[at-l] Cameras for the AT.

[Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net (Bob C.)]

I still dream of returning to a full-sized 35 mm single lens reflex one of these
days,  but  for  trail photography the 35 mm point and shoot cameras with a zoom
lens almost uniformly do a competent job. There are subtle differences, but it's
hard to tell the difference among the standard brands.

Because I like to take flower, bug and mushroom and photos of other tiny things,
I  look  for the smallest field the lens will cover. Unfortunately, that is hard
data  to  find.  Consumer Reports used to include the figure in its ratings, but
has stopped doing so.

Generally,  however,  the longer the focal length, the bigger the flower will be
in  my slides, but for some reason my new Olympus 38-140, won't move in as close
as  my  old  38-110,  probably because it won't focus as close in the long focus
mode.

The big advantage of a point and shoot over a standard 35 mm is its compact size
and  weight.  I  tend  to  wear  a pocket tee shirt in the woods and my 11 ounce
Olympus fits nicely in the pocket so it's always handy.

The  quality  of  my  slides have improved enormously since I epoxied a 1/4 - 20
screw into the top of my wooden hiking stick, creating a monopod.

Weary