lilminkey

Hi,Please give me some advice.I'm traveling to Italy for 23 days.I will be going east ,west, north, and south.I want to take my cameras .My question is which one?We are husband and wife no children.[ No need for those family portraits], but I did get a digital camera last Christmas,and the Christmas before I received a very small camcorder .Theses cameras are still in there original packing , never used.I also have a Cannon camera, with all different lenses that I haved used over the years. In your opinion which way should I go? Is a camcorder practical ? The Cannon with all its lenses,or digital small camera .People with travel experience please help. P.S. I think we may pass the photos around once or twice then put them away.Added to all this the responsibility of not leaving it behind when you stop to take a break. Thanks in advance

fehgeddaboudit

This is a slam dunk : Take the small digital camera. You're not interested in all the rest, anyway.

althom1122

Wholeheartedly agree with fehgeddaboutit - the small digital will almost certainly meet your needs and will be much easier and less cumbersome than any other option. And you'll still get great photos with minimal fuss.

billy_boy

I vehemently disagree with the earlier suggestions. Please take the Canon with the array of interchangeable lenses. If you are into artsy fartsy photography, then why not. Besides, you probably already have an idea as to the inconvenience of, at least, carryinbg the equipment.

I did that once during a multi-city travel in Europe with the in-laws and produced some very Conde Nast style photos. I never did it again. That is , never again travel with the in-laws nor lug along the camera equipment. The added stress of carrying the equipment and worrying about them was not worth it. Plus I found out that I can produce almost similar quality images with my wife's tiny digital camera or my point-and-shoot Leica Minilux zoom.

Happy clicking.

JameJamerz

Take the one you know best. You want your vacation pictures to turn out and if you take cameras that are still in the packaging you may not have time to figure out all the right buttons before you go.

TRSW

I say take the Cannon.You said that both the the digital and camcorder are still unopened in the box. Obviously you are more comfortable with the SLR, just pare down the number of lenses that you will take with you.

fehgeddaboudit

The answer lies in the question. If lil minkey was at all into photography there would be no question. Who else owns brand-spankin'-new electronics and has not used them for 6 or 18 months?
Canon brand has two "n's", not three.
Billyboy, you seem to contradict yourself in your post, try again.

Sue_xx_yy

In your post, you give a few clues to what you know in your heart will be right for you.

-- no need for those family portraits
-- still in their original packing
-- pass around the photos once or twice and then put them away
-- responsibility of not leaving it behind

I hereby grant you permission to take the smallest, lightest camera that you possess, one that can easily fit into a pocket so you will be less tempted to leave it down. This permission is conditional on your choosing what is practical, as opposed to choosing what you think will please those who give you gifts at Christmas.

Now, arise, sin no more, except at the gelato shop, and enjoy your trip.

billy_boy

fehggedaboutit,
Learn to read carefully. Learn to read between the lines. Aaaah, forget about it.

ira

Hi lil,

Take the small digital. You can shoot pix day and night and then just erase them.

Buy picture postcards for your scrapbook.

L84SKY

Take the one with the best zoom for those faraway shots.
Why not trade in the cameras that are still in their boxes for a digital with a 10X zoom? Sure the store will tack on a 15% return fee but it's worth 85% more to you then something collecting dust in the box.
I bought a Kodak Z740 a while back and it's great little camera (for my amateur photographer needs).

Myer

You don't mention anything about the quality or specs of the cameras.

A 2 megapixel digital is pretty well useless.

Carrying many lense may be annoying. However, it appears you are comfortable with this camera.

When I bought my current SLR several years back, I selected one good moderate wide/zoom lens (28-105mm) and don't carry lenses with me other than that.

Stll, the camera doesn't fit in my pocket and doesn't cause a problem.

The compromise.

I guess the question isn't a slam dunk.

Clifton

I don't think you should make your decision based on how other people view their photography. "Travel experience" just isn't the deciding factor here (or much of a measure of many choices, I think). Just because I'm very into amateur photography and would take the Canon is no reason you should. Equally, the fact that others don't like to mess with carrying equipment and feel point and shoots are adequate, is pretty irrelevant to a shutterbug.

Repeatedly, this kind of question on this board splits into the two camps - recorders of vacations and photog enthusiasts. They're never going to agree. Judge by what's important to you. If all that matters is that you have an album to turn to every now and then for a "remember when", then take one of the little cameras. If you fuss about things like lighting and composition, or keep wanting one more shot because the last one isn't quite right, take the Canon. I fall in the latter camp, but don't know which you are. Have you left the others in the box because you're happy with the Canon or because it's been that long since you felt like taking a picture?

TripleSecDelay

Wow. So much controversy over such a simple issue. Take everything to Italy. Write a trip report upon return, lilminkey, detailing your camera experiences. You tell <i>us</i> what to bring.

tashak

There is no &quot;best&quot;. Really, I find these posts funny...what kind of husband/wife/pet/house/car is best?

kjosker

Grasshopper, the best camera to take is the one that you'll use.

Jimjim

I am the owner of a Canon A-1, using a 35mm f-2 primary lens and I carry (carried) a wide angle plus a zoom lens. It seemed I was always changing lenses, trying to hold the equiptment on my knee while seated when eating and always worrying about it being lost, damaged, or stolen. Also after showing the pictures (Slides) once or twice they ended up in the attic and forgotten.

Now I carry a point and shoot zoom which I can carry in a pouch or hanging around my neck under a jacket. I have gotten rid of the bulk and weight of all the other equiptment.

Enjoy your trip. Jimjim

Robespierre

THE BEST camera to take is the one that will give you acceptable results for the convenience it affords.

If you don't need a wide range of film speeds, focal lengths, and apertures, and the digital provides enough resolution to suit you, take it.

If it will fit, also take the Canon with one fast, normal lens. When I take my Olympus, it's the f1.2 55mm.

Yours truly,

F-stop Fitzgerald

lilminkey

THANKS ,all opinions have there logic,you have helped me look at all the possible sernerios.Thanks you guys are the greatest.