Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

Curses! Foiled Again!
Otherwise known as The Camera Sob Story

Well, some of you may recall the grand announcement made some time ago, that Chennette and I had finally decided AND ordered our camera…yay!?

Unfortunately that plan fell through due to some shipping/delivery issues.

You may also remember that we heard tell of a Nikon D80 in Cave Shepherd, Broad Street, Bridgetown, Barbados and I was seriously encouraging Chennette to go check it out and feel it and hold it.

Well she never did.

And, this being even more recent, you should know I was in Barbados for a whole week, culminating on Thursday/yesterday.

From the title of this post, and the series of recollections you can probably tell where this is going.

On Saturday, we went into Bridgetown. It was Chennette’s first time back since her student days. And I finally made the simple connection between Bridge, town and Bridgetown :-) Please note that *I* never said I was smart. Sometimes people think I am but I’m not sure who has been deluding them.

We went into Cave Shepherd.

Inside Cave Shepherd was the camera section with some Point and Shoots and some Canon SLRs (Digital Rebel XTi and a 20D I think), and Nikon DSLRs (D200, D50, D40) and lenses and flashes and various other accessories.

We got the prices.
We held them.

I walked around the store freaking out because there was my D50 (with the kit 18-55mm lens). It was THERE! It was also about $300 more than it costs say in a US store. But when you factor in plane tickets…Chennette said it was an acceptable price.

We went back and I bought it.
No extra lenses, no extra batteries, just a SD flash card and a camera bag.

EXCITEMENT!

I was so nervous you wouldn’t believe.
Didn’t know how to hold it, how to hold it, my camera bag and my handbag.
So we went and stayed on the board walk snapping pictures…on AUTO of course.

I couldn’t believe it.

We walked over the bridge and took some more.

We went to Chinese.

Chennette kept her mouth shut and didn’t share this exciting piece of news with you.

The next day Chennette made Tuna and Potatoes and I took some shots there too.

A couple days later we went out for lunch and I took pictures (the Tuna day we went out for dinner and it was so dark and I didn’t know my camera very well).

All the while I was reading the manual…or making my way through it very very very slowly and maybe skipping some bits for later.

Then, I walked on to campus and snapped pictures the whole way there.

That night, as I was taking pictures off my camera from the walk, I noticed a spot.
I moved the picture around, it was still there, so it wasn’t my screen.
I opened other pictures from that set, it was there in the same place. So, it wasn’t that picture.

Did *I* do something.

I looked thru the pictures from the previous days.
It was faint but I wasn’t sure.
I looked at the pictures from the first day! There was a spot!

I looked at the picture from inside the store of the salesguy…it was there!
So, it wasn’t me.

I freaked.

Chennette, always reasonable, was like you have to go to Cave Shepherd tomorrow with it!
And me, freaked as always, wanted to know *how*? I am leaving tomorrow.
Take a taxi.

*sigh*

Such a troubled night.

I went in.
I took my laptop to show them the pictures.
The same guys were there.
They switched lenses with the D40 and took pictures with both cameras.
The spot was still on my D50’s pictures and not on the D40 so…it was the sensor.

After consultation with someone over the phone, I was offered two options.
They could clean it (there was some mumbling about sending a camera for repair that only got sold a few days ago. they didn’t think it was right…in a good way i mean) if I left it for a few days.
Or they could refund.

Since I was leaving then I took the refund.

It was very hassle-free.
I’m glad I bought it in a shop.

They took my email address and will email when they get the D80s they’ve ordered.

I’m so disappointed.

It’s rather surreal.
I went on vacation without a camera.
Got a camera for vacation.
Came from vacation without camera.

It’s like the perfect test run of owning a DSLR.
I was practically done reading the manual too.
Now I want it!
Even more.
And I could live with the D50!!!!

You probably don’t believe me.
I mean…where’s the proof?

Well never fear.
I may no longer have the camera.
But I do have PICTURES!!!!!!

*sobs*