Image Warrior

A beat-to-shit Z5

When I started out blogging on Jeff Kerkove's blog back in '04 as a guest, I didn't have a digital camera. I knew that to be all pro, like Jeff was, I needed to get into taking photographs. Something I had rarely, if ever done before that time. I  mean, I had used several disposable film cameras for fishing trips back in the day, but I didn't ever know what taking a photograph really meant.

The first camera was a Nikon Coolpix and it lasted for a while. It soon became apparent though that I needed an upgraded point and shoot. I reached out to a friend at the time who was/is a camera buff and he recommended the Fuji Z5 to me. This was in 2006, if I recall correctly. So, anyway, I got the thing, and ever since it has been on almost every ride I've done on a bicycle.

It has been bounced off gravel roads, dropped on mountain bike outings, eaten dust at Bootleg Canyon, gone to Utah, Texas, and Minnesota, shot Trans Iowa, shot multitudinous gravel rides, been rained on, snowed on, dropped into snow banks, used at sub-freezing temperatures and in 100°F heat. It's had sand, dirt, and even small rocks lodged behind the sliding lens cover more times than I can count. Once it had a pebble so big stuck behind there I couldn't get the thing opened!

Through all the dents and dings it has continued to work amazingly well for how hard I've used it. It doesn't owe me a thing, and recently, when I had to reattach a sprung metal cover on the end with a self tapping screw, I realized it is high time I retire this old warhorse. So I am on the hunt for a good point and shoot to upgrade to. If it lasts half as long as this old warrior has, I'll be danged surprised!