[With Sample Photos] Carrying 2009 in My Pocket: A Walk with the Canon IXY DIGITAL 510 IS

"The newest camera is the best camera."

Lately, that conventional wisdom has started to waver for me. When we are freed from the spell of numbers like resolution and dynamic range, perhaps photography can become much freer. With that hunch, I slipped an old compact camera into my pocket.

Meet the classic born in 2009, Canon IXY DIGITAL 510 IS.

The Comfort of a Tool

The first thing that surprises you when you pick up this camera is its presence. It has the beautiful curves Canon spent years refining. The aluminum alloy exterior, with its flowing form, feels cool to the touch yet somehow carries a warmth that settles naturally into the palm.

The slightly understated whir of the lens the moment you switch it on is a signal: "Alright, let's shoot." Unlike tapping a smartphone screen, it clearly announces the start of the act of taking a photograph.

The Memory of a Clear "IXY Blue"

First, I looked down over Shinjuku from a high place.

The world seen through the LCD has colors a little closer to memory than to what the naked eye sees. The blue of the sky drawn by the 12.1-megapixel CCD sensor is one you could call "IXY Blue," endlessly deep and yet somehow nostalgic. A modern camera might lift the shadows more, but this one cleanly leaves shadows as shadows. That contrast brings out the three-dimensionality of the city.

Scooping Up Light in the Gaps Between Seasons

Back on the ground, I walked through a park lined with large trees.

Looking up, I saw a stark concrete wall and cherry blossoms at the end of spring. This camera's wide field of view never makes the city feel cramped and captures the scene dynamically. What surprised me was the texture of each individual cherry petal, a rendering closer to presence than to sheer resolution.

People spending their time as they please on the lawn. Even in a tricky situation like this, with strong, slightly backlit light leaking through the trees, the 510 IS scooped up the temperature of the moment just as it was. It is not a high-performance lens, but this looseness may be exactly the spice that turns everyday life into a work of art.

Looking Down at My Feet

Near the end of the walk, I glanced down and found a vivid flower bed spread out before me.

The rich color typical of CCD sensors renders the yellow and pink flowers vividly yet elegantly. Someone's feet who happened to be nearby slipped into the corner of the frame, but even that feels like proof that we shared this peaceful time, and it becomes a record I cherish.

Why the IXY 510 IS, Now?

Shooting with this camera, I strangely forget the word "failure." Even if the focus is a little soft or the highlights blow out, it feels like the truth of that moment. Perhaps that is because the camera's pleasant imperfection stays close to the shape of our hazy memories.

In an age that is almost too convenient, we can choose to enjoy a little inconvenience. The IXY DIGITAL 510 IS is not just an old digital camera. It is a pair of magic glasses that renders your everyday life a little more dramatically and subjectively.

On your next day off, why not take an old IXY along and go looking for your own personal point of view?

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