[at-l] Cameras for the AT.

[buchanan@gtcinternet.com (Susan Buchanan)]

My old camera that I have absolutely loved, was a Canon AT-1.  It's over 20
years old (got it for my first Mother's Day, and that kid turns 22 in a
couple of months) and weighs a ton: the old metal body camera with a long
lens (always kept a 35-105 mm lens on it).  This year I decided I just
wasn't willing to carry the weight, and went shopping.  But I simply
couldn't bring myself to go with a point and shoot.  Don't know why.  It's
not like my pics are outstanding.  But I do love to play with photography.
So I ended up with a Canon Rebel 2000 EOS.  I've got a 28-80 mm lens on it.
William says it's heavy, but compared to my old one that weighed a ton . . .
the newer plastic bodies on these cameras really make a difference.

Accessibility on the trail is an important consideration.  I outfitted the
smallest fanny pack I had with a rectangle of old blue pad (what did I ever
do without old blue pads??, this being the thinnest blue pad I've ever
seen - different material than my other old blue pads).  The pad goes down
the front of the fanny pack, across the bottom and up the back, and my
camera snuggles down inside of it on it's side.  My map slipped down between
the blue pad and the front of the fanny pack, and there was room in there
for an extra roll of film, and a bandana.  The fanny pack just barely closes
over the whole thing, and then I wore it in front, keeping the camera handy
and easy to use.  When it rains, the fanny pack gets strapped around the
backpack under the rain cover.  But (other than in the rain) when there was
something I wanted to get a picture of, the camera was easy and simple to
get to.

And I bought it with full protection (for two years anyway) so that they'll
replace it for me free of charge if it dies.  From anything - water, abuse.
I could drop it down a cliff.  As long as I have pieces of it to bring back
to the store!

We all make our choices about weight we're willing to carry and that which
we're not willing to carry.  I haven't weighed the camera, but I suspect it
weighs more than my kitchen (greasepot/alcohol stove setup).  I know I would
think more about it before a thru hike, but I suspect I might still carry
it.

suz

----- Original Message -----
From: "William Neal" <nealb@midlandstech.com>
To: "'Tom Mantooth'" <tomman@attbi.com>; "AT-Mailing list (E-mail)"
<at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: [at-l] Cameras for the AT.


> As heavy as it was, I use to have a Canon Rebel.