Cross-posting from my journal because I know we have quite a few photography enthusiasts on this forum, but not all of them actively browse the journal section!
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I recently won a $500 voucher in a photo competition to use in Canon Australia's online store. I have up to a year to use it. I'm listing out some potential options, though I'm not in a hurry to buy anything yet, especially given my current camera is a Sony RX100 Mark 2 which I'm pretty happy with.
I think the voucher MAY be transferable, but I don't know if I want to sell it to someone. It would be trackable and I don't want to seem like an ungrateful prize winner? I asked my partner if he wanted to buy it off me for a discounted price, but he often buys his camera gear second-hand, which is significantly cheaper than RRP, so unless I just gave it to him as a gift for $0, it wouldn't be worth it for him.
I browsed the store and there are a few things that caught my eye. For the most part, I'm looking at these from the perspective of having something additional to supplement my main camera.
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PowerShot D30
Price: $299 (so I would still have $301 leftover to spend on something else)
Reasons: I've always thought it would be awesome to have a waterproof/underwater camera. I would have loved to have something like this all those times I visited tropical beach destinations - when I swam with the fishes, saw shipwrecks, etc.
Downsides: The image quality doesn't look that great. So the question is, is having water shots that are "just okay" really that appealing. Maybe it is if the alternative is no water shots at all. But I'm not sure. Also, how often will I actually use it?
PowerShot SX720 HS
Price: $499 (pretty much perfect for using up my voucher)
Reasons: I've never had a camera with significant zoom. When I went for a safari in Nepal, I had so much fun but couldn't get any decent photos of the wildlife. Even when they are quite close, they still come up so tiny in my camera when I zoom in as much as I can. The image quality of this one looks pretty decent, too.
Downsides: I guess, similar to the waterproof one, the question is how often will I actually use this over my current camera - overall, the boyfriend thinks my current camera (Sony RX100 Mark 2) is better, other than the lack of zoom. We do have wildlife around here so maybe I could enjoy playing with the possibilities.
PowerShot SX60 HS
Price: $549 (I'll have to fork out a bit of my own money, but not too much, so it could be worth considering)
Reasons: Similar to the above (PowerShot SX720) but even more zoom! This one is a recommendation from the boyfriend. He reckons it could be worth the extra $50.
Downsides: Again, similar to the above. It is also bigger and heavier than the above, so not as convenient to carry around (though possibly makes up for the inconvenience with more features, including the ability to shoot RAW).
Get an entry-level DSLR
Price: Variable, but I will have to fork out probably at least a few hundred of my own money all up to get body and lens.
Reasons: If I want to make photography a serious side gig, this is probably the way to go. Yeah, the photographer is more important than the gear, but let's face it, gear still makes a difference. You don't tend to see many pros turning up to a shoot with a basic compact camera.
Downsides: Have to put in a decent chunk of my own change. Not sure if I have the desire and drive to make a serious side gig out of photography. I do love the idea of doing something like pet photography, though.
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What do y'all think?