::new camera - I might throw up::

Cheap Cheap Cheap.  A word that I have worked hard to make a part of who I am.  I don't come by it naturally.  I love to just blow money on what ever I want.  But I am over two years being totally on the cheap wagon and I see the major benefits that it has brought to the Shorties and the entire family.

But - I love to take pictures.  I love to capture the moments and express myself with my art.  I even started working on a little side business doing family photography.  The addition of this new baby has made me decide to put professional pictures on hold for at least the next year.  But I do hope to get back to that eventually.  My favorite thing in the whole world is getting "the picture" of my kiddos.  The image that perfectly captures the emotion and moment in time.

I currently have a Nikon D50.  Josh bought it for me when Lily was a baby, 8 years ago.  I have rarely had it out of my reach since.  I take it Disney, I take it camping, I keep it on the desk in easy.  I don't let my kids touch it.  I protect it and love it.  I feel an emotional attachment to it.  We have seen lots of things together.  I think of my camera as an old friend, but that old friend is getting very old.

the actual picture my camera took as it hit the ground

In our years together I never dropped it, until last winter I slipped on the ice and it fell right on the ground.  I cried.  The lens was broken and the flash didn't pop up automatically anymore.  These were easy issues to take care of.  I had an extra lens and I figured out how to manually pop the flash.  But ever since then it has not taken pictures as well.  It is slower and I find myself missing shots.  Most of my indoor work is fuzzy.  It's just not able to keep up anymore.  With the new baby coming on February 3rd I need a camera that is ready for the constant newborn pictures I will be taking.  

It is time for a new camera.  This is were my cheap side and my artist side get in such a big fight that I am crippled with fear of making a bad choice.  I love Nikon camera's.  I had a film Nikon before my D50 that I just loved the feel of it.  Then I got my D50 and I love the way that one feels too.  They are bigger than Cannons and I love that about them.  I think I have it narrowed down to two options -

Option one: Nikon 3100
Stats: 14.2 mega pixel, shoots 10 min videos, iso range 100-3200
Cost on Amazon: $599







 Option two: Nikon 5100

Stats:16.3 mega pixel, rotating view screen, iso range 100-6400, shoots video
Cost on Amazon: $799




I am currently shooting at 6.1 mega pixels, so I don't have much room to go any where but up.  At this moment I am currently leaning toward the 3100.  It's so much cheaper and it should really do everything I want it to do.  Now the money part of it still makes me want to throw up.  I'm not sure I can actual buy such an excessive item.  Maybe I can find a used one?  I know I will have it for years, but still... $600.  BARF!