Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Collective Bias. All opinions are 100% my own.
Photography is one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoy capturing the things around me. I look at the world in such a way that I am picturing how it would look in a photograph. So, I am delighted to tell you that I got an early Mother’s Day present that is perfect for me…a new camera! It is one of the Samsung Smart Cameras.
Not only did I get a new camera, but I also got a new tablet! I purchased the Samsung NX1100 Smart Camera and the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Tablet as a Mother’s Day bundle from Sam’s Club. #pixbundle You can check out the details of my shopping trip here. This is such a great Mother’s Day gift idea because all mom’s want to record everything that goes on in their children’s and grandchildren’s lives!
I picked the camera and tablet up on Tuesday and went out Wednesday morning to take some pictures. I ended up enjoying myself even more than I thought I would. Life gets so busy and I take pictures almost every day but I can’t remember the last time I picked up a camera just because it relaxes me. Being near the water is calming. I could hear a loon calling and birds chirping while the water gently lapped at the shore.
The kit also came with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a 20mm-50mm lens, an external flash, a battery and charger and an 8GB microSD with SD Adapter. The camera has 20.3 mexapixles and can share photos via wifi! So, I can take pictures on my camera and send them to my tablet without having to dig out a cord. I can also email photos or upload them online directly from the camera! That is a fantastic new feature that will save me an extra step.
The Samsung NX1100 camera body can is small and lightweight. I can purchase additional lenses in the future which is something I really want to do. I love that it comes with an external flash. I try to use flash as little as possible so I haven’t really tested this flash out yet but I am happy that it is there for when I might need it.
I walked along the lake shore and took pictures of various things. I tried using some of the different settings on the camera but found myself returning to manual mode each time. I love having complete control of the shutter speed and the aperture.
I also noticed that I kept aperture at the lowest available which was f5.6. I like having one part of the image in focus while the rest of it soft like the feather photo.
I feel like the images are sharp and small details show up. I was squatting down taking a picture of some words I wrote in the sand when I noticed the reeds along the shore. I decided to quickly take a couple of pictures of them before moving on to the next thing. When I got home and was looking through my photos, they are so clear I realized that there is a bug crawling up the green reed!
The camera was very easy for me to use. I always shoot in manual mode with my DSLR so that is what I did with this camera. But there are so many different shooting modes that a person can choose from. There is everything from portraits to macro to sunset and so much more. You can even chose Smart Mode and the camera will automatically choose the appropriate camera settings based on the scene it detects.
I love how you can see the spider webs in this photo. We finally have spring here in Minnesota and the buds are just coming out on the trees. I was so nice to be out there observing spring through my lens!
I love my Mother’s Day gift and am so excited to have a lightweight camera that I can carry around so much more easily than I can my DSLR. My photography loving daughters are already asking to use it! I told them they have to let me try it out first. Then, I can show them how it works and give them a turn.
This was my first time using one of these Wi-Fi cameras so after many attempts, I figured out how to connect the camera to the tablet using . It would’ve been much quicker if I had noticed the Wi-Fi option on the mode dial! So now I have some of the photos I took on the tablet! I also tried emailing a picture to myself and that worked perfectly.
What mom in your life would love a new camera and tablet for Mother’s Day?
santa tracker 2014 live says
Each ballets are carried out in December.
amber says
This camera sounds so amazing!!
Chelsea @ Someday I'll Learn says
I bought one for myself and OH MY GOSH, this thing is a game-changer for me. My husband’s a photographer and has taught me how to use his DSLR, but with the toddler and baby to manage…it was just too much equipment for me. I already broke a lens trying to balance the camera and the stroller (ugh!). This was the perfect solution.
Tonia says
Oh no!! I’m sorry to hear about the lens on the DSLR but I am happy that you got one of these Samsung cameras to use! It sounds like you already love it!
Heidi (@MamaNibbles) says
Beautiful clear and crisp photos! I would love to play around with that camera!
Tonia says
Thanks Heidi! We are having fun with it!
Marybeth Hamilton says
Those photos are amazing! I love that it was easy to use, too!
Tonia says
Thanks Marybeth!
Alison says
This looks like the perfect sized camera to carry around. I’ve been looking for something to upgrade to that also shares wirelessly. The dock photos you took are absolutely gorgeous!
Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love says
Amazing pictures, Tonia! This looks like a really nice bundle. Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Tonia says
Thank you, Michelle! Happy Mother’s Day to you too!
kathryn young says
This is an amazing bundle! Looks like it takes great photos! Such a great Mother’s Day gift! I hope to someday get something like this to take pix of my 3 kids!
Tonia says
Thanks Kathryn! I hope you are able to get one soon!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
That is an awesome bundle!!! I love the small compact size of the camera and that it connects wirelessly to the tablet! That would definitely make my Mother’s Day cool!!!
Shannah @ Just Us Four says
That is an awesome Mother’s Day gift {or gift…period}. I love the idea of having a lighter camera to carry around that isn’t a plain old point and shoot that doesn’t offer many options. The wi-fi part is a huge bonus!
Today, I am starting a social media blog hop with 5 other ladies I met at Snap Conference. Each week features a new social media link up starting with Facebook today. I hope you will come over to link up at Just Us Four!
Amy says
I love my DSLR but I’ve discovered that I don’t love taking it with me when I travel or when I’m at a busy event. This sounds like the perfect camera that’s between phone photos and a DSLR. (And a lot closer to the DSLR than the phone!)
Your pictures, as always, are stunning!
Tonia says
Thanks Amy! I totally agree with you. I love my DSLR too but it is bulky to carry around!
Jillian says
Wow – those are some absolutely gorgeous photos you took! They are so crisp and clear I never would have thought they could come from anything but a super expensive DSLR. What a great deal bundled with the tablet too!
Tonia says
Thanks Jillian! I really enjoyed myself!
Mallery Schuplin says
Is it wrong if I say me? I want this bundle so bad for my travel kit!
Tonia says
Not wrong at all! This camera will be traveling with me this summer.
Arlene @FlourOnMyFace says
What a great Mother’s Day gift Tonia. That camera takes some great pictures and I love the built in wi-fi !
Tonia says
Thanks Arlene! Even the cashier at Sam’s Club was delighted for me. She was so impressed that I was buying myself this bundle for Mother’s Day!
Diana Duncan says
What a wonderful giveaway! I have 5 kids and 8 grandchildren, this would be a wonderful gift!!
Tonia says
Thanks Diana! It is a wonderful gift but unfortunately I do not have one to giveaway. This Samsung bundle is one that I am delighted to have purchased for myself! I hope that you share a link to this blog post with your children so that they can buy you one for Mother’s Day!