Here is a list of the cameras I have had over the years. I currently use a Canon EOS 60D SLR, with a Panasonic DMC-TZ60 as backup.
2014 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60
Bought 12 December 2014, cost £289.99
Occasionally the EOS60D SLR is just a little too big, or I have the general purpose lens on and I need a quick zoom shot, so having a second camera that is compact too is really helpful. The Panasonic TX60 fits that bill well, and performs brilliantly.
In fact, I thought this was such a good compact little camera that we bought one for Jane too.
- Resolution: 18.1 megapixels (4896x3672)
- View screen: 3.0″ TFT LCD (+ electronic viewfinder)
- Leica 24-720mm (30x) zoom lens
- 50p Full HD movies
- Built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS connectivity
- Weight inc battery: 240g
- Size: 111 x 64 x 34 mm
Manual for Panasonic TZ60
2011 Canon EOS 60D with EF-S 17-85mm IS lens
Bought 30 July 2011, cost £1189.90 [+ £365 for Canon EF 70-300 IS zoom lens]
Planning for an early retirement, I wanted to ensure everything was in place whilst I was still earning. One of those preparations was to by an SLR, the Canon EOS 60D, described as a Prosumer camera. One of the key elements this camera has is the fully articulated view screen which I had found particularly useful in my previous camera.
- Resolution: 18 megapixels (5184×3456)
- View screen: Fully articulated 3.0″ TFT LCD
- Equivalent focal length: 1.6x
- Weight inc battery: 755g
- Size: 145 x 106 x 79 mm
And still going strong!
Manual for Canon EOS 60D
2009 Canon Powershot SX20 IS
Bought 11 Sep 2009, £398.10
We had a trip to Africa in March 2009 where I found the Olympus did not have sufficient zoom and so I started looking for a replacement camera. After tossing up whether to by a full-blown SLR or not, a photographer friend suggested a bridge camera might be better. After reading many reviews I decided the SX20 was right up my street, and it had 20x optical zoom.
The 20x zoom proved a godsend on our trip to India the next year, as I took many photos through the windscreen of our coach as we travelled along India’s roads and got some amazing photos of local life (and admittedly several photos of the driver’s ear too!).
- Resolution: 12 megapixels (4000×3000)
- View screen: Fully articulated 2.5″ LCD
- Equivalent focal length: 28 – 560 mm (20x)
- Weight inc batteries: 600g
- Size: 128 x 88 x 87 mm
Manual for Canon SX20 IS
2003 Olympus CAMEDIA C5050 Zoom
This was an amazing camera with a magnesium alloy body.
- Resolution: 5 megapixels (2560×1920)
- View screen: Tilt-up 1.8″ LCD
- Equivalent focal length: 35 – 105 mm (3x)
- Weight inc batteries: 480g
- Size: 114 x 80 x 70 mm
Manual for Olympus C5050 Zoom
1999 Kodak DC240
Just before a dream family holiday to the USA and Disney World in 1999 I bought my first digital camera, a Kodak DC240.
It was my first experience with the slight delay between pressing the shutter release and the camera actually taking the image, hence photos of several splashes at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but no dolphins leaping!
- Resolution: 1.3 megapixels (1280×960)
- Equivalent focal length: 39 – 117 mm (3x)
- Weight inc batteries: 420g
- Size: 133 x 51 x 76 mm
Manual for Kodak DC240
1979 Canon AV-1
Whilst at university I bought a Canon AV-1 with a 50mm lens and a Tamron 80-210 zoom lens. This camera kept me going for many years until I dropped it in a river.
- Resolution: 35 mm film (24 x 36 mm)
- Weight inc batteries: 512g
- Size: 139 x 85 x 48 mm
Manual for Canon AV-1