Journal
Hitting the ground running - an update
- Posted on: July 11, 2005
- In: News
- Comments closed
Today was the first day back at work for a month, and it was the hottest day in Cardiff since I've lived here (32C). Not a great day, although brilliant to be interacting with real people rather than deciding if it's going to be 'Trisha' or 'Joy Of Painting' (which is a joy BTW - Bob Ross, what a genius! I miss him already).
As I'm feeling so much better I'm gearing up for quite a hectic few months. No doubt I'll be increasingly busy at the day job and the freelance work is also on the up - which is all good.
Some exciting news, well for me anyway, is a new 12" iBook (probably just as Apple release a new one in a month or so). I've got to say I'm very, very impressed with it so far, although it does get a tad warm. The battery life far exceeds my wife's peecee laptop by a good hour or so. In fact she's taken to using this instead (note to self - stop wife using iBook). And with the new computer addition I've finally sorted out my Aiport Express, and with the new external drive everything is nicely networked now. It's like a well-oiled machine.
Next thing is my digital camera, which is bust. It's a Pentax Optio 430, which had a nice chunky feel to it, but took an age to start up and then take a shot. So, the upshot is I need a new one. It's got to be small, metal (non of this plastic rubbish), start up quickly and have minimal shutter-lag. I was thinking of the Canon Ixus 50, but what do you think I should spend my hard earned cash on?
Update: Decided to go with the Casio EX-z750 following several recommendations here and Mike's great review. As always the UK is more expensive than the US, but I did manage to get it at a knock down price (cheapest I could find in stock in the UK at the moment) at camerabox.co.uk
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I'm a graphic designer from near Cardiff in the UK. I've been a designer for over ten years now and primarily work on the web. I'm still partial to a bit of print every now and then though. I used to work for Agency.com in London as an Art Director before working as a Senior Designer for the BBC in sunny Cardiff. This was all before I took leave of my senses and formed my own design consultancy, Mark Boulton Design Ltd.
I've got a thing about grids and typography and occasionally ramble on about them to anyone who will listen.
Mark Boulton Design
If you're after simple, clean and effective web design; let me know.
Comments
I’ve been a user of the Ixus family since the start, and I really can’t recommend them enough. I’ve had some great photos with mine, and it’s built like a tank. Works great with iPhoto too…
David Appleyard
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 9:06 pm
It was really the shutter lag which was the problem, oh and the time the thing took to start up. Other than that the Optio was great - so sturdy I’m sure you could lob it at a wall and it would still work.
Mark Boulton
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 9:14 pm
Take a look at the article Mike Davidson @ mikeindustries recently wrote about his new Casio EX-Z750 digital camera. I think I am leaning towards this one also after shopping around.
Mike Holley
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 10:00 pm
We’ve had approx 30C degrees the entire past week here in Norway (in summer, it’s usually around 20C here - darned global warming), and I do not envy you for having to work under such conditions. Myself, I have been spending an awful amount of time in our cool basement lately…
Thomas B. Aschim
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 11:05 pm
i’ve been eyeing this casio, mentioned over at Mike Davidson’s blog. Your CMS won’t let me post a link, but the model is the EX-Z750. 7 megapixels for under $400 USD. seems like a good alternative for those who can’t afford a digital SLR.
(btw it’s 33C here in Boston at 7:40. don’t ask me what it was at noon...)
chris grimley
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 11:39 pm
on closer read of the comments, I am embarrassed. by a whole 1 hour and 39 minutes. small webworld.
chris grimley
Mon 11th Jul 2005
at 11:44 pm
Congrats on your purchase of the fabulous iBook. I bought mine some six months ago and it’s the best buy I’ve ever done. You can’t go wrong with a iBook :).
And about the camera, I recently bought myself a Sony DSC-80 (same specs as the DSC-90 but 2” display instead of 2.5"). You can read more about it and other cams over on http://www.dpreview.com if you fancy.
(And on the weatherfront, it was 31C in the shadows today. I almost melt when strolling in the sun.)
David
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 1:29 am
Hey Mark,
This is the first time I have been to your weblog, although Chris reads it daily. I’ve just read back through the other posted days and I’d like to say that I like the Green and Grey - very fasionable. Anyway I shall endevour to explore this site more and tune in daily.
Cowabunga Dude!
Rachpaste
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 7:43 am
Mark, I have a Canon Ixus 50 and love it. The quality of the pictures are perfect and it is small enough to carry so that it is not burden. Ok, startup time is not as fast as the Casio EX-Z750 on Mike’s site but I find it fast enough for my purpose.
Veerle Pieters
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 7:45 am
Mark,
The posting time is wrong on my comments. It says 7:43am when it is in fact 8:43 am here in Londinium. Is Wales on fancy time?
Rachpaste
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 7:50 am
Rachpaste - Hello, hello and welcome! I like Grey and Green too, in fact I’d like to add some green to our new grey car (well it’s silver actually), but I don’t think the wife will let me.
Oh, and the time thing… Well the time is currently set to GMT, and as we’re in summer time we’re now in BST. I guess I should change it really, although maybe I should change the clocks whereever I go and eventually, just maybe, Wales will become a different timezone. That’d keep me busy wouldn’t it? Changing evey clock, by stealth, all over Wales… sounds like something Bill Drummond would do.
Veerle - That’s another good recommendation. The start up time isn’t so much of a problem, it’s the shutter lag that was the really annoying thing about the Pentax. So, there’s little shutter delay with the Ixus?
Mark Boulton
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 8:48 am
I can vouch for Cardiff - crazy hot!!
Trying to finish 3 pitches and at the moment - it isn’t going to happen.
Nice site - just found it.
Mike
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 10:35 am
My url wasn’t working!!
Fixed.
Mike
Tue 12th Jul 2005
at 10:41 am