I got a camera!

[enigmaticgale]

Yesterday I went to my local new-and-used bookstore to scrounge up Christmas gifts for relatives I was planning to visit.

The store buys used books, games, and assorted electronics to resell, as well as selling a bunch of other assorted Nerd Stuff. (I walked in to a display table full of Harry Potter themed DND accessories.) After wandering around trying to find books for people whose tastes I don't know, I decided to wander around and look at stuff for ME. There was nothing I wanted in the manga section this time; there was a Slayers manga volume but it wasn't the first one in whatever story it was telling, so I passed on it. I stumbled upon the first volume of MDZS as well, and that one managed to make it home with me.

Then I went to take a peek in the video game section, just in case. Lo and behold... There was the camera!! Perched on the top shelf of a locked cabinet. I've wanted a nice, 'real' camera for a while now; photography has been something I've been interested in since I was a kid. Plus, a lot of people in the BJD hobby have professional cameras to take photos of their dolls, and I will admit I was influenced a bit by that, ha. My phone is perfectly serviceable, but sometimes you aren't satisfied with just serviceable!

After a lot of hemming and hawing, I decided to go for it and get the camera. It was a bit nervewracking since I had absolutely not planned on spending all that money at one time-- and I still had to pay for the presents I was getting people!

Once I got home, I excitedly unpacked everything.



For $200, I got:

-one camera, a Canon Rebel T1I, with strap
-two lenses; one 18-55mm, the other 55-250mm, both with autofocus and image stabilisation
-one Canon brand UV lens filter (not pictured; it's attached to the 50-250mm lens)
-one Targus brand UV lens filter
-one Targus brand polarising lens filter
-one external flash unit, a Sunpak auto 266 D
-two batteries for the camera, one with a protective case for storage
-wall charging unit for the batteries
-an AV cable (for connecting to a TV)
-an interface cable (for connecting to a computer)
-and a carrying case for everything.

There was no instruction manual or camera software included, nor did the camera come with an SD card. Still, those are the easiest things to replace! All the software and instructions are available online. Plus I have a couple spare SD cards lying around my room; they aren't very roomy, but they'll do nicely while I get the feel of the camera.

This was a TREMENDOUS score. The 55-250mm lens alone retails for about $300, according to my quick Google search!

I've been excitedly fiddling with everything since I got it. I haven't been able to try out the flash yet, because it's powered by 4 AA batteries. Somehow I only have two in my entire house...? I also haven't tried the stronger zoom lens yet, mostly because everything I'm taking pictures of is basically right in front of me.

I still have a long way to go before I really know how to work the camera, but for now I'll leave some of my very first pictures: