How We'll Get The Photos You Want To See

Those of you who are experienced photographers may find this post a bore, but I'm writing it for all our amateur and non-photographer friends, with hopes that they might find it useful. Also, to be completely honest, it is an exercise in learning to add photographs to text.

We are well equipped with camera gear for this trip. Carolyn will be taking her trusty Canon A710 IS, a compact, flexible point and shoot that she has been using for a couple of years, with excellent results. We're taking Carolyn's sister, Diana's laptop with us (thanks Diana and Mark!), and will use whatever internet connections we can find to upload our posts.

I will be taking my Nikon D40X, the smallest DSLR body Nikon makes. During the trip I'll shoot RAW plus jpeg, saving the RAW files to process at home, and using the jpegs for posting images to the blog from Oman. I chose this "amateur" camera body because it has all the features I'll ever need, plus the smaller weight and size that makes it a lot easier to lug around. I almost never get a bad exposure from this camera - or for that matter, any of my digital cameras - and on those rare occasions when I do get a bad exposure, I can see it immediately, and do it over. With film, I had to wait until the film was processed, usually not until after I'd returned home. Boy, do I ever love this digital age!

The only lens I am taking for the D40X is my Nikon 18-200mm VR (35mm equivalent 27-300mm). This one of Nikon's best lenses, with a range from serious wide angle to fairly long telephoto, with Vibration Reduction thrown in. With no changing lenses, it's sort of like having an extremely high quality (if not very compact) point-and-shoot. The lens itself, while quite compact, particularly for it's range, did tend to overwhelm the tiny D40X body until I got used to the combo, and now it feels absolutely natural in my hands.

When not carrying the Nikon, I will use my Panasonic LX3. Boy, do I love this camera! With a 24-60 (35mm equivalent) f2-2.8mm Leitz Summicron lens, RAW capability, and almost panorama format capability, it is one of the best serious point-and-shoot cameras on the market. It is small and lightweight - almost tiny - and I can carry it in an inconspicuous purse-like shoulder bag. I just recently upgraded to this camera from it's predecessor, the LX2 (which I will have along as a back-up). Here's what I said about the LX2 on my web site; it all applies equally and more to the LX3:

"In June 2007 I began using a Panasonic Lumix LX2 digital camera. Without going into a sales pitch (which I would be happy to do at a moment's notice), let me just say that it fits my hand - and my eye - like it was made for them. I love the 16:9 - almost panoramic - aspect ratio. My wife says I'm like a kid with a new bike. This informal portfolio, which I update regularly, is a measure of my satisfaction with this little jewel of a camera." (See the portfolio, Taking The Long View, on my web site, rpkphoto.smugmug.com).

Along with these cameras we will be taking SD and SDHC cards totaling nearly 50 GB, a card reader for uploading to the laptop, extra rechargeable and disposable batteries and chargers, a polarizing filter for the Nikon, a monopod that will also serve as a walking stick, and my trusty Nikon SB800 flash.

We hope that you will like the photographs that we'll be taking. rpk