"Don't buy anything" day

Two red leaves, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Plants, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Leaves, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Yesterday we had in Finland the yearly "don't buy anything day" (info in Finnish). Crime: we got a new cabinet for our living room. Punishment: it took over two hours to assemble the cabinet from the parts.

Now that the don't buy anything day is safely behind, I feel somewhat safe in posting a link to Shawn's Selections: Cameras I would buy or recommend. Panasonic LX3 is on the list, as are both Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic GF1. (Compare with the worst cameras.)

Here are three photographs taken today. Yesterday I didn't take any photos as I was busy after the workday. First, I assembled a cabined. Later in the evening we had the Christmas party of our company. Crime: I used all of the free drink coupons. Punishment: feeling extremely tired today. (By the way, also last year I wrote a posting about the Christmas party.)

Dark colors of the night

Lakeside, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Path near lake, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Sunset, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

The sickness which hit me day before yesterday abated today, and I managed to go out for a walk. I took again photographs at night, trying to re-learn some of the things from last winter.

The LX3 is excellent for this, but I'm debating whether I should buy a light tripod to complement my pocket-size minitripod. The problem with the minitripod is that it doesn't allow to optimize the viewpoint in the same way as a normal tripod would. But then it wouldn't be so easy to take the camera out for a walk, would it?

By the way, today is Blog Action day, theme being climate change. A worthy cause indeed!

And another point: Dpreview published their deep analysis of the Panasonic GF1, and highly recommended it was. But for me there is one big obstacle: no built-in image stabilization. Otherwise the combination of the 20 mm f/1.7 lens and the GF1 would be almost impossible to resist. But perhaps Olympus will get it right in the next micro-4/3 camera. (Pity about the usability problems with the E-P1.)

60,000 photographs taken with the Panasonic LX3

Rabbit, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Between, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Willowherb, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

I bought the LX3 in September 2008, and now I have taken over 60,000 photographs with it. (On average about 170 photographs each day.)

Here are three images from today, while going for a walk in the Tremanskärr marsh. All kinds of things are to be found when you keep your eyes open (and a camera with you), from dead rabbits to old wood to colorful plants.

I have looked carefully at the Panasonic GF1, and it is tempting, especially the new 45 mm f/2.8 macro. But with those kinds of lenses the camera is very much bigger than the LX3.

The recently revealed (though not yet available) Canon S90 is good (at least in specifications), and perhaps Panasonic will bring the LX4/LX5 to market quite soon.

But for now, the LX3 is a most excellent instrument for photography.