Finally got him to set up his own blog today. It’s http://maxiecat.wordpress.com and he’s writing his first post right now. Stop by and have a look!
(“Maxiecat” was the only word we tried that hadn’t already been used.)
A handheld movie of Bickie showing off for the camera may be seen at this link. I didn’t want to post it directly here because I have no editor to make the size of the window smaller; it would take up the whole page.
This was taken with my new J4 and the kit lens (10-30mm).
It’s been a dramatic and annoying week chez Pick regarding cameras. I “ultimately” (note the quotes) decided on a Pentax K-S2 DSLR. It’s weather-resistant, works with a remote, has a built-in flash, and can take lenses to give me good zoom. Spent the afternoon playing with it, lugging it around, and realized that I do not have the patience to deal with a honking monster camera like that.
So, what did I do? Took it back to the store and exchanged it for a giant point-and-shoot! (The salesguy recommended it to me.) Honestly, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I got the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000, which is a bigger (but lighter weight) camera, with only a 16x zoom. Spent an hour playing around with it and finally admitted my folly.
Therefore, there were 2-3 more days of web research – focusing specifically on small cameras – and narrowed it down to three Nikon interchangeables, the J4, the S2, and the AW1. The AW1 had been on my radar for a long time – it’s the fully immersible, shockproof, freezeproof and all that. But it’s also pretty heavy. This was a camera I’d played with several times at the camera store. It’s still at a pretty high price, but also, gets a lot of iffy reviews for water leakage/Nikon not honoring the warranty. So it went on the back burner.
Between the J4 and the S2 there were very few differences. The J4 had been released in a gorgeous juicy orange color, and the S2 in a bright, bright yellow. Those of you who know me well know that I’ll always pick a colored item over a white, black, or silver. However, although the J4 is a slightly more advanced camera, nobody had the orange in stock any more, not even Nikon. So I discovered that Target sells the white model, and we went to take a look.
Imagine my surprise when we saw the Target sign saying “$150 off”! I snapped it up and have been happily playing with it all weekend.
Now, lest some pedantic photographer point this out, let me state that this is not a water-resistant camera. It also doesn’t seem to work with a remote – though I was misled by the Nikon live chat rep that morning, who said it would work. I’ve got an email in to Nikon customer support to confirm.
Right now the only lens I’ve got is the 10-30mm, which is not a zoom lens, but there are some longer lenses in my pre-France future.
The weather sealing is probably my least-important criterion. I could always take my phone with me for rainy day shots, though my phone camera is nothing special.
Also, if you find a camera that works with a Windows Phone app, that would solve the remote problem. I’ve poked thru the Windows store by searching on the major camera manufacturers but didn’t find anything. Thanks.
I want a weather-resistant (because it’s Seattle), compact (for travel), remote-capable (because I shake too much without a tripod and remote) point-and-shoot. If you ever stumble across one, please let me know. I haven’t been able to find a way to narrow this down. Different manufacturers use different terms for weather-resistant (weatherproof, waterproof, weather-sealed, and so on); many of them are usable with an iOS or Android phone as a remote (and you all know I don’t use those things). There is no Windows Phone app for any cameras that are weather-resistant. It’s a tough call! I’ve been browsing manufacturer sites as well as store sites and can’t really find a way to narrow this down.
I do not mind a 100% waterproof camera but I really only want something that won’t be corrupted if I’m out in the neighborhood taking pics and it begins to rain.
There are quite a few weather-resistant DSLRs (too big, too great of a learning curve for me).
There are a few DSLR-sized point-and-shoots that take remotes (too big).
There are plenty of waterproof point-and-shoots but they don’t have remote capability.
Thanks for keeping your eyes open for me.
Purchased this camera in 6/14 and took it on quite a few vacations. I’m selling it, with original box and all accessories plus the pleather jacket case, for $198 total (shipped in the US). It is still $298 at Amazon (including the jacket case). Please contact me if you are interested. Has a 30x zoom and uses SD cards. It’s a good camera, but my least-favorite of all the ones in the house, and the proceeds will go towards this mythical waterproof, remote-controlled point-and-shoot, if I ever find one.
The US Picks 