K-x has arrived

Mail? For me? Gee, what do you suppose we could have in this box here? The box says, "K-x." Hmmm... isn't that a kind of camera?

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Yup; I got it!! Now I need to figure this thing out. There are so many menus and options. It's less intuitive than your run of the mill point & shoot, that's for sure! The owner's manual is 315 pages long. That's a lotta information!

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Would you like to know how it compares to my previous camera? No??? I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

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Pentax ist DL (former cam): manufactured in 2005, 6.1 MP CCD sensor, iso range 200-3,200, continuous 2.8 fps, no image stabilization, no preview, and 2.5" LCD.

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Pentax K-x (new cam): manufactured in 2009, 12.4 MP CMOS sensor, iso range 100-12,800, continuous 4.7 fps, image stabilization, digital preview, and 2.7" LCD.

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Let's see what this baby is capable of...

getting closer

These ducks are used to having people feed them. They were not nearly as scared of me as they should have been. In fact, I'm used to seeing water fowl swim away when I approach for pictures.

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Close as I was, I wish I could have been closer still. That one on the grass had down on her bill that was driving me crazy. I wanted so badly just to reach out and brush that stuff off.

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I'm still pondering my camera dilemma. I found some sweet deals on eBay. Each time the clock runs out though, some eager bidder has gone beyond my comfort zone. I think I'm going to have to let go of the desire for a DSLR for now. While I've been without my Pentax, I've been using my wife's compact digi-cam. Left pocket--all day, every day. I like the idea of always having that with me, and not having to lug around a camera bag. Maybe I should go small for my next camera.

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The other option was one of those super-zooms. I saw one that had an optical zoom of 36X!! That sounded great until I read a review that said that when they zoomed way in, the focus got soft, and it was not very good in low-light situations. Nah, if it's too big to conveniently stash in my pocket, I need to have better performance than that.

lights out

There is a time and a season for everything. A time to haul around a camera bag everyplace I go, and a time to say goodbye to that camera. I wish I could say it's because I've upgraded, or something like that. Alas no, my Pentax died last week. Long story short, I managed to soak it in what appeared to be green ectoplasm. (We didn't send any samples of ooze to a lab for testing, but I'm sure that's what it was.) Anyway, the camera is toast. Adieu, mon vieux! A replacement DSLR is not really an option right now. Weep with me, my friends!

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To make matters worse, I made the horrific discovery en route to what was supposed to be a 2-day portrait shoot for a graduation. The young lady's parents let me use their Canon Rebel. The substitute was so fun to use, I forgot about the demise of my own camera... almost.

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So, this is the last photo from my dearly departed. One evening, only days before it's demise, I flipped up the flash, set the focus to manual, and prowled to and fro on my lawn. A dozen mosquito bites later, voila, a keeper!

choice of camera

What Your Choice of Camera Says About You

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Gordon Lewis wrote a hilarious post about photographers and their cameras, so I brought you the link (above). Check it out.

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According to him, I'm cheap. According to me, he's right.

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The photo above was taken in August by my wife as she watched me sneak up on some house sparrows. If you're curious, here is the shot from where I was stalking.

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Gordon says he's not taking any more comments about the post I linked, but he was kind enough to give permission to point others to it. Enjoy.

just ducky

It will be a while before I am used to this new camera. A friend from work let me borrow his lenses. He used them for his film camera, and I am hoping I can buy one or two of them from him. I am also hoping the birds will let me get a little closer for their photos.

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The borrowed lenses are manual focus (210mm and 300mm), and this is a wake up call for me, because I am reeeeeally sllloww in setting up a shot. Then, when I finally go to snap the photo, I am about as steady as Deputy Barney Fife is with his service revolver. The Pentax's "continuous shooting" feature is going to come in handy! But not being a natural, or having a knack at it is not a deterrent for me. It is always a good experience to get out there, and observe things. Sometimes the reward is in what I've captured; sometimes the reward is just being there.

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As you can see, the robins have come out. There was one on the ground, yanking at a worm. I wish I had that picture for you. ...Maybe another time.

a new season

This is the camera I have been working with since mid-November, 2007. It is a point-and-shoot with 2.1 megapixels. That is modest by today's standards, but believe me, this camera has been a huge blessing, and I am thankful for God's bountiful provision. I have become comfortable with it, and expect to continue enjoying it for a long time.

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And now, allow me to present a recent cohabitor of my camera bag. As of this week, I march on and spring ahead with the addition of a Pentax ist DL. This used camera came from the same family that I got the Mavica from. It is a 6 megapixel, entry level DSLR, and I am eager to familiarize myself with all these lovely knobs and buttons and settings. Ain't it purdy?