R.I.P., Fujifilm Finepix 4800

You were my first digital camera and I cherished you for myriad reasons, primarily because of how I obtained you. You were a 30th birthday present from my darling NYC cousins, presented to me (quite unexpectedly) over a sumptuous feast at the Upper West Side Ruby Foo's.

I adored your sleek body and your instant focus and zoom. I loved your automatic shut-off for those times when I just took too friggin' long to take the damn photo. I loved the way people cooed over you, before the market became saturated with smaller, cuter, sleeker models. I'll admit, were it not for my good fortune in receiving you as a gift, I'd have eventually bought myself a smaller, cheaper (and likely inferior) camera. But you were designed by F.A. Porsche people and lovingly chosen by my camera-store-owning cousin and so I cherished you.

Sadly, despite the gentle care I took of you, your health has taken a turn for the worse in recent days and I must begin seeking out your replacement. You've given me nearly five great years and many fantastic photos, little Finepix. Thanks for the memories.

So that leaves me to turn to my readers for recommendations. I'm not a pro-photographer wannabe; I just want something simple and relatively inexpensive that takes sharp, clear photos. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately for my wallet, I've decided the iPod must also go. It still works just fine, but honestly, I was never as in love with it as I was with my Creative Labs MP3 player from back in the day. The shuffle feature (which I use frequently) on my aging, 3rd-generation iPod is positively pathetic. It seems to think I only want to hear 500 of the 3,000+ songs I have stored on it and thus, plays the same shit over and over. Buh-bye!

Plus, I am an eternal FM radio junkie, fully recognizing how dreadful it has become and in spite of its sad, steep decline in recent years. Alas, iPod, you have no built-in FM tuner, leaving me no choice but to buy a separate unit to shlep around if I want to listen to NPR or KFOG instead of my own CDs. And, as most iPod users are well-aware, your earbuds leave much to be desired. So... buh-bye, iPod!

I'm returning to Creative Labs for my new player, one with (most importantly) a built-in FM tuner and (hopefully) better shuffle capability. I justify the expense by the simple fact that the MP3 player is something I use daily, walking both directions from work, or on the train to school, or at the gym (when not swimming, of course), or on the bus. I use it at home. I use it at work. I use it on the dozen or so road-trips and flights I take each year. I use it more than just about anything I own that's not a part of my anatomy.

And so the iPod makes its final voyage tonight, accompanying me on a brief flight to Reno, where I'm off to witness my remarkable grandmother serve as keynote speaker at another conference on Holocaust Education and to joyously commemorate my brother's 30th birthday with food, drink and poker chips.

P.S. Holy shit, my little brother is 30. He's all growns-up. When did that happen?

Posted by ayelet at April 1, 2006 09:37 AM