Camera Dilemma – Solved !

Remember this little chart I had on my last post?  I was looking for a decent bridge camera that did not leave all the viewing to an LCD screen.  There was no way I wanted to go back to the cumbersome DSLR cameras with interchangeable lens … been there, done that.  Isn't it great we all like different things?

Well, the chart changed.  There were  many similarities with the bridge cameras.  I figured I needed to prioritize beginning with features I wasn’t willing to sacrifice.  I tweaked my contenders and eliminated the cameras that didn’t have my must-have features. Then, looked at online reviews.  Those sites rated cameras on some specifications not so important to me.  Thus, my research continued looking for what I wanted and not on what reviewers felt were important.  This was my end result.  Notice the difference. 

So, here you see it.  Number one necessity was a viewfinder.  The camera also had to have a minimum shutter speed of 1/4000.  Next on the list was RAW format.  I really wanted that along with a good zoom.  Size and zoom were important but not at the top of the list.  So, what did I do?  Well, I ordered the Fuiji HS35EXR.  It seemed to fit the bill more than most.   It was a difficult decision for me since I've never owned anything but a Nikon, Canon or Sony.

Wait a minute.  That was what I did to begin with.  Then,  I got an email from RVing friend, Sue, with a few links on her recent camera purchase.  She seemed to know a little about what I was looking for.  It didn’t take too long to check the specifications on the camera she had bought.  Her suggestion moved from no-place on my list to top spot.  What to do?  I tried to cancel the order of my previous camera purchase.  I held my breathe waiting to see if my cancellation was successful.    I waited.  I waited and I waited.  Eventually the email came through indicating cancellation was successful.  Then, another purchase was made.  My American Express card sure gets a working out at times.  This time the purchase was for the Lumix DMC FZ200 along with a circular polarizer and a UV filter. 

What changed my mind between the two cameras especially since they were so similar?  After all, the one I ordered was more expensive than the one I cancelled.   I wasn't really thrilled with the 24X zoom but the lens and the size won out.  Now the wait begins.  When will it arrive?  I ordered it yesterday.  Shouldn't it be here today?   Hmm.  I'm thinking it hasn't even left the shipper yet.

Today we got a couple Christmas boxes shipped off.  It’s always such a relief to get that done.  We have a package going to Virginia and another one going to Washington.   Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just ship ourselves home for Christmas but we know it’s not that easy. 

Our stay at the Elks has just continued to get better and better.  We’ve discovered that Mondays the best chicken wings ever are served and on Tuesday it’s followed with great tacos.  Normally by the time we’ve been any place over a week we’re ready to move on.  However, that’s not the case now.  We really like it here and we’ve met great people including a couple from Washington, one from Oregon and tonight from New Mexico.  I’m not sure we’ll be ready to move when it’s time but I’m saying that now.  Who knows how we’ll feel next week or even the week after that.

We’ve also been pretty involved with Terry’s mom.  She loves having the company and she especially loves having someone to drive her to the casinos.  We’ve visited the three closest ones and will probably start on our second round soon.  Besides the casinos our calendar is starting to get pretty full with events.   There’s just so much to do and we hope to do all the little things we can. 

That’s my update!

Tomorrow will come early.  My alarm is set for 4:00 AM.  We’re making a little trek to the airport in the morning.  We’ve decided that at least once a month we’re going to treat ourselves and make that trek.  Why not?  Stay tuned for details.

‘Tis life on the road.

“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”  - Theodore Roosevelt