Helen wrote:
I have been using an SLR for years and years and enjoy the whole
concept of film cameras. I was given a digital camera for Christmas,
and I don't like it. It's an expensive Canon A620 and I find it hard
to get use to. Hard to understand (I know I'm not up to date). The
person who gave it to me would be hurt if I sold it, but I hate to
have it sit on the shelf. What am I to do? i'm wondering if I should
just keep it and use it periodically.
Helen
Hello Helen,
I see you've gotten some good responses already. Here's another, from
someone who is also used to SLRs and DSLRs...
I am a long-time film user, but who has been shooting digital SLRs for the 6
years in addition to film.
I've never owned a digital point-and-shoot...until a month ago, and it's the
Canon 610.
The 610 is identical to your 620 except that it's 5 megapixels instead of
the 620's 7 megapixels.
As someone who has always demanded the full control offered by SLRs and
DSLRs, I must say that I've been quite pleased with this little gem of a
camera. While it certainly doesn't record images as cleanly as my DSLR,
it's size, convenience, video mode and ability to manually control functions
makes it a very handy little camera to have around. My wife and I take it
along in situations where my full kit bag is a burden, and where pictures
are not a top priority. For example...we hike up a small mountain with our
dogs last weekend...and took it along, since I wouldn't have bothered with
my full kit. It was great! The pictures are snapshots, but who cares? It
was just fun to be able to have those images where we would otherwise have
had none at all.
It's a great little camera, and I think that even if you never use it on
anything other than full auto, you'll be pleasantly surprised with what it
can capture.
Here's one of those "snap-shots" from last weekend...from basically your
same camera:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/image/55417926/original
The above is no masterpiece, but it was shot by my wife...who knows
absolutely nothing about cameras.
I think she framed it rather nicely, but the camera took care of the rest.
Without the little crummy point-and-shoot, these memories just fade away
without record. With that thought, it's nice to have a little "cheesy"
camera to take along without requiring any fuss.
Here are some other images...with my OTHER camera:
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/maui_2004
and some more...just in case you're really bored...
http://www.pbase.com/markuson/101
I say keep your little gift.
It's one of the best "little" and affordable cameras around, in my opinion.
By the way... Battery life is unblievably good with my 610, and I'm sure
your 620 is very similarly good in that respect.
-Mark