Camera update & fooling around

foolin' around - this photo is actually frost on a window

 No, I haven't made my camera purchase yet, but I have finally made my decision, based on assorted opinions, comparisons, reviews, prices, etc.  It was tough.  This little Libra (me) likes to weigh and balance everything.  Speaking of weighing - a lightweight camera is important to me.  I want to be able to take it tromping through the woods, and I'm not exactly the biggest strongest gal around.  Just the opposite.  Anyhow, in case you are considering a purchase sometime too, here's how my thought process has worked:

water condensation on the same window

The weight had me narrowed down to the Sony a57 (that I mentioned in a prior post), the Nikon d5100, the Nikon d3200, and the Canon T4i.  I eliminated the previous frontrunner Sony due to the fact that it wasn't mentioned much in reviews/comparisons and isn't authentically a DSLR.  Since that's what I set out to purchase, it seemed silly to spend the money on something that wasn't what I had said I wanted. 

So I spent time talking to my big brother, astrologer/photo enthusiast, who knows me quite well, and he gave me some solid advice.  I went back to the camera store and played with the Nikons and Canon.  While the d3200 was the lightest weight, and had a wonderful in camera guide, it was missing some features that the others had, such as the flip-out live view screen, so I didn't consider it further.  (For someone who takes a lot of pics from a kayak, that flip-out screen will be indispensable!)  Each of the other 2 had features I liked better than the other.  I was happy to discover they both have auto-bracket capabilities, and can therefore do  HDR (high dynamic range) photos which is something I'd like to explore once I have a good feel for the camera, and have used it a bit.  I liked  the location of some controls and menus (and the touch screen capability) on the Canon, but I liked the 'feel' of the Nikon body.  In the end, with January camera sales going on, with both having same lens - 15-55mm - the Canon will cost $150 more than the Nikon.  I decided that was enough of a difference to direct me toward the Nikon.  With that $150 I can get a nice camera bag and some other accessories, or put it toward another lens.  By the way, there's an option of getting a bigger lens for some more $$, instead of the 15-55mm, but since weight is so important to me I didn't consider that option.

So Nikon d5100 it will be, and once I have it, and have used it, I'll let you know what I think!

Meanwhile I need to get myself a decent & affordable photo editing program, without a steep learning curve.  I do not have Photoshop.  Currently I am using both Microsoft Photo Editor, and a Corel Photo editing program.  Both are very limited. My brother suggested I might like Lightroom.   Anybody want to offer their opinions?

Hubby is waiting to go fetch some dinner; hope you've had or will have a great week back in school!!