The new camera is sending me on a trip down memory lane. For as many pictures as I have taken over the years, too few have been of the actual camera.
I think my first camera had 110 film. I just looked upstairs to see if I have it, but I don't see it. I'm such a pack rat there really was a chance.
The first camera I really remember using was the Kodak Disk. Remember these? The negatives were minuscule and the images were blurry. I used this the whole time I was in Belgium. This disk is labeled with images from the Rotex Talent Show, so bring out your magnifying glasses to see Dana in a dress.
I took a few pictures at Trenton State College, but not many. I believe by then I had graduated to a 35 mm camera. When we got married in 1993, everyone was shooting film, even our professional wedding photographer. We put disposable cameras on the tables and encouraged our guests to take pictures of each other. 
It took a lost roll of film in May 2005 to give up on regular film and make the switch to digital. We went to a Trenton Thunder game at the new Phillies stadium (they were playing the Reading Phillies). I shot an entire roll of film (yes, all 36 pictures). Dropped it in the Snapfish envelope. Put it in our mailbox and went to DisneyLand with Don and Ashley. As I filled rolls of film at DisneyLand, I mailed them to Snapfish, too. The others were developed, but not the one at the Phillies Stadium. I called and was given the vague "sometimes it takes longer than other times." I even went to our local post office. Not there. SIXTEEN MONTHS later the pictures arrived at our house. The only thing we could say is that it was censored because there was one of Boomer and the other mascots "streaking" across the field.Don and I made our first trip to B&H Photo and Video in September 2005. I don't remember the exact model, but I bought a Panasonic camera with a Leica lens -- and an extended warranty. That warranty has paid for itself over the years. With a small child, okay with ME, I have yet to go through the warranty period without breaking or damaging the camera.
The worst was three days before we were leaving for DisneyLand. I took a picture of Rebecca and her son, Danny, in the spring of 2009. I carefully put down the camera and lined the four grandchildren up on the couch. I picked up my camera and it was broken (no the kids were not near it, nor were any adults, it is still a mystery). I sent that one to the repair shop, and received a check in place of a camera. A quick search at B&H and I bought what I thought was the same camera, only the latest model (it was about the same price). Well, the FZ50 turned out to be much bigger and had some really neat features -- like the ability to zoom on the lens and not via a switch. Unfortunately that one broke beyond repair when it fell off my lap in January 2010. That lead me to another Panasonic DMC-FZ5, which stopped having the ability to zoom. After spending much time in the repair shop, I bought my current camera. Over 3 million pictures later, it is at the repair shop.
In the meantime, we've purchased smaller cameras that fit in our pockets and handle those surprise moments. For as much as Don says I go through cameras, his pocket cameras always break after taking far less pictures than I take with my big cameras. Ashley has also broken at least one tiny camera when it fell into the stream during a class field trip. These days she prefers taking pictures and videos with her iPod.
Here's to hoping I love the new camera as much as I loved the FZ50, if not even more.
A note on the new camera: I've been really happy with it. The speed and clarity are very nice. Just wishing I had time to play with it before we left A trip like this is not the right time to start experimenting.
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