I had one fair weather camera, one wet weather camera, and one underground camera. The underground camera was the dented, scratched, etched, and otherwise abused waterproof camera. It's the one that's held together with brass brackets. It still works, but the lens is fuzzy, and sometimes it refuses to come on. And with the fuzzy lens (I blame the corrosive mine waters it's been bathed in many times) it still works fine for long exposure pictures, but for daylight pictures it's not very good; all pictures look a bit misty.
The etched lens
These pictures were taken seconds apart; the upper one with a Lumix in good condition, and the lower with my underground camera. The etching of the lens makes big flares of the lights in my living room.
My wet weather camera is the same model camera, but then still intact. That one's fine.
My fair weather camera is not waterproof (hence the description "fair weather camera"), and I tried to treat it well, but I didn't manage. I ended up with a scratched lens; I think due to the little metal shutters that cover the lens when the camera's off. The camera now makes pictures with a little ghost in it.
The scratched lens
A typical picture taken through that scratched lens; notice the "ghost" above the nearest car's front left wheel.
As I had already lost an entire day of photography in Wales due to my camera refusing service, and I had become a bit fed up with the ghosts on my pictures. I figured it was time to replace my cameras, the one because I expected it to give up the ghost soon, and the other one because scratches on the lens are bad. So I headed for eBay. And I bought another second-hand "normal" and a second-hand waterproof camera. I should be sorted now, for the time being! Bring on the photogenic stuff.
My new acquisitions! Combined (including postage) still less than half the price of a new waterproof Lumix...
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