Why I love my Nikon Coolpix

Once upon a time, I realized that as a journalist, I was going to need a good digital camera to take pictures with. My ex's camera (which I took) was getting shaky from being dropped five or six too many times. So, I went on a search for a camera with a 3x digital zoom, which I heard was a good thing.

I had the camera guy at Best Buy explain camera jargon to me and make his recommendations. I ended up buying a Nikon Coolpix, sure that within a few months my technical ineptitude would destroy it in one way or another.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I can take video with it. I can take pictures with it. The resulting pictures are hi-res enough for me to have published in Web sites, newspapers, and magazines. I've taken pictures of my friends, family, artists, artwork, my cats, and yarn.

Even better yet, I've managed to drop my camera, submerge it in both water and some sort of cleaning fluid, and lose it for days in my hot car, only to have it work once I've shaken it off/ dried it out/ cooled it down.

I think I've recommended it to just about everyone looking for a basic, point-and-shoot digicam, especially if they're not technically minded, like me.

The only beef I have with my camera is the shakiness of the "no flash" setting. With my old camera, I used to take pictures all the time without the flash on; I could eventually steady myself for a clear shot. Even one of my best friends, who is an amateur photographer, can't get a clear shot from the Nikon without the flash. But, I'm working on it.

Here's my favorite picture I've taken with my Nikon so far:



It's an unpublished photo I took for a print package about people whose lives have changed because of urban hip-hop. The graffiti is on display at Crossover Community Church in Tampa, FL.

I also, as I've stated, am very technologically unfriendly in many ways, so it's great having a camera that's (so far, knock on wood) virtually indestructible, even if I do eventually have to get a tripod to take artsy-farts pictures without my flash.

Here's a site that sells a bunch of Nikon cameras and other digital models, as well as a bunch of other stuff.

This post is sponsored by Ritzcamera.com.