Playing with my new macro extension tube for my camera ( some photos to upload as soon as I get some time!), I have had to focus manually as there is no controls passed through to the lens. In the end I have found it easiest to set the focus to infinity and adjust either the zoom or the position on the object to get the best focus. What it has shown me is that the viewfinder is quite small, which I had not had a problem with up till now, and also it it quite difficult to focus.

Back in the day my old Pentax film camera had a manual focus and to help with that it had a bit in the middle of the viewfinder that split the image slightly so that you could tell that if the image was lined up correctly it was also in focus. Really simple and quick to get the correct focus.

I am also getting used to how much my tripod flexes when I have adjusted it to the right place. With the weight of the 70-200mm lens and the extender the end of the lens drops by just a little after I have set it using the tripod and when you take into account this is macro that can make quite a difference. It's quite a skill to set the tripod a little higher and let the lens fall to the correct place but I am getting better. That and moving the subject can be simpler!

What do you want from an camera phone

It's time for a phone upgrade or at least a change of tariff. To this end there has been much searching on the internet and visits to the fine houses of information know as mobile phone shops.

From some research it appears that Three are doing the best deal on tariffs and with their X-series deal they have Unlimited* * browsing and such. But they have a more limited range of phones available.

I currently have a ?SonyEricsson K800i which is a pretty nice phone. The camera is okay at 3.2Mpix and the music player does it's job but can't be use it on three as they have very strict rules about it and will bar your sim if you use a non-three phone apparently. So this would seem to be a fine opportunity to get a new phone.

There are four main reasons for a phone in my view. To make calls; to take pictures, to use the internet and to listen to music. The first of these is covered by just about any phone on the market and so can be ignored for now.

Starting at the bottom and working up. Music playing this is covered in all but the most basic handsets but is worth mentioning as there are a couple of extras to be included. Playlist, currently only supported by the K800i if you use the Windows GUI to upload, not good the average Linux users so .pls or m3u support would be nice. A remote play/pause button is essential, either on the remote or on the phone but you should not have to get your phone out to pause your music or for that mater of, change the volume.

The third use, the internet, is quite vague but includes web browsing and email on the phone, access to the internet from things such as an N800 or laptop. Mind you while they still think that 1Gb is a lot of data laptop use will be fairly limited. (Note to self, a fairly restrictive firewall may be required to stop updates downloading etc. although it would be good if like the N800 the Linux desktop could notice it was on dialup and not do that sort of thing.)

The second reason for a modern phone is the reason for this post. Phone cameras are no replacement for a decent portable camera but you get used to having a camera with me at all times. Some times for simple things like photographing a poster or advert for looking at later or positing off. Other times for trying to capture a moment, a sunset, a group of people, an interesting landmark or a smiling face. But just how important is it to have the best camera?

The Nokia N95 is supposed to have a good camera but some of the shots look over processed and some people say that it is a little slow. The K800i has a reasonable camera but in comparison with the N95 it's a close thing and more a matter of taste than either being better. The Nokia 6120 only has a 2MPix non-autofocus camera but runs the same software as the N95 and some say it's quicker. Cost wise you can get the 6120 and the K800i for free while you have to pay approx £200 for an N95.

So now comes the question should I get another K800i, try a 6120 or go for broke with a N95. I do fancy a change as I have had SE phones for the last seven years. The N95 has loads of other features such as GPS, TV-out, VGA 30fps video, and more but it's also got a bit of a reputation for being sluggish and the battery life is poor to say the least.

Perhaps I will get the 6120 for now and if I find it lacking get the N95 upgrade via ebay or even the N82, which sounds a better phone, when it comes out.

Thanks for listening, any comments or suggestions gladly taken.

• Unlimited is of course limited to 1Gb but apparently a star makes that no problem for the ASA or trading standards. Note also that most providers will not include VoIP, skype, IM etc in their Unlimited tariffs even if you pay £30 a month extra for their full internet package.

Built me a remote for my new camera.

On the side of my camera is a 2.5mm stereo jack socket that can be used to remote control the shutter release. During the last few dark shots I have been using the timer to try and avoid camera shake but this means that you have to wait an extra ten seconds before the shot fires.

After a bit of research I found a couple of sites that showed how simple it was to create a switch box to control it all. After digging around my box of bits for a while I decided that I would leave the speak and spell controlled remote for another day and head down to Maplins.

After a slight error of buying the wrong type of switch ( Hey it was in a row of push-to-make switches and had no label saying any different how was I supposed to know it was a push-to-break version!) I now have constructed what looks like a nicely homemade version a remote control complete with a latching switch for long bulb exposures. Time to get out tonight and grab some photos.