I have a new toy!

I actually have something about me to blog about today!

(although, please don't forget my friend Shelley's fundraising!)

When I won the art competition back in May, I decided that I would use my winnings to buy a new camera.

As is the norm, I have been dithering about what to get for ages. Having used film SLR for years, and love it, but also loving the speed and convenience of digital, I was divided: start on a digital SLR (unfortunately I could not get one that would take my original film camera lenses, it is an old Fuji screw mount, rather outdated, even if it is still good!) - with the disadvantages of the higher costs of building up a range of lenses - or buy a "bridge" camera - you know, one of those chunky cameras that look like an SLR but have a fixed on lens. They're good in lots of ways, particularly some models that have a macro focussing right down to 1cm, and up to 18X zoom. I figured that a decent one of these would cover all eventualities.

So today, on a trip to Nottingham to buy a new iron, I went into John Lewis just to see what they'd got. I looked at a couple of bridge cameras, but the salesman took me to the SLR range, and put a Canon EOS 1000D in my hand. It felt so *right* - and it seemed really easy to use. Its a refurb, and over £100 less than anywhere else I have seen (not that I had even considered this model before 1pm today!)

Well, I bought it. Without research. How rash am I? But I figured that my compact Canon A540, which most of the images I have shown on here were taken on is ok. Actually, I've taken some cracking photos with it, as good as some bridge cameras can do - its just that I don't have the super macro or super zoom capabilities.

When I got it home, I got it out of the box, and took a few pics, and no, I haven't read the instructions at all, so I don't know how much better I could get. I have to say I am rather pleased with the result though (and it is with the standard lens, who needs macro?).




What do you think?

Friends are fundraising....

Back in 2007, I did a bit of teaching at Castle College at Stapleford, doing NOCN in Glass Fusing.

I met two lovely, lovely ladies there, Shelley and Sandra, both members of Frit Happens, and we still sometimes meet up for a bit of "ladies what lunch". (In fact, we're due for another meet, must arrange it).

Anyways, Shelley has been a busy bee, making some jewellery for fundraising. She has two lovely items of jewellery on Ebay, and all proceeds from the sales are going to two charities:

This bracelet for the Breast Cancer Campaign

And

This pendant for Tommy's baby charity

I follow Shelley's blog, so a link should be in the side bar, under good monkey chatter, but she'll drop down the list as others blog, so here is the link to the blog post about it:

Good Monkey Chatter (Shelley's blog)

I always aim to do something myself for charity, but honestly I am terrible at getting myself sorted into actually doing it. At least I can tell you about others who do get their asses into gear and raise money for charity though!