New Camera, Old Dog, and Other Photos

Some years ago, Jim and I received this camera as a Christmas gift:

Fujifilm Finepix A400

It wasn't the first digital camera we had, but it was our first small camera. At some point, appreciating its small size, I started carrying it with me. By the time I started blogging, I really had laid claim to it, and I don't think poor Jim got to use it much (he finally gave in and bought himself another camera).

This past winter, on some of the particularly cold days, the Finepix refused to operate - it would take one picture, and then just stop. Sometimes, if I tucked it in my pocket for a bit, I could coax another photo out of it; usually it needed some time alone at home before it was up to taking pictures again.

Then, a week or so ago, even in the comfort of home, it grew recalcitrant. One picture was fine, and then it refused to focus. A bit of a rest, and I could manage another photo.

Was it old age? The unrelentingly cold winter? Whatever the cause, it was time for a new camera, so on Saturday, I headed to Norman Camera. The salesman and I chatted about my old camera, what I used the camera for, the convenience of a small camera, my preference for a view finder, and so forth.

I came home with this:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

So far, I've worked my way through the quick-start guide, and know enough to take some basic photos. I can already appreciate the better quality of the pictures, and the more powerful zoom. I haven't yet figured out how to comfortably hold it (especially one-handed, with a leash in the other hand). It does have a handy feature that refocuses as the subject moves (read: Beagle).

Meanwhile, here are some newly minted photos, starting with the first robin I've seen this season:

The first robin of spring - seen last Saturday

A not-too-bad photo of Jim:

The first Jim of spring

And, of course, photos of Bonnie. The snow has been a challenge lately. It is still deep in places, but now it is soft. Here Bonnie is managing to stay on the surface, but it's a precarious business. Both she and I frequently find ourselves climbing out of the depths:

This is the entrance to the Friendship Village woods, and Bonnie really really wanted to go there. But I couldn't face wading through so much snow, so she will have to wait a while yet:

Bonnie climbed up a pile of snow that had accumulated at the end of someone's driveway, so she is at eye level (much easier for taking pictures):

Today, Bonnie slept soundly all morning, and I had to wake her for our walk:

Love her little tongue!

Once she figured out what was afoot, she was delighted. And then she was annoyed, because I refused to tackle the park again. Instead, we walked along Canterbury and Croyden. Once she accepted that she had no option, she happily walked along with me.

I was startled, and a bit saddened, to realize that her pace was much slower than normal, and not just because she wanted to smell everything. She is simply slowing down.

This photo shows the snow piled along Canterbury, and the trees and sun (a weak sun, today) reflected in the puddles alongside.

These recent warm days have been nice (we hit 51° today). But temperatures will fall tonight and tomorrow, and we will probably see more snow as well:

We're in that 3-5" band, I think

Hope that poor robin has somewhere to hide!