What Simply Works!

I’m eyeing a Canon point and shoot camera to buy this weekend.  Reviews are not really great but with my simple requirements and limited budget, I’m thinking of getting a Canon Ixus 95.  Tempting as it is to get a P&S with manual setting features, I’m setting my eyes on something that is simple to use.  Although there is not a lot of huge electronics store here (like Circuit City), I’m hoping to get a good deal with either Ted’s Camera store or JB Hi-Fi.

I’m beginning to gain interest in baking once more.  For the simple reason that I want to  add variety to our current breakfast and snack options.  Banana muffins have been a regular treat for us and soon enough I know, my “clients” (husband and daughter) will soon get tired of helping me finish the dozens I make each time.

While we were scouting for a room heater at Bing Lee’s today, I checked out a few stand mixers because in order to bake better, I need to start investing on simple kitchen appliances.  Kitchen Aid is a definite beauty but it costs too much for my use so I turned my attention to a home brand.  And because I have no knowledge about these things, I decided to mark the prices in my memory and check online for brands and popular prices.

I was browsing Shopwiki.com earlier today and thought that hand mixers just might do it for me.  It’s cheap and will still serve its purpose.  There are good brands, which I can order online.  But the best thing I should do before placing an order is to ask my friends who are kitchen experts for advice.  I’m a bit excited with this purchase because this means I don’t need to torture my hands to work on my cake mixture. Yey!

This..

I’ve long, long wanted to buy one..  It’s a background stand where you clip your canvas used as photo shoot background.  I’m so keen to practice indoor shooting and would love to try out different backgrounds.  As soon as I get one of those, my next project is lighting equipment.  Sheesh, I need more pa!d opportunities. Ha!

Since I had my first mobile phone way back in 1999, I never had an interest to quickly upgrade to the latest model or get the fanciest phone once its out in the market or simply change the standard ringtones to the custom, downloadable ones.   These days, there are tons of choices out there when it comes to phone model, colors (shape or sizes!) and yes, even with ringtones.  From rock, pop to Christian Ringtones, the choices are endless!  There are paid ones and freebies, too.

There are many businesses that spurt like mushrooms in the advent of new mobile phone technologies.  And change especially with technology is always good.

It’s been a little over a week since we bought my Imac.  And to date, I’m loving it soooo much!  I told the husband that I’m being very dependent on it.  I’m using Stickies for my daily reminders — where I put short lists of what to buy, people I need to get in touch with, the works!  Also the iCal — calendar app, iMovie and a lot more! I also like it that it’s a whole lot easier for me to update my online photo albums and of course, my blogs.

I still need an updated Photoshop CS3 or 4 software though.  And that my friends, tops the list of my to-buy!  More updates about ‘Makoy’ (my beloved imac) soon.

I’m saving up for a point and shoot camera since last quarter of the year.  And now I think I found what I want to buy.  A Canon IXUS 80ISP!  It doesn’t have manual settings feature, which is okay since I have my dlsr for that.  I just need something compact and ready for use when we go to simple outings, dine-outs or a quick and light tag along when we go to the mall.

I missed a lot of opportunities during our vacation to take photos and video clips of my daughter because of the absence of a p&s.  I promised myself I’ll buy  one first thing when I get back.  Now that it’s on promotion, I’ll get some freebies from the shop, I better not slack on getting this pretty in pink camera!

Last night, just out of the blue, my husband said that he’ll grant one of my wishes for Christmas. I didn’t ask him to get it for me (I never got used to “asking” him for stuff) but I guess he knew how much I wanted it. He said though that the gift will cover Christmas, our wedding Anniversary and my birthday and it’s no problem with me!

He said I should receive it in January and that just heightened the excitement! Now I have something to look forward to when we go back to Sydney after the holidays. Wee!

Up to now, I still haven’t decided whether to purchase a new Dell or a MacBook Pro. I think that it’s better for me to save and be able to afford what I really need and want rather than buy in haste and regret later. But at the same time, I want to be practical! Gee.

Unlike other laptop brands where you go to a Comparison website and compare prices, brands like Dell or Apple have standard pricing across countries. No matter which website I go to, it is unlikely that I’ll get a difference in pricing unless a particular store is offering a promotion or is on sale. Although price comparison sites are pretty good for canvassing cheap laptops and accessories.

A friend suggested that I buy a desktop or an iMac instead, which is almost half the price as the laptop version. I guess it’s the flexibility of having a mobile computer that beats the price advantage. I once had a desktop and aside from mobility, its size takes up so much space. Although the screen and CPU are lighter and slimmer compared to the ones produced eons of years ago, I still feel that a desktop computer is very limiting, to say the least.

A very important tip that I will always keep in mind when buying camera lens is that “never scrimp on glass (professional photog’s term for lens).  if you can’t afford to buy the best yet, wait even if it takes a year for you to save on it.  and then buy.”

That quote is from my workshop instructor.  And I agree with him.  That’s why even if it takes me a year or more to save up on a wide angle lens, I’ll wait.  Who knows?  Maybe by then another model might come up and it will more affordable?  (Yea, in my dreams.)

Currently at AUD$1899.

