Jim Tardio: <BR> <BR>What beautiful photos on your website! What kind of camera do you use? Or do you travel with more than one?

I'm a camera nut. When I travel I take my Nikon, several lenses, a flash, and a variety of film. Unless you are really into photography, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone else. It is a real pain in the butt carrying all that equipment around. My wife carries a point and shoot Minolta with a zoom lens. My daughter carries the Canon ELPH 370z someone else mentioned because she thinks its small size is really neat. Both always use 400 speed film, as it is the most versatile. To be honest, they both take great pictures, sometimes better than mine. Anyway, ignore all the camera snobs and keep it simple for yourself. Get the best point and shoot you can afford, with the least weight, bulk, etc. All the camera companies (pentax, olympus, nikon, cannon) make good ones. For best price check out your local Costco, or try online at www.cameraworld.com

Hi Pat, <BR>I bought the Canon Elph 2 earlier this year & love it. Its the model below the 380z mentioned above & has a smaller zoom (2x) but is much smaller also (& very sleek & sexy!). See the following links for some reviews... <BR>http://www.epinions.com/elec_Cameras...2?tk=TB003.1.1 <BR> <BR>I've never had any problem with the quality of my photos some people seem to think you do with APS. I love the different size pictures you can take & also that I can change films mid roll - I'm planning on swapping between colour & B&W for my upcoming trip to France. <BR>Whatever you decide just make sure you have a chance to practise with it before your trip. <BR>Cheers...

I agree with Mary who posted a reply earlier in this thread. The Canon Elph line is a super value for quality of pictures and the convenience of its compact size. I owned a Canon Elph APS camera for a couple of years and just bought the Canon Digital Elph and get great results. The APS version of the Elph can be had for roughly $200. Great overall package for the price. You can check some photography websites to get reviews as well. Good luck in making your selection. Have fun in Paris! <BR> <BR>Corey

I got a Cannon Elph "Powershot S100" Digital camera recently and will be taking it with me to Ireland, London and Paris. <BR>Do any of you have one and do you have any tips/advice? <BR>Thanks! <BR>Patti

I also strongly recommend 400 film. You are going to be wswitching between indoors and out. Lat year, on our trip to Israel, I took all 400 film and everything turned out great. I had lent a roll of film to a friend and he returned a 100 speed roll. All my photos in the caves at Rosh Hanikra were ruined, even those taken at 4 or 5 feet distance with a flash were too dark. I still haven't forgiven him.

Has anyone tried Fuji 800 film? What were your results? <BR> <BR>Thanks

With regard to the digital camera you need to consider the storage limits of the cards and the possible need to download to a computer to clear the card. And there is also the need to upgrade computers for the digital. That said, on a photography board a poster told of making a vacation CD for his family shooting the pictures at a lower resolution. As he pointed out, at a regular resolution setting you can get acceptable 4X6 pictures if you want. I may take a digital along on my next trip for such a use, but will still bring the SLR and the P&S. For a P&S with good features and good zoom, consider the Pentax IQZoom series. As far as APS systems are concerned, I think the film and processing is expensive for what you get.

I like Fuji 800 pretty well. Mostly, I have used it for well-lit indoor photography, such as hockey games. I talked to a guy in St. Louis who shoots at some of the Blues games' for a newspaper, and he uses it as well. A lot of wedding photograhers use Fuji NHGII 800 speed film. I have used it at a relatives wedding and was very pleased with the results. The latter is fairly expensive, however, at better than $5 a roll at discount camera stores. A lot of the time when I use a high speed film at home, I go with black and white. TMAX 3200 is great. It will give you more grain than lower speed films but not too bad. You can shoot it at a range of speeds from well below 3200 to well above. I generally shoot at 1600 with good results. Great in lower light. If you ever try this film, take it to a place that knows what it is doing because the lab must process it for the correct setting. A P&S camera generally won't give you an option and will shoot the film as 3200. <BR> <BR>A little off-topic, some of my favorite print films are Kodak Supra 100 and 400, Fuji NPH 400 (try shooting at 320 if you can), and Superia Reala 100. The latter two are particularly good for photos with people because they are lower in contrast. Reala is very sharp and creamy in appearance. I use it for a large number of my travel photos now, at least in sunny weather. It is generally considered not quite as good in overcast conditions. Another great thing about Reala is that at discount stores like B&H in New York you can get it for $2 and something a roll. Most camera stores around here don't sell it.

