Bad Time to Break My Camera

12 April 2012
7:00 PM

Sunrise at	6:25 AM	in direction	67°	East-northeast
Sunset at	9:20 PM	in direction	294°	West-northwest

Duration of day: 14 hours, 55 minutes (6 minutes, 50 seconds longer than yesterday)

Is there a good time?  I'd been thinking that I wanted a better camera with more options, now that I am taking photographs several times a week, but wasn't really intending to replace it immediately.  As I mentioned on Sunday, I left the camera at SP Kennel, but what I have not confessed to is that after picking it up, I did not actually zip it into its case.  I thought I did, though, so as I was carrying things from the car upstairs, I was careless about my things.  The camera case opening was downward and - well, you can guess the rest.

I found the camera, have not found the lens protector, and the latch to the battery reservoir was split in two.  The only reason I was able to get the photos I'd already taken into my computer was because I used the Alaskan remedy to everything, duct tape, and taped it tightly shut - just so - and the battery metal connectors fit as intended.  However, it soon loosened and that was the end of its usefulness - no more photos.

Today I took the camera to the local repair shop and he was thinking he could do something with it until he noticed that one of the latch pieces from the main body of the camera had broken off.  It wasn't just that the latch piece was split; even if repaired there was no anchor on the main body of the camera.  He handed it back to me and told me to call Fuji directly.  First thing I should ask, he recommended, was whether they were still repairing Fuji FinePix S1200 cameras!  That did not sound good.  If the answer was positive, then I needed to ask what their flat rate repair price.  That did sound good, smart in fact.  Then when I was quoted a price, I could consider what I wanted to do.  He told me that most likely with the repair and shipping (from Alaska and back, remember?), it probably would be near the price of a new one.  I was shocked.

He told me the click and point model we had (as the digital photographic enthusiasts disparagingly refer to my type of camera) could now be bought for much less with more power.  I did not believe him, until I got on line, found a FinePix at Amazon and had to face the fact he was right on.  I am grumpy.  It is a good little camera, especially for what I am doing.  It takes great photos and I was just expanding my understanding of how to get the most out of it .. do I simply buy another model like it or take the next step up?

Well, whatever I decide, this blog will be bereft of photos until I get it repaired or replaced.   Oh, rats!  I really am relying on my word pictures now.