Before I decided to buy my 40d a month ago, I read many forums which discussed and compared this unit to a 50d.  The highlights of the new model include a very high ISO of about 3200 (40d’s 1600) and the 15.1mp.  I’m glad though that I stuck with my gut and chose 40d.  Right now, it is just what I need.  Besides, with the 50d’s price of 1,799aud for the body alone, I got a 40d body and a 17-85mm IS USM for 1,599aud!

The yummy 50d.

Although I would rather purchase my much coveted wide angle lens and flash, I think I have to prioritize my laptop first. My current Dell laptop has been extremely slow since I installed a trial version of a photo enhancement software two days ago.

In my dreams, I would get myself a MacBook Pro. But to be practical, I just might get myself a new Dell. I just wish the MacBook Pro is not that expensive. Boo.

MacBook Pro

Dell Studio 17

Last Saturday, we went to visit Ted’s in Chatswood and I bought my tripod there. I ended up with a Manfrotto brand, which was on sale. The one I had planned to get, the one with ‘clips’ and not ‘screw’ to pull out the legs, is priced 100AUD higher than the one I got.

I think I made a good buy since I prefer to handhold my camera for most of my shots. There’s something about tripods that make me feel uncomfortable when taking photos. Or maybe I just need to get used to it. Nevertheless, I’m glad I got that tip to visit Ted’s, otherwise, I would’ve gotten a more expensive tripod which I don’t really need.

There are so many gadgets these days that come in pretty packages but with no value-add.  This ‘helmet’ looking gadget is a simple bottle opener.  It looks stylish, I agree but as a practical consumer, the first thing I’d ask myself is, “Is there a need for a stylish can opener?”  What do you think?

[image source: yahoo.com]

With the photo and video files I’m accumulating of late, I need to find a good alternative to copying data to CDs.  I read from my current favorite pro photog/book author, Scott Kelby, that it is practical to bring along a 40gb back-up disk for quick uploads.  I’m not familiar with Drobo but the model above does look neat, agree?

[image source: yahoo.com]

I’m choosing between a Slik and Manfrotto tripod.  I’ve been warned that Manfrotto’s build is usually heavy but no one can contest about its popularity among photography pros and hobbyists alike.  Now I’m torn whether to get this Manfrotto model (picture below) or stick to a cheaper and lighter Slik model.  The Manfrotto unit already weighs about 2kgs and with the weight of my DSLR about 1.5kg plus the lens, which is roughly another .5 kg, I might end up crippled with the weight I have to carry!  I’ll check with some of my friends and ask about what they think.

Manfrotto 055x Pro

[image source: ephotozine.com/article/Manfrotto-055x-Pro--804-RC2-head]

Now that my Dell keyboard is fixed, my next assignment is to reformat the laptop. Even after removing huge photo files and transferring them to CDs and my photo website, the computer memory is still very slow.

It will be my first time to reformat a computer and I’m pretty nervous about making mistakes along the way. I hope I get it right the first time and ensure that I have two back-up files as a precaution.

When my grandparents were still alive, my parents were always worried about possible emergency situations that might occur because of their health and old age. Although they lived with a house help, it was not possible to monitor every move that my grandparents made.

I read in a book that most senior people want to hold on to the freedom that they had when they were young. The transition from being independent to dependent and having to live with extra caution for the rest of their lives are just difficult.

With today’s technology, medical alerts in the family can now be monitored without being intrusive. A fall alert detector can be installed in the home, which triggers an alarm to an emergency staff once it senses an accident or collapse.

There is also a GPS tracking device that can be worn like a bracelet, wherein it serves as a phone of some sort. The elder can get help for emergency cases. It can also serve as a monitoring tool if the elder has memory problems and the location needs to be traced.

The wonders of high-tech gadgets – aren’t they amazing? If my parents knew about these, they would have bought them to avoid medical alerts.

An acquaintance from my photography class recommended that I checkout Ted’s Camera shop. He said that he bought most of his gadgets there and the prices are really good. He also gave a tip for me to consider Slik over Manfrotto for the tripod brands because of his good experience with the model he purchased. The one he has is of carbon fibre finish which makes it easy for him to lug around.  Its sturdy body can still hold his DSLR.

I need to decide on this before Saturday. I will buy a tripod for this Sunday’s group field trip, which I’m so excited about. On the other hand, I’m a bit sad that the photo workshop will end soon!

I am on the lookout for a GPS. I have heard of the brands Navman and TomTom but I am not sure which one to get.  Consider me totally clueless when it comes to these things.

I was told that it has be to a good brand but with less frills.  The most important thing is to get the latest road map so all other features become nice-to-haves.  Here’s a Tomtom unit which looks promising.

It’s not very expensive and the features look okay.  I just might get this one.  It’s called TomTom One Australia.

[Image source: linelink.com.au]

Since I started using a digital camera in 2004, I’ve stopped having my photos printed. It is mainly because I have more photos to choose from and it can get really costly to have them all printed and framed.

Although I still prefer my favorite shots to be printed, my dilemma starts in deciding which ones to display. I don’t want our apartment to look like a gallery for sure! So one of these days, I’d set aside time to go over all my photos and select the ones I really like. With digital picture frames now becoming popular alternatives to traditional frames, it will not be a problem to display 10 or even a 100 of my favorite shots.

What’s nice about digital frames is that it doesn’t take a lot of space. I just need a memory card that has the capacity to hold all the photos I want to display.