Meet Fred. He and I are best friends. We go everywhere together. I take him with me on dates all the time. He's a bit dirty sometimes, and occasionally likes to make beeping noises. Every now and then, he takes a spill or runs into an obliging sofa.

You see, Fred is my camera.

While most of you are probably not psychotic enough to name your cameras, I'm pretty sure you've bashed them up a bit. Sadly, we photographers, whether camera-phone addicts or SLR fanatics, have been known to treat our cameras quite roughly from time to time. I am ashamed to admit that I dropped poor Fred from a frightening height early in our relationship. He has only just now forgotten about it.

So, how do you protect your cameras from eminent doom?

To start off, it's always nice to have a camera case. I have a case for my point-and-shoot and my SLR. When I remember to use them, they're great for protecting the cameras when I'm not using them. You never know when your brother will need something from the top shelf, and that thing just so happens to be right under Fred. Ahem.

Also, for those with an SLR, you should invest in a UV filter for your lens. This protects your lens from scratches, dents, or teeth marks. You never know what might happen. Even the smallest piece of dust can scratch your lens. Once, I found a dog hair in my camera. Not on, mind you, but in.

No matter what kind of digital camera you have, buy a LCD screen protector. This sticker-like piece of plastic protects your screen from scratches. It's normally very inexpensive, but buying a new screen is not. For me to buy a screen protector for my camera takes $2; a new screen costs upwards of $200.

Needless to say, an intact and working camera is much easier to use than a broken one. Once Fred and I worked through some of our early squabbles about my tendency to whack him inattentively, we became best buds. Come to think of it, he only let me name him once I decided to keep him immaculately maintained.

Give it a whirl. I look forward to receiving many emails about the names of your dustless, scratchless cameras.

Fred does too.

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