Digital Cameras

My first "real" digital camera was a Sony DSC-P30, which was a hand-me-down from my eldest brother, sometime around 2005 (because the first digital pictures of mine that I can find right now are from 2005).  This giant of a camera featured 1.3 megapixels, and I loved it to bits.  I actually still have it, and it still works--except for memory stick read errors.  Soon after I got it, cell phone cameras boasted more megapixels, but I didn't care at all.  The pictures were always sharp and true to colour.

I forget if it ever broke on me, but the next camera I owned was also a hand-me-down; a Sony DSC-P8, sometime late 2007 (because the photos went from about 500kb, to 1500kb in December 2007).  Even though it was newer, it seemed to take worse pictures than my old camera.

I brought this camera with me to Kingston, ON in 2009, where it got wet and refused to turn on.  I thought it was broken, so I packed it away and bought the cheapest decent camera I could find, which was a Nikon Coolpix L20.  This was a relatively new camera in 2009, and the large display screen dazzled me.  When I came home and unpacked my Sony, I found the LCD screen cracked (it was in my luggage, not my backpack). Out of curiosity, I tried turning it on, and it worked!  Only, with the cracked screen, it was hard to see what I was shooting.  So I stayed with my Coolpix.

Early this year, or maybe late 2011, the battery hatch on my Coolpix chipped.  Ever since, I've been using an elastic band to help hold it in place.  But more pieces began chipping off, so it's now held together with tape.  But since the frame is made of plastic (my latest Sony's frame is metal), the hatch is now beginning to buckle from the pressure of the battery springs.  It will soon snap, and there will be nothing I can do to fix it.

So I'm looking into buying a new digital camera.  Here are my requirements:

• Must take AA batteries (or other non-proprietary batteries)
• Must be under $125 before tax
• Must be durable (can survive at least 2 years)
• Must have a macro mode
• Must be programmable 
• Should have a good auto white balance, or let me do it manually

If you read this blog, you'll notice I mostly shoot food and outdoor things, so macro mode is very important.  This camera is mostly an emergency, "Oh crap I need a camera NOW, one that won't break on me!" purchase.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know, either by e-mail (see side bar for e-mail address) or by commenting below.

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