The Canon Ixy 70

I bought a new digital camera today. As I mentioned before, I have been saving my pennies for this purchase. It worked out really well. The camera was about $30 more than I thought it would be, but that's well within the margin of error.

It's a pretty nifty little thing, and I mean little. It's the smallest camera made, I think. Not much bigger than a deck of playing cards. You can't buy this model of camera in the US, it's made in Japan for use in Japan and Europe only. I got a very good deal on it because it doesn't have Chinese programmed into it...not a big hit in a Chinese-speaking country...lol. I looked it up on the internet and it's known as the Canon Powershot SD600 Digital Elph in the US.

Taiwan is THE place to buy electronics. I paid about $100 less than I would have if I had purchased it in the States. Also, they threw in a 1GIG memory card, an extra battery and a really cool carrying case (about $125 worth of stuff)...a killer deal. Haggling for price isn't the way it's done here, ya gotta haggle for the extras, I did.

The main reasons I decided on this camera are portability, image quality, and the optical view finder. It's small enough to fit into any pocket and the pictures are stunning. Best of all, it has the traditional view finder. Most of the camera companies have stopped using them, relying solely on the LCD screen. I've never been a big fan of framing all my shots with the LCD, I just don't feel like I can really zero in on the object.

A by-product of this purchase came in the form of a phone number from the stunning saleswoman...lol. Her name is Phoebe and she would like me to tutor her in English. She is really cute and anxious to get together. She recently graduated from a local university with a degree in Japanese & English and wants to continue to improve her language skills...I'm the man!!!...lol. She gave me her cell phone number before I had a chance to ask her, how rare...lol. Tears nearly came to my eyes when she offered me her number...lol. I guess I gotta figure out a way to work the tutor/date angle, it's a fine line and I don't want to screw up a chance to spend time with such an incredible woman. Wish me luck everyone!