I bought some tilapia from the butcher/deli section of my local grocery store. The guy helping me asked me if I wanted some preperation tips. I said sure thinking he would give me some interesting tilapia-specific recipie ideas I could try. No, this is what he said: "I put it in an oiled pan and cook it. Sometimes I put salt or herbs on it. You could also grill it."
This is what I said: "Great idea, thanks."
This is what I thought: "Um, I know what how to use a pan to cook things. I am also familiar with the benefits of salt and herbs. Do you really get people in here who need that kind of information?"
Here is where I need some help from all who read my blog. I am purchasing a digital camera this week before I go to Belize and I would like suggestions. I am hoping to spend under $300, but if it's a little more and you really, really, really think it's the best thing out there, I might consider it. Also, remember, I am going to a hot, humid, dirty jungle, so spending a bunch of money on the fanciest digital SLR out there might be risky. Thanks!
5 comments:
Ber-
here's a tip from Luke. Ignore anything called "digital zoom", you want optical zoom. Take into consideration what your power source will be, also. Will you have a place to charge batteries or not? Will it run on AA's or will you have to purchase expensive batteries?
Luke purchased a Sony Cybershot a couple of years ago for his motorcycle engine rebuild, and it has served us fairly well. We also use the Cybershot at school to document the kiddo's stuff for their portfolios. It's nice and small, and it runs on AA's. My only complaint is that I don't think it does a great job with zoom options. Often I've wanted to take a nice close-up of something and the Cybershot has not come through for me.
Luke's sister Katy bought a Canon Powershot (maybe an A520? not sure) for her trip to Costa Rica, and she had some great pictures from that trip. I haven't talked to her about how much she likes it or what she wishes were different, but I did get to see her pics of the jungle, and they turned out really nice.
When my dad bought a camera (and you know how much he likes to research), I think he bought a Canon as well. Again, he got something pretty small and compact, and he's been a little ambivalent. He likes the convenience factor, but he doesn't think it photographs things nearly as well as his beloved manual SLR collection.
Hope any of this stuff helps.
Sarah
Steve's Digicams is a really useful site -- thorough reviews with sample pictures plus price grabbing. An easy way to start is on the "Best" page: Best cameras You can also find reviews for almost any camera out there, though, not just the ones he lists on "Best."
I have the Sony Cybershot w100. The model that's basically the same but has fewer megapixels (the w70) is one of the cameras listed on Steve's "best." Mine is certainly not the best out there, and I think its outdoor pictures are far superior to its indoor pictures. However, for the lens quality and the price I got it for, I would purchase it again.
A camera I think would be really sweet for your Belize trip is the Olympus Stylus 720SW because it's waterproof up to 10 ft. You could take underwater pictures with it! And I know there would be some cool underwater picture opportunities in Belize. BestBuy had this camera for under $300 about a month ago, I think because this particular one is being discontinued. Its replacement is waterproof up to 35 ft, I believe.
Amber,
I am not quite an expert on cameras, but I do know what a good picture looks like. I like pictures that are taken with either a canon or sony- both have fairly good picture quality. I would definitely avoid a kodak. That is what I have and it works okay, but for beliz, i do not think it would be sufficient. the color quality is not the best. Oh, and don't forget to get a card reader or make sure the camera comes with a usb cable so you can get your pictures off....I forgot mine last time I went to Mexico so my pictures were limited!!! Have a great time and I will be in Mexico as of Monday the 21st!!! Be safe and God bless!!!
P.S. This is Sara Javers
Hey Amber, Briley bought me a camera for graduation that I've been extremely pleased with. It's the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 - it has 10x optical zoom and is a 7.2 megapixel camera, plus it has Panasonic's great image stabilization which comes in handy when you're taking pictures without the flash. It has loads of customizable settings for shooting different types of photos. It's not waterproof, but if you're using it to take pictures out at the site where you'll be working, I think it'll work great - I'm using it at my field school this summer for my research project.
The only downside is it doesn't use AA batteries but instead uses a rechargeable battery pack - to me, it's not a downside because I'll have regular access to electricity (plus I think the battery pack lasts longer than AA batteries anyway so it's probably cheaper in the long run). If you have electrical access, I recommend it!
Have a great time in Belize and see you in August!
Go with a Cannon - they make the best lens out there for moderately-priced cameras.
:=8)
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