The wife and me were having a conversation last week. As you may know, my passion is wildlife photography, specifically in our National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges. I try to train myself to see things other people might miss. Countless times, while hiking with my "full rig," I encounter other photogs, and when asked "anything good today?" they respond with "nothing special." Those are usually my most productive days. I don't know if it's because they're only looking for large meaningful animals or if they're only interested in shooting wildflowers. But, I take that answer and transform it into a challenge: what am I going to see today that most will not. I'm rarely disappointed.
It has become obvious in my house that Daddy likes to go to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge quite a bit. On more than one occasion, I've taken the kids. In its most popular part of the refuge, trails are extremely limited, quite typical of a place that is supposed to be an unmanaged, unspoilt preserve. Keep people on the paths. To do so, they've constructed a series of boardwalks and trails that lead to bird blinds at their ends meant to keep you on the path. I know firsthand that waterfowl spook easily, so this makes sense in a swamp. What's most difficult is explaining to my kids, when we go, why they can't just take my camera and take pictures. The answer is an economic one: it would be economically challenging replacing components of my camera system if all were simultaneously lost, damaged, dumped into the swamp, etc. The solution is simple: why don't we buy the kids a camera they can use while I'm doing my thing.
The wife agreed and hello Amazon. I looked and used keywords "child's camera" and was extremely dissatisfied with their suggested results. It was largely the Fisher Price line (and their imitators) which are meant for abuse from toddlers. Arguably, the included 2-megapixel sensor isn't taking "real" photos. So, those were out. I changed the criteria. What did I really want the camera to do? Like the Fisher Price options, I wanted it to be sturdy enough to take a drop, possibly water resistant, and if it does get dropped, not to be forever damaged from dust or cold. Enter the category of Tough Point-And-Shoot Cameras.
I admit that I wasn't surprised at the number of available cameras. Every major photography company has an offering that fits our perceived needs: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Fuji (and others). But, I'm looking for a bargain. I'm not willing to drop $200 on a camera destined to be lost in a lake or buried under 3 feet of sand at the beach. A quick search of last year's, now price-reduced, models and I found what I was looking for: the Fuji FinePix XP90. It's got a 16Mp sensor, USB rechargeable battery so I won't have to constantly buy AAs, it will take underwater shots to a depth of 50 feet and is drop-proof to about 6 feet. It's freeze proof and dust proof and...it's out of stock. However, it says that I can buy one from Amazon Warehouse (Amazon's home for misfit toys), certified to work and comes with its own dented box, for only $14.80.
Wait, what?
Right, it was listed as an Amazon-approved device at less than $15. Prime. I think you know what happened next. It then said it was on back-order, which I took to mean, we've got it in our Siberia warehouse and it'll just take a bit to get to you. Four days later, it's on my doorstep. I opened it up. Battery was charged. No scratches or marks on the camera. It came complete with manuals and registration information, power cords and wrist strap. And, it took pictures, could be dropped into a tub/lake/river, and generally take a beating.
The cons? There are none. Hello, $15 camera! Go buy one new and you're spending $220 for last year's model? Hells no.
The moral is, I don't know what the moral is. I bought a $200+ camera for $15 and you need to know that those deals are out there. Buy from Amazon Warehouse and you may stand to save a bundle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go fill my tub so I can take some creative underwater shots of my rubber duckie. Right, camera is for the kids. Right.
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