Camera Talk

But first, here is one of a multitude of newly documented CB bugs or vermin. This may be a Psorophora species, a large male mosquito sometimes referenced as an elephant mosquito.

Crumby’s camera is old for a dslr, old and decrepit. Already, the rubber grip has fallen off. These days that aforementioned rubber grip resides in a drawer. No more shall it adorn the camera, alas. But the camera works fine, maybe better, without the grip which was always partly unglued, even when the camera was new.

So Crumby has been considering what might be important features in a potential new camera. Here’s what Crumby thinks might be important for his kind of photography; photos of the tiny and/or far away.

1. All the pixels money can buy. More pixels means an average amateur photographer can crop more. Sharp crops are good for bringing in the tiny or far away. Real good.

2. A macro flash system that can actually and conveniently attach to a variety of macro lenses designed for the camera body.

3. Crumby has found that with his current pitiful set up, he tends to almost always employ flash these days. However, shooting mostly flash goes through a great many batteries. So higher ISO capabilities (the higher the better) to maybe cut down on some of the flash shooting would be helpful.

4. Reliable autofocus in case Crumby ever needs to focus on a moving object.

5. Crumby needs an optical viewfinder for manual focus. Oddly, Crumby found the much maligned E 330 viewfinder was generally good enough for bugs, close up with a fairly fast lens on.

6. Crumby needs either in lens or in body stabilization maybe.

7. A level would be nice.

The above picture has some problems. Plus, Crumby had one shot at the particular illustrated bug and essentially missed the shot. That said, the shot may be OK for documentation purposes, since anyone could easily discern it’s a particular kind of fly from the picture.

However, any and all of the first six camera attributes listed above would have made the shot more likely to turn out better or way better, Crumby’s effort remaining constant. That’s right. With a camera doing all the above, plus a level, Crumby could have taken a better picture more easily.

So Crumby is anticipating fixing to get a new camera before the upcoming spring. Such an optimistic outlook assumes Crumby shall survive the many upcoming ordeals which traditionally plague the brave yet uncomplaining Ovate through the fall and winter seasons plus that particularly wicked holiday, Baby Demon Mammon Day.

That would be a twist or turn of fate. What if something actually good happened on Baby Demon Mammon Day? What if Crumby got a new camera on that very day. How strange or fantastic would that be?

OK. Now Crumby needs to decide which camera brand and model best meets his peculiar needs at a reasonable cost.


Oh! Another camera attribute Crumby desises is the ability of the camera to adjust itself to a lens for focusing purpose.