SD1100IS

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IMG_0017.JPG To replace my poor, broken SD1000 I set some of my birthday money aside to purchase a new replacement Powershot; the choice was to either get a simpler SD1100IS or splurge on the newer, wider-angle SD880IS. I opted for the SD1100IS — a cheaper camera closer in build to the older one, so that I could make use of the spare battery and charger left over from the SD1000. And the 1100 comes in blue!

IMG_0019.JPG Physically the SD1100IS is essentially the same as the SD1000, but with a slightly thicker depth and rounder corners. It’s also lighter, such that the SD1100IS with battery feels more springy (but not flimsy) in the hand than the SD1000 without. Controls are mostly the same, but with more picture review info options, and of course, image stabilization, which I haven’t noticed too much yet.

Picture quality is good, but the grain is noticeable on photos taken with “Hi Auto ISO” in a moderately dim apartment — grainier than photos from the SD1000. This gives me 8 megapixels over the SD1000’s 7.1, but I’d gladly give up that extra 0.9MP for lower pixel density and less grain in dim light. I haven’t had a chance to try the camera in daylight yet (that will come over the weekend) but what I’ve seen so far is reassuring that I will get photos at least as decent as on the last camera, and that’s good enough for me. Here’s a selection from the very first set of photos taken last night with the newly unboxed camera:

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They look fine at 240x180px but viewed at full size the graininess is evident, and I’m not noticing much help from image stabilization. And of course, I had to try out the long exposure feature to make a happy face in the dark. This worked nicely:

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Final verdict on the Canon Powershot SD1100IS, rendered in this macro shot of a TV remote:

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Walking Home

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Some cameraphone photos from a chilly walk home along the National Mall yesterday, in the amber light and long, long shadows of an early Fall sunset:

Path to Monument Turf Restoration Sign National Mall Trees Long Shadow is Loooong Capitol at Sunset

Mounds and Monument Sunset Through National Mall Trees

BTQ in NYT

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In “Begging the Question, Again” on the Times Topics weblog, NYT deputy news editor Philip Corbett talks about the misuse of the phrase, and briefly mentions BegTheQuestion.info, my pedantic language site. I was alerted to this by the sudden flurry of “nytimes.com” inbound links in my referrer log that day.

BTQ’s continued growth in popularity still has not served to unseat “begging the question” on Wikipedia from its top search position on Google, however Number 2 is nice, though. BTQ has also garnered only occasional mention on Twitter.

Update: Oh hey, now BTQ is intermittently #1. This is an agreeable outcome!

Sunday at the National Gallery

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Tunnel

Calder Mobile Confusing Garbage Can

We spent Sunday after church at the National Gallery, to see the Indian paintings of George de Forest Brush and hear the Lucerne Festival Strings play music by Mendelssohn, Sarasate, and Brahms.

See that garbage can? You know what’s wrong with it? We went up to it and paused for a few seconds wondering if it was really a garbage can or if it was for recyclables. Then we saw the second line and parsed it. Not the best way to label a garbage can.

Caturday!

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Mom got us some Edo-style broiled eel from Tokyo when she came to visit so we’re eating that now with some rice. Here it is with Pandora, who didn’t get any.

Broiled Eel and Pandora

Trains

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Columbus Day Weekend Trains: Nine minutes of video shot with my phone from various trains we rode through the holiday weekend: the Amtrak Northeast Regional, an NJ Transit commuter between Elizabeth and Penn Station, and the subways of New York. Gets a bit loud in places.

Houses, Trees

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Two suburban panoramas from around New Jersey: houses along a street in Union, trees starting to turn colors up in the Watchung Hills.

Suburban Street Panorama

Fall Afternoon Trees Panorama

Both photos shot and stitched with my Nokia 6120c. More shots from the weekend here.

New York Saturday

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We spent Saturday in New York to check out art in Chelsea and meet up with a friend. (Sorry to all our other New York friends, there was really no time for all of you wonderful people!)

Here’s some of the art we looked at in Chelsea:

We also dropped by the New York Central Post Office, shopped around Union Square and the Strand, and I found an excellent new messenger bag at the Penn Station Kmart, of all places.

More photos from the day, including a “PHILATELIC” sign at the Post Office, Michael Scott’s favorite New York pizza place, the lights of the Strand, and OMG Jeans Store:

Philatelic Michael Scott's Favorite New York Pizza Strand Lights OMG Empire State Bldg and Hotel Pennsylvania Macy's

Still-growing weekend photoset here.

Caturday!

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Chelsea Cat 1 Chelsea Cat 2

While browsing through galleries in Chelsea we spotted this cat prowling the halls of 525 W 25th, eventually settling in the sun by a side door. A litterbox sat in a nearby supply niche, indicating that the cat was there with some superintendent’s blessing, possibly to catch rodents.

(Monday note: I’m cheating a bit here and backdating this entry to Saturday because I forgot to post it then.)

Shoulder Update

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Shoulder Injection Site I brought my shoulders and the X-rays to an orthopedic surgeon last Wednesday and he tells me it might be tendonitis. I still have more mobility and less pain than a rotator cuff tear would give me, and the gradual development of the pain points to a growing inflammation causing painful impingement.

A very long-needled syringe was then used to inject Triamcinolone acetonide directly into my right shoulder. In two weeks the joint should be unswollen enough that I can restart strengthening exercises and get more Triamcinolone in the other shoulder, without needing surgery or therapy. (Hopefully.)