Life Lesson: Explore What You Already Have Thoroughly

 I like to take pictures. I don't consider myself a "photographer" by any stretch of the imagination. At best I take snapshots. I owned a Nikon S6800 for a long time. It cost me $179 at Costco years ago. It was really small, well-reviewed and had a decent 12x zoom. It was great. However, at some point I got it in my head that I needed a better camera. I got a Fujifilm SF10 for $400+. It is a great camera. It is excellent in low-light situations, though without image stabilization I need to use a monopod to get sharp pictures. The Fuji has twice the megapixels as the Nikon, so I can crop and still retain a great deal of detail. It doesn't have zoom, so I'm cropping more with this camera than I did with the Nikon.

But, the Fuji is larger and I find myself taking the Nikon to indoor events more often. It's less obtrusive. And, just recently, I discovered the Nikon's "museum" setting that takes pretty good indoor pictures without the flash. Plus, if I take the Nikon for outdoor photography the zoom comes in really handy if I spot a bird I want to capture (on film, that is). 

So, perhaps I wasted my money on the Fuji? Maybe. I have learned this: fully explore every option of the equipment you already own. You might just discover that it's quite a bit better than you thought and that might just save yourself some $.

The zoom came in handy for the robin's nest outside my window.

Not too bad in low light -- plus I didn't need the monopod for a reasonably clear picture without the flash.



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