I know you'll probably get eleventy zillion comments with "hints" but I'll add mine anyhow...

for the lag time some things to look for/try:
there might be a menu setting called something like "review" where you can change the time setting. Review is the amount of time the just taken photo displays

get the fasted memory card the camera will take, that will speed up any in camera computing time that is slowing it up

I didn't search Amazon, but I just bought a great book for SLR by David Busch about all camera settings for my Rebel. Also bought the Nikon version for my husband...we have a mixed marriage... (and BTW, the fact that I'm married (2 months ago at age 54) is all your fault :)!!)

If he has a Canon Point and shoot book, it will be better than the manual - very nice book for seeing what does what - way more than the manual tells you as far as the "why" use each feature.

Photos look great!

The photos look great! And image stabilizer for that price? Also great. Looking forward to the kitty and other pix.

Congratulations on finding a camera. Your pictures look great. Now if I can just figure out how to use my own camera, I'd be happy.

Pics are great, Laurie. You may have just inspired me to upgrade my digital camera AND learn how to use it! :) The tripod sounds terrific, too.

Hey - we Montana women are right on top of this comments thing, aren't we?

I'm glad you found a camera that makes you happy! The kitty pics are so cute. My favorite has to be the one of the calico paw! I confess that 98% of the photos on my iphone are of my kitties. Now if I could just train them to hold still long enough to get a really good shot . .

I just bought a new digital camera too but haven't yet taken it out of the box because I thought I should do a little more research on whehter or not I picked the right one. But you've got it right - it's not the perfect camera and even if it were, there will be a more perfect camera next week. Really, I'd be perfectly happy with film but folks think you are an alien with that kind of a camera. I'll breaking it out to document my winter weather. I'm so jealous of your Dallas Raines forecast!

I have elventy-million pictures of my cats paws, there is just something about taking pictures of little fuzzy cat feet that I just can't resist. I also spent the weekend taking pictures of my yarn stash. Not only did I take pictures but I then cropped them, played with the color saturation, tint, etc. So that I could print them out and frame them. Because I really, really want to look at pictures of my stash as opposed to just looking at the actual yarn.

I do like the picture of the cat paw.

And you're lucky that the cats will let you take pictures of their faces. Mine has this amazing talent of turning her butt to the camera probably 9 shots out of ten.

Congratulations on the new camera!

Oh hooray! selfish of me I know, but welcome back crazy camera lady with pics - and especially pics that show close ups of cats paws. Smiling here! Laura UK

Congrats on the camera, great pics. When I got my new (3yrs now) I let my grandson look at it and in no time he had most of it figured out and explained it to me in a language I could understand,lol.
T

That is, by far, your best picture ever of Dallas Raines. Now, if I'm ever in LA and I pass him on the street, I'll recognize him instantly.
And come on! This is the year of YES! Don't be sad because you didn't get a camera case. Just knit yourself one! Then post really sharp close-up pictures of it. It's all good!

I'm so glad that the crazy camera lady is back! I look forward to seeing new, exciting, and not blurry pictures of bumper stickers, cats, and Dallas Raines.

Yay for your new camera!!!! I love seeing little kitty paws :)

And now I understand your infatuation with Dallas Raines?!?!?! :D

oh honey that is fantastic!

Good choice! Great fotos!

I bought that camera last month and really like it. One of the last point and shoots with a viewfinder.

Your pictures look great!

I am laughing over here because I used to own one of those Powershots (if not that model, one very much like it) and it made me crazy, because for some reason (likely my own ineptitude), at least half the time when I went to take a picture with that darn thing, I would click the power button instead. It made me nuts, and I finally got rid of it (and was totally thinking of that camera when you posted a couple weeks ago about learning when to throw in the towel on something that isn't working for you). To hear you say how you love how easy the shutter button is to find is just making me laugh and laugh (at myself, of course).

I hope you don't share my particular form of camera ineptitude, and that you love your camera forever and ever!

Dallas Raines was the litmus test

Yay, these look great. And I am adoring the kitty paw pad as well...

