My New Camera Arrives…

Well…kinda-sorta…after being notified on my computer by the package tracking system…I actually drove about five miles to the small post office in Bow, Washington about 3:00 PM yesterday to pick it up…rather than wait for the delivery today.

First impressions are that it’s definitely smaller and lighter than my Olympus Stylus 800 which it is replacing. It has a real nice “feel” to it. Very quiet and the menus are very intuitive…I was able to wander through the menus without needing to refer to the 60 page Instruction Manual or the 160 page Handbook.

After a brief acquaintance with the camera…it was time to go to work. If you are a regular follower of my Blog…you know I HATE Microsoft and avoid it whenever possible…like the plague. 2-3 years ago…whenever Windows XP Service Pack 3 came out I tried to download it and it thoroughly screwed up my computer. I was two days uninstalling it and getting the computer to work again. After that I shut off the Microsoft Automatic Updates and have been quite happy since…thank you very much.

However…this new camera requires Service Pack 3 and so it was with some trepidation that I turned on the Microsoft Automatic Updates and began the downloading of 72 updates before it would let me get to Service Pack 3 to download it. In addition I also had to download the associated Sony software. Four hours later…it appears everything downloaded without any interfacing problems. I even managed to turned on my computer this morning and it actually worked…so far…without any problems…I say…keeping my fingers crossed as I type…which is actually a little difficult to do.  🙂

Other than having to go into Burlington today for a couple of things…one of which is to return the wrong spare battery for the camera that I mistakenly ordered…the better portion of this day will be spent getting acquainted further with the new camera and its associated software. After six years with my Olympus…it appears I’ve got to learn some new ways of doing things. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?…especially if he has no choice to learn these new tricks to go in a forward direction. Wooff!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

Cameras, Cameras And More Cameras…

It all began four days age when my life-partner Mary…who is currently still in CA attending to business…told me that her camera flash suddenly decided to stop working. She confirmed…no…she had not accidentally turned it off…yes…she was using fresh batteries. So, I guess it has really quit working.

Since she’s so busy with other matters…and I have lots of free time on my hands…she asked me if I would do some camera research for her online…and I happily said…sure.

As I started my research…I got to thinking about my own camera. It’s an Olympus Sytlus 800…8 megapixel…weather-resistant model which I bought when it came out in 2005 for 400+ dollars. It’s still in excellent condition…takes great pictures…but…has some limitations. Being six years old it is now considered obsolete in comparison to the cameras of today where six months is considered light-years.

Here’s a photo of my Olympus Stylus 800 Camera…

So…as part of my research…I also started looking for a replacement for myself. There are dozens of manufacturers and literally hundreds of models.

In the last four days…I’m almost cross-eyed from looking at hundreds of cameras and reading many lengthy camera reviews. Finally…I’ve reached my decision. It’s a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC 4X5V. It’s one heck of a camera with an impressive amount of features for only $189 from Amazon.

If you are interesting reading about this camera…you should click this link…
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX5V-Digital-Stabilization/dp/B00328HR76/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1311444956&sr=1-2

I’ll place my order with Amazon tomorrow after I drive the motorhome about 50 miles north to the Thousand Trails RV Resort at Mount Vernon, Washington…for my next three-week stay. Once I know my new space number at that campground…I’ll be able to place the order with Amazon.

If you are a techie-type and are interested in the technical details of this camera…simply enter Sony DSC 4X5V Camera reviews in your Internet search box and you find several reports. One the reviews indicated…”one good thing about our current economy is that camera prices have come down substantially”. I’m truly amazed what this camera does for such a low price.

In the meantime…Mary continues to wade through the multitude of information I have emailed to her. At this moment…she has yet to decide what she will buy. I’ve only made one recommendation to her…at the frequency with which she drops her camera,,,she should make sure her new camera has a metal case!  🙂

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust