utenzi

At least if we define heaven as Amazon dot com. The pictures below are iffy because my current camera is really in meltdown. The flash won't even work right so I had to do these pictures with ambient light. But this little box is hopefully the solution to all my problems. Well, not quite all of them. I'm home today because some kind of stomach bug has laid me low. I don't even feel well enough to go outside and try out the new camera. But I do feel like I'm up to unpacking it! It's very pretty, isn't it? Well, in a digital camera sort of way. And lots of parts to play with and manuals to intend to eventually read. Ha! 10 megapixels for $168 and free shipping. And a 12X optical zoom. Amazing. And here I am holding the new baby. Here's to a meaningful 18-24 month relationship! Break out the bubbly. Well, maybe when my belly feels better.

I have two digital cameras that I use all the time. They are both Panasonics from the DMC-FZ line, models 7 and 8. I keep the older one, which I bought on April 11, 2006 , in my lab at work and use it to image Western gels. The newer one, bought on December 18, 2007 , is my constant companion. Both of these cameras have primarily been used to take photographs outside when I'm either hiking or kayaking. As a result both have been dunked in lakes and rivers on a number of occasions while kayaking. That's what caused me to buy the second camera---the first one was having a lot of trouble focusing after one of the dunkings. And another source of annoyance for the cameras is my hiking with them in my hand while sweat trickles down my arm onto them. All that salty water isn't good for cameras and that's what has finally caused my second camera to get ill. Often it won't turn off and I have to take the battery out to get it to power down. Other times it won't turn on n...