Once I bought a camera in an airport on a whim because I had 100 euros in change (those euro coins add up really fast). Then I forgot to pack my book to read, so I spent the next 9 hours reading my camera manual. I was the queen of my camera, I soooo loved that camera until I finally broke it beyond repair. It was one of the saddest days of my life.

Happy to see photos, and Dallas Raines is look very clear today.

Just wanted to say "Congrats!" The pictures are great :)

Your new camera looks almost exactly like my Canon PowerShot A70, that I bought many, many years ago. I love it. LOVE. IT. I hope you fall as deeply in love with your PowerShot as I have with mine. It's so easy to use, which is what someone as inept as me in taking pictures needs!

Beautiful pictures of the cats, Laurie. Love the close-up of the kitty paw! :)

(And of course, Dapper Dallas Raines)

Congratulations on the new camera. LOVE the close up of the kitty paw. I look forward to many, MANY non-blurry pictures.

another hint re: the lag time -- is there a sports setting (icon=sprinting stick figure)? that's the quickest one.

congrats and have fun!

I have SO missed your pictures. Yay for the new camera!

Congrats on the new camera! I do the same thing when making a purchase, especially one that will cost a significant amount: obsess for days, read reviews, etc., until I drive myself crazy. I have to take a step back and remember the world will not end if I don't get the absolute best product at the absolute best price, amen. Love the photos and hope you really enjoy using the new camera.

The kitty photos are my favorite. :)

Wow. I thought Bob was more orange. =-O

If you are happy, then I'm happy for you! I'm all for point and shoot, because that's all I ever do.

I'm celebrating your new camera, mainly because I have vodka and I need a reason to celebrate.

Good on ya, Laurie. Enjoy!

Great photos. One other thing that can help the recording time: Format your disk in your camera (after you've uploaded your photos, of course, because formatting erases them.) It's especially important to format the disk if it has been used in another camera.

The kitties look adorable. Please give them a kiss on the tip of the nose for me!

I am happy you found a camera you like, it can be a tough job finding one that is meant to be yours (like everything else in life).

"Frankie says, 'Relax!" That would make a great next-book title, wouldn't it? (I hope I'm the eleventy-fifth person to suggest it!) Awesome photos, by the way --better than ever! (Also, it looks like Dallas posed for that one!)

My mom has that camera. She loves it. Bought one for my Gramp for Christmas too.

Love the cat paw...super great close ups.

My hubby would say something about the read time of the memory card. Different memory cards write faster. We've got a few laying around here...and I'd say that's true...I just don't know why.

For the future, I have a camera with an LCD that pops out like that, and it's a great help for taking photos of yourself, because you can flip it out, and see what the camera is actually taking a photo of rather than setting it to take your photo and then running around and hoping that you'll be in the picture.

Too late for now, but it's a great feature if you decide to get a different camera in the future.

Wow - it takes great pictures! Congrats on your new electronic love. ;)

I highly recommend this sturdy Case Logic camera case, if you still need a case. I also highly recommend a custom wrist strap. Mine's from here, but she doesn't seem to have much of a selection anymore. Lots more choices over on etsy.

Or, y'know, I'll try that again without trying to make links. :)

http://www.caselogic.com/eva_compact_camera_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=106074

http://shop.splityarn.com/category/camera-straps-point-and-shoot

The pictures look great. Excellent choice!

Is it weird that I see kitty paws like that and must kiss (kees) them? So cute.

Gorgeous, gorgeous Bob.

ha.
My uncle in Jennifer speak:

"Its not a piano, and this sure as hell ain't Carnegie Hall."

Dapper Dallas never looked better!

Holy Hannah. Speaking as someone who thought she was All That because she learned how to develop her very own negatives in the family bathroom in high school (long, LONG ago), I am staggered by how stupifabulous those pictures are (stupendous + fabulous + stupifying = Stupifabulous). I can see little pink kitty tongue peeking out over his gum! I see individual cat hairs - on the cats! I see FIBERS and STRANDS in the YARN!

