Hi, all, I am still working on my Paris trip report--should be done soon. In the meanwhile, I wanted to share my photography experience. I took two rolls of film in to be developed yesterday, and received one package of blank negatives; the other package contained a roll of double-exposed pictures. Pictures of our lunch at the Jules Verne were superimposed on the gargoyles of Notre Dame! I couldn't believe my eyes--I had put the same roll of film in the camera twice. Fortunately, Diana and Legene also took cameras, so our pictures are not a total loss! And there is one cool picture of the Eiffel Tower with the words "an 2000" on it. At the very top of the tower, standing sideways, are the girls posed at Versailles. The bottom shows a mermaid fountain at Versailles. Couldn't have gotten a better double exposure if I'd been trying. Unfortunately, the rest of the roll is a throwaway! <BR> <BR>More later... <BR>Kathryn

Kathryn, <BR>I'm an avid photographer so this was reeeally embarrassing... <BR>Took some absolutely beautiful and challenging photos on a trip to Barbados a few years ago...got home and realized I never even had film in the camera! <BR>Doh!

I didn't take many pictures in Paris, but I took a lot of my favorite organ grinder with his dog and cat. <BR> <BR>Too bad I never put film in the camera. <BR> <BR>I had double and triple-checked every aspect of my trip. I had even bought extra batteries for the camera. I just assumed the camera was loaded! <BR> <BR>C'est la vie! I guess I'll have to go back.

Many years ago, I took an ex-boyfriend on a trip to the UK. He was a something of an amateur photographer and brought along this special type of camera and a million rolls of film. We shot them all. On the second to the last day, the camera started makeing weird noises, we took it to a camera shop in London and they changed the battery, we snapped a few photos then wasted the rest of the roll taking pics of us horsing around and being silly in the hotel room. Imagine our chagrin when we returned home and realized we had 30 rolls of black pictures and one clear roll of us acting like idiots in a hotel room* Sigh. My husband and I always take disposable camera's. If they get stolen it's no big deal and after 5 trips, we've never had a bad experience (touch wood) , but then we are not really picky picture takers.

I second the use of disposable cameras! I think Fuji makes the best. On our first trip to Europe, I spent half the time, waiting for my husband to change lenses, fool with camera bag, etc. Never again, and the Fuji snaps look great!

I bought one of those 35mm point and shoot - a Pentax 120 - and have so far not been impressed with the results. Mind you - it was rainy and cloudy and at those quick photo places the chemicals are usually warm which produces bad prints. I also have a background in photography - I have a 2 1/4 camera (square negative) and need to buy a new 35mm manual camera - thus I'm kinda spoiled when it comes to great prints. The disposables aren't half bad. I bought a point and shoot because of its size (compact) and I don't want to get too bogged down with taking pictures - I'm more interested in savoring the moment instead of trying to preserve it. I was wondering what point&shoot cameras other travelers have used and what they thought of the results..

Hi, just a tip to help avoid running the same roll of film through you camera twice (I've done it too!). Whenever I take an exposed roll out of my camera I IMMEDIATELY roll the tail of the film up into the canister. The tail does not have to be sticking out of the canister for the camera store to pull it out and develop it. That way there's no way you can put it back into your camera and re-run it. Of course, if you have one of those Advantix cameras I'm not sure you can do this. Good luck!

Kathryn, I think I know how you feel. The only pictures I have of my newborn daughter depict her as a fuzzy, out of focus blob due to a misaligned viewfinder in a recently repaired camera. I learned my lesson: expose and develop a roll if there's any doubt your camera is working.

This is mostly for Mark... <BR>My husband is a pretty serious amatuer photographer (he got his first medium format camera when he got out of high school). <BR>We have a Konica Big Mini point & shoot camera that we have been very pleased with. (It has a fixed focal length Zeiss lens.) I don't know if Konica still sells the camera that we have, but the Yashica T4 has the same lens and is still on the market.

ALWAYS rewind your film so that the leader disapears into the roll. That way you can never reload the same one. I tried something new this year. I have a Cannon A1 with a 50mm, 28mm wide angle and a telephoto lens that I've been using for years. It takes great pictures. This year I added a new lightweight olympus 35mm with built in lens that goes from 28mm to 80mm that I keep on my belt. I load 200 spped into one and 800 into the other for indoor shots. It worked out very well for me. <BR>

I bought one of those APS cameras at a discount store. I think it's a Minolta or something...cost around $50.00 including battery and some film. It has several features that I don't really use, but the great thing about it is that it rewinds after you've taken the photos and you can't do doubles. It is really small so doesn't take up much room and I'm not as worried about it getting lost or stolen as I am with the "good" Pentax and all the lenses and gadgets that go along with it. Got a Kodak APS for my son, but the photos aren't as good as mine. Check it out in Consumer Reports for the best type.