Cameras & Picture Talk (Read 9,786 times)

I got bad news this morning about my F-150 pick-up truck.
Guess my best option has just been made clear to me. Leaning toward the Canon Program of the SX130 for 110.39. Less expense now is better.
I'm looking at a cylinder head repair of over $2000 but several mechnics do not advise that with 230,900 miles. Suggest engine overhaul or just trade it for a new one.
I like the idea of a new truck, but I like my F-150 except for the repair bills and what might go wrong next. I just put new tires on it last year.
The big deal is,,,,What is the economy going to do and what will gasoline prices do now that Obummer has another 4 years?
Choice and more choices.

And if you do all that, I'll have a ready-made (shovel-ready, anyone?) suggestion as to a place to store said truck...

Gary, just went through the same process. My wife's Subaru Outback Limited, 2000 with 80,000 miles on it, just started to leak, not a lot, but enough to smell and smoke when enough drops hit the exhaust. So the shop says, we can either replace one head gasket for 1600, or both for 2500. My thought was get a new one. We just spent 3000 last year on new running gear, brakes, etc, etc, etc. so the whole bottom of the car would be new.

So my wife, the ever frugal polack says how much would it cost to get a new vehicle? So I throw the numbers at her, and she says that if we spent the payments over 5 years, even with 0 % interest, we would spend close to 300 per month. It would equal about 2500 over 5 years or 40 per month if we just fix what we have. Which to a large extent is a half new car already. Even if we held on to this one for just another 3 years, it would only be 70 per month, or for 2 years, only 100+ per month.

There's a lot of logic to getting this one fixed right now, even though we will have spent 5500 bucks in a year to keep it right.

Sure it's always a gamble, but stuff happens. We gambled on the chump in the WH being replaced and lost. So the law averages says I should now have a win.

So I'll just add a hitch, a chair lift and get my electric power chair mounted, and not worry for a few years.

Dont need the chair yet, but it's coming.

I'd go with another engine, even used, and just hope it aint cracked. I think there's a company named Jasper or something like that that might be able to help, they test and certify the blocks first. I bought one of them for a different Subaru a few years ago, turned out it was an actual Japanese which didnt have all the American crap on it and gave me about 50 more horsepower.

Good luck,

Ron is right- do you think you can adjust to living with a truck payment?.... 2 vehicle family? We went to a 1 vehicle family 5 years ago, didn't need the extra costs...

Might figure on complete power train- especially if it is an automatic- it too will have the same mileage... Find the best dealer you can and check on a one owner vehicle....

Here's one I "borrowed" from the USAF art site and edited it into a 456th FIS Alert launch. It was my first attempt at editing so it lacks some perspective and brush stroke effect compared to the original painting at the top.

I like it Pat :2thumbsup

Hi Gary, Here's a review on the SX40
reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-sx40-hs/4505-6501_7-35026234.html
Looks like a pretty good intermediate camera for the sale price Canon has and I think the full warranty applies with refurbished units, but not sure.

If you have a camera store nearby, go put your hands on one and get the feel for it.  Only you know how much picture control you want to have and that's what counts. 

There's a lot of higher horsepower units in the miniture line up with no view finder at a cheaper cost and you can just put them in your pocket and go.  But no view finder means on a bright day it's harder to see the screen to compose the picture.

What did you shoot the bird eating hawk with?  That was a great photo.

I have been looking at the Canon 3Ti since the prices are dropping now that the 4Ti is coming out (check Costco).  But I have also seen some great photography on the new smart phones and I'm needing a new phone.  It is just frustrating to try and pick new technology to cover all your needs these days because there is so much of it to choose from.  It's like drinking from a fire hose.

Good Luck,
Pat P.

Walmart had their camera shelf just about empty. New cameras arriving in 3 weeks.
Military Exchange at Bangor Navy Base as usual was limited.
So I was nopt able to get the feel of the SX40.
Everyone has the SX160 on sale with a 16X zoom.
I have the SX120 with a 10X zoom. I don't know how big an improvement that will be.
I feel I want to stick with Canon because I'm used to the controls. Quick & simple. I was looking at an Olympus and the controls were into the computer screen.
guess I'm to much of and old dog and redneck to want to learn a new camera system.

Thanks Jim, I'll be in Sequim tomarrow and likely will stop at Costco.