My Camera

Originally posted to El Cantar de la Lluvia on Thursday, May 10, 2007

One of the most frequent questions people ask about the site and the pictures is What camera do you use?

Well then, in honour of that faithful Canon Powershot A85 (4 megapixels, 3x optical zoom), I'll write this short article.

It has been with me everywhere. It has never failed, despite having ridden thousands of kilometres in a dusty pouch on the handlebars. It fits perfectly there, between the instrument panel and the throttle's cables. The panel is mounted on rubber grommets, and thanks to the cables and the pouch itself, the camera is perfectly cradled. It is not free from vibrations, however, and the polished plastic and worn markings are a testament to this.



It still has the screen protector on it, though it's peeling off. The aluminium ring around the lens is dented (my passenger inadvertently released it and dropped it onto the road somewhere in the Cajón del Maipo). I think a car ran over it or something. It still fits perfectly though.



The mode selector wheel is almost illegible now.

What is amazing is that after all this, the camera still works. After the use and abuse it's been put through, it still takes great pics.

What would I look for in a new camera? I know it's impossible: a wider lens, but keeping the same small form factor. A more sensitive sensor, less susceptible to noise. More megapixels? A few here and there, but it's not vital.

So, as you see, you don't need a wonder-camera.

Another question I get is What program do you use to process your images?

Rather than answering what program I use, it is more enlightening to show my processing workflow.



And that, then, is how I publish my pics. It takes quite a few steps, but it gets the job done.