It is obviously the camera for someone like me to get, many years after they Honeywell Pentax went to sleep. Thank you for doing the legwork for me, Laurie! (Not as if folks would be writing to ME with their recommendations, so I cleverly read someone else's blog for recommendations - and it works!)

So happy to see FabuLaurie Photos again!

After THE Honeywell Pentax went to sleep. THE.

Profreading is my frend.

The pics of Dallas are great with your new camera. He sure looks fine today! Congrats on the new camera. Time for a trip so you can test out the new camera from a travel perspective.

I'm sure you meant "Frankie SAY 'relax,'" right? I'm kidding! It's not my fault I'm totally mired in the 80s!

Thanks for the rundown on the various camera features - I'm in the market for one because mine recently died, and it's good to hear your experience. And good for you for making a decision and getting past the "perfect" issue.

I hadn't heard that tip about formatting SD memory before -- thanks for recommending it. I just reformatted my card, we'll see if that helps with lag time!

Great shots! Looking forward to lots more knitting, traffic, and cat photos.

PS Your weatherman is hot!!!

I would kill for that weather. We are in for more snow tonight. We could have 50 inches of snow in one week.

Cat Toes!!! I love me some Cat Toes!

On that dial-y thing on the top you probably have a night shot setting (person with the Eiffel Tower in back ground). You might try that in low light. I never take mine out of AUTO mode so I find that no flash works pretty good indoors at night.

I've had my camera about 1 1/2 yrs and have yet to read the manual. Yeah - kinda lazy and anyway, it's packed in a box in the basement because I moved last summer and 90% of my life is still in the basement.

Congrats on the new camera, Laurie. That kitty paw is amazing. I just got a Nikon Coolpix last week and cannot believe how great the pictures are. You can see everything! Man, have these things come a long way in the last few years.

It has more megapixels than my "good" camera and 5x zoom for about 1/5 of the price. It is really all I need for 90% of my picture taking. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. Here's to not lugging the clunky SLR around anymore :-)

As an Angeleno who watches Dallas Raines every night at 11:00, I am impressed with how crisp and clear his perma-tan is with your new camera! Enjoy!

Am I the only one or even the first one to notice that the kitty paw shot shows what appear to be FINGERPRINT "whorls???"

Do kitties have fingerprints?????

Now I am going home to scrutinize 68 individual kitty paws to see whether they are unique!! (The rest of the kitty is unique, why shouldn't the paw be?)

And what does this mean for the CSI: Cat World???

Oh my word, Dallas is so SHARP!!! You chose well!

xxx

Wow. Your photos look amazing. If I could do half as well with my point and click I would be doing a happy dance!

beautiful cat shots :) I'm so happy to see the crew again -- and who's paw is that? It's so gorgeous!

Love to you and the kitties from Tux and me.

Congrats on the new camera, the pics look great.
You mentioned it not coming with a case and I just saw something really cute and easy to make.
At a party the other night, one of the ladies had a camera cozy - made from a felted, cut-off sweater sleeve -- the bottom sewn closed, of course, and with a little button & loop closure. I know it's not the same level of protection as an actual hardsided case, but it would kinda protect it a little bit from scratches etc, in your purse till you can find a real one you like. And it sure was cute!

Good pictures! You can actually see the individual kitty whiskers now. Nice and clear pictures. They'll make nice cat posters now. :)

your cats are beautiful and the pictures are great.. i really enjoy reading your blog..

dallas is looking good!

I know diddly about cameras, but that's the best photo of Dallas Raines you've ever posted.

So glad you have a new camera ... have missed seeing the cats. Also Dapper Dallas Raines and his awesome forecasts.

Off topic: Why isn't your new book in the "Litterchure" section? :D

Pics are looking good now!
I've got an older powershot and one of the best things on it is the burst mode. It takes pics about a second apart for as long as I hold the shutter button down. I use it for taking pics of moving things or scenery with the idea of stitching the pics all together, or of cats doing cat things (stationary or not).

I've been in love with Dallas Raines ever since the 80's. I saw him line-dancing once at the now defunct Denims and Diamonds club/restaurant on Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica. You should see how cute he looked in tight jeans, cowboy boots and a "Garth" C&W shirt!!!

