Indecision

I got my hands on the Canon Powershot A520 at Target this weekend to test it out, but while browsing, I also stumbled upon the Powershot A95 which is also very appealing. The A95 is priced around the same, but has an extra megapixel and a cool flip-out LCD screen which I really like.

The A95 isn’t perfect, however: it is larger in size/weight (even without batteries), takes 4 batteries as opposed to 2, and has a shorter zoom (114mm v.s. 140mm on the A520). I’m not sure how much that is going to matter since this camera is really for when I can’t bring along the 20D, but I really like tight shots v.s. wide angle even with my everyday snapshots.

I checked out both cameras in person at Target again yesterday, and I’m still no closer to making a decision. There’s so many cameras out there, but they all have their pluses and minuses. I remember when I bought my first digital camera: I knew right away I wanted the Nikon Coolpix 885 and that’s what I got. Why is this so difficult? I didn’t do this much research when I bought a car!

Joe warned me I better find something I like because that’s it for cameras. Who can blame him? Since 2001 I’ve purchased 4 digital cameras. I don’t even want to add up how much I’ve spent for all of them, plus accessories, combined. Granted, Joe has made use out of the 2 hand-me-downs, but it’s still bordering on ridiculous. And no matter what I choose, there’s going to be something smaller, yet better, just around the corner.

I even looked at other brands to ensure I’m not being short-sighted, but I really do like Canon the best, mostly for their body design and image quality. Ideally, I wish I could combine the strengths of Nikon and Canon to get the best camera possible. Nikon has better metering and a few nice features like Best Shot Selector where the camera takes several shots in succession and only saves the sharpest photo. It also has a better menu layout and macro capabilities. However, Canon has better a better sensor, color-representation and a nice AF-assist light to help in low-light situations. I think Nikon and Canon need to partner up to make me a camera!

I’m going to mull over this decision over the next month if I can manage it. I’m impatient and if I want something, I want it now, so it isn’t easy to wait. However, I can’t wait too long as I need to learn how to use the camera before our wedding. Plus buydig.com has a special through July 17th where you get a free photo printer when you buy any digital camera priced $129 or higher.