Whenever you obtain a new camera, there is inevitably a honeymoon period when you point the camera at anything that will stand still long enough to get a focus lock. You play with the new buttons, trying to get a feel for where they are located and how the new functions work. Thanks to my generous parents, I am in the honeymoon phase. Yesterday evening, my wife and I shot our animals, flowers, house, each other, etc.
The new camera is a Sony a55. You know me, I like to be the odd man & wanted to avoid Cannon and Nikon if possible. My uncle shoots with Sony and after some web research and a call to him, I settled on the new body and kit lens to get me started.
My web research included a hunt for the best online price. I then visited my local photo shop and tried out the camera & got them to match the online price and give me half off on some accessories like a clear filter and extra battery as well as an 8Gb SD card.
Did you know that you can negotiate with your local dealer? This is a skill that I have seen my wife put to good use many times during our marriage. She will always ask for a discount or some free loot, even at the big box stores. She is a negotiator by trade and has no problem asking for the manager. I tend to pay what they ask but in this case, I decided to give it a go and get as much bang for my buck as I could. I think you could say that Jodi has been a good influence on me.
tim mcmurdo 