Hi Laurie,

How do you get your photos to come out of your cats eyeballs? No matter what I do, Sammy's blue eyes are either RED or GLOWING!

And also, do you really have THAT much natural light in your house? Looks like the sun shines from in your house.

Thanks!

Valerie -- the only way to avoid the red eye completely is to never use flash! I do not have much natural light at all in my new apartment (my old house was very light in the bedroom) so that's why I need a camera that handles low-light situations well.

I also retouch everything in photoshop, adjusting the levels and lightening things up that are too dark. I know not everyone is a photshop geek, so the best advice I can give with the red eye thing is to avoid flash as much as possible!

You might get a faster rate of capture with a better memory card - the one that comes with the camera is generally not great. Pics look great!

Thanks for the tip, but I'm not using the card that comes with the camera, it's too small! I think they only included a 128 MB card. I take a LOT of pictures. I have a high-speed 4GB SD card ... and I can probably fill it in a day ;)

Great cat photos! And I have to say -- I love that 38 degree "cold night!" I'd kill for 38 degrees in the middle of the day! ;-)

Also, the lag time is really only a problem with higher ISO settings, but there is a lag. I noted it because it is noticeable to me, and is still there even after reformatting the card (thanks for that tip though, I love to reformat!)

You may not have any issues with lag time if you aren't taking obsessive pictures of your cat's paws in low light like some people we know... but for me, there is an obvious lag (the camera even has an icon for it, there's a hand with the word "Busy!" next to it.)

OH! One last thing! (I am so loving everyone's suggestions, it's like having our own camera focus group here!!)

I saw someone recently who was taking great pics with an iphone... I haven't been able to get one good pic on my iphone. I wonder what the secret to that is?

YEAY YOU!!!!!!! OMG I actually hollered out loud when I saw the close up of the TOES!!!!!!
That there is the cutest paw evah!

ok...so looking at pictures, I can actually see the whiskers on the cat, and that paw is so stinkin' cute it makes you want to kiss it! I am very impressed with the camera, will consider these things as I looking for a new one.

No tips. I'm not a camera geek, but I do love your picture essays. Glad to see the kitties pics again, too.

There is a nice review and book give-away of your new book on Wendy Bernard's blog http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/

No great tips here, but my husband has the camera with the cheesy pop-up flash and I can't stand it - I think you were smart to avoid it. :) I remember so well when digitals were first coming out and I thought oh I'll never do that junk. And I went out and bought a canon rebel that I never touch. And probably couldn't give away. arrrrgghhhhh

Kitty paw LOVE!

Hey, that's the same camera I got! I needed something relatively inexpensive when the kids dropped our other digital while the lens was extended (tip: if you do that the camera will break, so don't do that). You know, in case this breaking-of-the-camera turns into an annual event.

Some people don't like cases for their inexpensive digitals because they claim the cases just collect dirt that then wedges into the lens, thus mucking up the ability of the lens to go in and out when you turn it off and on, thus ruining the camera.

Oh, and that's the best shot of Dallas Raines I've ever seen, so it must be a good camera.

Good camera choice, and nice pictures! Especially like the one of Bob staring at your camera :) Good luck and happy picture-taking!

well, I was vacationing and missed your camera discussion, but I've had a Canon PowerShot A510 for quite a few years now, with no desire to replace it- I often get awed responses when I answer the question 'what kind of camera do you have?' after someone has looked at my pics. Great choice- love that powershot!

Congrats on deciding on a camera! The shots look great even in dim lighting and I bet Soba is very happy not to be blurry anymore.

Ooooh kitteh toeses! LOVE! I think the clarity of your photos is much improved! Congratulations!!!!

You can never go bad with a Canon. Dallas Reins! OMG! I'm reviewing your latest book on my site tomorrow. I have to tell you that I loved it!

That is the very same camera that I have, and it works really great for pictures of cats and knitting. And cats wearing knitting. I love it.

