I'm always happy to talk about my family (heads nod in weary agreement), show photos, talk about how much I love them all... you know, dad stuff. This is not likely to change anytime soon and I'm so thankful that Heidi posts so many awesome photos of the kids and all the relatives in town so I can keep up with the activities that happen while I'm at work (thanks honey!).
Recently, however, I've been a bit miffed at the quirkiness of our digital camera... mostly that 1) it takes a LONG time to focus and 2) it's not always focused on the object we want to be focused on. While there is a certain cavalier attitude about "well, we can just delete it if we don't like it" I must confess that I feel like a lot of the moments we're trying to capture are just not the same in the photo as they were in real life (an age-old conundrum to be sure).
The problem lies in the very nature of point-and-shoot cameras: they are just a cog in the "inexpensive solutions / immediate gratification" digital camera machine... and while I'm constantly amazed at the volume of photos we now capture, I'm still not satisfied with the overall quality of the photos, mainly from the focusing side of the equation.
I've looked at a number of digital SLR cameras lately, and actually placed an order for one that was, of course, on backorder. So that order was cancelled. Back to looking.
What I really want is a camera that gives us the flexibility of speedy focusing and "normal" camera shutter speeds. The pocket cameras are handy to have in a bag or pocket, but a "regular" SLR camera with interchangeable lenses is really what (I hope) will deliver better, more consistent photos. Yes, I know they are expensive. Yes, I know there are a host of other issues (like complexity) that will be part and parcel of such a purchase, but the transition from film to compact flash has left me wanting something better.
I'll keep looking at the cameras as they come available, like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi that's coming out soon. Why Canon, you ask? Well, then I could use all my EOS lenses with both the digital and film cameras...
We'll see. I just want the photos we take of the family to be clearer reminders of the events.... not a fuzzy photo of my beautiful girls with a perfectly focused fencepost 20 feet away in the background.
If you have suggestions for cameras, please feel free to let me know your thought via e-mail.