"Paddy's Pig" wrote in message
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"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...


If by "SLR manual" you mean a 35mm film Single Lens Reflex with
interchangeable lenses then you won't be intimidated by a modern Digital
Single Lens Reflex (DSLR), nor will you be surprised or disappointed to
learn that they are heavy and bulky compared to a little pocket camera,
especially if you're using two or more lenses and perhaps also carrying a
separate flash attachment or maybe even a tripod.

A tripod is essential, not more than two extra lenses, perhaps flash (we'll
have almost 24hour daylight!) but since we shan't be trekking carrying even
a heavy camera bag won't be for long.

The reward at the other end is that for all your extra trouble you can
have more control over your final results with a camera like that.

That's what I hoped. I've been inspired to go back to 'real' photography by
you and Barbara especially and since I spend very little money on myself why
shouldn't I be self indulgent?

But to get the most from it you need to use it a while and gain experience
with it.

Of course. I'm certainly out of practice.

If you acquire it a week before you take off you may as well go with a
good P&S because you'll find yourself using the "auto" setting on your
fancy new DSLR and in that case you won't be enjoying the creative options
built into it. Once you know how to use a DSLR and that includes knowing
how to process your pics on your computer --- then you'd never want to go
back to a pocket camera.

That's what I thought too. And that's why I'm asking now, with almost four
months before we go.

But the fact is there are lots of people carrying DSLR's around today who
have no idea how to benefit from their features.

That's always true of technology of all kinds :-(

I don't mean to confuse you but if you feel like you'd enjoy the challenge
then by all means bite the bullet and get the pricier DSLR and whichever
auxiliary attachments you'd like. If not, don't.

Right, I shall!

Somebody else mentioned batteries. It's a valid point for some types of
cameras but any of the better DSLR's that I'm familiar with come with a
rechargeable battery and there is no option for replaceable AA's or AAA's.
Is this a problem? Not really. Speaking from experience I have carried
my Nikon DSLR's all over China and the US without any battery problems
whatsoever. The cameras will take hundreds of shots per charge. I've
only rarely run out of battery capacity. I don't carry a spare but I
could if I wanted to. I think they run about fifty or sixty bucks USD - I
don't know how many Euros that is.

We're in Britain - don't use Euros. Sterling rules OK :-)

One other thought: When I'm away from home I carry a portable computer so
that I can download all my pictures onto the hard drive at the end of the
day and start the next day with a clean, empty Compact Flash card.

That's something I set my heart against. I know that if I had a portable I'd
take it with me when we camp and I really don't want to spend time in front
of a screen when I could be enjoying a different place or different company.
I prefer to party :-)

Oh --- and that's another thing! Storage capacity is very important,
especially if you want to try the challenge of shooting in RAW. RAW files
are huge.

Still no idea what RAW is ... I'll have to loook it up.

They contain a lot more picture information than regular JPEG's. On my
Nikon D80 I use a 4.0 Gig SanDisk flash card. That'll hold 326 shots if I
shoot in RAW (Nikon refers to it as .NEF). If I shoot in JPEG Fine that
number jumps to 530 exposures.

That would be acceptable for me. Even with my p&s I use JPEG Fine.

With JPEG Normal it increases to over 1,000 just on the one flash card
and those numbers sound like a lot, but don't be fooled. If you carry the
camera everywhere and are an enthusiastic shooter you can fill your flash
card's memory in a couple of days. The solution is to either carry
several flash cards

That's my present solution.

or do like I do & carry the computer too

NO!!!!!

Get the behind me, Satan!

We've found that is the best answer because I can look at my results at
night in the hotel room.

I hope we'll be too busy in the evenings on the cruise - this is going to be
all holiday :-)

Thank you, Pat, I really appreciate your input and feel that I know more now
what I want and what to look for and what to beware of.

Mary