(Also, if you happen to drip a little bit of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream on the shutter button, it will still work. Not that I recommend you try that at home, of course.)

incredible pictures - glad you got your new camera. i'm currently saving for a new one - but at the current rate - it'll probably be august by the time i get it. i'll have to enjoy your new one and all the pics and posts between now and then.

The details look great in the cat and knitting pictures. But Dallas is still a funny color. (Or is that Johnny Mountain)? Maybe it's the self tanning stuff he is using on these rainy days.

Your pictures look great!

Yea! I have a year older version of that camera. I have been very happy with it. Have fun taking pix!

Not sure of your cat's names, but the tortie looks just like my tortie, Slinky.

Congrats on the camera. I use a similar one, and it serves me well since I use it mainly for posting pix online.

Hi, glad you're happy with your new economical purchase. I found with my Cannon changing the LCD settings changed the speed I could take pictures. Turning off the picture reviewing (seeing how it looks after the photo is taken) I could snap away quickly, maybe that would help you too?
Cheers!

Based on those pics and the handsomeness of Dallas, good choice. Enjoy the camera! More vegetable pix please.

kutos on the camera - i have one too! and your photos are just gorgeous! nothing wrong with having 4 cats - the more the merrier!

I'm so pleased the camera's back!

I love the cat paw. Would never have thought to take that one. I just love cat's paws. My Jacko trusts me enough to let me gently hold his paw to warm it up after he's been ramming around the house and has cold paws.

I really enjoyed your camera posts (have just found you, and glad about it). It was so entertaining and informative. Bob is very sweet too. I think I might get that gorilla tripod thingy. Is it heavy or cumbersome? Helen

Great pix!

Ditto the first commenter who mentioned checking the setting for picture review.

Aside from a fast card - I find a smaller card increases the speed. (e.g. 1 gig vs 4 gig). I only bring the larger card when not near a computer. My traveling scenery shots don't mind the slow recovery time but getting the furry four-footed critters does require a quicker recovery time.

Also - upgrade/recharge the batteries. Charge till really full.

If the pictures of Bob are that good, you got a great camera. I'm officially a Bob stalker.

It is ridiculous how much I enjoy looking at pictures of your cats. That is all.

Congratulations on the camera decision, I'm sure the two of you will be very compatible. I really understand about the burden of trying to make the perfect buying decision. I suffer from the same affliction, so it's helpful to know that others are struggling with this and winning. There's hope!

Also - I'd love to know how to fix the graininess of my low light photos. You know that it's impossible to get a legible picture of any event in a school auditorium unless you have a camera that costs the same as a round trip flight to Sydney. If you want to post some fix-it tips here, I would love to read them.

Canon makes great products. Love the cat pics.

Congrats...love the pics...I have a sony..which I recommended to you...but I don't know anymore..sounds like the Canon is worth looking into. My daughter graduates this year...thought a "good" camera might be a nice idea. THANKS for the details.

Really pretty crisp shots! Glad you're enjoying the new camera :)

You should knit a camera sock! I did and love it. Found the pattern on Ravelry.

Thank goodness..cat pictures finally! I was having withdrawals...being a 'cat' person too! Love the paw one-that would make a great framed photo :-).
Glad you are happy with your new camera. Yay!
Enjoy it! You deserve it!

So last night right after I read about your adventures in digital cameras my husband came home and said he wants to get me a digital camera for Valentines, needing my opinion on features. I'm apparently the last person on earth to still use film. I've been content but will be pleased to upgrade particularly since I take 6 months and a major holiday to use up a roll of 24 exp. Maybe digital photos of our all black cat won't just look like floating green eyes. Dare to dream.

That is the exact camera I purchased for my son. I love how it is easy enough to use for a 9yo, but still takes great pictures. My purse camera is also a Canon. (A little Elph.) And I have a Canon SLR.

My favorite feature on the Canon point and shoots is the Macro setting. And I will say it does take very respectable video. And IS is the bomb!

As for speed, one thing to try are lithium batteries. They are pricier for sure, but I find the "refresh" rate for flash MUCH faster with this type compared to regular batteries or rechargable AAs.

Enjoy your camera!