Camera quandry

We went out for Saturday coffee n' croissant' breakfast at the Fat Pig Deli on Romilly Road this morning. Then I took my Sony DSLR camera into town with me to visit Cardiff Camera Centre to buy an additional lens, to work with especially in shooting street-scapes. I've been meaning to do this for a couple of months, but just been too busy to make the special trip, even though I walk past the shop on my way to and from the CBS office several times a week. It's a great shop, with knowlegable and enthusiastic staff, and often lots of customers.

The telephoto lens I bought with the camera in November last has a narrower field of view when unextended than I expected. I can't afford a really wide angle lens, but the standard entry-level lens at a reasonable price will do me for a good while to come. I now have a sophisticated camera with two lenses whose combined capability is now roughly the same as the lens of the little pocket camera I bought in Spain, to replace the one I lost there.

The quality of DSLR photos is meant to be far superior, although I should add to that 'properly taken'. So far, both cameras are set to run on 'auto'. This setting on the pocket camera seems to deliver as good an image, save for a little distortion around the edges as the big one. I have much to re-learn about how to get the best from the manual controls of a digital SLR camera. Will it be worth the effort I wonder?

Clare went to school for a few hours, still working on classroom preparation with others. At midday I went to College to attend the baptism of the four children of Carl and Lorraine, outgoing Senior Student. It was a beautiful relaxed participatory family celebration in which the primary school age candidates spoke for themselves. Readings used were from Welsh and English versions of bible stories for children and this made great sense with so many other children present as well as the candidates. I wish this could be done more often at our Monday evening family services in College.

I didn't join the party afterwards but went home to spend some time with Clare. We walked our usual afternoon circuit of Llandaff Fields and Bute Park, ending by leaving by the Castle Lodge gate, and going over to House of Frazer in St Mary Street for tea and a survey of the special offers. Everywhere seems to be in permanent discount mode these days. We came away triumphant with a king sized linen duvet cover for a third of its opening price. We've had a king sized bed and duvet for long enough for the original covers to have just about worn out. A side effect of being married for many happy years.