My Projects & Helping Permies

I dropped out for a time, all over the silly newsletter thingy.  And I may do so again, due to the fact that I'm old and grumpy,  But I never quit believing in Paul's vision, I will support his projects with coin when I can and try to post more often on the weekends when things seem a little slower to me.

Here goes, I've been removing for reuse the wooden deck on the house that was poorly built and old, ripping the 2 x 6 's in half, using monkey glue and screws to make my posts for the anti-deer fence around the back yard, I know not real Permie like, but it's what I doing.  I've built several raised beds out of old, used concrete pavers(?) 4 inches thick, using mostly for my herbs.  My garden beds, I think I'll just use framing lumber with Linseed Oil.  A friend said "That will rot away in 3 or 4 years" and I said "Yes it may, and I do so hope I'm still here to hear you say I told you so!"  The greenhouse I plan to use one or perhaps two of the pre bent metal carports sold here in zone 7.  Closing in the north and east and west walls, glazing only the south.  I hope it will be at least a three season house.

Here's where I need some help from you guys.  I want a camera (no smart phones) using an add on drive for this laptop as storage.  I like seeing photos of all the cool things you guys are up too and I want to play also.  I have some skill with the old 35 mm cameras that one had to load stuff called "film" into.  I would like something more than point and shoot but I also don't need a 10k one either.

So that's what I've been up to, any help will welcome.

Peace

Tech Dinosaur here: Does your laptop have a camera for zoom meetings? Any way you can use it to take single pictures? It might be awkward as you don't get to see what it's focused on... sigh... it was a thought, but probably a bad one!

I get that you don't want a smart phone (I've been ordered to carry one because... cougars... the four-legged brown ones that killed a few local domestic animals in the last few months. Safety first.) It does take awesome pictures, and it has lasted 7 years so far, while many of the digital cameras people I know bought, crapped out.

Hopefully there's a permie around who knows a good reliable one they feel able to recommend.

Jay, I'm somewhat embarrassed to tell you and others, that there is indeed a lens in the top frame of this device.  I covered it with layers of tin foil and electrical tape.  My cheap drug dealer type flip phone also has a lens but I don't know how to use it.  I'm not 100% useless with tech, maybe around 92 or 94% useless.  That's why using an object that looked like an old school camera might just work for me.  And I would not mind if one crapped out on me in seven years, I would delight in buying another !!!

As for the wild kitty problems all can offer is to plant a large area of catnip for you!!!

Be well and safe.

Peace

hi Deane, nice to see you back!

I have a canon elf115 powershot that I really like.
It's 15 years old now and still going strong.
When we had internet here (not just a cell phone) I would take photos and use a patch cord to load them from the camera to my pc.. a laptop would work as well as long as there's a usb port.  The pc had a simple editing program and then because we were online I could 'attach' pictures to posts at permies from storage on my computer.

I still like to use the canon on hikes because I can use it one handed and it's small and seems less destructible than a smart phone.

I see they've gone up in price and also pixels. ...mine was less than $100.

I picked up a used Nikon dslr camera over 10 years ago. It's been great. The best colour accuracy and the lens lock is still the same one they have always used so you can use all of the old lenses. You just have to be able to adjust the older lenses manually since they won't be able to talk to the camera auto focus features. Also helps if you are used to real cameras since it foes work much of the same way.

We have picked up an older couple of digital bodies since then at local auctions. They came in very cheap, like under $20, but we were lucky. We've built up a pretty good lens collection the same way, also on the cheap.

For years I used the Canon PowerShot line.  Some of them are very simple with buttons.  Some are more complex, like a SLR, but without the changeable lens.  Some have wifi or Bluetooth.  Most of the older and cheaper ones don't.

All seem to use SD cards or can plug in directly to a computer. Just click and drag the pictures to the computer. Unlike other brands that need special cards or software.

All the photos I've taken for the last seven years have been on my smartphone. I very rarely use it as an actual phone - just for emergencies as I hate talking on the phone. But it connects to the house wifi so it's easy to upload photos to facebook or permies. And it also plays audiobooks for me if I'm having trouble sleeping and attaches to my heart rate and sleep monitor watch thingie.