On Christmas Day, I found myself with a brand new digital camera. A Canon SD880IS to be exact. The "IS" is for image stabilization.

It's got 4x optical zoom instead of the 3x that most cameras of this size has. It's also 10 megapixels and has a massize LCD display in the back.

Compare that to my old camera, a Canon SD300, with only 3x zoom, and just 4 megapixels.

But what I like about my old camera is that it's tough as nails. It's constructed from an all-steel case, compared to the all-plastic case of the SD880IS. I've dropped my old camera on the ground so many times, that the steel case is full of dents and scratches. I take it with me on my motorcycle rides, and it has survived the crashes. The painted symbols and icons on the back of the camera have all worn off.

My SD300 is quite small in dimensions, which works out perfect for a motorcyclist. I can put it in my pocket, and still have to room for my money and cell phone. This SD880IS is actually taller and longer, which doesn't sit well with me.





As I've grown older I've come to appreciate things that look beat up on the outside, but work like brand new on the inside. I like my motorcycles that way too. People give me crap about my bikes looking dirty, scratched, and dented. But they run leaner and meaner than most brand new bikes built today.

A month ago, my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Like most guys, I simply said "I don't need anything". That never goes over well with Lisa. Lisa is a traditionalist, having had parents that never divorced, a huge family that stays close, and goes to church every Sunday, Christmas is just way too important for her. Christmas is her time of the year, where she has fun baking cookies and pies, decorating the house, and going gift shopping. The idea that she can't buy me a Christmas gift is simply poppycock.

So she decided I needed a new digital camera. The one I have is already four years old, and looks beat up. I told her that there's nothing wrong with my camera. It does everything I need it to do, and I don't really need any more megapixels.

But her problem is the same as every other wife's; they have a husband who is difficult to buy for. And finally, she discovered something that she can buy me.

I hate the idea of leaving behind my trusty SD300. It's taken 8,947 photos as of this writing. I've learned all of its features, options, and settings. It's taken the photos for all of my blog postings, and documented all of my motorcycle rides.

I think what I'm going to do is use this new SD880IS for my blog work, but keep my SD300 for the motorcycle rides and vacationing. Considering how many times I've dropped my camera, I still need something that can take a beating.