Bonus!

Finally pulled the trigger on a new waterproof (freezeproof, shockproof, sharkproof, etc., etc.) compact digital camera. Watching my 68-year-old Dad land his first ever Pere Marquette steelhead and realizing I didn't have a camera sealed the deal.

I picked up a Nikon AW100. Regular readers will know I'm a die-hard Nikonian. My first "real" camera was an FM with two E Series lenses, received as a high school graduation gift (I still own it). Since then I've had a myriad of Nikon lenses and bodies. In my opinion, I've not found anything to compare with Nikkor glass. Nikon is the only major camera manufacturer who makes their own glass. And, I think it makes a difference. The color richness and fidelity in my Nikkor lenses is second-to-none.

Since drowning my S9 in an ill-advised January Pere Marquette swim (oops -- turns out the Ledge Hole's pretty deep...) I've been using a refurbished Coolpix S210.

Funny, I've only ever had two disappointing pieces of Nikon gear. The first was a VERY early generation 43-86mm Nikkor zoom lens. Absolute POS. The Coolpix will be joining that hall of fame. It continually struggles with point of focus, and even the slightest of high-contrast situations results in blown-out highlights. Fail. Time for something now.

Anyway, on to the best part about my new AW100! It comes with a UR-E323 adapter for a FILTER! This overcomes one of my biggest issues with point-n-shoots; the inability to to use a polarizing filter! For the outdoor photographer, the polarizing filter is among the most versatile and effective tools around. Some ask, "Can't you just do that in PhotoShop?". I've worked with some very talented retouchers and I can honestly answer, "NO!". Plus, I learned my craft in an era where we were taught to get the image right in-camera, rather than rely on post-shooting gimmicks.

Needless to say, this has me giddy! I've been carting my D70 body and a couple of lenses along on some trip. Bulky, heavy, and a pain in the arse. As you can imagine, I'm giddy. A 40.5mm Hoya polarizer is on order already! Should have photos soon. Can't wait!

-Sean-