Friday, January 21, 2011
The story of how I ended up with this camera is kind of entertaining...

It was a cold and dreary day, long long ago when I was a third year.  Betsy and I decided to drive to the mountains to frolick in the snow.  Why did we want to frolick in the snow?  Fair question.  Because snow is cool?  Or because we were bored?  Or because we like the mountains?  Or because being in the cold is no fun when you can't do anything in it?  Who knows, really.  We once drove an hour just to get donuts from an amish bakery.  There's no telling why we do the things we do. 

So, we're on the way to Boone, and I asked Betsy if she brought her camera.  Negative.  She rarely does, because I always bring my camera, which is just a small step below a dSLR and takes excellent pictures.  BUT, I didn't bring my camera because the battery was dead and I couldn't find the charger.  Bummer.  So we decided to stop at Walmart on the way to Boone so I could get a disposable camera just for the day.  Gotta have a camera... you never know what might require picture taking! 

Well, it turns out they were having a big pre-Christmas sale on cameras.  After reading up on all the ones that were a decent price, I decided to get a small point and shoot camera instead of a disposable one.  There are some times where lugging a big camera around just isn't practical or necessary.  Extreme weather conditions, nights out, technical hikes... it's just not conveneient to have a big camera.  So a small point and shoot seemed like a reasonable alternative! 

I decided to go with the Nikon S220, a 10Mp, 3x optical zoom compact PhD (abbreviation from back in the day meaning "push here, dummy") camera. 
I went with the Nikon because of the price (I think it was about $120 when I grabbed it), the size, and Nikon's history of making good quality products.  At that price point, there isn't a huge amount of variety in the features you get...

After spending a lot more time in Walmart than we intended, and snagging the camera and a matching memory card, we hopped back in the car, used my sweet car power converter to charge the battery, and snapped some pictures driving through Christmas tree farm land!  Here's an example:

Have I discussed my intentions to marry a Christmas tree farmer?  No?  I should do that some day... it's a well thought out plan...

Now, after months and months of use, I can tell you that I think this camera was a good purchase.  Had I had more time to research the cameras in this price range, I maybe would have made a different choice, but this one definitely serves the purpose.  It's small, light, easy to use, and easy to stick in my pocket.  The picture quality is okay, definitely far below my other camera (which is expected).  It's used for proving that I was, in fact, on the top of that mountain... not to show you how beautiful the view was or how cool the leaves on a tree are.  You've got to know your lot in life, right?

It also conveniently sits on top of my GorillaPod, making it exceptional at taking self portraits from pretty much anywhere.  Like the fireplace....

Overall, if you're looking for a performance camera, this isn't it.  If you're looking for something to stick on your pocket or backpack and snap pictures of cool situations you find youself in, this will do the trick very nicely!  And, bonus, it comes in 6 different color options!  Everyone loves color options...

Adventure on,
Kari

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About Me

I am a Family Medicine intern at a community hospital in Indiana, navigating the new world of being a physician. I am privileged to work in a field I love, where every day is a new and unpredictable challenge.
I am not only a doctor, but also a cyclist, runner, DIYer in the making, lover of the outdoors, traveler, and human.
Human, MD is a glimpse into the world of a young doctor who is just trying to stay true to herself through the grueling whirlwind of residency.

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