I was in Istanbul on my return journey from somewhere. After a small delay with entry to Turkey due to some problem with passport control's computers I found my hotel and dined among the night life in the street.

The following day I wanted to see three things, the Ayasofya, the vintage trams and the Bosporus suspension bridge. A metro ride next morning took me to near the first on the list.

Soon after entering the extraordinary old building, built as a Church in the 6th C, the camera I brought from home, my Canon A1200, received a knock and ceased to operate its lens. I walked all through it, taking in the architecture and the Christian symbols which had survived the five centuries as a Mosque. Later I walked to the water and vintage trams. On the way I bought a new camera from the camera shop, Cazip Photo pictured www.ipernity.com/doc/grahamh/40755498. The shop charged the battery while I lunched at the nearby café and drank the freshly made orange juice in the next photos.

I had an interesting afternoon and evening with the trams and other sights. The next morning I explored near my hotel

Early the following afternoon the new one failed, the screen didn't work, as I walked through the transit area to board my plane. Back home, Canon at first refused to consider the new one a warranty job as I didn't buy it in Australia. Being slightly technical I started to attack the original camera with a screwdriver and in doing that I noticed the lens was off-centre to the camera body so I did some sideways pushing back and fixed it. It hasn't missed a beat since. More harassing of Canon then got them to agree to look at the IXUS 145. I posted it (without battery or any accessories at Canon's say so) and with proofs of purchase and of leaving Turkey when I had said.

About 10 days later an email appeared saying my repair had been despatched. No clue as to what was done or if there any charge for it. Three more days and a brand new, in the box, slightly later model, an IXUS 160, arrived in the mail! A huge 'Thank you' to Canon Australia for varying the rules to do the right thing.

So I missed some photos at Istanbul and Singapore but have now two working small cameras with some complementary features and similar operating modes. The IXUS with a spare battery, something I intended to buy, and a spare charger too.