About time!!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what a video worth?? As much as many of you have enjoyed the photos I’ve been putting up, I really think that short video clips now and then would be much more effective. However, for many weeks now, we have been unable to take any video clips due to our small camera being broken (the Canon 350d doesn’t have the option to take videos).

I was truly gutted when I found out that our little Panasonic FX01 was broken. In fact, it was the day we went to Coffin Bay that we broke the camera. Near the end of the day we were at Wreck Beach, and the strong wind blew the soft sand into the camera, and into Mel’s pockets, so that by the time we realised what had happened, there was sand all through it. I thought I might be able to repair it myself, but to no avail, and when we rang up a company about it, they were quoting AUS $220 (about £100).

There was nothing else for it, we would have to buy a new one. So after having looked at the shocking prices in some of the stores in Port Lincoln, I went online. But again I was confronted with daft, inflated prices, even more expensive than the U.K. I thought that was a little wierd since the cameras are designed and made not far from here (comparatively speaking).

However, browsing through the aussie ebay, I came across another Panasonic FX01 for a reasonable price. Considering we had two batteries for it, a 2GB SD card, and a UK charger for when we get back to the UK, I thought it would be wise to go for the same camera, so I made the order which was with a Power Seller in Malaysia.

The next day however, I received an email from them telling me that they tested the camera just before shipping, and they had found it to be faulty, so I’m going to have to wait for more to come in. Fair enough I thought, better than a faulty camera arriving at my door. Alas! A day or two later I received the following email,

“Hi
We just being informed by supplier that Panasonic has stopped selling FX01 hence couldnt get the new stock. It is being replaced with a new model FX10.
The price is a bit higher for FX10. But in your case, we willing to fulfil your order without any extra charges.”

Immediately I searched to find out more about this ‘FX10′. I found that it was indeed a newer model, but it wasn’t the newer version of the FX01. Although newer, it didn’t have the 28mm lens or as many pixels in the viewing screen. To be fair, the seller was pleasant and apologetic in every email, but this was a dodgy move!

So I emailed them telling them that it was no good, the 28mm wide lens was one of the reasons I liked the FX01 in the first place. I knew in the back of my mind that there was an upgrade to my camera, and I eventually confirmed that it was the FX07. So I emailed them to say that I wanted the FX07. Thankfully they had one, but it cost be £15 on top of what I already paid!

Anyway, it arrived yesterday and I’m quite happy as the old batteries are the same, so now I have two to spare. It’s a good camera, but I’ll not be taking it to the beach again until I get myself one of these!

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• Quality vs. Convenience
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