telophase: (Gin grins again)
telophase ([personal profile] telophase) wrote2008-04-02 10:35 am
Entry tags:

Ramblings on new toys

Waugh! I just purchased a point-and-shoot compact digital camera. I'm not giving up my spiffy nice big camera, no way, but I wanted something in addition to it: the spiffy nice big camera is good for when I'm Making Art, but not so good when what I want is something I can throw in my bag and pull out to grab a funny picture,* or take to cons to shoot cosplayers and not worry about it being broken or stolen. So one shall be arriving in my hot little hands before too long.

And in other news, the free phone I got with signing another contract with AT&T*** was delivered by FedEx yesterday, and as per usual Fed Ex protocol, left outside the door of my apartment because the driver was too lazy to take it to the apartment office. The only thing I'll miss about moving from here is the UPS drivers on this route, who have all been pleasant, more than competent, and gone out of their way to get their job done. FedEx, OTOH, is the one that left a REPLACEMENT CREDIT CARD that needed to be signed for outside my door without even knocking. I know, because I was home, waiting for the card.

The new phone is a pink Razr. I take it they're apparently trendy, but I am so far out of that loop I'm not sure. I picked the free phone on the list of free phones offered me that claimed the longest talk time. I am very happy with the flip-phone design and how it's wider than my old Sony Ericsson, because it hurt my hand to hold the other phone for very long, I never got over the feeling that I needed to turn my head to the side to talk into the phone, and the face got all scratched up in my bag. The Razr doesn't feel particularly sturdy, but as it was free, it's worth every penny I paid for it.

I'm not sure what the ringtone sounds like, because nobody's called me yet. This is not an invitation to call me at work. :) Hopefully it won't go to voicemail quite so fast as the other one did. XD


* At the medical center I go to for the ADHD stuff,** a bunch of parking spaces are set aside for the staff of various clinics, labeled with the name of the clinic and the word "staff". I have for months been trying to remember to bring a camera so I can capture the set of parking spaces reserved for RIBALD STAFF.

** Which has a bunch of oncology clinics in it, too, and is built in the Mid-Century Awful architectural style, illuminated with flickering florescent lights, and carpeted with dismal industrial carpeting. It's exactly where you don't want to go when you get sick. Most of the individual clinics have their waiting rooms decorated and lit much better, but the trek from the center door to the clinic door is harrowing.

*** I have had zero problems with them, use the smallest package of minutes, and thanks to my employer, get an additional discount. It's the cheapest option out there for me, short of going pre-paid.

[identity profile] mscongeniality.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been using an AT&T cell phone for about eight years now, it's been my only phone for about 5 or 6 years and I've never had a problem with it. Pretty much the only place I don't get coverage is in the Metro system (Verizon only) but I can live with that.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
This has been my only phone for about 4 years now. I don't get coverage inside the artist alley at A-Kon, but as it's so loud in there anyway, I wouldn't be able to hear anyone talk.

Ironically, I get awesome coverage when nobody else does at the artist alley at AnimeFest, which is two stories underground below Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. I assume Reunion Tower is a giant AT&T antenna.
kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (Default)

[personal profile] kate_nepveu 2008-04-02 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, what kind of camera?

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
The Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital Elph (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/484779-REG/Canon_2239B001_PowerShot_SD750_Digital_Elph.html). :) It had a good recommendation at Ken Rockwell's site (http://kenrockwell.com), was small enough to fit into my bag, had nothing but good reviews on Amazon, and was under $200. The only thing I could want more from it is image stabilization, and that would jump the cost up by $80-100, in which case I might as well just use my Nikon. :D
kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (Default)

[personal profile] kate_nepveu 2008-04-02 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I have one of those, but with IS (because it's my only camera), and like it a lot.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay, more good reviews! :)

How fast does it take the picture, and how long to recover between shots? My ancient Canon, which I finally tossed because it was irretrievably broken, took on the order of half a second between pressing the shutter release and actually releasing the shutter, and a good second or two to be prepared to take the next one, so photography was a matter of timing and predicting what the picture would be in half a second. I'm assuming that now, 6 or 7 years on, cameras in general will be somewhat faster than that, but also I'm assuming I won't get the near-instantaneous response of my Nikon.
kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (Default)

[personal profile] kate_nepveu 2008-04-02 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I suck at times, but noticeably faster than Chad's A-series Canon from a few years ago. There was a big difference when I was taking pictures of him and the dog playing in the backyard with both our cameras.

Only time I've had a problem is after multiple rapid indoor shots, sometimes the flash takes a while to come up.

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Cool, thanks! It's bound to be much faster than my old one. XD

[identity profile] ninja-tech.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I did the same thing when it came to cameras. I have my dad's old Minolta sr-t 101 which is an old manual film camera (it can still take pictures even when the battery is dead), but it's too bulky for the snapshots I found myself missing out on, so I bought a little Pentax that fits really nicely into pockets and such. I've been very happy with it - I bought it in November 2007 and have already taken over 2000 photos with it. I hope you find as much enjoyment in your new camera as I did with mine!

Oh and on a side note, there is a yaoi con called Yaoi Jamboree in Glendale, Arizona at the end of June. You're the closest LJ friend I know to there - think you'll go?

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Cool, yay! :)

I doubt I'll be there - I'll have just moved to a new apartment, and I also have a few other things scheduled to spend vacation time and money on this year. XD

[identity profile] ninja-tech.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I know what you mean on that one. I had to miss the local anime con this year, so I'm making it up to myself to go to this yaoi con. I'm so nervous! Do people to normal cosplay at yaoi cons or is it all from yaoi series?? All the cosplay I have are female characters. Any advice?

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
The one YaoiCon I've been to had cosplayers, albeit a slightly smaller proportion than usual. I didn't notice anything different about them from regular cons. :)

Wedding Photos

[identity profile] droiche.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
As promised:

ODD's Wedding Photos (http://pics.livejournal.com/droiche/gallery/000168a4)

Re: Wedding Photos

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, that's beautiful! :DD

Re: Wedding Photos

[identity profile] droiche.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanx. ^_^

[identity profile] thomasyan.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Will be getting movies of your kittie? I got a kick out of this movie of a kitty beating the bejeepers out of an old electric toothbrush (http://youtube.com/watch?v=HfZpL7ytIUQ).

[identity profile] telophase.livejournal.com 2008-04-02 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Hee! I'll try! :D