Traveling Cameras

1990 Canon EOS 10S 35mm on the left, 2004 Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP digital on right

Overheard at Castle Frostbite a couple weeks ago:

Lyra: (craning to see the back of the camera) "Can I see the picture?"

Me: "No."

Lyra: "Why not?"

Me: "Well, you see, a long time ago, before you were born..." 

The eponymous munchkins of The Munchkin Wrangler had never really been exposed to the concept of a film camera before.

Before heading out to New Hamster, I decided to acquire a more serious camera bag. My plan was to pack a film body along with the DSLR and a small 35mm P&S in case I got a chance to go play hipster street photographer in Lebanon or Hanover. After coonfingering a bunch of the choices at local camera store Roberts, I picked out a Lowepro Pro Messenger 200 as a well-made bag that would hold two bodies and a few lenses, plus all the ancillary gear, and not look terribly dorky while doing it or fall apart after a month's use.

Coolpix P-7000 on left, Ricoh GR1 on right

The P&S selection was easy: The GR1 is my fave little pocket 35mm camera. Picking the bigger film camera wasn't as easy. I anguished over the film SLR choice, dithering back and forth, and think I wound up choosing the wrong one for the trip. See, I brought the EOS 10S on the theory that it could share EF-mount lenses with the 20D and that would be very practical and pragmatic.

But if this was about practicality and pragmatism, I wouldn't be using film in the first place. The 10S is a fine camera, but I might as well be using the DSLR, given how little bond there is between me and it. I'd have gotten out and about and shot more pictures on film if I'd brought the A-1 and a couple of FD lenses for it. The 18-135 zoom is normally the only lens I take on vacation for the 20D anyway, so it's not like I needed extra EF lenses along.

Next trip I'll know better.
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