2.0 - my lucky number

OMG THE BEST IDEA EVER. so i was on this date. was nice etc. BUT! as i told him about my desperate need to go somewhere for a while, work from abroad etc. he suggested i try home swap! YES! why didnt i think of it before! i dunno what the 'market' is like but at a quick glance its very doable. i checked a couple sites and there are indeed flats everywhere in the world. well, i actually just checked europe/moscow/turkey for now... i cant afford to fly too far atm. how awesome of an idea? i could totally do that. it DOES mean i need to clean up a little here... "a little". but, its not a bad excuse to clean if i get to stay somewhere for free :)

sooooo where am i going? we'll see... just today i mentioned this working abroad -scenario to my boss,and i suppose she felt it went quite well last time and she supported my idea. in fact she said its a great idea :D i do have my other job as well, more website projects... just today i heard i probably have work in that segment until the end of the year, which is great news, financially and otherwise. but im pretty sure its okay by that boss as well if my physical being disappears for a while.

and as if that wasn't enough good stuff for the day, i finally got myself a new pocket camera :) the old one was falling into pieces, several faults making use difficult. what happened was: i bought one on monday actually. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7. i tend to do my research well and avoid mishaps. however, today i returned it and got a Canon PowerShot S90 instead. and i was a Lumix evangelist! so how did this happen? i went to the store, with my other options in mind, and asked for help from the staff. i used to sell cameras back in...long time ago...so i can appreciate a good camera sales person. what makes them good is they find whats right for YOU. i was really locked into the lumix triangle (FX550, ZX1...), and the suggestion of this Canon threw me off guard. but how right he was... i can say its not perfect, but very close... this feeling is what i was looking for . i knew that my uneasiness with the TZ7 was abnormal. something just wasnt right.

so what was wrong with TZ7?
-bulky size. i thought i could get over it...but i couldnt. no way was it gonna fit in my pocket.
-protruding things...selection wheel, lens...
-aperture starting at 3.3
-the auto shoot mode did not have the 640x480 size option which is what i always use
-the usb port was with some weird ass plug again...HDMI mini maybe...whatever...another cord needed just for this camera...
-shoots .MOV files
-going from play mode to shoot mode requires the switch of a button (typically pressing shutter is enough)

yes, TZ7 could zoom while in video mode (big plus). and its zoom went all the way to 300mm. not that i was ever gonna use it. and the video was whatever super HD new tech format... but i dont care for any of that. the downsides were simply too much. after shooting there was also weirdly long 'processing' breaks. and although somewhat similar to my previous Lumix, the UI was a bit off and slow.


what is right with Canon S90 then? (nice gizmodo review)
-APERTURE 2.0 - thats TWO-POINT-ZERO!
-size. only a mm here or there bigger than my old baby
-form...very stylish and smooth, dare i say - lumixy?
-familiar UI, as i have used a Canon compact before
-the new parts of the UI were very innovative and its super nice to use! fast!
-very handy 'ring' around lens to adjust almost anything (like all manual settings)
-great noise reduction
-very nice quality photos (not what i can say for Lumix FX550)

some might add to the list RAW format and whatnot, but thats not important for me when it comes to a compact cam. i just want
1) decent quality in 2) 640x480 (and often DARK conditions!)
3) wide angle
4) compact stylish package, and
5) practical & fast user interface and plugs etc.

u'd think its not a lot to ask and would cost less than 429e though...hmm... MUCH more than i was prepared to pay. but this was the right camera for me. i had to make an executive decision and swipe the card.

but if S90 is not perfect, then what is wrong with it?
-shoots .MOV (like almost every cam out there)
-wide angle starts at 28mm, not 24mm...

and i think thats it. oh and its not called Lumix with the word Leica embroidered all over... but im going to have to forgive that. Canon has served me so well all these year in my DSLR career, i dont regret my jump on the Leica bandwagon but maybe it was time to return home.

all black and smooth....S90:

bigger than a make up sponge. about the width of a lip gloss tube :)

the bulky (but great for a videographer) Lumix TZ7:


tonight at William K, nearby bar which i like;


and outside William K at around 22:30, the first (somewhat permanent) snow this winter :)