Mama Needs (Wants) a New Camera

I love to take pictures and really it's a bit on the extreme.  I created a Shutterfly page to show off the pictures I take to our family and friends and literally I am uploading hundreds of pictures at a time.  I had a goal when my son was born in January to take one photo a day of him.  I was doing well for awhile but that obsession has sort of died down a bit.  Now it's more like three good pictures a week for his "Photo of the Day" folder.

I really am bordering on an obsession here.  I'm obsessed with getting as many great shots of my sweet baby boy before he grows up to be a teenager...like my other boy who can neither be classified as a baby nor sweet anymore.  Which by the way are his dictated terms, not mine.  But I digress...What I'm saying is I realize now that I have a teenager, that the time really does get away from you.  I am so desperate now to cherish every moment and every first that I can and also as many moments as my teenager will allow me to witness.

There is a lot of guilt, this mother bit.  One thing that I'm guilty of is that I don't really remember a lot of my older son's firsts and unfortunately I didn't record the information in his baby book (that was strike on my outing for "Mommy of the Year").  I know when you ask other moms, they always have an answer for the date and time of when the said event happened.  I am not one of them.  Don't get me wrong, I have many cherished memories of nursing my son, rocking him to sleep, reading bedtime stories, playful moments we shared...but I can't for the life of me remember at what month he started sitting up, or walking, or talking! This kind of makes me feel bad, but I know I can't be the only one whose memory is fading after all of these frazzled years.

So here's my point.  I love taking pictures and I want them to be of really good quality.  I think I have pretty creative ideas at times and I have the basic knowledge of lighting and framing to set up decent pictures. Have I grown out of my point and shoot cameras?

I currently have two point and shoot cameras.  I have a small Nikon COOLPIX and a now apparently ancient Canon Powershot SX10IS.

I honestly like both of these cameras.  I use them both all of the time.  I like the Nikon because it's small and convenient.  In addition to it being super convenient, this camera takes great shots and really good HD video. The battery life is amazing too.  However, I can't get great shots if the lighting is not just right in the house and forget about getting shots when my son is in motion, which is all of the time of course.

We paid a pretty penny for the super zoom Cannon Powershot about five years ago and it's still pretty expensive now, so the thought of buying a new one doesn't really make financial sense.  HOWEVER, I have the same problem with the Canon as I do with the Nikon.  I can't get good shots when my boys are moving. No matter what I do something is blurry.  There is also no depth to any of the pictures that I take....I don't like that.

Like I said, I'm not a complete camera novice. I do know a few techniques and for the most part I like the pictures that I take and sometimes even receive complements.  However, it's so very frustrating when you know you have a great shot and you take it only to find it didn't take well.

Simplicity means a lot of things to a lot of different people.  Some translate living simply as living off of the grid and being completely self-sufficient (which is pretty cool).  To me, how I want to live simplicity means that I want to live in the present and surround myself with beautiful things and things that I love.  Simplicity also would encourage living without clutter.  Of course, purchasing a third camera may on many points be classified as a "camera clutter".

On the other hand, I have saved so much money over the years from watching what I buy, not eating out, saving a significant portion of my income, not buying designer duds, and just generally being very conscious of my spending habits.  If taking photographs is an artistic (liberally using this adjective here) hobby of mine that brings me joy and hopefully a finished product that I can cherish and love for years to come...is it worth it?

Here's a brief comparison of the cameras that I have and also the Nikon DSLR that I'm considering.

Comparison of the three:

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

• 10.0-megapixel resolution for high-quality printing and flexibility when editing
• 20x optical zoom, wide-angle lens and Optical Image Stabilizer; improved speed and quiet zooming
• 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD; DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves Face Detection
• MovieSnap mode lets you capture high-resolution still images while shooting a movie
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards

• 20x optical zoom, wide-angle lens and Optical Image Stabilizer , improved speed and quiet zooming
• 2.5-inch Vari-angle LCD and DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves Face Detection

Nikon COOLPIX S3300 16 MP Digital Camera with 6x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens 

• 16.0 Megapixel CCD sensor
• 6x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens
• 2.7-inch Bright LCD Monitor
• HD (720p) Movies

• Nikon D3200 24.2 MP Digital SLR with18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR NIKKOR Zoom Lens 
• Wi-Fi Connectivity with adapter (not included)

• 24.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor,Display Screen 3.0-Inch Rear Screen, LCD (921000)
• EXPEED III Image Processing
• Wide ISO sensitivity range,Filter Thread: 52 mm
• One-touch Full HD 1080p movie recording

Any opinions on these cameras from anyone out there?

Disclosure:  I was not given compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own.  This post may contain affiliate links.  If you found this post informative and you were going to buy this product anyway, consider using the links and I may make a nickel.