My New Addition!

After 8 years I have finally replaced my 35 mm SLR camera with a digital SLR. I've been nervous. I drooled over an SLR for years, finally got one for Christmas in December 2000 and then a year later 35mm camera's became virtually obsolete and I had 2 children and switched to a digital point and shoot in December 2002. The point and shoots have been a staple. I take between 200 and 500 photos per month. I have gone through no less than 5 (possibly 6) point and shoot camera's in the last 7 years...4 alone in the last 4 years. The life span gets shorter and shorter.

This past July my latest Canon was dropped and I had been tender to it practically begging it to work every time I needed it. It got really testy this past December and then barely made it through Sophia's birthday. This week I grew altogether impatient with it and declared it was time for a new camera.

Rami has been itching for a Digital SLR with a faster shutter speed for the soccer and basketball sports photos. I have been scared. If we go through a camera a year and invest 4 times as much I will probably cry if this camera breaks. I also recognized that although an SLR is fancy and takes beautiful photos it's a little impractical as it can't just be thrown into my purse for quick snapshots.

I discussed the dilemma with Jennifer and she agreed. Nate offered to sell me his indestructible shock proof Olympus at the "family" discount. A 10mp used point and shoot at a cheaper price would allow me to buy the Digital SLR as well. Then I could have both cameras for any situation.

Yesterday we bought the Nikon 5000. We bought 2 lens with it. I can tell the 2 lens thing is going to annoy me but I'll get used to it. Today we met Auntie Jen in Pasadena after a soccer scrimmage in Corona. So, I was able to play with various functions and features in a couple different settings. Soccer action, outdoor fun and indoor touristy stuff.

Overall, I love the quality of the pictures. I still need to reteach myself all of the SLR functions as I had become dependant on the automatic functions of a point and shoot for far too long now. It's been 10 years since my photography classes and I was a little rusty today, but getting back into it quickly. The thing I forgot was that SLR's are heavy and my wrist was feeling it today.

Now, for my New Year's Resolution...do not upload every picture this year. I plan to delete the bad pictures immediately and then again upon closer inspection at download. I also have sworn off multiple prints this year. I going to try to start digital albums only - eliminating the need to order 5000 prints to catalog into 5 albums at the end of the year. Time to kick off the new decade with a new photographic attitude.