One of the nicest Christmas presents I ever received was just last year. It was from Shirley, Ian and Frances. Beneath the Christmas paper was a shoebox and within the shoebox a smaller parcel and so on until I got down to a homemade cardboard camera - Frances has always been creative like that. I looked at it in puzzlement and had to be told to take the back off this fake camera. Inside there was a large wodge of crinkly banknotes. I was still baffled.
"It's so that you can buy a new camera!" they announced.
Well, there wasn't really time to do the necessary research before we jetted off to the land of the long white cloud so I did it when we got back. The only trouble was that because of the floods in Thailand last year, production of some key components for Nikon cameras was halted. Consequently, the camera I had earmarked was "out of stock" everywhere I looked. However, in the last week or so, stocks of various Nikons have been partially replenished.
So this morning I went toddling off to the great shopping cathedral on the edge of our illustrious city - the massive Meadowhall complex - and came back with this baby:-
It's still in its box - and typical of these times - there were add-ons I needed. The extra battery. The camera case. The suitably fast memory card. The extended insurance. I baulked at the idea of an extra lens. Anyway, the baby has arrived and now I have the challenge of coming to terms with the technical wizardry that will be at my fingertips if I can only figure out how to exploit it. Who knows - maybe tomorrow I'll snap some daffodils if the grassy bank I am thinking of is in full bloom. We'll see. Gonna call the baby Cyclops because it only has one eye.
I'm sure you and Cyclops will be very happy together. And forever see eye to eye.
ReplyDeleteFire it up and let's go YP. I'm expecting some great photos from you with this beauty.
ReplyDeleteCheers
SHOOTING P. I hope so. The trusty little old Hewlett Packard I've been using for the last seven years has been a faithful friend. Shame he cot a little scratch on his lens.
ReplyDeleteHELEN Fire up? Wrestle with the packaging and the instructions more like!
A truly great little camera. I have one myself and it does everything I need of it simply and well.
ReplyDeleteDAVID Phew! That's a relief sir - coming from a cameraphile like you. I have now set it up and an hour or two ago I took Cyclops out on our first date. Sadly, the amazing daffodil embankment is only just beginning to break out. I'll have to revisit in a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteOooh, how exciting. Enjoy playing with it. :)
ReplyDeleteJENNY Enjoy playing with what? ...Ooo err missus!
ReplyDeleteYP start off with set to auto - you'll get great shots with it. Then start to grasp the more esoteric stuff later. As you know I love mine: it's one of the most creatively inspirational things I've ever owned.
ReplyDeleteNikon's are great.
Oh, what larks you'll be having with your new camera, Pip!
ReplyDeleteI have a Nikon FM SLR (non-digital). I was given it in 1979 and used it for all my camera needs until 7 years ago. Fabulous, durable, reliable beast. Still takes amazing photos.
But I do like the lightness, immediacy and convenience of a digital camera. I would have bought another Nikon if I could have afforded it. My Canon SLR is good but the lenses that came with it are getting sloppy already.
Ha! Knew you'd say that. ;)
ReplyDelete