just like to take pretty pictures.
I'll admit, however, this cartoon cracked me up (source). Yup, been there.
Happy shooting!
