IMG 013, originally uploaded by Alex Leigh.

Rubbish title, rubbish picture but happy man behind the lens. In a fiscally irresponsible moment of “I have insufficient expensive hobbies in my life right now“, I’ve bought myself a digital SLR.

But not a new one. The Canon EOS 300D is the granddaddy of digital cameras much superceeded by newer and cleverer technology. But it has two enduring values; it was cheap and it is simple to use.

Having had a film Canon EOS many years ago, it was like having an old friend coming back into town. Everything I loved about that camera is almost exactly the same on the 300D and the one thing I hated has gone. That’ll be the “what’s the photo look like then” delay which was the very reason I sold it in the first place.

Wish I’d kept the expenses lenses tho. As already I’m scanning ebay for something a bit longer and pimpier than the free one my friend chucked in.

My rather posh (and amusingly significantly more complex) Canon S80 is a superb shot taker in a easy to manage package. But I’d forgotten the tactile joy of a ‘proper’ camera and the fun in trying to frame and light decent compositions using the viewfinder.

It’s going to be great for the summer and on that note, I just wish it’d bloody stop raining.