The fatal combination of an Internet connection and a Switch card.

[reddragdiva]

Just bought a Canon PowerShot A200 (and charger). I've been contemplating such a device for a while (prompted by ladylilith), and went for this model on the advice of rbarclay and recalling that this was the model solipsistnation brought with him in August that I was so impressed with.

Here's to it arriving before the tree comes down on January 6th. Will likely lead to a revival of the photo page. I might even get around to developing and scanning the films from the last ten months ...

I'll be getting a USB CompactFlash reader for it - what brands and models are known to work with FreeBSD? (No, not Linux.) And the best prices I've seen on CompactFlash are at Crucial.

Update: Bollocks! It does not in fact have optical zoom. Will be calling first thing tomorrow morning to change the order to the A40. Which is another fifty quid, so I expect they'll be very happy with the change ...

Update: Changed, no problem. A40 should be arriving early next week. Phew!

Comments

[greycat.livejournal.com]

I have this exact same model camera. It is one of the best camera's I've ever owned, and even better then it's more expensive cousins, since it gives you just about the same options as the really expensive Cannon Digitals. The only thing i don't like is that it's only digital zoom - but that is what photoshop is for.

I need to sell my Elph APS camera, but I'm almost afraid to not have a "real" film camera.

As for a charger, I need one too! I've gone through almost a whole pack of batteries.

[reddragdiva]

Eh? I thought it had 2x optical zoom. The one I bought claims to!

[blarglefiend.livejournal.com]

During my latest round of wibbling over digital cameras, it sure *looked* like the A200 only has a fixed lens. That's one reason why I won't be buying one, and will probably go for the A40 instead.

[blarglefiend.livejournal.com]

Hm, yes, according to the link you posted, the lens is "39 mm equiv. fixed, F2.8".

[reddragdiva]

So it now seems. (Just went back to rbarclay's post in The Other Place, and he says the A200 was his latest purchase, then extols the virtues of optical zoom in a separate paragraph. Argh.) I may try calling first thing tomorrow morning and changing the order.

[reddragdiva]

Well, brass-bound buggery, looks like it doesn't. Damn.

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

Cool. Enjoy!

I've been hauling mine around since then and taking loads of pictures, and I'm still very happy with it.

[kitty-goth.livejournal.com]

I have a Zio CF reader, which I am reliably informed works good with FreeBSD. I've been having problems getting it to work with Linux, though.

You're welcome to borrow it and see if it works with one of your FreeBSD boxes, before you run out and buy one.

[pir.livejournal.com]

Last time I tried a Zio CF reader with FreeBSD it didn't work. Not a standard umass device. The SanDisk SDR-31 is the best one I've found for speed and use on different types of systems.

Hmmm

[kitty-goth.livejournal.com]

Curious. When I was trying to get the damn thing to work with Linux, I found a fair few references to getting the beast to work with FreeBSD. As you might expect, I didn't read many of them, but they seemed to indicate that it was doable.

Oh well. I trust you far more than I trust random gimpoids I found on Google. :)

Phew - indeed

[rbarclay.livejournal.com]

Because what I did advice was that the A200 is nice, but that you should definitely get one with optical zoom ;)

You can see what you have avoided here.

Re: Phew - indeed

[reddragdiva]

Indeed - it's not like I can't work the GIMP.

I will learn to read others' advice more carefully before buying the exact opposite of what they recommend ;-)

[mikz.livejournal.com]

The A40 is the one I almost bought, but I ended up going for the Nikon with the swivel-lens thingie. They're both good cameras; I'm sure you'll get a lot of pleasure out of yours.

I'm trying to remember if you have a laptop. If you do, invest ten bucks or so (literally—fucking cheap solution!) on a compact-flash-to-PCMCIA adapter. Linux and Windows both think it's an external drive, so I imagine FreeBSD would too. And if not, big woop, it's only ten bucks down the gurgler...

I will defer study of the photo page until after I get my broadband connection connected to the network here.