Culture Shock

We left Almonte to drive to Montreal around noon on Thursday the 15th. It was cold and cloudy with some snow in the forecast later on, so we wanted to keep ahead of the bad weather.

We arrived at our hotel near the airport and settled in for the night. The snow arrived not long after.

We were up at 5AM to drive to the valet parking and leave our car. It was cold and windy and I had to brush a bunch of snow off the car before we went. We left our winter clothing and boots in the car and hopped the shuttle to the airport with all our luggage.

Trudeau airport was operating normally, although it was a bit of a winter wonderland out there. Temperature was around -7C (20F.) They were plowing the runways, and we had to go through de-icing before we could take off.

Once we were away, it was a pretty routine flight to Fort Lauderdale. When we got there, we took a taxi to our hotel and immediately went into culture shock.

Fort Lauderdale was hazy and humid and about 28C (85F.) A three hour flight took us from the Tundra to the Tropics.

It was a shock to the system but I have to admit it was a nice shock.

Our Hotel – the Embassy Suites – had an old school 1980s vibe to it but it was spacious and comfortable.

There is an atrium surrounded by the rooms. That is where you can have breakfast in tropical surroundings.

Outside the hotel is a sort of lazy river with plenty of goldfish. These guys are well fed and like a herd of cats. They come swimming up to the surface whenever they spot someone walking by.

After a bit of shopping at Ross discount store, and a pleasant meal we settled in for the night. The hotel was packed. There were 6 cruise ships scheduled to be in Port Everglades tomorrow.

On the Cs

C stands for Caribbean. C also stands for Cruise. And recently – for the first time since 2018 – C stood for Celebrity.

In December 2023 we booked a February 2024 Eastern Caribbean cruise on Celebrity. It was partially to get away from winter and partially to cheer me up after the loss of our beloved cat Mr. Oates. We did not have any cat responsibilities so it was easier to get away for 10 days or so.

Our travel agent Crucon had a special sale where the upgraded Concierge Class stateroom was actually cheaper than a plain old balcony cabin. We had to book a sight unseen “Guarantee” room which was a little concerning. However Celebrity Captain’s Club loyalty program came to our rescue. We got a prime location on Deck 12 near the stern of the ship.

The ship we chose? It was the Celebrity Reflection – the last of the Solstice class ships and the only one we had not sailed on.

I’ll start documenting our cruise experiences soon – after we get back home and have decent photo storage and high speed bandwidth. Keep watching this space.

Still Life

Ten years ago when I was cruising on Celebrity, the ship photographers were all using this D90 to record the voyage and sell prints to the guests. It was unclear to me at the time whether this model was a pro grade or just an advanced amateur camera. I suppose you could have called it semi-pro. At the time getting one of these beauties was way beyond my pay grade.

It is a different matter today as folks transition to mirrorless cameras and leave behind these old DSLRs. I went ahead and got a D90 from KEH – the used camera people. It’s in great shape and was relatively low priced.

A D90 is a long way from the bleeding age of camera tech in 2024. There are at least 3 Nikon DSLR model upgrades out there in its class – and even those would be considered out of date for a new camera buyer.

It’s hopeless at video recording and taking selfies. It doesn’t connect to Instagram. It has a rather skimpy 12 MP sensor. Those facts alone probably write it off for 90% of today’s camera consumers.

However it is perfect for what I want to do with it – still photography with old Nikon lenses from the last century.

The absolute top of the line Nikon mirrorless camera today won’t work with Nikkor autofocus lenses from the 1990s – but this camera will. It has a lttle motor in the body that connects to the otherwise “dumb” autofocus lenses. My early 2000s F80 film camera used to focus the old glass like a champion. So does the D90.

The D90 is solidly built and if you get a good sample it should have plenty of life in it. It has that satisfying Nikon shutter “clunk” when you take a photograph. It’s a real precision instrument worthy of having Nikon on the SLR prism.

My plan is to hook the camera up to some great old prime lenses. Then I’ll take it out with my granddaughter to teach her the old school photographic methods my Uncle Howard taught me in the 1960s. Maybe she will take her photos with a smartphone after that, but at least she’ll learn technique on a real camera.

