Camera problems and solution

DAY FORTY-FOUR: I’ve been beset with camera problems! My digital camera suddenly started rendering blurred images in magenta tones. I happened to be going to a camera store in Salem to get a roll of film developed from the Yashica, and they immediately recognized the problem as a failed sensor. Which means that’s the end of that camera! R.I.P. sweet little Canon A85 Powershot! You’ve served me well, taking over 14,000 photos. I’ll need to buy a new digital camera. Problem is, there are lots of options, each with it’s own peculiar set of pros and cons. The simplest thing would probably be to get a Canon A2200 Powershot. It’s only $129 or so, and has a lot of nice features; however it doesn’t have much zoom. Of course, I’d love to have a digital SLR, but that is a major investment. It’s also nice to have a digital camera you can just slip into your shirt pocket, which you cannot do with an SLR! Choices! Choices!

Meanwhile, one of my two Yashica camera bodies has developed a problem: the film advance lever is broken. That happened about half-way through a roll of film. That body had the best strap, so I’ve moved everything over to the other body which works ok except for one thing: the cap for the battery chamber is so worn, it’s impossible to turn it with a coin, or even a screwdriver. When the batteries wear out, I’ll have to figure out some way to open that chamber. It may involve drilling a couple of holes. Once I get the cap off, I can put the good cap from the other camera body on to that camera. I’m not sure I want to keep on using the Yashica and film, but it’s been fun to use it on this trip, and right at the moment, that’s the only working camera I’ve got!

LATER: I learned from John that Cynthia had a similar failure with her Canon A70. She now has an SX130IS which she likes very much. It has a lot more zoom than mine did, plus complete manual control menu. So this choice is complicated by many options!

EVEN LATER: I went on-line to learn more about sensor failure and "lo and behold," Canon has an advisory that says that it will repair free of charge any cameras on a particular list that has that problem, regardless of age. The A85 Powershot is on the list! I called Canon and sure enough -- they'll send me a voucher and even a UPS label for shipping in my camera. So I can get my camera repaired free; I just won't have the use of it for the rest of this vacation trip. But then I told all this to our host, Susan, here in Boise and DOUBLE "lo and behold," (1)She has a Canon A75 with the same problem and was thrilled to learn she could get it fixed and (2)she has another digital camera she will loan me for the rest of the trip and I can mail it back to her when I get mine back! Wow! Problem solved! That gives me the option of getting a new camera if I want to when get back home, and have the leisure to think through the options. But if the A85 comes back like new, I just may be happy with that until I feel flush enough to get a digital SLR. Meanwhile, I still have a working Yashica SLR with 28mm, 50mm and 300mm lenses which I can also use on the remainer of this trip. Yay!