Camera shopping, and how long I'm going to use a flip phone
To go with my flip phone, I've been carrying an old Sony Cybershot around. It's not great - it sucks at low light, does not have a good auto-focus, is inconsistent and shows a preview that could be completely different from how the end result looks on my computer. I've been wanting a better camera for a little bit. I started doing research a week or two ago, and I've all but settled on something from Sony's RX100 line. The newest camera in that line, the RX100 VII, is already six years old, but it's very highly regarded in the seemingly dying realm of point-and-shoot cameras.
The price of these cameras has risen significantly over the past few years, so purchasing one is quite the investment. That is, unless I were to get the original in the line, which can be found for less than $150, but I'd like something better. Today, I found a good deal on the latest model on Facebook Marketplace, and I set up a time to meet the seller outside a subway station tomorrow. But I'm really not sure if I should go through with the deal.
I ended up with a flip phone because I significantly damaged my Xperia 1 V smartphone's motherboard in an attempt to replace the headphone jack. The headphone jack now works perfectly, but the motherboard has a screw through it. This causes weird issues with the battery and prevents the cameras, flashlight and a few other things from working entirely. Every time I look at the phone, sitting face-down on my desk, I feel a bit of shame for my mistake. To me, it really was the perfect smartphone; a headphone jack, a microSD slot, a set of amazing cameras, a tall aspect ratio and more, all in a device that was less than a year old. I wouldn't be spending an obscene amount of money on a camera if I hadn't damaged my phone.
I turned on the smartphone today to check the battery, as I will most likely need it tomorrow to pay for the camera. Surprisingly, it didn't need to be plugged in to turn on, and it was so snappy from the moment I unlocked it. I noticed that the Google Assistant had been replaced by Gemini; ew! I found myself mindlessly opening apps and closing them, syncing texts, checking the time it would take me to get to the subway station tomorrow. At some point, I realised that I had fallen right back into the screen's trap. As much as I regretted not double-checking which screws went where before almost destroying my Xperia, I do not miss how the phone sucked me in before I moved away from it.
I think a large part of why I find myself yearning for a working smartphone isn't societal pressure, or my severely handicapped Transit app experience (using the app on my Xperia tonight felt like I was traveling at the speed of light), but instead the loss of the sense of wonder I got from using this complex piece of technology. I want to experiment with it again; to install LineageOS, to find some niche open-source app and help improve it, to contribute to OpenStreetMap on the go. But the way the phone reels me in simply isn't worth it.
In response to my camera research, a friend told me I shouldn't spend a significant amount of money on a new camera, as "when I get a new phone," it will have one just as good. He was surprised when I told him I wasn't planning to, but his point has stayed with me. How long will I live with my flip phone? I helped someone set a KY-42C up, and he's already moving on from it because his banking app doesn't work on it. I don't have this issue, as I can just use my bank's website, but how long will it be before I have an issue I can't get around? I already carry a tablet with me pretty often.
Tonight, I did realise that no matter how portable the RX100 is, it's not as portable as a smartphone, and I can say for sure that I do miss having an amazing camera in my pocket. The RX100 is significantly thicker than my Xperia, and if the Xperia stuck out of my women's jeans, the RX100 won't even be able to get in. I think that if I could take anything from my Xperia, it would be the convenience of the camera. Because of the current effort it takes for me to take a good picture, I don't. I don't want to stop taking pictures, though. There was a stage of my life where I barely took any, and when I went back and looked at the past year, I had nothing to remember it with. The next school year, I told myself that I'd take pictures so that wouldn't happen again. I want to be able to reminisce.
I've been writing this for the last thirty minutes, and it's getting late. Whatever point I wanted to make is slipping from me. I have no idea how to finish this post other than by saying this. I fear this will be a pattern on this blog. 🐙