It’s also my hope that we’ll have some fun doing it. I guess we’ll see later on when the weather gets better.

Here’s another boring image from my front porch using a Nikkor 35-80 AF-D zoom lens that was discontinued in 1995. At least the camera works.

Nikon has been making some version of the screw drive autofocus lens since 1986. As we say good-bye to DSLR bodies we’ll likely lose the autofocus capability of these lenses, but they’ll focus manually for many years to come. And I certainly anticipate having some sort of DSLR for as long as I want to take photos. Maybe this D90 will see me out. Who knows?

At the very least I hope to use it long enough to get another photographer in the family.

This concludes my photo tech trilogy in early 2024. Hope it wasn’t too tedious to follow along.

Golden Oldie

One of the best things about using the legacy Nikon F mount system is that your camera body is compatible with a huge range of Nikon lenses that can date back many decades.

The results aren’t 100% the same if you used a film SLR back in the day and now you use a DX version DSLR but they are still pretty good. Here are a couple of examples.

The above photos were shot with a Nikon D5500 DSLR and a Nikon 35-80 autofocus zoom lens made in 1993. The lens is a lighter weight “kit” model that originally came with Nikon film bodies such as the F70.

Although this lens is considered lower quality and lacks the ruggedness of the pro quality Nikkor lenses, it’s still a Nikon design. The one I have is the first model which was made in Japan and has a metal mount and a decent focus ring.

The digital SLR I use it on now will not autofocus with this lens so you have to do it manually. Also what used to be a wide angle to slight telephoto zoom is now strictly a short telephoto lens.

You probably wouldn’t want to use it for any sort of travel holiday as it is inconvenient to zoom and focus, and tricky to get right. Nevertheless, it is still capable of good results in decent lighting.

There are some older and heavier digital Nikons that will autofocus with vintage 1980s and 1990s Nikkor lenses. I have a fair number of these Nikkors from my film days and I am tempted to get an older DSLR camera body and shoot away. Don’t want to haul them around on holiday anymore but it seems a waste to keep them stored away.

Maybe if my grandaughter Veronica keeps on with her interest in photography I’ll do something in that direction. I sure wish someone would have gifted me a Nikon system back in the day.

The End

Over close to 60 years of photography, I have used a large variety of cameras. From ancient paper backed 127 film I progressed to 35 mm slides and prints, and then eventually to digital format. I used an Ansco Cadet, Yashica rangefinder. manual focus Nikon SLR. auto focus Nikon SLR, various fixed lens digicams from Canon, Nikon, and Fuji.

Finally around 2015 I settled on the two cameras shown above – a Nikon DX DSLR system with interchangeable lenses, and a Panasonic Lumix compact superzoom.

Both cameras have served me well – I don’t do video, just take still photos. The Nikon is my serious optical appliance and I use it for formal family photos and for general picture taking. It is compatible with a wide selection of Nikon lenses that date back to the 1990s.

It’s too large and bulky for vacations however. That is where the Lumix comes in. I can get decent images with it, and it is quite lightweight and pocket sized.

Technically these digicams do what I need, so I have not felt any need to upgrade or replace them. They are still working great. It’s a good thing, because according to many camera industry sources, both of them have now reached the end of life.

Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Fuji, and Sony have all stopped development on compact cameras like the Lumix. It’s not surprising given that the market for this type of camera has shrunk by over 95% since 2010. Some models from 2019 or earlier are still in production but many interesting models have been discontinued.

As for DSLRs, these have largely vanished from new camera lineups, as the major manufacturers have changed their emphasis to mirrorless models. Mirrorless cameras are easier to manufacture, and they provide a superior experience for anyone who wants to shoot video.

The collapse in the compact camera market is due almost entirely due to the rise of smartphone photography. The photo above of my two dedicated cameras was made with my Pixel 7’s camera. It is certainly good enough for blogging purposes.

