Fuji E550
Yesterday, 27 March 2005, I bought myself rather a nice little portable digital camera.
I say 'portable' because I was after something that would be a little more handy than the D70 and more, well, digital, than the M6! I went up the Tottenham Court Road after getting a coffee at the local Pret's and popped into Kingsley Photographic, from whom I bought the D70. After some conversation, I decided to buy a 3 mega-pixel Casio Exilim, but after I got it home and thought about it, I just wasn't very excited with the prospect, so I went back a couple of hours later and swapped it for the Fuji which is just a spiffy camera.
First, it's a 6 mega-pixel jobbie, and not the 3MP of the Exilim. Secondly, it's not so minute that you cannot operate the controls, especially if you have flamenco nails, like I do. Third, it has a very good lens on it.
The write-ups are pretty damn snarlingly good, so I feel OK about that, too.
Light weight, portable, and easy to use, the Fuji's FinePix E550 is an excellent point-and-shoot digicam for novices just getting their feet wet in digital photography, as well as a capable tool for more experienced users looking for more manual control. With exposure modes ranging from full Auto to full Manual, the E550 is easy to use, yet offers room to grow as their photography skills mature. Four preset Scene modes simplify common shooting situations, and a handful of image adjustment options provide some creativity. The camera's simple, straightforward user interface means little or no downtime for learning, and makes the E550 good for shooting on the fly. Priced very aggressively for a quality 6.3 megapixel digicam, the Fuji E550 offers excellent value in an "all around" digital camera.
The great thing is To Have The Camera With You. I mean, look at Capa - his photographs are [flame suit on and ducking] really pretty ordinary, yet what makes them special is the very fact of where they were taken, i.e. he had the camera with him. Capture the small stuff, look at the world with fresh eyes every minute, discover life, enjoy yourself.
More stuff will be on flickr.
Update: given to Anna (who doesn't use it...) c. March 2006.