I'm in love.

I've had a good digital camera since 2005. It's a Kodak and has served me quite well, but it started to struggle about a year and a half ago, and I started using the camera I bought for Tim in the summer of 2008 more and more. My camera was still a good camera, but the charge didn't last as long, it was temperamental and it was loud. A few months ago, it started shutting off as soon as I turned it on. At that point, I knew I had to come to terms with the fact that it was likely on its last legs.

So I decided to start saving for a new, nicer camera. And because I'm wayyyyy excited about this (and because I seem to enjoy sharing my research prowess), I'm sharing it with you all on the blog :) I put aside a bit of money from every paycheck and started doing some preliminary research a few months ago. I figured I'd make the purchase around my birthday, using the money I'd saved plus any money I received as birthday gifts, and it would give me some time to play around with and learn about the camera before the baby arrives.

As my birthday came and went, I started to really focus on the research part. I was torn between getting another higher-end point and shoot or upgrading to a dSLR. I asked around on thebump.com, because part of this upgrade is, after all, to be able to take better photos of the baby when she arrives.

And I got mixed responses. Given the budget I wanted to stay in and because I'm not sure how much time I am currently willing to devote to learning advanced photography but still want a camera with some options that will take quality pictures, it appeared I had several choices, but two were mentioned frequently, and I considered seriously: The Canon Rebel, a reasonably priced dSLR with good reviews, or a "tricked out point and shoot," like the Canon PowerShot SX20.

A few other point and shoots were mentioned, but as I read reviews on them, the SX20 kept getting superior ratings. So I focused on that one.

I weighed my options. The Rebel would be a great camera and give me a lot of different options ... but I would also need to purchase additional (and sometimes expensive) lenses to make it worth the investment. Otherwise, it would essentially be used as an expensive point and shoot. The SX20 has capabilities for HD video, has a large LCD screen, less shutter lag than other point and shoots, high resolution and - as one reviewer said - is perfect for a "fairly capable amateur who wants to be able to play around with settings and do some macro photos."

I ended up going with the SX20. I even got it on the last day of a sale, so I saved $30, got a free memory card and free two-day shipping. I think it will be the perfect camera for what I want right now, and if I decide that I want more manual setting options in the future, I can look in to getting a dSLR then. I just couldn't see myself jumping right in to learning a more advanced camera right now and shelling out extra money over the next few years for the lenses, so I think this camera is a good bridge between what I've had and what I could go to next. It's a bit bigger than the usual point and shoots - it's built more like a dSLR - but we *do* still have Tim's point and shoot (also a Canon) for times when we just want to throw a camera in a pocket and go.

Photo taken with BlackBerry because I couldn't contain my excitement or take time to get our other camera when I opened the box :)

Needless to say, when I got the box today I was a tad overjoyed. We're taking a trip soon and I'm looking forward to playing with it. I'll keep you all posted on its performance and share photos taken with my newest love on the blog!