Whenever I bring a dedicated camera to a family event or on a holiday, I certainly feel like a dinosaur. Everyone else is using their smartphones. Nevertheless I’ll continue to use a real camera when I can. There are a number of reasons for me to do so:

  • Carrying any kind of dedicated camera indicates you are a serious photographer. People tend to give you the space to get your desired image, not crowding you out to take a selfie.
  • The ergonomics are way better with a real camera. It’s easier to hold steady and avoid camera shake. You can put a strap around your wrist or neck to avoid dropping it. And in my case I have a real viewfinder to look through in very bright conditions. I never miss a shot becasuse I can’t see it in the LCD screen.
  • Real cameras at this point have much better telephoto lenses. My Lumix has a 30X telephoto and yes I have used all of that to get photos of distant ships on a cruise. A smartphone – even the best one – has maybe 1/6 of that capability.
  • Very large sensor cameras like the Nikon still produce better quality images than a smartphone, although the very finest smartphone camera systems are catching up fast. The Nikon glass and flash systems are still far ahead of a smartphone.

I suppose if my current cameras keep on working well, I won’t have to worry. The problem I may have to face one day is what if one of the cameras breaks. That is more likely to happen with the Lumix – it simply isn’t as rugged as the Nikon.

Right now I believe I could manage to get a replacement compact – perhaps another used one. But these are quite expensive. Sony makes some wonderful models but their best one would cost as much as an iPhone Pro Max, or as my Nikon interchangeable lens system.

Over the past few years I thought seriously about getting a new compact camera but it didn’t seem worth it because I was not going anywhere on holiday. Now it appears we are reaching The End for this type of camera. It’s probably in my best interest to just hang on and hope that if I need to, I’ll be able to find a suitable replacement for my Lumix. The Nikon system will be here for the long run.

Game On

This Saturday marks my grandson Teddy’s 15th birthday. Here is is engaged in one of his favorite leisure activities – video games. He is a special fan of Super Mario and Pokemon games. He also loves to zap Grandpa in card games like Hearts, Euchre, and Chase the Ace.

Teddy is growing fast. He’s taller than both of his grandparents now and on the way to catching his dad. He’s an expert at martial arts, working his way through the black belt levels.

He’s just finishing his first semester in Grade 9. I was down visiting for a few days recently and I had fun going over his math and science homework. We did problems in volume and surface area, as well as a number of electrical circuit diagrams. Teddy likes technology and is a big fan of Mark Rober.

Next semester has more of an arty feel – drama and geography and English. I’m sure he’ll do well though.

Teddy continues to be a kind gentle and respectful young man. His Nonna and I are very proud of him.

All the best Teddy and I hope we can be around for years to come, to see you grow and develop your gifts.

Life Expectancy

When we moved to Almonte we got a whole new set of Maytag appliances. We have replaced the fridge and dishwasher, but our 18 year old washer and dryer were still working OK – until recently. We got a leak in the washer tub that wouldn’t stop unless I turned the water off.

This being Eastern Ontario, we know a competent and honest appliance repair guy. He deduced that the water inlet valve was faulty and replaced it, along with the aging rubber supply hoses. He concluded that the washer’s mechanical operation is still OK. I guess we are still good to go for a while – or not. 18 years is well past the life expectancy of any laundry duo, but we don’t use the washer/dryer every day of the week and we don’t have huge loads when we do.

Back in 2005, Maytag was still an independent company. Now they are part of the Whirlpool empire. They still had a legendary reputation in 2005; their products were all operated by electromechanical switches – no computerized touchpads. It’s a far cry from that sort of machine today.

Now we can still get something like that if we replace the Maytags – our preferred local appliance store sells Heubsch machines – Speed Queen in the US. They are very old school, very pricey and do we need a 25 year appliance service life at our age? That’s a good question.

So at the present time I suppose we have three options:

  • Keep on keeping on with Maytag and hope for the best.
  • Buy new Heubsch appliances with the knowledge that somebody else will get the value out of them someday.
  • Look for a cheaper option that we know won’t last as long. Some of the stuff I’ve looked at has only a one year warranty and the electronic control boards cost almost as much as a new machine. Pray that part doesn’t fail.

