In the Countryside

Nikon D2Xs with a Nikkor AF-S DX 18-200mm lens.
A moment for reflection on the Nikon D2Xs which I bought secondhand in 2011 about five years after its introduction. It had 40,000 shutter actuations then; now it has 70,000 and a good many battle scars.
Ken Rockwell of the much maligned but very useful US photo equipment website remarked of the D2Xs, 'If you earn your living with your camera you'll want one of these. If you want a camera to take with you for fun, relaxation and vacation this isn't it: it's a huge, hulking beast of a pro camera.'
I guess he's right but I have loved this camera from the off and am unperturbed by its weight and age. It's something of a paradox, but it's a lot simpler to use than 'entry level' digital cameras where a degree in computer science is advantageous, together with a patient temperament for inevitable cruises down the rivers of menus navigating for some way of changing a setting which on a D2Xs is possible via a knob or wheel.