As requested: Some Photos I Have Taken
My new and expensive obsession
I am beginning to think that my new digital camera should have come with a coin slot. I just keep putting more money into it. I thought that buying a digital camera would be more economical that the old film camera, in that I wouldn’t have to buy film, I wouldn’t pay for unwanted pictures…etc. However, it seems as if my OCD has completely taken over. I am in fact obsessed with my new camera!
When I bought the camera, I decided to get all the accessories I would ever need (how naïve of me), camera bag, extra battery, lens cleaning kit, extra memory card, mini tripod (worthless), and a USB card reader. I chose a 12x optical zoom camera because I wanted to take pictures of birds. Not knowing anything about zoom/magnification… that number 12 means nothing to me. Except that it seems to be one of, if not the most optical (not to be confused with digital) zooms on a digital camera. In terms that I understand… you know how you take a picture with a regular camera, and you seem so much further away from your subject than you were in reality? Well, in my opinion, the 12x zoom, brings it to about the distance you actually saw in reality. Which is fine… but still didn’t seem to suit my birding needs. So, I bought an attachment zoom lens along with the necessary parts to attach it to the camera. I don’t even remember the magnification number, because I don’t understand what it means really. I just knew it would bring my subject closer to me. And it did, but with horrible focusing results. I thought that maybe a better quality attachment lens might be a better answer. So, I order another one. Better magnification (again, don’t remember specs), better quality. In fact, now I can attach either of the extra lenses directly to the camera… but also, I can stack the two lenses for a combined magnification. That means I am even closer, but with very, very poor focusing ability. I discovered that a tripod would help; it’s very hard to hold the camera still with all the extra weight. I bought a tripod; I couldn’t buy a cheap tripod mind you, as I have a pricey, and now heavy camera. I also bought a tripod bag with a shoulder strap to carry it around. Ok… I am finally getting pictures that I want. But what about that tripod bag. It is kind of pointless for carrying it around, as I have to slightly disassemble the tripod to put it in the bag. So now I spot a bird, I wrench the tripod out of the bag, assemble it, put the camera on top of the tripod, turn it on… hey wait, where’d that little bugger go? At first, I tried just carrying it without the bag… aching arms and shoulders. Then I rigged an old luggage strap, to have a shoulder strap for it. I did get some good photos, along with multiple bruises and sore muscles from carting the thing around. Now, I have purchased a strap-on! It’s great (I haven’t field tested it yet). It’s kind of like a quiver for an archer to store his arrows in. To use it, I only have to unclip the belt, un-velcro two straps, and then the tripod is ready to go! Certainly, I am having fun with my new camera. But how much better life would be if I actually had a printed photograph now. Instead of a coin slot, maybe the camera should have a credit card reader built in.
Ps: I can add a real number 12 to 15 things about me: “I am an avid bird watcher and apparently becoming a (very amateur/wanna-be) bird photographer as well.”
