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My Favorite Gadget is My Cheap, Affordable Compact Digital Camera

Updated on September 14, 2012

Secret Agent Man / Woman

My baby - don't leave home without it!
My baby - don't leave home without it! | Source

The Cheapest Digital Camera So Far

What is my favorite gadget? That's easy. My favorite gadget right now is my new digital camera, the Nikkon CoolPix L25 which I use for my latest Hubs. Not only do I love it for its capabilities, I am happy to say it was the cheapest digital camera at the digital camera store!

It came with a two year guarantee, and has all the features I was looking for. My Sony Erickson Xperia has a pretty good 5 MP (megapixel) camera already, but it doesn't film videos. Besides, a digital camera is designed for photographs and IMHO, produces a much higher quality photo than a cellular phone. Being a member of the Apprenticeship Program, I knew the time was right to purchase a new digital camera.

Features of the Nikon CoolPix L25

  • It takes, clear, fresh photos.
  • It's small and slim, the same size as my cellular phone and double the thickness.
  • It's lightweight.
  • The batteries hold a longer charge than my last camera. I haven't recharged them yet after two weeks or longer.
  • It responds quickly when I take a photo. Happy to say I don't need to count to 20 to take the photo - squirming kids don't sit still for very long.
  • It makes videos which I can upload for my Hubs (see my Dalmatian Starter Base link, below)
  • It is practically idiot proof!


About the Price

My new Nikkon CoolPix L25 is one of the best and least expensive cameras I have ever had. It was actually a present from my husband. It came with memory card and rechargeable batteries for about 700 Croatian kuna, the equivalent of $110 USD.

Rate of exchange:

Prices here are comparable to those in the west, but the standard of living is not. It takes three to five days to earn this amount of money, compared to a day or less in the United States.

Picture Taking As A Way Of Life

Photos = Memories

I love to snap photos, and even those who scoff later ask for copies of the photos taken from before. In those photos they are almost always (well, always!) younger, better looking and the photo reminds them of some cherished happy moment that would otherwise be long forgotten. IMHO, memories and good thoughts in general need to be cherished to make up for all the other things.

Digital Photography has really made photography a piece of cake. You automatically see the result - is it good or should you throw it in the trash can? The internet provides easy file attachments to email, making it a breeze to send photos to friends and family. I think photography helps improve communication and good relations. Best of all, it's so easy!

The Voice

When something inside of me says "take a picture of this" I just do it. I don't always know why. I just know that this moment will never come again. Not always, but many times the first photo is the best one - the freshest, most spontaneous and most natural. CLICK!

Sleek and Easy to Carry

The Nikon Coolpix comes in many colors - Red, Purple and many other colors to help reinforce the idea that it's a practical gadget to use everyday.
The Nikon Coolpix comes in many colors - Red, Purple and many other colors to help reinforce the idea that it's a practical gadget to use everyday. | Source

Before the Nikon

Until recently I had been hooked on Canon, with its excellent photo technology. My best camera ever was a space-age looking Canon A600 series model, which I don't see it on the market anymore. Slightly heavier and somewhat funny shaped, it's possibly been discontinued - does anyone know? When I owned it, it had the enviable capability of making its subjects look 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter. It was amazing! Using bad batteries was a big mistake. They oozed into the brains of the camera and destroyed it forever, sob, sob, sob....

The next one was a smaller version of the original Canon, which I had hoped would be a similar, if not streamlined version of the Wonder-Camera. For whatever reason, this camera turned out to be a real lemon. The day after placing the (freshly charged) batteries inside it showed that the batteries were dead. Huh? This got old so I began keeping the batteries outside the camera, but that destroyed any chances for spontaneous photography. Here it comes – there it goes – it's Gone. Frustration got the better of me and so it sits on top of my dresser until I get the guts to throw it in the trash.

Candid Camera - Memories for A Lifetime

Photo opportunities are everywhere - sometimes when you least expect them.
Photo opportunities are everywhere - sometimes when you least expect them. | Source

Photo composition tips:

A definite amateur, I never claimed to be an expert at photography! With so many artists and musicians in the family I learned a little bit about composition from those with a "good eye":

  1. Focus on the head, face, and features.
  2. Make sure your subject is in the light or that you have an automatic flash to brighten things up a little bit.
  3. You don't need a huge floor space in front of the subject. We hired a professional to photograph our wedding, and half the photo was floor with us – teeny tiny subjects in the background – in the upper half of the photo.
  4. Have someone stand behind you (the photographer) to jump around and make funny faces when it comes to posing. Especially at a wedding when it gets hard to smile after the 1000th photo. This "maniac in the background" will help produce a natural happy face for your photo. It really works!

Cool Enough for School

Pictures at An Exhibition

Do you like to snap photos?

See results

A personal history of photography

Thank goodness for my mom, who put a cheap black and white camera in my hands as soon as possible when me and my three brothers were growing up. In those days it was still an expensive toy to play with but it gave us confidence and the desire to take photos. To this day, I carry a camera with my everywhere (unless it's in the shop, which is a rarity).

A note to Moms:

Moms, let your kids practice. I have found that they usually don't break things if they are old enough to realize that it's a privilege which will be offered again in the future if they are careful with it this time.


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