I took some great shots with my daughter's Nikon N60 setting it on Auto focus. I, too, know nothing about light meters, f-stops etc. so I used the camera like a point and shoot. I'm very happy with the pictures. My main suggestion is to bring a disposable with you as well in case you want to ask a stranger to take a group shot of your family. Never hand over your good camera to a stranger!

dan, thanks for the in depth reply. I just purchased my first slr camera and I am open to Any kind of help.

Dan, I'd love to try the 800 speed film but I'm wondering how to shield the film at airport xrays, in the event that they refuse to do a hand search of carryon luggage. (It's happened before.)Any ideas?

Sue <BR>I've used 800 speed film on three trips that required the hated x-rays. No problems so far. Even took some b/w 3200 over twice before using. It was still good. <BR>

Don't forget, whatever camera and film you use, do not use your flash when around artworks. <BR>

Hi, Pat! <BR>You may compare the pictures on my webpages...Portugal, I used a point and shoot camera with 200 speed film. In Austria and Czech, I used a Canon Rebel, with different lens and 800 speed film outside and 200 inside. <BR>I strongly recommend that you purchase your camera now, take lots of pictures in a variety of situations, and take the films to a GOOD developer. Processing is as important as the camera and the person taking the pictures. <BR>Think about a camera class and picking some books up from the library on composition and lighting. Lighting is the most essential ingredient in a picture and the least discussed. <BR>Good luck, let us know how you fare! <BR>Gloria <BR>

Pat...It would help if I gave you the address to my webpages, aye? :) <BR> <BR>Portugal <BR>http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...a=12472324&f=0 <BR> <BR>Austria/Czech <BR>http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...a=12407636&f=0 <BR> <BR>Gloria <BR>

Pat <BR>Can't believe how full some people are of themselves. At least one of the posters above was right on. You're goal isn't to become a photographer. It is to preserve memories of your family's trip to Paris. Thus, keep it as simple as possible. Buy any good point and shoot camera and use 400 speed film. The cameras are light weight and any member of the family can take a picture with them. You don't need fancy equipment, film to get the kid of pictures that provide you with memories for a lifetime. Good luck.

For your standard 'travel' photos, do most people prefer Kodak or Fugi film? I'd also like to know if people think the x-rays at the airport (the ones that you walk thru) bother film. Sometimes I can talk them in to a hand check of my film, but many times not.

I'm a fan of Fuji film - my pictures seem to have so much more "punch" when I use it, rather than Kodak. <BR> <BR>As for the x-rays at airports, there was an in-depth study done recently in the UK, as UK airports are generally not happy about hand checking things. Unfortunately, I can't remember all the details of the report, but I do remember that they were fairly encouraging. For film speeds up to 400 ISO, the x-rays were safe for many repeated exposures, so you should be fine, even on a holiday with lots of flights. For faster film, there were some effects, but I seem to remember it still took quite a few exposures to x-rays before there was any effect. <BR> <BR>From my own personal experience, I have twice taken 800 ISO film on holidays where the films went through the x-rays 4 times, with no ill-effects. <BR> <BR>However, you should never let your films go through the x-rays used on checked in baggage, as these are far more powerful. <BR> <BR>Finally, you can buy special bags that are supposed to protect film from the x-rays. If you are unlucky, I'm told, the x-ray operator will boost the strength of the x-ray until they can see through - so no benefit. If you are lucky though, they will just subject your bag to a hand search. I honestly don't think you need to bother with this, though, as I've always just let my film go through and never had any effects.

Here's part of a tip sheet that I handed out to the folk I was traveling with a few years back. Seems that the BBC got zapped by placing film in checked luggage. <BR> <BR>Potential Film Killer The May 1998 Shutterbug Magazine reported a new x-ray device, the CTX500, using technology derived from medical CAT scan devices. This is part of newly implemented anti-terrorist deterrents. It will fog film placed in checked baggage if you are unlucky enough to go through one.