Rainbow photo

Rainbow, 6-30-2009 (c) 2009 Incorrigible Curmudgeon

Whew! I finally received my new Canon A590IS PowerShot point-and-shoot camera from eBay and like I said before, I felt right naked without it.

One of the first things I got to photograph with it was this rainbow.

A good sign, I think.

Stormscapes, June 2009

All photos (c)2009 by Incorrigible Curmudgeon on my now-defunct Canon A570IS PowerShot point-and-shoot camera.

One of the reasons I've grown addicted to having a point-and-shoot camera on me at all times is so that when I come upon a storm brewing like this one as I left my job, right before the skies opened up, I can document it in my photographs.

Like today there was a horrific Metro train crash on the Red Line in DC. The only thing worse than being in the crash (aside from death or injury) would be being in it without your camera.

I'd rather not take that chance. I guess I'm just going to have to lug around my 3 lb. Nikon D200 DSLR until my new point-and-shoot arrives.

My point-and-shoot died

Landscape while walking the dog

Incorrigible Puppy, smiling

Incorrigible Puppy chillin' from sidewalk level

Fogscape while walking the dog

Artomatic: "Catharsis and Karma" by Deb Jansen (purported screed by the artist against the woman who slept with her husband. Note the so-called 'skank' dolls on side). I had to focus by hand because the motor that moves lens in and out to focus had started to die.

I primarily use two cameras these days: my workhorse digital SLR Nikon D200 and my point-and-shoot Canon A570IS PowerShot point-and-shoot camera which I keep parked on my belt and have with me everywhere I go, ever ready to capture anything I see--until now. Like most of the photos on this blog, and like these last few above (all photos by Incorrigible Curmudgeon (c) 2009) on my now-defunct Canon A570IS PowerShot point-and-shoot camera,
taken shortly before my camera crashed).



I know digital cameras are ubiquitous and cheap these days but I'm a professional and I'm picky about my cameras--even my point-and-shoots. I got the A570IS because it had an optical viewfinder (I need reading glasses to see the LCD screen on the back. Plus I don't feel all amateur-dorky looking through a viewfinder).

And the A570IS has manual override. I NEED to be able to set my own shutter speeds and f-stops. And I like having a camera powered by 2-AA batteries. I use re-chargeables and they last a long time. I keep a spare pair on me at all times so I'm never without a working camera

I think I paid about $130 for this puppy new a year-and-a half ago but now that it has died I find that Canon no longer makes anything comparable for under $500. Ditto Nikon and all the rest. All the Canon PowerShot cameras under $500 have dropped the Manual setting from their shooting choices, a colossal deal-breaker for me

That's why I'm left with two choices (in order to get a comparable and comparably-priced replacement): pay $135 to get it fixed at the go-to DC camera repair place, or take my chances on eBay. I've been trying to do the latter for a week now and I keep losing the cameras I bid on.

I know, there's always Amazon, and I usually swear by them, but the Canon A590IS is the only thing comparable to mine and Canon no longer makes it either (they used to list it for $129.99). It is going for $239.99 new on Amazon. All the other web venues are out of stock. My own Canon A570IS is now going for $299.99 new on Amazon! This is crazy.

Addendum: I finally won a bid on eBay for the Canon A590IS Powershot. Cost me $148.50 plus S&H. Whew!! Now all I have to do is wait. Damn, I feel naked without my camera.