So I'm in Beast Buy in Houston looking at my current lust object, the Canon Powershot S110 Digital ELPH camera. The reason I'm obsessing about it is that it's a supposed to be decent camera in a pocket-sized package, perfect for carrying everywhere for impromptu photography -- in other words, photoblogging.
I turn away to look at something else and next thing I know the clerks are selling their last S110 to another customer. It seems the S110 has been discontinued (replaced by the S200 and S330) and Best Buy has just gotten the order to sell off the floor models. They let her have it for $239 (this is for a list $500 / chain $400 / discount $350 item).
I spend the next two days calling every Beast Buy in Houston and Austin trying to match that deal. Most are sold out and the rest are either incomplete or the manager won't knock more than 10% off the price. (Probably because I'm not a cute young woman like my competitor at the first BB.)
Sigh. It's back to saving my pennies for a full-price S200 or S330 next Christmas.
Meanwhile I'll mention another pocket-size temptation, the $39-$99 Aiptek Pencam. By all accounts it's a piece of overhyped junk but nevertheless capable of some impressive photos if you've got lots of light and know how to make up for its limitations, as Dave Faris proves on his Pencam.org site. His motto is "even a cheap camera can take a nice image" and it's true, but you'll notice he has very few interiors or portraits on his site. (Via Zoloft Take Me Away.)
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