In which a new obsession is born

Remember back last month when I bemoaned the fact that I was selling off my Dr. Demento Show collection? And I hinted that it wasn't just a random, sell-to-get-extra-pocket-change kind of Ebay thing? That it was goal-oriented liquidation? Well, a major component of that goal is now in my in my greedy grasp.



Introducing my new Canon Rebel XTi, a 10.1 megapixel SLR. It's Canon's entry-level camera, a step above their high-end point-and-shoots, but what a huge step it is (yes, I'm aware of the newly-unveiled XSi. It's awesome. But not awesome enough for me to shell out an additional $400 for it). I've been quite impressed with the quality of digital point-and-shoots and how forgiving they are for someone with even mediocre photography skills, but this XTi is downright awesome. I can only imagine what Canon's upscale prosumer or professional cameras are like. The ability to change lenses and other, nifty built-in features on this camera makes a huge difference, and I don't even fully know how to use it yet.



The most noticeable thing about this camera is that it's small. Very small for a SLR. That makes it a little awkward to handle at times, but I'm planning on getting a vertical grip battery pack for it, which should minimize those issues. I've only played around with it a little, testing out a variety of lenses, but I'm very, very happy with it.

Why, you might ask, did I buy a Canon as opposed to, say, a Nikon? Nikon folks are pretty rabid in their allegiance after all, and swear by that brand. The fact of the matter is that the Wife owns a 35mm Canon, and has almost a thousand dollars worth of lenses to go along with it. Lenses that just so happen to be fully compatible with Canon's digital cameras. You make the call.

Now Playing: Stan Getz/João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto