Countdown to HX7V!

On New Year’s Eve, I dropped my camera and it broke.  It was New Year’s Eve, so I don’t think an explanation as to how that happened is necessary… you get the picture. 
 
That camera was a gift from Scott in April of 2006, on the weekend that he proposed.  He got down on one knee in the sand and asked me if we could “take pictures together forever” – corny, but it worked. 
 
I loved that camera, but it was several years old… so I let myself off the hook a little.  I devoured the Internet, trying to find an appropriate replacement.  The biggest thing I found out was that I HAD a really nice camera (back on the hook).  After several failed attempts to fix the old one, I concluded there were three things I wanted in a new camera: 
 
1.       It needed to take the highest quality photos possible, while being small enough to fit in my purse.
 
2.       Background defocus is a feature I am dying to have.  This allows for the object in the front of a picture to be in focus and stand out while the background is foggy.  I am hoping this will come in  handy when photographing dogs in their not-so-pretty kennels and muddy yards.
 
3.       It needed to use the same battery as my old camera.  That way I would have THREE batteries – the two I already have and the one it would come with. 
 
Every camera I looked at had two of my requirements, none had all three.  I had finally settled on one from Sony and sat down at the computer, credit card in hand to buy it.  Right as I clicked the button, I saw an ad for the HX7V.  It had gone on the market THAT DAY and had ALL THREE of the features I wanted, plus 16 megapixels and a 10x optical zoom (way more than any of the others).  Whoot!
 
One problem, it was a “pre-release ad”.  The camera would not be available until mid-March (more than five weeks out).  Having all of those features, though, was worth the wait.  Completely out of character, I pre-ordered the camera with the click of a button.  I have never owned any electronic the minute it was released!   (Photo from Sony Website)

 
Two weeks after that, the earthquakes and tsunamis happened in Japan.  It is a Sony, made in Japan… hence another delay (really, how can I complain when they are going through so much).  The most recent notice says that the camera will ship on April 17… and that is getting REALLY close!   
 
Starting this blog has made photos WAY more important to me than ever before.  A BIG THANKS out to my friend, Suzie.  She has been letting me borrow her camera from time to time, in order to keep the blog current.  But, the excitement of getting my new toy is driving me crazy.  This blog promises to be FAR more photo heavy in a few weeks!
 
Countdown to ship date:  7 days