I love my little Canon Optura Xi. It’s been with me for a little over half a year and has done its job wonderfully. The only time the video has come out poorly has been of my doing, and I’ve gently caressed her afterward, whispering sweet nothings, easing her guilt…

But today, I nearly cheated on her. I walked down to Bel Air Camera and a middle-aged seductress offered me a pact. A pact I could sign in blood or with good credit.

They offered me the Canon XH-A1, high definition super camera. The camera of my obsessive filmmaking dreams, so to speak.

For only $459 a month, for six months. It’s a rent-to-own program that leaves the total money spent around $2750, instead of the $3200-$3900 the camera costs new.

But my inner stickler felt betrayed. He had laid down a plan and had it approved by his mother. The plan to shoot two tapes worth (two hours, though I’m realizing this might be a bit much to ask and would be lenient, but would drop no less than an hour) of finalized/edited movies, shorts, trailers, etc. before upgrading to a new camera. A plan that would prove his worth behind the camera, and be his diploma to the higher education of filmmaking.

But then the seductress came along and threatened all that, and I find myself at a crossroads.

Do I deal with the devil to start shooting with … with… the PRECIOUS…? All while simultaneously saving $450 to be put toward other important devices (mic, tripod, boom, cables, lights, donuts)?

Or do I stay true to myself and earn the camera through hard work and (as you may have read in an earlier post) deferred gratification, knowing that I’ll save up the money over the next six months or so and probably a little more so that the $450 difference isn’t so much of a big deal?

For the reference, I’m at 18:44 of edited video. (I don’t count animation because I didn’t shoot it with a video camera, which is too bad since I have 19:41 of animation…)