Cameras bought. Cameras sold.

I've had my Pentax ist DL2 for just over a year now and I've really enjoyed using it. A few weeks ago I decided to get a new zoom lens for it. I have a 50-200mm zoom already but wanted one that went up to 300mm. You can pick them up for a reasonable price but I had been advised to get one with IS or VR (which means that the lens is stabilised helping to reduce camera shake with a bigger, heavier lens). It seems such a thing doesn't exist for the Pentax.

Someone at the time suggested that rather than keep buying kit for the Pentax, I upgrade to a Nikon or a Canon as it's much easier to buy accessories and lenses. I pooh-poohed the idea at the time as I simply couldn't afford to start splashing out the best part of a grand for new kit.

Then someone advertised a second-hand Nikon D70 on Pixalo, the photography forum I use, at a very reasonable price. What put the tin hat on it was that of all the places this guy could live in the world, he lived about 20 minutes away from me. And I was due to be 5 minutes away from him on Saturday to do a homecheck for Greyhound Gap.

Seems fate has a way of stepping in sometimes. So I am now the proud owner of a Nikon D70 with a classy 18-70mm kit lens to boot!

Then a young student on the Forum started asking about a film SLR which he needed for his course. I have an old Canon AE1 which has been sitting doing nothing for more years than I care to remember. So he popped round yesterday, loved it and bought it!

But what is it about the young that they can come out with what they obviously see as nothing more than a statement of fact but have absolutely no idea that it will just cut you off at the knees? I was explaining that I'd bought this old camera at least 18 years ago. "Oh" he said. "That was before I was born."

I crumpled on the spot.