Option 1 looks like the best one for now. In fact, we probably should follow the three basic principles that underlie any decision at our age:

  • Take things one day at a time.
  • If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
  • Keep it simple, stupid.

Oh yes, and be careful about buying green bananas.

Another Winter Solstice

Well, it doesn’t look like this around here this year – in fact, we may have a green Christmas in Almonte (unheard of.)

However as we approach the Winter Solstice, I get closer to another anniversary of my retirement. This year I’ll be starting my 20th year of fixed income and all week weekends.

Later on we’ll be marking 19 years in Almonte. It hardly seems possible. When we came here our beloved cat Sammy was only about 6 years of age, Now we have just lost Mr. Oates – another wonderful pet. Lord, I miss him every day…and especially at night. Another sad fact to ponder is that lately some good friends we made here have passed away.

So much to be thankful for though. We live close to Sarah and Dave. Our grandkids are growing into lovely young people. We are safe and warm in our comfortable home in this picture postcard town. Although we are getting a bit more elderly and with the associated aches and pains, we are generally in decent health and sound of mind.

As we get into the December side of life, it’s hard to say how many more Solstices we’ll get to celebrate. I guess one day at a time is the way to go. That, and don’t buy too many green bananas.

So Nobody Should Retire?

I recently read an article in The Walrus that postulated that nobody should retire -largely because they either can’t afford to or the future is too uncertain.

I found this a bit strange, to be honest. Maria and I retired early and at the time I felt we were OK to do so financially. We were fortunate enough to have pensions; we had been careful and had additional savings set aside. After some years away from the workplace, I still believe we can be OK – even if our health care costs increase a lot. And I have no interest in getting back on the bike, thank you. There are many reasons for this:

I don’t miss the job. When I retired, I had pretty well lost interest in my career. I enjoyed some of the technical aspects, but I was tired and burned out – depressed even – with the politics, performance management, and endless meetings that were part of my life back then. I left after my final day and never went back. Never wanted to.

I took a couple of years to taper off. When we moved to Almonte I volunteered as a tech officer/production worker with a small local coffee roasting business. I probably made a difference, but after a couple of years I wanted more time to travel, work on computers, learn about Linux. So at that point I just shut things down.

I never really identified as a person with my career. Sure, I was a chemist and food scientist – I still remember a lot of my training and practical experience. But that was never who I am – I didn’t disappear as a person when I didn’t go into the lab any longer.

My former job has disappeared. Unilever had two factories in the Toronto area where I worked. They closed one and sold the other one along with the spreads business. As well, Unilever phased out local product development in Canada. So even had I wanted to continue working, there wouldn’t be any job for me to do. Any termination settlement for me would have been in the form of a retirement agreement.

I have no desire to be a WalMart greeter, Tim Horton’s barista, or McDonald’s burger flipper. I did plenty of McJobs in my early years; right now all they would do for me is keep me on my feet for hours, and raise my marginal income tax level.

I am not minimizing the problems of many who want to retire and are faced with low income or economic uncertainty. Nor am I ungrateful for our good fortune in having decent jobs and benefits in our working years. However, I think the author of The Walrus article is a bit ingenuous to expect all seniors to work an additional 20 years after the traditional retirement date – because it’s good for them. In many cases it isn’t.

Peace at the Last

We lost our dearest old ginger friend today. Mr.Oates had not been well for a month. He had his good days and not so good days. The vet thought he had a neurological issue – maybe a brain tumor.

The last 24 hours he just went downhill – crawled off to the closet in our bedroom to be alone. He was unresponsive and falling over when he tried to walk.

So we cuddled him up in a big towel – no point in using the cat cage – and took a final journey to the vet. He was gentle to the end – slept away while we held him close.

Right now I’d say we are halfway between depression and acceptance on the Kuebler-Ross scale. Think of us today. We are grateful we could give him a good life and a warm bed to sleep in.

The pic above is how we always want to remember him. May he have had peace at the last.

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