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February 26, 2006
bookofjoe retires the original joecam
Comes a time, as the song goes....
Time has come today.
You may have noticed, over the days, weeks, months and perhaps even years (for you lifers) the spectacular original photographs occasionally employed to illustrate bookofjoe posts.
Well, the chimpanzee who takes them has just thrown down his antiquated instrument and says his union just yesterday issued a new set of regulations for 2006 which forbid using stuff from the Paleolithic era of technology.
So, the official bookofjoe camera — a Dimage X (above) from Minolta, purchased for around $400 years ago, capable of 1 megapixel at its highest resolution, still beautiful in its sleek housing, measuring all of 0.75" x 2.75" x 3.25" — will soon be consigned to the scrap heap.
Why?
1) First and foremost, the battery now has an effective life of 7 or 8 pictures, even when freshly charged
2) The viewfinder no longer functions, which has been the status quo since I dropped the camera a year or so ago, in the process chipping the body as well
I've been fine using the LCD screen (1.5") for framing and all but the lifespan–of–a–firefly battery has finally forced me to call it a day.
I've been keeping up with the latest and greatest over the years so it shouldn't take a whole lot of time (or money, thanks to Moore's Law — pixel version) to make the switch.
I'll keep you posted.
February 26, 2006 at 10:01 AM | Permalink
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Comments
I just bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 (via
Amazon link). I'd been looking for a pocket-sized camera with decent zoom. It is 5 MP, with 6X optical zoom. (those with 12X are all quite big.) It also uses AA batteries, so you don't have to charge it up. Interesting, no viewfinder, but big screen in the back. Also has an optical image stabilizer, which is important as you use the zoom--gives you a good picture without having to use a tripod or steadying yourself. A hair over $200.
Posted by: riannan | Feb 26, 2006 8:23:46 PM
Hey Joe - Check out the Fuji F10, F11, or not yet released F30.
Or, you could go for the Canon A510, A520, etc. Simpler still, AA batteries, and even Bob - your uncle - could use it and not break a sweat. My kindergarten teacher-sister loves her A510. Get the Ray-O-Vac 15 minuted charger and 4 battery combo pack and you have two sets of batteries for it.
Posted by: mattp9 | Feb 26, 2006 5:56:27 PM
Hey - if you don't want it I'll have it! You can get new batteries (np-200) for under a tenner UK money. The viewfinder can't be that hard to fix.
Posted by: Skipweasel | Feb 26, 2006 2:38:21 PM
What'cha going for now?
I'm partial to the Cannon Cybershots -- they are good consumer level cameras and have held up. Mine uses standard AA batteries of which I picked up a charger and some 1800mha batteries (and some cheaper 1100s as a backup) and I haven't changed out the two sets since picking this stuff up back in 2002.
The only thing I don't like with the consumer level cameras are the darker shots...for instance, grabbed a few shots of a show last night and there are visible splotches where the black just zero'd out. They are probably better these days and the larger pixel sizes probably help isolate this stuff. I know my housemate's new Konica / Minolta pro stuff (I think its the 7D -- he bought it two weeks before Minolta decided it was selling the biz to Sony and going under) is GREAT.
There are more to cameras than just pixel size (i.e., mine is 3.2, his is twice that much but looks sooooooo much better -- even when sizing down internally). Good lenses are one. Getting a decent optical zoom is another (digital zoom is worthless -- you can do that in Photoshop or iPhoto -- I turn mine off). Past that, ya gotta look for either portability or something that can take the knocks -- generally its either / or.
I'll probably be looking for a new camera in the near future as well. Something that can fit in my pocket and be with me all the time. I might even break my No Camera Phone rule if I can find something thats decent as I'm realizing I can't give up my cell as I had hoped I would for the new year and desperately need a new one of those as well.
Posted by: clifyt | Feb 26, 2006 11:16:57 AM
