My Dad’s Camera

My father's test image of Mom with his "new" rummage sale camera, spring 2003.
My father's test image of Mom with his "new" rummage sale camera, spring 2003.

My father was always interested in various technology, but more so in acquiring technology as a bargain. His favorite thing to do in the world was get up early on Saturday morning and go to garage sales. He particularly got a kick out of picking up old stereo components, old  home appliances like electric razors and toasters, and, or course, the occasional camera. He had a few Polaroids, a VHS camcorder, and at least one 8mm movie camera, but in his later years his proud find was the Kodak EasyShare CX4230. He got it at a church rummage sale for about $50, and was practically beaming the day he showed it to me on our visit to Florida in June 2003.

It wasn’t a bad little snapshot camera, but you would never know based on my dad’s use. Except to test it to make sure it worked, I don’t think he used it at all. After he died, I looked in his “My Pictures” folder and anywhere else on his computer there might have been images, and found about 15, mostly of Mom folding laundry.

Now that Mom is gone too, I have this little 2 megapixel snapshooter, and I still take it out once in a while, just to play with it or make an image or two in a different way. A couple of years ago the plastic battery door broke off at the hinge, and I thought it was time to put it in the trash, but Michael made an aluminum base plate for it that holds the door shut. I’m sure TSA wouldn’t let you take it on an airplane (the plate is roughly knife-blade shaped), but it works just the same.

My father's Kodak CX4230 digital camera, with add-on aluminum base plate to hold the broken battery door closed.
My father's Kodak CX4230 digital camera, with add-on aluminum base plate to hold the broken battery door closed.