By Mayank Bhatnagar

The (point and shoot) camera with which I began digital photography way back in August 2005 was Canon PowerShot A95. It wasn’t my choice, but recommended by someone dear to me and after reading reviews on the internet, fell for it! With PSAM modes, a custom mode, optical viewfinder, swing-out LCD display, custom white balance, spot metering, use of handy AA batteries, manual focus, room for conversion lens adaptors (and therefore UV and polarizing filters), good image quality, efficient response and very decent build quality in a pocketable form factor, the A95 seemed to have more than I had asked for.

As someone graduating from fully-manual film SLRs, I was often surprised at A95s comprehensive feature-set which enabled me to ‘enjoy’ (yes, enjoy) digital photography and approach subjects with freedom and ease. The features (in particular PSAM modes, manual focus, flip-out LCD and ability to use polarising filter) also allowed for healthy experimentation and exploration, which IMHO, is necessary for developing photography skills and better understanding of subjects.

My A95 purchase was luckily followed by a few trips to wildlife reserves around Rajasthan, where the camera was used more than generously! After shooting about a thousand images with it in a span of four months, I thought I deserved better and sold it to buy a digital SLR :-(

Four years later, when I look back at the A95, my respect for it seems very much intact (even after having used subsequent and much improved PowerShot models like A620 and A640) and I get struck by a wave of nostalgia for I shared with the camera some truly memorable and beautiful moments, a few of which got frozen in time! I am pleased to share with you some of my favourite images taken with the A95 between August and November 2005, as a small tribute to what I feel was a ‘classic’, serious digital compact camera:

Lovely skies above Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India


Statue Circle, Jaipur, at Dusk (10 sec. exposure)


Blackbucks at Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan


Barren landscape at Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan


'The Ripple', Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India


Dusk-scape at Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India


Datura Abla wildflower. Jaipur, India


Indian Skimmers at Chambal River, India


Painted Storks at Chambal River, India


Standing Together! At Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India


Sculpturesque trees in lake at dusk. New Delhi, India