I Have a Camera...Maybe....

Nope. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! I've just been spending every waking moment in the deep, dark crevices of camera-land.

Yes, I have a camera in my hand, but it's not one I had on my short list and I'm still undecided about whether this is "the one".

Let's rewind a bit.

I have read everything I can get my hands on in respect to cameras and I was leaning towards the Nikon D80.

This weekend found us in Ft. Worth. DH and DS were sucked into the Dallas Safari Club Expo and Convention and I had no way of knowing when they would surface.

So, with my SIL, DD and a carload of kids, we hit the town.

Note to self. Do not attempt to shop for cameras with children.

First stop. Best Buy. Nothing there. The sales people weren't very well-versed in what they were selling.

Next stop. Arlington Camera Center. Now I felt like a kid in a candy store! Only one problem ~ too many selections.

These people were specialized in their field though and they were more than kind and helpful.

I have only comtemplated Canon or Nikon up to this point and I ended up walking out with an Olympus E-510.

I'm not quite certain how that happened. I have to say that they listened to my wants and needs:

I often shoot in a dusty environment.
I tend to shoot from the top of a fence, trailer or gate with one arm wrapped around a pole.
I need a zoom lens.
I shoot a lot of cowboys roping, working cattle, horses and kids.
This will be my first digital SLR.
Picture quality is important to me.

They sent me home with the Olympus. I trust their judgement, but I hadn't even considered Olympus. It was much less expensive than the other cameras I had been drooling over so I don't think they were just trying to make a sale. They could have easily sold me a much more expensive system.

I told them I was unsure and they made me an offer: Take it home. Use it. If you don't like it, send it back. We want you to be happy with it. E-mail us the photos you take with it.

Penny and Paul ~ you've got a deal! I'll tell you that they've got my business. Don't know if I'll like it or not, but either way, they have made a sale and I will buy from them.

Things I LOVE about this camera:

*It's got a wonderful Dust Reduction System
*It has a great Image Stabilization System built into the body, thus eliminating the need to
purchase the more expensive lenses with the stabilization system and the lenses are
lighter and more compact.
*Olympus optics are top notch and they are first in the medical field and NASA .
*Love that it has a calendar view that allows you to browse your photos by the date they were
taken.
*Good battery life.
*Feels good in my hands.
*Live view

Things I'm undecided about:

*The reviews say that the images are not super sharp although they are when you customize
the controls.
*Some shutter lag when shooting with live view using the LCD.
*Some complaints about the four-thirds system Olympus uses. I'm still researching this. I know
that there are not a ton of options in lenses, but there are certainly more than I could
ever use.
*Takes a long time to recharge batteries.

All the cameras I have researched (that are in my price range) say that everything can be fixed with photo editing software. I have a problem with that. I want great shots out of the camera. I don't want to sit in front of a computer and fix my pictures.

Well, I think I just need to get out and shoot with it before I really make a decision so as soon as the temperature rises above 30 degrees, I'll head out.

I feel guilty for not having any photos to share so I'll round a few up from last year and post tomorrow.