Enough with the blue photos already.

I’ve mostly given up on the Nikon Coolpix B700, at least until I can have it repaired or adjusted.  It still has that incredible 60X zoom, and it’s great for moon shots and bird photos, so I’m not throwing it away.  And, of course, I can always use it when I really do want a photo with an artistic blue tinge.  Some waterscapes and landscapes come out better that way.

As you know, I’ve been using the little Olympus point and shoot that I received as a gift a number of years back.  Despite the good photos I can get with it, it’s a little frustrating to have only a 5X zoom, and trying to take macros at ground level without an adjustable LCD screen is nearly impossible for someone my age who is no longer limber.  In order to take this mushroom photo, I had to set the Olympus on the ground, click the shutter button, and take my chances.  I couldn’t get down to put my eye to the viewfinder and was forced to take a series of shots at different angles and distances, not knowing until afterwards if I even  had the mushroom in the frame at all.

So, finally I decided to bite the bullet and took myself to a local electronics store.  I researched cameras on-line and had a pretty good idea what I’d like in my price range, but I really wanted to touch the cameras and play with the menus before purchasing.  I wanted to know how the camera would feel when I was carting it around the park.

I was kind of like a kid in a candy shop – all those neat cameras!  I played with the two mirrorless cameras for so long that the clerk finally came over and politely asked if there was something specific he could help with.  (In other words, get my hands off the merchandise unless I was serious about buying – or at least that’s what was running through my mind.)

Sure.  I wanted a camera similar to the Olympus, but with a longer zoom and an LCD screen so I could set the camera lower or higher and still be able to view the image.  Also, I wanted something small enough to fit in a pocket (the B700 is a bit unwieldy, especially outside).

Of course, the clerk knew exactly what I’d like (don’t they always?).  He took me over to the point-and-shoots and showed me his favorite compact camera, the one he himself owns and with which he is very pleased.

My immediate reaction was:  “But that’s a Nikon!”  I then had to explain why I was leery of buying another Nikon.  Going back and forth (and truly trying the poor guy’s patience), I played with the Canons and the Sonys and the Panasonics, but for one reason or another they simply didn’t call to me – either the zoom was too low, or they didn’t have an LCD screen that could be angled, or they were simply too large.   I almost went with one of the Canons but couldn’t figure out the menu, and when I asked the clerk, he couldn’t figure it out, either.

So, I finally decided on the one camera that had a 35X zoom, an adjustable LCD screen, and a menu I already knew how to use – the Nikon Coolpix A1000.  It’s a wee bit larger than I’d like, but since I wear loose jeans with large pockets, it does, in fact, fit in my pocket.

So far it’s taking good photos:

Wish me luck.  If I go out within the next couple of weeks and find my newest Nikon is taking overly blue photos, I’m going to be really upset.

Surely, fate wouldn’t be that unkind?

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Images by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalie Studio