Photography

I get asked this question quite a bit.  I like photography and I’m a bit of a gear head, so I understand why.  I definitely prefer it to other questions that I’ve complained about in the past.

When I think about cameras, and what’s the ‘right’ camera, this is the way I look at it.  Ultimately, it comes down to who is going to be using the camera and what they’re going to use it for.

For most users, the best camera is a small point-and-shoot style camera and I happen to be a fan of the Canon PowerShot line.  A quick look on B&H Photo shows this model, a Canon SD1200 – a 10 megapixel camera with image stabilization, a nice zoom range, of course it shoots videos and all of the other whiz-bang features you’d expect – and it all fits easily in a pocket (we’re talking shirt pocket here) all for less than $230.  This is a camera that most people will be able to carry with them everywhere (which is the most important thing you need in ANY camera) and it will take really great shots.

A few years ago I stopped carrying my compact point-and-shoot camera for a slightly larger ‘rangefinder’ size point-and-shoot, also from Canon – the Canon G10.  This allows me a lot more control over the image capture process for only a slightly larger frame.  This one doesn’t do shirt pockets (or even pants pockets really) but it will do a jacket pocket or cargo-pants pocket just fine.

Slightly larger, is a class of camera that I really like for people who want a ‘better camera’ (read: they think they want an SLR) but are really just looking for (without knowing it) a larger image sensor and larger lens.  They don’t want any of the manual controls or exchangeable lenses of an SLR.  A great camera in this class is (staying with the Canon name, for no particular reason) the Canon SX 10 IS.  For our trip to Africa, I bought Meghan a camera from this class (a Panasonic) and she took some great photos – which she wouldn’t have gotten with an awkward SLR, or with her point-and-shoot.

Finally, there’s the 4th class of camera, the SLR.  This is what most people think of when they want a ‘good camera’ but I really don’t think it’s a great match for most users.  It’s the SUV of the camera world – the big honker that everyone thinks they want but nobody uses it for what it was designed.  If you’re just going to get a single cheap lens and use that all the time, you’re just as well off getting a nice camera like the Canon SX 10 IS or equivalent.

Now, I realize that there are more than just these 4 categories (there are ultra-compacts and mini-SLRs (a form-factor I’m intrigued by)  but for the most part those are fringes that won’t suit most people.

Finally, for anyone looking for a camera, two sites that I think do a nice job of providing reviews:  Imaging Resource and DP (Digital Photography) Review.  Imaging Resource has, for a long time, offered Dave’s Picks which just makes simple, straight-forward recommendations based on different categories (by camera type, by user type, etc.,).  Looking now, I see they also have a fancy My Product Advisor application that I can’t vouch for.

DP Review offers really thorough reviews of cameras and their features and limitations.  It’s probably way more info than most people need though – so I would recommend just navigating to the ‘conclusion’ page where they write up a nice summary of their findings.

“That’s a cool photo.  What kind of camera do you have?”

This question drives me nuts.  Mind you, I like that someone’s admired a photo I’ve taken.  I don’t want to seem ungrateful.  But then again, what exactly should I be grateful for – Someone who’s implied that the photo was the result of a camera and not the person wielding it?

I am perfectly willing to admit that the cameras I’ve used over the years have each improved the technical capabilities of capturing an image; and that a significant part of any image I’ve captured has been due to the abilities of the camera at the time.

But I still like to humor myself with the idea that I’ve got something to do with the process.  And so that even if one did have the same camera as I, they still might not walk away with the same shot.

Maybe I’m just too sensitive.

I really like my Nikon Digital SLR (currently a D300) but from time-to-time, a smaller camera just comes in handy.

Even back in the days of film I always owned a smaller point-and-shoot (my favorite was the Olympus Stylus non-zoom), and when I moved to digital, the point-and-shoot was the obvious place to start.  Primarily I use the smaller camera for snapshots and these are the images that are less-likely to get printed out, and therefore don’t need the fine optics of the larger SLR.

I’ve owned several smaller point-and-shoot (p&s) digital cameras over the years and for the past few I’ve opted for a slightly larger footprint.  The small p&S is great for sticking in your pocket but the lenses often leave much to be desired (why I liked the Olympus film camera) and their controls are often buried behind menus.

Several years ago, before I owned a digital SLR, I was intrigued by the Canon G-series of cameras.  They’re more the size of rangefinder cameras and they have the same aesthetics and similar control layouts.  I thought this would be a great form-factor for a digital camera, but alas, the SLR has once again reigned supreme and has become the defacto pro-level (and ‘prosumer-’ level) camera design.

But, what I’ve found is that I no longer value the diminutive size of the point-and-shoot camera and prefer the control and handling of the larger ‘rangefinder’ style larger cameras.

So it is that I no longer carry around (or even purchase) small point-and-shoot cameras but instead backup my SLR with the larger Canon G-series.

My first was a Canon G7 (several generations past the G3 that originally cought my eye).  I used that camera for several trips and on many adventures before it succumbed to a spot on the image sensor.  With a relatively high repair cost looming, and a newer model (with RAW shooting mode) available, I made the switch to the latest G10 model.

The Canon G10 has not disappointed.  It’s about the same size as the older G7, the battery lasts as long or longer, the controls are even better laid out, and the image quality remains excellent.

The biggest complaint I have is the low-light capabilities of the camera.  Anything above ISO 400 is way too grainy.  Thankfully it has a relatively fast lens and some image stabilization so I can often work around that.  And, when compared to a point-and-shoot, it’s definitely no worse.

So this camera will continue to be my go-to-camera in situations where I don’t want to bring my hulking SLR – quick day trips, weekend jaunts, as a carry everywhere day-to-day or on vacations, and even backcountry trips where I don’t want the extra weight of the SLR.

I finally got around to posting a few images from 2009 onto PicsFromTrips.  I’ve been a bit of a slacker with photos this year – last year was such a big year photographically (lots of trips last year!) that I’m a little bit over-cooked at this point.

But, after a few slow months I’m revving up again.  Initially, my focus is going to be on printing – I haven’t done any printing for a while and I’ve got quite a few that I want to see in the flesh rather than on the screen.  Besides, I’ve got to hone those skills a bit.

For now though, I’ve brought the site up-to-date with many of the latest photos I’ve taken including some from some skiing in Tahoe, a pig-fest in Marin, and some goofy fun with Glo sticks.

Enjoy.

I first saw a demonstration of Microsoft’s photo-merging capabilities a couple of years ago – it’s pretty cool stuff.

CNN has used the latest version of Microsoft’s software (now called Photosynth) to capture ‘the moment’ that President Obama was sworn in as 44.

The controls are still a little clunky – it’s a bit hard to navigate around the scene – but try it out.  It’s definitely worth it.  And after you check out the inauguration, look at some of the other exampmles at the Photosynth site.

After a bit of a delay, I’ve finally gotten around to posting some images from my trip to Germany earlier this year.

In September, just as I accepted an offer for a new job, I took off to Germany for two weeks.  The trip started in Munich where I met up with Erica, a former coworker from my Intuit days.  Erica, Kathleen (Erica’s sister) and I then spent a few days hut-to-hut hiking in the Alps.

After an overnight train to Berlin, I met up with my father and the two of us visited some old friends throughout Germany: Eta in Berlin; Dieter in Bavaria; and Bill in Ludwigshafen.  We had a great time.