I have begun the process of shopping for a new digital camera. I’ve just about outgrown my Fuji Finepix 2600z and am looking for something towards the higher end of point-and-shoots to suit my needs for the next few years at least, if not longer. I’m not prepared to go DSLR because, really, I don’t want to spend that sort of money and time to learn how to work everything. Well, mostly the money. Who knows – maybe by the time I outgrow this next camera I’ll be ready to take that step. Anyway.

I had my choices narrowed down to either the Canon PowerShot A80 ($499 CAN) or the Canon PowerShot S60 ($699 CAN) as Canon seems get far and away the best reviews of the consumer-level P&S digicams. The Fuji came out last week and announced a whole slew of new models, including the FinePix E550 ($599 CAN) and the FinePix F810 ($649 CAN). I can’t tell spec-wise how these two models differ, actually, though the F810 is twice as heavy as the E550. There’s been no reviews of either of these models since they’re not even on the market yet (I heard end of October for the E550).

Anyone want to offer some advice on my purchase decision? Nikon? Minolota? I’m looking for something that will offer decent low-light/indoor performance (for concert pics, natch) and while I’m obviously not going to get professional results, I figure anything in this price range will be a step up from my current camera. I also want a greater than 3x optical zoom or at the very least, a threaded barrel for attachable lenses. Anyone have suggestions on any of the ultra-zoom models out there? Or how to read/compare specs in general? What’s important, what’s not? Other matters like battery type, memory type, etc etc will be considered but won’t likely be deal-breakers either way. Also, if anyone has suggestions on where/how to buy to get the best deal – there has to be a better way than walking into Future Shop and paying sticker price – those recommendations are appreciated as well. I’m not rushing into this, I’m willing to wait till Christmas to take advantage of Boxing Day sales if I have to. I also don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of new product launches. I’m looking to keep the price within the $500-$700 CAN range (around $350-$550 US?) cause I’ll have to be spending on memory cards, a case probably and other ancillary items as well. Thanks!

Jeff Tweedy does some press with The Toronto Sun to promote their sold-out show at the Mod Club tomorrow night. “It all sounds very pretentious, but mostly we just wanted to rock, it’s good for you!”

I did make it to Wavelength last night after all, though it was by no means a sure thing – it’s damned easy to simply not go out by 10:30 on a Sunday night. The lure of a free beer finally won out, however, and was enough to get me on my bike and away to Sneaky Dee’s. I guess they were running behind schedule because when I arrived Jet Project Labs was still rocking the mic with his odd Maritime folk-hop. It was mildly compelling but not really my thing. I was more interested in seeing the other two bands, both fronted by regulars on the 20Hz message boards, which have become sort of the defacto hub for the grassroots Canadian indie scene.

Montreal’s A Vertical Mosaic are a three-piece with a lot of keyboards, but also an old-school guitar and bass to keep things a little rough around the edges. I found their sound to be a bit of a cross between a really mellowed-out Stereolab and early New Order. Some of their material was much better than the other stuff, particularly when the guitar was more to the fore. Granted, I personally like guitar music, but I think the music benefitted from the more organic sound. On the peppier numbers I think they could have really benefitted from a real drummer to put them over the top as opposed to the drum machine sequences they favoured, but I guess that’d be rather contrary to what they’re trying to do. Good musicianship and nice vocal arrangements (when they could hear themselves, at least) and decent enough all in all, anyway.

Locals Femme Generation were the headliners of the evening, as evidenced by a) their going on last and b) everyone actually moving to the front of the bar when they started their set. They trade in the disco-inflected downstroked post-punk sound that’s de rigeur these days, but with a significantly more aggressive approach – you can tell there’s some serious rock in these guys’ background. They had really good stage presence up there but the songs didn’t quite have the hooks to really get my attention. That was just me, however, and the rest of the audience seemed to be having a splendid time and the band’s just-released EP Circle Gets The Square netted a very positive review in this week’s eye.

Late post? Yeah, it’s a long weekend, chumps!

np – Rogue Wave / Out Of The Shadow

I started reading Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto last night, which is basically a collection of essays by the Spin writer on a variety of pop culture topics which are of utterly no consequence. So rooted in the realm of the late 90s and early aughts that I think the book will be completely unreadable within five years. But it’s funny and as someone who also writes at great length about topics of utterly no consequence, I’m enjoying it. And hey, I’m only about three chapters in – it could very well turn to matters of cosmic import in the next few pages… but I’m not counting on it. There’s an interview with the author about the book here.

Yesterday I volunteered to help deliver the August Wavelength ‘zines around town, which had me biking along the stretch of Queen West between Penguin and The Drake with about 350 of the things in my backpack. Those things were heavy and it was damned hot out but it didn’t take me that long and was sorta fun. Like having a paper route back in the day. It was a year ago this weekend that Lake Holiday played Wavelength, still our best show to date, I think. Wow, a year. Where does the time go, I do not know. I may go down to tonight’s show since I don’t have to get up in the morning and my payment for yesterday’s labour is a free beer.

Miles Krukowsky of Beulah reflects on his band calling it a day to The New York Post. From LHB.

I’m afraid I have very little to say today. It’s the middle day of a long weekend and I’m trying to assemble a grocery shopping list. I’ve always found the long weekend to be a bit of a mixed blessing – on the one hand, it’s always good to have an extra day off for sleeping and puttering around and whatnot, but on the other hand if I end up doing nothing that I wouldn’t do on a normal weekend, I feel like I’ve squandered the time. I should be skydiving or parasailing or on safari or something.

np – Camera Obscura / Underachievers Please Try Harder