Larry wanted a small camera to take with him and it was time to upgrade our 3-year-old (ancient in the digital camera world) Canon PowerShot S200 with 2.0 MP. Larry graciously let me make the final decision on the new one since it would primarily be my camera. We went to our local experts at George’s Camera to compare the features of cameras and get a feel for their ergonomics. I checked out the Canon models. Besides the larger display screens, it was basically the same camera, same features, same old interface. It just didn’t feel like a new camera, but it was weird switching to Nikon. It’s not like I’m a registered Canon user and am switching parties like I’m changing my fundamental beliefs; it’s just a camera.I chose the Nikon CoolPix S6 primarily because it has no external lens! It feels more responsive when just a little shutter flies open versus a lens having to extend (the most vulnerable component, most likely to need repair). There’s virtually no sound when the camera zooms in and out.
At first I was gobsmacked when I saw the clunky docking station and cables to upload pictures and recharge the camera. Gadzooks, all the cables versus a small wall plug-in to charge the battery. But then, I realized that this is another feature to reduce wear and tear as I do not need to open the camera to remove the battery for recharging. I could buy a third-party product to charge the battery externally and a USB card reader. More clutter! I’ll just build a sweet docking area to hide all the cables for our mobile world (cell phones, cameras). It’s the camera that one uses all the time whose functionality should be most important. After a month, I’m still very happy with my purchase. Here’s my last picture with the old Canon. Notice this quality of the pictures on this site from this point forward!
