Camera and Insurance issues

Right, so what's been happening of late? So many things i could post, but for now let's dive back into the here and now. My camera got damaged a while back and it took us god knows how long to get around to claiming. Laziness tends to run in my family, so it's no surprise actually, but I need to change my attitudes to working and such.

So, we rang Barclays and put in a claim. They collected the camera, along with a cheque for £50 for the excess. The camera was purchased originally 5 years ago for £479 I found out. I think I got my hopes up too high for what I could get back from them, but since my track record of buying cameras tended to be buying ones that ended up falling short of expectations, I thought I'd go with my gut reaction rather than a compromise this time. I had been recommended the Canon EOS 400D several times by keen amateurs and semi-pros that I had spoken to, mainly on Mac forums and at Mac Expo. For example:

Exhibitor: "Do you shoot RAW at the moment"
Me: "No. I don't have a camera at the moment that supports it, but I'm looking into the possibility"
Exhibitor: "Well if you're looking at the moment, you can't go far wrong with the Canon 400D"
Me: "I'll consider it. Thanks for the software"
Pete: "You know you're buy an SLR. You might as well soon"

And so Stevie succumbs, finds out the old camera was £479 and the Canon is £499. The choice is made.

However, the insurance company valuators suggest the replacement model, (which they are obliged to do), as the Fuji F30 at £149. Since mine was a F601, it is fairly close to the specification, but I don't want it. I won't be able to sell it on for £149 and they also valued the old camera a little above this, so I opt for the cheque, but am less than happy that after the excess I am only getting about £100. I am however hoping that it arrives after two working days as the website promises cheques will arrive within two working days of settlement or they give you £50, so we'll get the excess back. The call operator I agreed to take the money from quoted 3-5 working days. Either way, I will get the Canon, but after staff discount and the insurance money, it will cost me around another £340.

We'll see.

Okay, back to blogger

Okay then, I tried blogger, I posted infrequently. I tried again, I posted far too infrequently again. I then moved onto multiply and slowly began to post a lot more often. Then, after a break, I went back to rearrange a few things and the layout became screwed up.

That's why I will now post both here and also try and sort out multiply and start posting there again, (duplicates probably, we'll see). I will slowly also try and add the photos and blog posting from multiply here and change the date stamp so they correspond to when the original posting was.

Anyway, back to the actual business of posting what is my relatively boring life for now.